STIHL blowers

[double e]

I just purchased a Stihl backpack blower. I don't have the model # off hand, but it's the most powerful one they have.

I'm kind of dissapointed- not by the blowing power, I am very impressed by the way it runs- But when it runs!

It will run fine, then the next day won't even turn.
Almost like I'm flooding it
I pull the spark plug out and its soaked
Your probably thinking I can't start a blower- but have 4 others and never had a problem

I've taken it back to dealer, he returns it and it runs fine for awhile- should I tell him to get me a new one

[mowerconsultant]

those br 400's are touchy on the choke
I would never pull it over more than 4 or 5 times with the choke on.
turn the choke off by the 5th pull and pull a couple more times if it is flooded it should start.
other than that be the problem, I would check the carb settings.
also, I always start them at full throttle, and as soon as it starts throttle it down to warm it up

[KirbysLawn]

The guy who helped me get started swore by the Stihl blowers and I have had no problems with mine. He is a large company and buys them more than I and he told me his last two were duds.

Also, has anyone noticed that the bump heads on the trimmers are wearing out faster now? Are they making them out of a cheaper plastic so they can sell more? Really makes me mad to pay $$ for a cheap piece of plastic. http://www.unionturf.com/mad.gif

Ray

[geogunn]

it is possible to flood the br-400. I've done it but it usually isn't a problem. if I flood it very often, I change plugs and it's usually long time before it floods again.

I wouldn't be happy at all if I bought one new and it was screwing up right out of the box.

mine is in service over four years and never been back to the dealer. the choke knob recently broke however.

GEO

[MWHC]

I have 3 Stihl trimmers that start and run great, but I do have a blower just like yours. It will run fine one day and the next day or yard it takes an act of God just to get it started. I can take it to the dealer and they make it run well for about 2 days. Then we are back to really hard starts and lots of bad language. It's my belief that mine is a lemmon.

When it does run it's a world beater, when it's being temprmental, it's real close to being sold or in the garbage can.

[Eric ELM]

I had some Echo's like that. I finally gave up and sold them. I've used Shidaiwa and Red Max since.

[curlawngreen]

Pull with choke on twice, pull with no throttle twice, pull with a little throttle once and off you go.

[curlawngreen]

Pull with choke on twice, pull with no throttle twice, pull with a little throttle once and off you go.Cold only. No choke after first start.

[TLS]

I dont know how the Stihl's are, but my Echo backpack starting sequence when cold is....two primer pumps....full choke setting....one pull....release choke.....pull second time to start....ALL THE TIME. When its warm out, half squirt of primer and one pull thats it. Its never flooded, and never takes more than 3 pulls ever. This holds true for my Echo edger and weed wacker. This is why I stick with Echo.

[sunrise]

remove the screen in the muffler

[Scag48]

My BR320 is easy to start. I just pull twice on choke and twice on no-choke and it takes off. When I first got mine I was being stupid and forgot to turn the stop switch to the run position. I sat there and pulled on choke, then figured out why it wouldn't start. I let it set for about 5-10 mins and pulled a couple of times and it took off.

[Keith]

Originally posted by Eric ELM
I had some Echo's like that. I finally gave up and sold them.


Me too.

The sometimes tricky starting procedure doesn't seem to be the problem here, I don't think. My suggestion....dump all the fuel and try a fresh tank. Last week my oldest Shindaiwa trimmer gave me a lot of trouble starting. It eventually started and ran fine. Then one of my edgers did the same thing. Then another edger and then a blower. They gave me problems for a couple of days before I started getting a little pissed. These pieces had never given me any trouble before. On the third day, it had spread like wildfire, nothing was wanting to start. I came to the conclusion it was the fuel. I dumped them all and brewed a new can of 2 cycle/gas. Everything ran fine. It started just like it had in the past. The fuel mix that was dumped was only about a week old. I don't know what the hell happened to it, but it was almost like it had gone bad in that short of a time.

[bob]

Keith, My dealer told me that gas stays fresh only for a short time. He said in 3-4 weeks it could go bad. Maybe some moisture got in your gas can.

[TLS]

Originally posted by double e


It will run fine, then the next day won't even turn.
Almost like I'm flooding it
I pull the spark plug out and its soaked
Your probably thinking I can't start a blower- but have 4 others and never had a problem


Just a question. I had a problem that if it got rained on, the air filter assembly would fill up with water. And then when I tried to start it the next day, the thing would barely turn over. Water does not compress. I took off the spark plug and dumped a cup of water out of the cylinder!!! I have since replaced the aircleaner assy with the updated Echo aircleaner. I was lucky not to bend a rod. It still runs great. I seem to have good luck with 2 cycle stuff. BTW...did you know lawnboy's can run on straight gas for about 4 mins???!!!!

[Eric ELM]

I always wondered how long they would run on straight gas. Now I know. :)

[Keith]

Originally posted by bob
Keith, My dealer told me that gas stays fresh only for a short time. He said in 3-4 weeks it could go bad. Maybe some moisture got in your gas can.

I thought that might be a possibility, but we had no rain and it has been dry as hell for a month and half. It was not placed in any unusual places (like under a sprinkler) :) or anything like that. I can't even remember where that tank or fuel was purchased. It really just didn't act like moisture though, it was just running like super high octane fuel.... it just wouldn't ignite. :)

[cantoo]

I had a Lawnboy brand new last 60 feet on straight gas.. Lucky me I bought it at Home Depot 100% refund no questions asked. The replacement is now 5 years old and only one problem with the carb so far. Oh yeah, now I spray paint the two stroke jugs blue.

[Craig Jones]

We have had a similar experience with out BR-400. We kept choking it too much and fouled the plugs. We tried changing the plug to a Champion, etc. but found the advice given about not chocking it after two pulls is right on. We thought there was actually something wrong with the machine until we (my son) figured this out. I am surpirsed your dealer did not tell you this. Of course, ours didn't either until we went back with the machine.

[beck]

speaking of running two-cycle equipment on straight gas. One of my customers has an echo vacuum in the shop because we have been running it on straight gas. He swore that he mixed it. the vac was only a month old. oh well

[Evan528]

and what were you using your customers vac for anyway?

[Barkleymut]

I had a hired hand who filled up my echo 2601 wacker with gas only. I saw him going to refill it with the big can (5 gal) instead of the 2 1/2 gallon. So I yelled while perched upon my mighty throne (my Chopper) "what the bloody @#$% @#$^% are ya bloody !#$% doing? I asked him if he had used that can before to fill up the wacker. He said yes, I asked him if it ran funny, he said yes. This was someone who had worked with me for over 3 months. They say that pot doesn't ruin your mind...yeah right. Anyways the wacker ran fine after a full tank of straight gas and is still running a year later.

[Davis TLC]

Had a problem with my Stihl BG72 blower. Used it Saturday to blow off some driveways and sidewalks, put it back in the rack on the trailer. Tried to start it Monday, on the second pull it felt like it had locked up. Turned the impeller by hand with no problem. Took it to the dealer to see if they could find out what was wrong and to see about getting a backpack blower if this one was shot. Turns out that some how it had siphoned the gas up into the cylinder and filled it up, dealer cleaned the gas out and it started fine, and has started every time since. Now if it does this same thing again I can check that before I drive across town to drop it off. Oh by the way they didn't charge me for this problem.

[65hoss]

Here is what the Stihl rep told me and has worked perfectly for me...

1st time of the day, put the choke on until you hear that pop sound. Usually 1st or 2nd pull. Then take choke off and generally within the 3rd pull it starts. This has worked 100% of the time all year.

Ray, you are correct about the trimmer head. I bought a new Stihl in March. The first one lasted until the first of Sept. Was completely worn out by then. Since then, I have bought 2 more. I don't use them nearly as much as I did the first one.

[Duncan IN]

I justy got a sthil weadeater this year and the bump head lasted 2 months. I finally relized why, I was bumping it on the concrete when I was edging with it. I since do it in the grass now.

[guntruck]

Like stated above it sounds like a choke problem to me too. I would demand a new one and when that one doesnt work go with shindaiwa. =)

[Rufur]

ok this model is tricky put the thing on a level surface turn choke on pull until it turns over then turn choke off and pull till starts now if you have flooded it -- muffled sound when pulling-- turn choke off and set throttlelever to max pull until it starts

[KirbysLawn]

Originally posted by Duncan IN
I justy got a sthil weadeater this year and the bump head lasted 2 months. I finally relized why, I was bumping it on the concrete when I was edging with it. I since do it in the grass now.

Levi, that's not it. Have used them for years and they did last for months, this year they last about 1/2 as long.

FYI, if you bump the head in the grass it cuts the grass uneven. I bump mine on a tree or fence post most of the time.

Ray

[Duncan IN]

Kirby it will cut the grass uneven if the clutch is engaged and rotating fast I idle it down and bump it on the grass so it don't cut the grass uneven. If you do it fast enough it works just fine. Plus I don't have a tree or fence post around every corner.

[bob]

Ray and Duncan, This is why I like fully automatic heads. You never need a place to tap them!

[lawnboy]

I think sunrise hit the nail on the head. Those screens get junk in them. You only need them on there if you are doing state parks. I remove them everytime I get a br400.

[Nathan]

65 hoss has it exactly right. We have used about 6 of those blowers. Choke it until it pops, turn the choke off and pull til it starts. If you do flood it keep choke off lock throttle on full and keep pulling, it will usually start fairly easily. It isn't a problem with the blower, except maybe bad overall design, every one of ours did the same thing. Good blower but not worth the starting hassles, get a shindaiwa or redmax.

[lawnboy]

I don't know why all of you have such hard times starting them. They start just like any other two cycle machine. I own 10 of them and have never had a problem.