What brand is the engine?
I have run gas with ethanol in my small engines ever since it showed up with no problems.
The following is from a
Ethanol Gasoline Blends and Small Engines study:
Small Engines
There are millions of small “utility,” or “non-road,” engines in
the U.S. These are typically air-cooled, single, or twin cylinder,
4- or 2-stroke engines. Most of these engines are carbureted
and have minimal emissions control devices. Typical uses
for these engines include: lawn mowing, trimming, pumping,
emergency electrical generation and various other utility duties.
These engines typically range up to 25 horsepower.
What the Manufacturers Recommend
Small engine manufacturers, such as Briggs and Stratton,
have the following requirements regarding fuel used in their
current 4- and 2-stroke engines [1]:
• Clean, fresh, unleaded gasoline
• Minimum of 87 octane
• Gasoline with up to 10 percent ethanol (E10, gasohol) or
up to 15 percent MTBE is acceptable
Therefore, using E10 is acceptable. However; using a
higher ethanol blend such as E85 could void the warranty on
these engines because it can lead to lean running conditions.
Ref:
1. Briggs and Stratton website discussing fuel requirements,
Accessed January 22, 2009,
http://www4.briggsandstratton.com/display/router.asp?docid=76786You should check with the manufacturer to see if they are meaning the E85 but didn't state it properly in their manual.
Also - go to their website and review the comments on the engine.
You can also google the engine and ethanol and see what comments pop up.