Walt, what on God's green earth is that thing? As far as oil ratios, everybody should use what they feel is the best. I personally don't like the idea of running a high mix oil at 100:1 when the folks who built my orphaned 2-stroke recommend 32:1. Now I know some of you guys use these synthetics with good results. It's just not for me. Additive packages and whatever else, I prefer to follow engine manufacturer's recommendations and use LB oil. I actually run mine with a little extra oil to be on the safe side, just in case. However, this is what I do because it works for me. I'll always suggest going with spec or richer, but if something else works for another person that's fine too. When you ask people for their opinions on this forum, that's exactly what you will get. Silly thing to argue about really.

Information for consumption. Honda/Yamaha/Husqvarna/KTM/Suzuki/Kawasaki They all produced extremely high output 2-stroke racing engines in their off-road motorcycles, and these engines were put in some of the most grueling conditions you could imagine. Virtually ALL of them recommended 20:1 or 24:1 mix ratios. What the actual FACTORY mechanics did at racing events was very telling. Their teams (admittedly not running "stock" engines) but were running engines putting out even MORE power for the displacement class followed the same rules. 1) The higher the RPM's the engine turned the more oil they ran in the fuel. (e.g. a 125cc machine that routinely lived in the 10,000 - 13,500rpm range ran 20:1 or 24:1 -- The 250cc engines that ran between 6,500 and 9,000rpm ran 32:1 or 40:1, and the Open Class machines (251cc and up by AMA but they were all 400+cc engines, usually 465's, 490's, or 500cc) ran 50:1 or in some instances if the temps were cool and the loads light on the engine they ventured into the 70:1 range.) (2) Additionally Husqvarna did some testing in the mid 70's that was also very interesting. They put 3 identical stock engines on a dyno and ran them for several days at varying RPM and load conditions. Then both motors were torn down and inspected. The engine running CASTOR based oil had the least wear, followed by the synthetic oil, and finally the engine running standard 2-cycle oil. (3) A second test they performed was to run synthetic in 2 identical engines and one was run at 24:1, the other was run at 50:1 The engine that ran 24:1 had less piston skirt wear, and less rod bearing wear, but had the same main roller bearing wear as the engine run at 50:1. I personally ran my 125cc race bikes on synthetic Yamalube-R at 24:1 or ran Bel-Ray MC1 at 24:1 even though Bel-Ray claimed it was a 50:1 oil. The 250's I ran 32:1, and the brutal 500cc machine ran 50:1. The plug reading will tell you a lot. The insulator should be light tan in color. If it is white you are too lean, dark, black, or oily, and you are too rich. Changing the oil/gas ratio DOES affect the jetting settings so changing ratios will likely require carb adjustment. If you are fouling plugs then you have the fuel/air mixture incorrect for the gas/oil mix you are using. Manufacturers intentionally make the low rpm pilot jet on the rich side (so they start easier) and excessive idling will foul the plug. I am not sure if there is a low speed adjustment on the carb you have, but if you constantly foul plugs you may want to lean that out a bit, again the plug condition will tell you.

Per Mike Acres' website (Chainsaw Collectors Corner), the McCulloch TimberBear wanted 40:1. You should be more than adequately lubricated and protected at this ratio with a modern oil. Heck, you should be fine at 50:1 with a good oil, too, for what that's worth. The quality of two-stroke oils has increased so dramatically since the days of mixing straight 30wt motor oil in with the gas (at 16:1 or 32:1, no less), that it is no longer necessary to use these ultra-rich ratios to get the appropriate degree of protection. I now run full-synthetic Mobil Racing MX2T in all my two-stroke equipment (43:1, 6oz to 2 gallons), but was very pleased with the more practical and readily available Echo semi-synthetic stuff I ran for a number of years. You can buy the Echo semi-synthetic oil at most OPE dealers and I believe you can even get it at Home Depot, too. I believe that the Echo mix has fuel stabilizer in it, too, which is nice if you're not burning through your can of mixed gas every few days.

real, "But after about 20 min of use, the oil is all mixed in with the sawdust, making a pasty mixture that's sticks to the bar and inside near the sprocket as well. I had to take the bar and chain off to clean it off. Does anyone know if this is normal?" No. The only thing you should have to do after 20 minutes of use is add more gas and chainsaw oil. Maybe adjust the chain tension. First of all, there shouldn't be any sawdust. Your chain should be cutting out small wood chips. Normally, the appearance of dust means the chain is very dull. I'm actually wondering if you might have the chain installed wrong. Read the ECHO manual to see if your saw has an adjustment for the chain oiling rate. I had to cut through some fairly gummy pine, so I adjusted the oiling rate on my Stihl fairly high to "throw off" any pine gum that might want to become involved with my chain. As long as you don't run your oil tank dry before you run your gas tank dry (I rarely do that), it should be "safe" to increase your oiling rate. When you rev your engine, you should see a visible spray of oil slinging off the end of your bar. That's my thinking. MM