I use premium gas in small 2 cycle engines as starting and operation seems better without ethanol. Has anyone experienced anything similar with outboard engines? (This not an octane question). Premium gas in our area has little or no ethanol.
This has been beat to death and you will get no definitive answers. Since you say the small motors "seem" to start and operate better, it's only a state of mind.
Ethanol fuel has been blamed for almost everything in small engined, outboards, marine engines....that said, I've been running it for years in all my motors, engines and equipment with no apparent problems. A lot written and discussed about this, so read/study this subject and make your own decisions on it....