Not sure if a "consensus" can be reached on this forum. My opinion (and practice) is to add stabilizer to every fuel purchase for my OPE. This way I have some in the tank and entire fuel system no matter what. Even if you run the engine "out of gas" there is a small bit of fuel remaining in the bottom of the carburetor float chamber (bowl). This fuel will evaporate and leave a film of residue on the surfaces of the interior of bowl. Whether this film will re-dissolve when the bowl refills at a later time is not a sure thing. With the gasoline formulae changing almost as often as fashions, it is difficult to say if today's or tomorrow's gasolines will behave the same as from years ago. My vote is cast toward using stabilizer and keeping the tank about 3/4 to 1/2 full. This way you can add fresh gas to the tank at the onset of the next season of use (instead of having a tankful of somewhat stale fuel). I have doubts about any benefits to adding stabilizer to diesel fuel as "diesel" is a "light oil" and far less volatile than gasoline. Diesel fuel is very near to being "self-stabilizing" because it is an oil. I also highly recommend installing an inline fuel cutoff valve (if the OEM didn't furnish one).

I have a boat mechanic I use when needed that never adds A fuel stabilizer in his winterizations (in board/outboards.) He's quoted studies to me that claim the stabilizer can also actually "gum" up. He's always told me to put 1/2 to 3/4 of a tank of QUALITY gas in right before storage and it'll last the winter just fine. What's quality? Mobil, Shell super unleaded for instance. Not gas from Bobs corner store. Oh, my boats twenty years old and runs just fine, actually everything else is breaking down around the 4 cylinder motor! LOL

Thanks for the opinions, and the reasons why. I will pass the information on.

Nancy

We've reached what we think is a do-able compromise. We will put stabilizer in the gas tanks(2 on the Ferris), and I will use the Ferris once a month to drive out and get the mail, a 1 mile round trip.

Nancy