You have to fuel your John Deere riding mower with the right gas for the fuel efficiency and proper functioning. Most ordinary automobile gasoline or diesel will work to fuel a John Deere riding mower, depending on the model. Though you may store fuel to use in your mower, never purchase more than a 30-day supply at one time, because gasoline degrades. Employing a stabilizer will allow it to remain fresh longer.
Fuel Basics
While many John Deere riding mowers use petrol or diesel petrol with an octane rating of 87 or greater, some have already been converted to use gas. If you utilize biodiesel, purchase a John Deere gas purifier to maintain your parts working properly. The type of fuel any John Deere merchandise requires is recorded in the operator’s manual that came with all the riding mower. Regardless of what fuel your mower uses, never pick one that includes methanol. Adding methanol for your riding mower may cause engine failure.
Ethanol Concerns
It’s important that the gas you select does not have more than a certain quantity of ethanol. An excessive amount of ethanol can cause vapor locking, surging, increased temperatures or possibly a breakdown of the motor. John Deere recommends fuels with 10 percent ethanol or less. If you’re using methyl tertiary butyl ether — MTBE — reformulated gas, make certain that there is 15 percent or less MTBE in the fuel.
Adding Stabilizer
John Deere recommends adding its fuel stabilizer to the gas whenever you refuel your tank. The part number is TY27534 in the time of publication. It may prolong the life of the gas in your tank to get up to a year. Insert 2.5 oz per 5 gallons of gas in your storage container. This is also a way to help store your riding mower for up to two decades. For storage, add two times the recommended quantity of stabilizer to your gas tank, run the engine for five minutes, and then store the riding mower.
Suitable Fueling
When fueling your riding mower, remember how long the gas has been sitting at the tank. Since most people don’t operate riding mowers throughout the calendar year, the fuel can become old, stale and not as effective. Old fuel can prevent your mower from starting. If the mower has been sitting for at least a year using all the stabilizer, drain the fuel tank and replace the gas with new gas. If the stabilizer was not additional, drain the gas tank once it has been sitting for at least a month.