What is OPTI-2

[tooljunkie]

opti-2 is a synthetic oil,intended for near 100:1 ratio.
i sold and used it for years,but i would run a quality non-synthetic for break-in,simply that opti mixed any richer will foul the plug,and plug the screen in the exhaust.
i have seen exhaust screens in chainsaws blocked solid from running with a rich opti-2 mixture.
at 20:1 opti mix,i bet the screen plugs and black slime drips out of the exhaust.

 

[Greybeard]

when I researched Opti-2, I found the discription "parafinnic oil, high in ZDDP". ZDDP is part of the additive packages/friction modifiers that high performance automotives oils have/had. EPA has required oil companies to cut back on the ZDDP as it futzes with the O2 sensors. The first problems associated with those reductions in cars was camshaft failures which were fixed by using roller lifters instead of the old flat tappets.
Parafinnic, or parrifin bases oils come out of the ground and are in no way a synthetic.

 

[Goat Herder]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_dithiophosphate

 

[bairdco]

i break all mine in at 100:1.

20:1 would probably clog everything up.

cuts the break-in time down to nothing in most cases.

i've raced brand new engines, and rode one 100 miles at full throttle the first day.

never had any problems with opti2. i'm one of their biggest supporters. i love the stuff.

 

[maurtis]

In my quest to change a whole bunch of stuff at once to really make sure things go wrong, I got my first bottle of Opti-2 in the mail yesterday (could not find it locally).

Fortunately since my gas tank cracked, when I get my bike running again I can start fresh with Opti-2!

 

[truckd]

I found some Opti2 in 3.2 oz-90ml and a little Old! Old! lawnmower so old that the lawn tractor in front of the place had sat there so long the wheels had inbedded into the asphault parking space, got the stuff for a $1.75 a pouch this place was cool the guy had every kind of motor you could think of Maytag twins,1920 Briggs & Stratton and some old schwinn's

 

[Toadmund]

As far as I know Opti 2 does not exist here in my city.
So I went back to the place that sells Opti 4 and found the next best thing.

A bottle of Echo Power Blend Xtended life.

'Echo Power Blend Xtended Life oil is made exclusively for Echo and certified for use in all air-cooled, 2-stroke outdoor power equipment engines. And now it exceeds ISO-L-EGD standards and is JASO M345/FD registered. The FD rating has increased detergency requirements over the previous FC rating and includes corrosion inhibitors to keep … '

May not be as good as Opti 2, but it's the best stuff I could find to do me for now until I find Opti 2.
I still got to burn off this Dino mix first though.

So, Yeah, if you can't find Opti 2 look for this Echo stuff.

My initial take on two cycle oil was that it was all the same.

At another forum a Sears tech. told of his experience in which he was invited to observe.

Ten chainsaws of the same model were donated by a manufacturer and adjusted to the same specs.

The oil was diluted so that each saw eventually failed. All failed except the Echo oil, which diluted to 300:1 ran for 45 minutes and they were tired of hearing it run and shut it off.

The tech. said that the 2 cycle oil manufacturers did not want the results published.

When I mentioned the merits of Echo 2 cycle oil to the local small engine shop, he said that Opti-2 was the best.

Anyone wish to comment if they have used both?

Someone mentioned that Opti-2 made starting easier in another forum.

My orange chainsaw dealer sells the orange manufactures oil, and the Echo oil. He heard of the results of the experiment the Sears tech. attended.

 

[GearNut]

According to post #8 in the link that Toadmund shared, the Echo oil is made by Citgo.
Citgo is a Venezuelan oil company that is incorporated in Texas.
Does anyone here know who the president of Venezuela is?

I am in no way trying to turn this into a political post.

 

[Toadmund]

I see good and not good in Hugo, but I think the bad is mostly capitalistic propaganda.
Don't believe the hype.


Anyway, my father went to Maine and picked me and my brother up a bunch of Opti-2 packets!
For now I'll go with Hu-go oil before I crack the first packet of Opti-2, I still got a whole bottle of it to go through.

Is it true once you use Opti-2 you can't go back?
Or is that just certain low quality oils?

 

[bigbutterbean]

you can pretty much use whatever oil you want, and switch back and forth between different brands and types as often as you want. its like how they used to say that once you went to synthetic, you couldnt go back to dino, and then they started making the synthetic blend, which is actually a blend of dino and synthetic. I use full synthetic myself, because of the cheapness and availability of it. if dino suddenly became cheaper or easier to get, I would switch.

 

[Toadmund]

I certainly wouldn't want to go back to Dino lube, just like I wouldn't start buying margarine to put on my toast, butter is better even though it costs more, I'll take butter on my toast thank you very much!

So big'butter' (on toast) bean, In your opinion it would be no problem to use Opti-Echo-Opti-Echo and so on. Cause reality states as past is any indication, I cannot wait to try the Opti-2.

IMO, the issues arise when rings are worn and a thick oil gas viscosity helps seal ring compression, otherwise I am sure they would warn you if catastrophic engine failure is imminent if you stray from brand x.
And honestly, I don't see any issues either, they are lubricants, that's what they do, that's what we want, the only reason problems would arise is if they failed to lubricate and that would be the fault of the operator using too little or none at all.

Would Opti-2 make my toast taste better than butter?
It probably would, who wants to taste test it for me?

So, to conclude, I have Opti-2, 6- 5 litre, 1 gallon mix packets, enough to last me a long time, plus a whole bottle of Echo Hu-Go to use which is a very good oil as well.