I think it got some bad petrol, I flushed it out a couple of times. Took carby apart, put it back together again, changed spark plug. But it just won't start. Pretty sure it's related to the bad fuel.

Used it probably 10 times in 5 months. Do I chuck it into landfill or should I persist?

Do yourself a favour, ditch it and don't waste your time unless you enjoy that sort of thing.
If you don't already have a cordless tool platform, start one!
They are all pretty good these days and the range of tools and accessories is getting better everyday.

As far as your blower goes, cordless lithium are every bit as good as petrol and a whole lot easier to live with especially if they are sitting around for long periods of no use.

My choice is Milwaukee but that's a whole different thread for all the brand loyal to discuss.
Don't dismiss the ozito PXC range ( excellent value for money) if you don't need industrial quality gear.

Yes you can buy a new petrol blower for @$250 but the performance and reliability of the latest generation cordless tools had me replace every tool I had except the chainsaw, no regrets.

No on a blower but my chainsaw.
Definitely change petrol and don't leave petrol sitting.
Get a can of "start you bastard" then take out spark plug and spray.
It's great stuff - good luck

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STUMP said..
Do yourself a favour, ditch it and don't waste your time unless you enjoy that sort of thing.
If you don't already have a cordless tool platform, start one!
They are all pretty good these days and the range of tools and accessories is getting better everyday.

As far as your blower goes, cordless lithium are every bit as good as petrol and a whole lot easier to live with especially if they are sitting around for long periods of no use.

My choice is Milwaukee but that's a whole different thread for all the brand loyal to discuss.
Don't dismiss the ozito PXC range ( excellent value for money) if you don't need industrial quality gear.

Yes you can buy a new petrol blower for @$250 but the performance and reliability of the latest generation cordless tools had me replace every tool I had except the chainsaw, no regrets.

Blower cost me $110. It's a yard force. I have a four in one yard force with same engine that has been a very reliable tool... for the price.

I'd persist, I got a chainsaw going that was destined for the vege clean up, is awesome.

Does the compression feel OK? Blocked jet? Can you see a spark?

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remery said..
Can you see a spark?

I remember my father once asking my mother to place her finger into the spark plug lead on a mower as he gave it a test. She yelled and jumped back. "Well, the coils probably okay", he said. When she asked did he know that was going to happen, he said "Yes, but it hurts a lot less when you don't know it's going to happen, that's why I got you to do it."

Cheap 2 strokes are horrible with a bit of age. Get a stihl (still reasonable) when it gets old or hard tonstart sell on gumtree for half new Nd buy another. Never service other than sparkplug change

Also check the muffler, to much two stroke oil can clog the wire mesh in the muffler.

Simple fix, remove and run a gas torch down it for a bit to burn the carbon build up

Get a broom. The amount of noise pollution people are willing to inflict on neighbors for a perceived reduction of visual pollution.is bizarre. I wouldn't even notice a few leaves if I walked past your driveway, but I can hear your blower from the next suburb.

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Ian K said..
Get a broom. The amount of noise pollution people are willing to inflict on neighbors for a perceived reduction of visual pollution.is bizarre. I wouldn't even notice a few leaves if I walked past your driveway, but I can hear your blower from the next suburb.

Yep, the best Harry Potter broom. Or at least remotely controlled electric broom solar powered.

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Ian K said..
Get a broom. The amount of noise pollution people are willing to inflict on neighbors for a perceived reduction of visual pollution.is bizarre. I wouldn't even notice a few leaves if I walked past your driveway, but I can hear your blower from the next suburb.

If I manage to get it working I'll conduct a welcome to country ceremony for it.

have you tried pouring a small dollop of petrol straight into the carby, that sometimes works.

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decrepit said..
have you tried pouring a small dollop of petrol straight into the carby, that sometimes works.

Yes, I have tried that.

I've decided to throw some money at the problem. I bought some 'start ya bastard', mainly because the name of the product.

Last time I fixed a small engine that had been sitting like this it had been sitting so long that the petrol evaporated and the tank was 4% full of oil

My leaf blower worked nicely this evening after I mowed the lawn, unfortunately the easterly has just blown it all back.
Guess I'll just have to use it again tomorow

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elmo said..
My leaf blower worked nicely this evening after I mowed the lawn, unfortunately the easterly has just blown it all back.
Guess I'll just have to use it again tomorow

What sort of lawn is that? One of the best things about WA is the lawns don't really grow. Most suburbanites only need to mow twice a year if that. Hence the 'burbs are mostly all quiet on the weekends. The difference is quite noticeable when you visit the east coast for a few weeks. You can pretty well always hear a two stroke.... In the background when it's not right next door. It just rains too much over there.

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myusernam said..
Cheap 2 strokes are horrible with a bit of age. Get a stihl (still reasonable) when it gets old or hard tonstart sell on gumtree for half new Nd buy another. Never service other than sparkplug change

Something to be aware of : Stihl blowers are notorious for the alloy flywheel/fan coming loose and destroying itself.
If the bolts had been secured with threadlock or similar, the problem wouldn't exist.
Good preventative maintenance is to check the bolts and lock them in place before they rattle themselves loose.

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Ian K said..

elmo said..
My leaf blower worked nicely this evening after I mowed the lawn, unfortunately the easterly has just blown it all back.
Guess I'll just have to use it again tomorow

What sort of lawn is that? One of the best things about WA is the lawns don't really grow. Most suburbanites only need to mow twice a year if that. Hence the 'burbs are mostly all quiet on the weekends. The difference is quite noticeable when you visit the east coast for a few weeks. You can pretty well always hear a two stroke.... In the background when it's not right next door. It just rains too much over there.

It must be different in your part of WA. Down here the lawn mower guys are always around trimming yards that don't really need it... but you are right. It doesn't grow the same way here that it does in NSW.

I miss the sound of the dodgy gardeners over the road blowing all their grass clippings from their mowing onto the road and then into my yard. I think they think that gutters are the natural recepticle for lawn clippings.

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FormulaNova said..
It must be different in your part of WA. Down here the lawn mower guys are always around trimming yards that don't really need it... but you are right. It doesn't grow the same way here that it does in NSW.

I miss the sound of the dodgy gardeners over the road blowing all their grass clippings from their mowing onto the road and then into my yard. I think they think that gutters are the natural recepticle for lawn clippings.

Maybe it's a local cultural thing that develops? Not too many manicured green lawns to be seen in the Fremantle LGA. More likely to be chooks or Frack Off banners in the front yard. (yes, neighbors occasionally drop a carton of eggs at the front door!) Or maybe the water table has already been lowered beyond borehole depth?

Lawns? The things we do. People have written books on the subject

www.amazon.com/Lawn-History-American-Obsession/dp/1560984066?asin=1560984066&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1




www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2021/11/Plan-to-rebalance-precious-groundwater-resources.aspx

''It is estimated that garden bores collectively draw about one fifth (22 per cent or around 90 GL) of groundwater taken from the aquifers in the Perth to Mandurah area to use outdoors, mostly for irrigating lawns and gardens.''

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Ian K said..
''It is estimated that garden bores collectively draw about one fifth (22 per cent or around 90 GL) of groundwater taken from the aquifers in the Perth to Mandurah area to use outdoors, mostly for irrigating lawns and gardens.''

I initially thought the idea of reticulation was crazy, but my first winter here made me think that the groundwater reserves build up again. The way it works most of it seems to just go back down into the sand anyway, so I wonder how much is really lost? Is it useful for anything else, as I am presuming its not drinkable.

Its funny in that the sand makes the need for irrigation, but the sand also allows a good store of water underneath.

I gave 'start ya bastard' a try and it didn't work, maybe no spark. I know spark plug is fine. So putting it in too hard basket for time being.

I won't throw it in landfill yet, will horde it for spare parts. I'll buy another $100 yard force.

Brooms are ok indoors, but the note that a two stroke makes gives me a feeling that I have the upper hand on the environment.

My wife prefers electric, but that's not happening on my watch. I want a blower that blows those leaves to another suburb.

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myscreenname said..
..My wife prefers electric, ...

Yep, that's what she told us.


boom-tish

I'll get my coat...

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Carantoc said..

I'll get my coat...

No,no. Encore!