the weed eater wont start !!!!

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frodo

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hello.. I came across a little bit of advice i want to pass along
weed eatters that wont start. you pull the darn string, pull, pull, huff, puff, pull some more
push that little primer button. pull again. then you take it and throw it up against the garage wall
been there done that ???
a small engine repair mechanic helped me out with my weed eater
i took it to him, would not start. he asked what i had done. please explain the sequence of operation he said.
i said i primed it and attempted to start it. it would not start. he grumbled something....
took the spark plug out and shot a blast of compressed air into the spark plug hole. installed plug and cranked it up. then he pointed to the prime button.he said
forget its there... never push it. i said never? he said never ever.
he then said....it floods it. worst invention they ever thought of.
he pointed to the choke selector switch....full choke till it burps
then 1/2 choke til it cranks. let it run a minute , warm up, switch to on
ever sence that day, i have never, never ever pushed that primer button. and my weed eater starts every time

one last tip....when winter comes, your lawn mower, weed eater, all your gas equipment
pour gas out and crank it up, let it run out of gas, then put it on the shelf
 

Murphy625

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That's good advice but some of it is slightly off... The primer bulb will be required when you run the engine out of gas.. at this point, the carb is empty.. You could just pull the string 20 times but its easier to push that bulb until you see fuel in it.

Here is some more advice that will help insure a long and trouble free service from your 2 stroke engine.
1) Never use the off-the-shelf 2 stroke oil most places sell. Buy some synthetic amsoil. (I like the dominator line) Its three times the cost but it will make your engine run better and longer and create less soot at the exhaust screen.
2) Never use gas with an octane lower than 89.. The higher the octane, the better. People think octane rating has something to do with how much energy is in the fuel.. as if the higher octane means better fuel economy and more power. This is just purely false. Octane is a measure of fuel stability under heat and pressure. The higher the octane rating, the more stable the fuel is under heat and pressure (harder to ignite). Since 2 stroke engines run with high compression ratios and hot, they require high'er octane fuel to prevent knocking and damage.
3) Always put a tablespoon of lucas oil into every 6 gallon can of gas. This goes for both 2 and 4 stroke engines.
4) Always put the recommended dosage of StaBil in every can of gas. Stabil helps clean your fuel system and prevents the ethanol separation.
5) Always put a teaspoon of fuel injector or carb cleaner into every 6 gallon can of gas. This helps remove any varnish that may be accumulating in the tiny corners.
6) When you decide to store your tool for a long time, run it out of gas, then pour in some ethanol free gas (sold at marina gas stations for boats), run it for a minute, then run it out of gas too. (note: marine fuel should also be treated as stated above).

One last piece of advice. Consumer tools designed for home owners are all garbage. Find out what the pro's use and buy one of those and it will last you for more than a decade or two if not a lifetime. Stihl, Husqvarna, Redmax, Shindawia, etc. Stay away from anything poloun, homelite, craftsman, etc. If they sell it at the big box stores, its probably a piece of junk.
 

DonL

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I think a lot of them additives are not needed and cause problems with Fuel lines and carburetor parts, especially Reed valves.

The ethanol is bad enough for the small motors, Why add new problems to the Mix ?


Have Fun.
 

Murphy625

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I think a lot of them additives are not needed and cause problems with Fuel lines and carburetor parts, especially Reed valves.

The ethanol is bad enough for the small motors, Why add new problems to the Mix ?

Have Fun.

Those "additives" will save your equipment.. The additives are there to counteract the negative effects of the ethanol.
Trust me on this, its something I have experience with... I store my engines for months at a time here in the cold north and I never have problems.
 

DonL

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Those "additives" will save your equipment.. The additives are there to counteract the negative effects of the ethanol.
Trust me on this, its something I have experience with... I store my engines for months at a time here in the cold north and I never have problems.


The additives needed are already added in the gasoline that you buy at most gas stations.

The only additive that you really need to add is 2 cycle oil, for obvious reasons.

StaBil may be a good thing if you store gas for long periods, But that may be a waste also.


To each his own.
 

LLigetfa

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LOL... to each his own. Probably the OP has a Poulan AKA "pull on" cuz you need to pull it a dozen times.

I have a 30 year old Weed Eater and always use the primer bulb to start it when cold. In fact, I had to put a new primer bulb on it last year.

As for draining out the gas, I have never done that and think it's not necessary. Once a year I pour a little Seafoam in the tank.
 

Murphy625

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The additives needed are already added in the gasoline that you buy at most gas stations.

The only additive that you really need to add is 2 cycle oil, for obvious reasons.

StaBil may be a good thing if you store gas for long periods, But that may be a waste also.


To each his own.

Seriously? You're suggesting that the petroleum companies put additives into the gasoline to keep your weed eater or chainsaw running good? That's comical.

Gasoline is produced to meet the EPA requirements for automotive engines, not your chainsaw or hedge trimmers.

But as you said.. "to each his own"... Everything I own runs perfectly and starts within 3 pulls.. Most start on the first or second.
 

LLigetfa

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Seriously? You're suggesting that the petroleum companies put additives into the gasoline...

Well... in the case of quality 2-cycle mix, there are additives that stabilize the fuel. My chainsaw is older than my Weed Eater and it too is still running strong.
 

DonL

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Seriously? You're suggesting that the petroleum companies put additives into the gasoline to keep your weed eater or chainsaw running good? That's comical.

Gasoline is produced to meet the EPA requirements for automotive engines, not your chainsaw or hedge trimmers.

But as you said.. "to each his own"... Everything I own runs perfectly and starts within 3 pulls.. Most start on the first or second.


The fuel at gas stations is made for cars, with CatLick converters.

If you want good fuel, then you get it from a Airport or a Marnia.

You can get good fuel at the racetrack too, but they are stingy, and the fuel is not taxed for street use, but you pay the price for it.


Adding ANY additive is a good way to get your equipment in a shop.

Most people like yourself think that a Additive is the magic repair. It is not.


I use None and get the same results as you, with fewer steps and less cost.


Just saying...
 
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SteveW

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There used to be a really good small engine list serve that I used to read regularly. The small engine techs said over and over again that "stale" gas was the number one problem they would see when a customer brings in a small engine that won't start, or doesn't run well. From their point of view, stale happens about a month after purchase these days the way gas is formulated and sold.

A lot of them recommended Sta-Bil or equivalent year round for this reason.
 

Tom Sawyer

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I have a 30 year old johnsered chainsaw. It hangs in my shop. I hadn't run it in a decade. Took it down a couple weeks ago to see if it would still run. It had some gas left in it so I pulled the choke, flipped the switch and gave it a pull. Started on the 1st pull, runs flawlessly.
 
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