i have this "weed eater" brand string trimmer. is a featherlite, single string. anyway, i have been trying to get it running for a few days now. but i cant get it to even attempt to start. so far, this is what ive done... 1. took it apart and cleaned/inspected everything. the magnet thing that spins around and goes under the brushes had a bit of rusty build-up on them, so i took some medium-grit sand paper and cleaned them off. and de-greased most of the other stuff i could. then took the air compressor and blew all the dust and particles off of it, and put it back together. 2. put a new spark plug in it. 3. new fuel lines (old ones were dryed out and cracking) 4. fresh gas 5. cleaned off the air filter. its just a sponge thing, so i used the compressor to clean it off. it wasnt real dirty to start with. so after all that, it still wont fire up...it wont even try to start. it has gas in primer ball. the new plug is throwing some nice blue sparks. the choke isnt stuck open or shut...it works fine. i got it back together right...when i pull the cord, it fires and turns the shaft. so i dont know.... then yesterday, i was thinking about this old mover i had that was doing (pretty much) the same thing...had spark and fuel, but wouldnt run. it turned out to be the needle-valve. it had a piece of dirt in there, blocking the fuel flow. would this weed eater have a needle valve too??? i used this trimmer to cut around oil wells before i painted them a few summers ago. so i wouldnt be surprised if something got in there (if there is one). here are a couple links to pics of it from the other day when i was taking it apart. engine with plastic still on it engine w/o platic the shaft that goes on it if someone thinks it is a different problem, im open to all suggestions. thanks for any help
I do landscaping and stuff and we only use stihl brand products...very reliable. I never liked the "weed eater" stuff...too light and weak. Is the gas you used 2 cycle??? There should be a needle valve that may need to be adjusted
yeah..2 cycle. were is the needle valve at on a weed eater?? between the throttle body and the engine? i dont use it for much more than trimming around my trailor. it was given to me by my brother, so i cant bitch. i did use it to trim around the well tanks and well head so i could spray the paint on. but that was pretty light duty trimming...not like i had to do the whole field!!
i've had mine for 10 years.same model most likely.i think i payed 60 for it.so a new one wont set you back much.
i know they arent much. but why waste the money... if i can put 10 dollars and a little time into it and have it running? and it gives me something to tinker with.... on another forum someone told me that there isnt a needle valve, but ports or a diaphragm that allow the flow of fuel. so im gonna take the throttle body off tomorrow and see what they look like.
I use mostly stihl products myself also..not that it matters really... I have a bit of small engine experience...well, alot really If you have a nice spark, that is good...but i will tell you this...MOST probelms with the cheap weedeaters that are gas powered are with the fuel sytem....generally speaking, the diaphram pump is taken a crap...this the biggest issue with most all current day 2 cycle engines. You can rebuild it yourself, or have it done...though I would not invest more than 30-40 bucks in it.......
thanks viking...ive ran this thread on a few forums today. this is what the guys on the isuzu forum had to say... "Check the spark arrestor. The screen over the exhaust. I always remove them. I'd say it's that or the diaphragm, if the fuel lines were dry rotted, there's a good chance the diaphragm was too." Joe _________________ so tomorrow im gonna tear into it again and see whats going on in there. the fuel lines were so bad that i barely touched them and they cracked open. so i figure the diaphragm is probably shot too. im gonna try pouring a little fuel down the spark plug hole and see if it trys to run. if so, i know its a fuel delivery problem. i have about 5 bucks in it now...plug and fuel lines. if its gonna cost me more than $20, ill just get a refurb from northwestern tools for $40.
Northern is a reputable company. Heck, i just might have to get one of those 40 dollar trimmers!!!! Hell, if it lasts just a few years, it will have more than paid for itself really!!!
no doubt!! thats what i thought. excerpt from a consumer review page on string line trimmers "Budget gas string trimmers With as much power as the Craftsman gas trimmer above, but at nearly half the price, two recent comparative reviews recommend the 25cc straight-shaft Weedeater Featherlite SST25 (*est. $90) as a best buy. Ordinarily a string trimmer this inexpensive would be categorized as a homeowner model, but the Popular Mechanics review calls it "near-pro," praising its aggressive cutting action and the way the line head is easy to remove. One safety drawback is that to kill the engine, you have to hold down the stop switch. It weighs about ten pounds. " sure its not the same model, but its close.
For 40 bucks, its MORE than close enough!!! The thing with most small 2 cycle engines is the fact that they can run for a LONG time...the carburation is the big drawback...The ignitions rarely fail, and the other 3 moving parts, the piston, crank and rod, just dont break....They dont use reed valves or rotary valve industion, so that potential problem is eliminated, It is almost always a carb or another external malfunction that renders them useless.I have trashed several cheap weed trimmers over the years due to the issues stated above, it just wasnt economical to repair them....unfortunatly...
yeah...our stihl trimmers have never failed...only one of the single string trimmers had to be retired last year. It was about 5-6 years old and that was pretty much all commercial use...it still started up and ran fine...cept the engine grew weak and was too slow...we still have it but it sits in the barn and does nothing 5-6 years of commercial use is pretty tough in my book
hell, for 40 bucks, it would be worth getting the engine for a large r/c truck or car. they sell used weed eater engines (no shaft with them) for $35 + $15 for shipping on ebay. the ebay ones have a bit more cc's, but, but are used and cost more all together.
