STIHL

[lawncare3]

I have 4 hours on my stihl br420c magnum. I was using it today and it took 37 pulls to get it to start. :mad: When it did start it bogged down and died. I have NO other backup bp blowers and I did a lawn with 8"+ grass and it looks like %$^* I even double cut and still looks crappy. I am going to the REDMAX dealer sometime this week and seeing if they will let me do a trade. How much do you think they will give me? Have any of you ever traded into a dealer. The airfilter it still new. I am tired of this POS and am getting a REDMAX A.S.A.P.

Any input?

Thanks,

Chris

BTW: I am not trying to sell this I just want 2 know if any of you have done a dealer trade like this.

Thank You

[DLCS]

How about you take it to the dealer and get it fixed?

[1MajorTom]

No problem here with ours. :cool:
Are you sure you know how to start it? ;)

[AVRECON]

The carb needs adjusting. Thats the only problem you have there.

[lawncare3]

I tried adjusting the carb but, I just made it worse because I nocked it off more.

[Scag48]

You flooded it. 2-3 pulls on choke until it tries to start. Then turn the choke off. I can start my BR 320 in 3 pulls, COLD. Good luck

[Popsicle]

Originally posted by Scag48
You flooded it. 2-3 pulls on choke until it tries to start. Then turn the choke off. I can start my BR 320 in 3 pulls, COLD. Good luck

Ditto.

[lawncare3]

No, It runs for a sec and then just dies.

I did take out the plug and pull a bunch and then it still didn't work. :confused:

[GLS]

What altitude are you operating the machine at?

Your best bet is to take it to the dealer and have them adjust it or fix it. They know what they are doing.

I personally love all of my stihl equipment and have no problems starting.

Good luck
Ryan

[drobson]

I would take it back to the dealer, it has to still be under warranty. If you have the same problem again with another one, then tell them you want your money back. Or take another brand they sell. No reason to lose money by trading it in. Why would another dealer want to take something your having a problem with.

On the other hand, if it's just an adjustment problem, they may take it on trade for cheap and re-sell it for more.

I'd just take it back to the original dealer

[Scag48]

In that case, you have a carb problem. Let the dealer fix it.

[vipermanz]

Originally posted by 0ryan0
What altitude are you operating the machine at?



This may be the problem!!

My br400 starts in about 4 pulls if its been sitting like over the weekend, 2-3 otherwise:)

[mr.lawnzap]

love all my stihl stuff, always starts,let someone that knows what there doing fix it!

[Phishook]

Originally posted by lawncare3
I tried adjusting the carb but, I just made it worse because I nocked it off more.

You just found the problem. (the first two words)

I got the 420C last Monday. Same problems. Ran good, then slow at starting, began to die or sound like it was running out of gas. I've got a br400, so I havn't taken it back to the dealer to have adjusted it yet.

There's nothing wrong with stihl, machines have problems.

[Jimbo]

My BR420 was the only Stihl item I ever had to take back. It was hard to start and my dealer adjusted it for me under warranty. I can start it with 2-3 pulls. Push switch to on position. Set the throttle lock at 1/2 throttle. Turn the choke on. Pull until it fires. Switch choke off. Pull until it starts, and let it warm up a few minutes.

FYI- I think Stihl tends to set their equipment up for colder weather. The other day when it was like 45-degrees and raining my FS200R ran like a raped ape. Its normally very powerful but that day it felt like a 350.
I am hoping that the new Stihl 4-stroke engines are less humidity, and temperature sensitive.

As far as this thread goes I would never adjust anything myself if the item is under warranty. You probably have voided your warranty by doing that. Just take it back, and make them fix or replace it.

Jimbo

[Grassmechanic]

try cleaning the spark arrestor in the muffler. It's probably clogged with carbon. No amount of carb tinkering will make it run. I couldn't tell you how many trimmers I've pulled from the trash and this is all that is wrong with them. My best find is an Echo SRM2501. 5 minutes and it was running like a champ! I also have a good share of 21" lawnmowers that the bozo owners hit something with and shear the key. Out to the curb it goes. Into my truck and 15 minutes later I'm mowing with it. Some folks have no clue as to how an engine even works.

Mike

[FARMERlawn03]

Stihl makes very nice machines. They have that certain purr to them that makes them unique. There is only one way to start it though. If you don't do it right the first time you're in trouble. I always put it on choke till she about starts then put back to normal and it starts right up. I have never had any problems with the one i have got and its just over a year and an half old.

[Rhett]

I do not know if I would put it that way,but, Yep. Ever since they went with the new carb they have been nothing but a pain. Do not start, lack power, nothing I can say positive. You pay the price and you get less than expected. I am done with Stihl

[Flex-Deck]

Just get a JD - One pull - One start.

[Meier]

My hired hand flooded both of my Stihl backpack blowers on the first lawn the other day.

The trick is, DO NOT pull more than two or three times with choke on. After that, turn the choke off and continue pulling. Typically, you'll hear it fire on the second or third pull. But even if you don't hear it fire, turn the choke off anyway.

If you flood the Stihl, simply pulling the plug out and drying off the gas isn't enough. You have to put it back in and pull 30 to 40 times. But it will start eventually. Just keep pulling. It will finally fire and then very slowly start to get to a decent firing pace. Then, gently pull the throttle back all the way. You'll see lots of grey smoke for about 20 to 30 seconds. This is because oil is built up in the cylinder. After the smoke clears, it should run fine.

Another problem that develops over time is that the catalytic converter gets clogged with carbon. When this happens, you can tell it by the much reduced horse power. When this happens, pull it out holding it with a pair of pliers and hold a blow torch to it to burn all the excess carbon off.

Hope that helps.

Later,
DFW, TX

[lawncare3]

I DO NOT have a warranty. I got it off ebay NEW IN BOX but, I talked to the guy @ the stihl booth @ the green expo and he said he could get me the warranty so, I called him the next day and he said "there's nothing I can do" then he hung up.:mad: I use to be very impressed with stihl but, lately I haven't been. Where is the catalitic converter? I also have seen NO other companies with redmax have problems. I have a echo pb2100 and it starts on the first pull. I am operating @ 9500 ft.

Hope this answers some questions.

:)

[little green guy]

The problem with stihl, like some other guys said, if you don't get it right the first couple pulls and flood it your beat. I used to use a few stihls but but now I use redmax and echos, soon only redmax because the echos can be a pain too. The redmax's always start and they hold up the best. If i was still using stihl my guys would be spending more time messing with them than acually working, plus they don't have as much power as redmax.

[DLCS]

Well, instead of crying about it here. Take it to the dealer and get it fixed. I would be willing to bet that it still will be cheaper than buying a new Redmax. Duh!

[Meier]

++++ got it off ebay NEW IN BOX ++++

I could have saved a ton by purchasing on E-Bay, but I need a dealer I can count on when I have a problem like this. I buy everything from the same dealer. I trust him and I never haggle him on price, at least not too much. He's reliable. We're trying to sell reliability over the scrubs and the local dealer is no different when it comes to eBay.

I try to treat my dealer as I would want my customers to treat me.

Later,
DFW, TX

[drobson]

Ditto on the dealer support. I find that my dealer will give me a break on prices because I keep coming back. And that is without even asking.

I would never buy anything of this nature without being able to try it out first and also without being able to return it.

I also agree with bringing it in to be fixed. Could have it back already and be running it. I'm sure it can't cost that much, even if they have to re-build the carb.

[Phishook]

Originally posted by lawncare3
I DO NOT have a warranty. I got it off ebay NEW IN BOX but,

:)

E-mail the seller asking for the original receipt and warranty card.

[Rustic Goat]

Let this young man's experience be a lesson to all that tread in the 'Green Industry".
This should be our mantra " Dealer support, dealer support . . . . . . . . . . . ."
So important, so often ignored in the quest for a bargain.
Still don't understand why "nowarranty". If it was NIB mfg. should still stand behind it, assuming sellor was legit.

[Grassmechanic]

I don't know if I totally agree with dealer support. I'm a certified mechanic and I've seen some of the unqualified help at dealers. I believe if you're in this business, you owe it to yourself to at LEAST take a small engine course at the local community college. Why pay someone else X dollars to fix something when you can do it yourself? Most of the things that go wrong with modern small machines these days is minor. Heck, I can even replace pistons/rings on a trimmer in less than 1 hour. How much would a dealer charge? Yep, he'll tell you it's cheaper to buy new. I use a 21" mower that was made in 1972 and starts on the first pull ! I'd rather keep dollars in my pocket than a dealers.

Mike

[Rustic Goat]

I think your site name says it all for you Grassmechanic. That is NOT an insult or put down in any way. I have much the same abilities as you it sounds like, I'd rather be doing lawn care than tinkering with a piece of my equipment that wasn't working correctly.
The knowledge and abilities you mention are great and you're right, a person would be a fool to get into the Green business without some type of mechanical aptitude or abilities.
The original post was about a brand new piece of equipment, no one but the dealer should have to mess with it if it isn't operating correctly.
After warranties fade, then yes, we should be able to repair/rebuild/fix the tools ourselves. Until then, when I'm not paying for the work, the dealer can 'deal' with it, while I'm out earning cutting fees with his loaner.
You're right GM/ I'm right too

[drobson]

I also agree with being able to fix things; however, if you have the warranty from the dealer, then you don't even need to pay for parts. It's their responsibility to fix the problem.

Also, if you fix something yourself, you may just void the warranty.

As far as it being cheaper to buy a new one.. Heck, if that is the case then the dealer will just have to give me a new one for free, because it's still under warranty.

Of course this is actually true in a lot of cases. The dealer would be better off giving you a new machine rather than having a mechanic spend hours working on it. I suppose with a small engine it wouldn't be too much to fix it, but that is only if you know what's wrong. It's the troubleshooting that can sometimes take longer than the actual repair. And just like our business, every hour they spend is money they could have made doing something else...

[Grassmechanic]

Boy, you guys all sound like you're afraid of working on little, bitty engines.:D There are 3 things an engine has to have in order to run - compression, spark and fuel. It only takes a couple of minutes to determine these things. Why waste the time it takes to go to the dealer, drop off a piece of equipment, go back later to pick it up without at least looking at it yourself? When I was the head Mech at a golf course, the summer help would always bring in equipment, saying it wouldn't run. They used to rig stuff not to run, figuring they could loaf while I was fixing it. The look on there faces was priceless when a few moments later, whatever they "broke" was back running. I always told them the next time they pulled stunts like that, they would be operating idiot sticks for the rest of the year. And not everything is covered under warranty - especially if improper fuel/oil mixes are not followed to the T, including using manufacturers own oil.

Mike

[drobson]

Well the reason I buy "new" and from a local dealer is so that I don't have to waste my time working on the equipment. I know that I can fix a small engine, that's not the issue. The issue is that my time is better spent getting new clients and working for my existing clients. I can have the dealer fix stuff under warranty for free, and the labor cost of fixing something not covered under warranty is still less than what I can make off a client.

So buying new and having the dealer fix the problems is a win-win situation for me. Maybe others have the time to fix their own equipment, but for me I would have to hire someone to do it because I spend my time on other things..

Mike, in your situation, it is probably more economical for you to buy used equipment and keep up the maintenance yourself. In my sistuation it would cost me more money to do it that way. And as we all know, if you can't make a profit, it's not worth being in business.

[lawnkid]

I wouldn't give up on your Stihl yet. Who knows, the Redmax might have the same problem when you get it. There is no perfect brand of equipment, everything breaks. In my opinion, I wouldn't have gotten it off of E-Bay because you don't have a warranty and now because you didn't buy it from the dealer, it's gonna go on the bottom of the list to be fixed. At my dealer, I see guys who buy Echo stuff from other dealers and heave it serviced there and their stuff goes to the bottom because the dealer serves it's customers first. Anyways, just take it too the dealer anyway and make this a lesson learned, always have backup equipment, good dealer support, and oh a warranty too. Good luck

[lawncare3]

It works and is running STRONGER then ever. I must have flooded it and I also screwed around with the carb screws for about 5 minutes and NOW it perfect.

Thank You all.

[ACER]

Glad you got your problem solved, by the way my Stihl starts much easier than my Redmax.