The unthinkable has happened. You, your whole family, and your friends have showed up to your vacation home for the first action packed weekend of fun of the season. But your boat won’t start. Wasn’t it running well when you left at the end of last season? Didn’t you take all of the necessary precautions to make sure your boat didn’t deteriorate during the off season? 
You did put fuel stabilizer in your last tank of gas, didn’t you? Oh. Well there’s our problem. Without some fuel stabilizer, the gas in your boat’s tank went bad. No wonder it sounds like the engine wants to run but just can’t quite get there. Don’t worry, we’re here to help with our list of the best fuel stabilizer for boats so that this doesn’t end up happening again. Be sure to check out our winner on Amazon!
Our Top Picks |
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The Overall WinnerGold Eagle 22250 STA-BIL Marine
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The Economy WinnerCRC 6162 Marine Fuel Stabilizer
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Honorable MentionMSC Heavy DutyÂ
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What happened during the off season that the gas no longer works in your boat, you ask? A number of detrimental things happen with your boat when gas sits in it for too long. As it sits, the molecules of the gas break down so that the gas is no longer volatile enough to burn inside your engine. This is why your engine will struggle to start and, if it does run, runs extremely rough. Additionally, the gas oxidizes, essentially changing the chemical composition of the gas. The deposits and impurities that build up in the gas can clog gas lines, filters, carburetors, and other places that the gas runs through.
So, when we go to look for some fuel stabilizer, we want to make sure that the stabilizer negates these harmful effects that bad gas can have to keep our boat running fresh. Since we aren’t chemists ourselves (and, odds are, you aren’t either), we aren’t going to be checking the back of the label for certain compounds to make sure the stabilizer we pick out is the best. Instead, we can mostly listen to what other people have said about it and make our choice from there. If it works for others, it should work for you. So, let’s take a look at the best fuel stabilizer for boats that we can find.
Best Fuel Stabilizer for Boats
Gold Eagle 22250 STA-BIL Marine
The first entry on our list comes from Gold Eagle in the form of their 22250 STA-BIL Marine formula. According to Gold Eagle, this is the “ultimate treatment” for your boat to protect it from ethanol blended fuels. It will help clean your fuel system for improved performance, preventing corrosion both above and below the fuel line. This is something that no other fuel additive can do, says Gold Eagle.
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This fuel treatment option stabilizes fuel for up to 12 months and seeks to increase power and fuel efficiency for your engine. According to reviewers on Amazon, this product is the highest competitor in fuel stabilizers, earning itself a 4.9 out of 5 stars. T
his is the highest rating for a fuel stabilizer on Amazon, speaking to an outstanding performing product. Additionally, customers love to point out that you only need to use half the amount of stabilizer as compared to other products for an application, essentially cutting the $1.79 per ounce price of this stabilizer in half.
Grab some Gold Eagle on Amazon
CRC 6162 Marine Fuel Stabilizer
CRC’s 6162 Marine Fuel Stabilizer is next on our list for the best stabilizers, coming in at a price of $1.67 per ounce. Much like the other options on this list, this stabilizer is great for protecting your boat from ethanol blended gasoline so that it runs smoothly for years to come.
This stabilizer will keep your fuel lines, carburetors, and injectors free of any issues related to the gas you burn, freeing you up to enjoy your boat more than you fix it. Another benefit of this formula is that it boasts resistance to corrosion in your internal engine components, taking even more burden away from your maintenance duties.
See More and Buy CRC 6162 at Amazon.com
According to Amazon reviewers, this product works just as well as you would hope it would. Rated at a 4.8 out of 5 stars mark, this stabilizer is a great value to its customers, letting them start up their boats right at the beginning of the season with no issues. It is not doubt that you could expect this high level of performance from this stabilizer, too.
STA-BIL 360 22240 Marine with Vapor Technology
This STA-BIL product can be purchased for $1.65 per ounce to fulfill your fuel stabilizing needs. The vapor technology in this formula protects engines and fuel systems from bad gas, both above and below the fuel line.
It keeps your boat free of any ethanol fuel related damage and features an advance formula for better response to water, something that can be key for your boat. With this stabilizer in your tank, your engine will run cleaner, leaner, and smoother than you could ever dream of. And, best of all, it will keep a tank of gas safe during the offseason. In fact, it will protect your engine for up to a year.
See More Details on Amazon.com
Reviewers speak quite highly of this product, giving it a 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon. People say that they love the protection from ethanol fuels that their engine gets with this product and swear by it over any other stabilizer. Customer approval of this product is what makes it a best fuel stabilizer for boats as far as we are concerned.
Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment
At $1.54, it is tough to compete with the value of this Star Tron product. This fuel stabilizer will rid your boat of any ethanol fuel related problems and prevent any from happening in the future. This product is for both every day and seasonal storage use, making it handy in nearly any situation.
Use it with any tank of gas to keep your boat running smoothly or make sure your gas keeps over a long off season. This formula actually will keep a tank of gas fresh for up to two years, letting your engine start and run nicely even if it hasn’t been started in a while. Additionally, the enzymes in this mix disperse water, keeping your gas from phase separation.
Check Out Star Tron Here
Reviewers of this product speak of it with the highest regards. This product has earned itself a 4.7 rating on Amazon, meaning it must work just as well as more expensive competitors. Customers love the protection that this product offers, making it a competitor for the best fuel stabilizer for boats.
Genuine Mercury Quickstor Fuel Stabilizer
The cheapest option here on our list of the best fuel stabilizer for boats comes from Mercury. This stabilizer can be added to your tank just before you store your boat to prevent both regular and ethanol blended fuels from breaking down and oxidizing during the offseason.
Mercury says this Quickstor formula will keep your fuel fresh for up to a year, thwarting fuel system corrosion like gum and varnish buildups. With this stabilizer recipe, you should be able to keep yourself free from deposits in fuel lines, tanks, carburetors, and injectors. Looking to reviews, it appears that this product is exactly what you need out of a fuel stabilizer.
See All the Details at Amazon.com
Receiving a 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon, it is clear that this fuel stabilizer provides great value to customers. In fact, it doesn’t have any star ratings below 4. Reviewers say that they use this stabilizer in every tank of gas that they fill up and love the product. Clearly, at $1.11 per ounce, this fuel stabilizer is one the best values that you can find.
Looking to take care of your boat in other ways? Check out our latest articles on the Best Boat Covers for the Money and the Best Way to Wax a Boat.
All told, this list of best stabilizer for boats offers a wide range of options across different budgets. Yes, nearly all fuel stabilizers will work for your boat so you may choose the cheapest option that you can without sacrificing performance. However, some of the more expensive per ounce options on our list offer more value by aiding your engine both above and below the fuel line or by keeping gas usable for longer lengths of time.
These are choices that only you can make, but it is our belief that keeping your boat in top condition is a way of saving money when compared to fixing your boat after it has a serious problem. It is also notable that the per ounce difference in price on this list is $0.50. We think $0.50 is a good investment in keeping an entire tank of gas (and engine!) usable. So, with this list of best fuel stabilizer for boats in hand, we hope that you can find an option that is right for you.