Used JD 172 Hedge trimmer - anyone know reliability?

[DieselDork]

Looking at a John Deere 172 hedge trimmer. It's apparently made by echo. Price is right, but it doesn't run. Seller claims "will run if you pour gas in carb... and then it dies". Sounds like a simple fuel delivery issue to me... but want to make sure they aren't notorious for eating cylinders or cranks or something.

[dutch1]

DD, I've never had any JD hedge clippers in the shop but looking at the parts breakdown, I'd tend to agree that they are Echo built.

The price may "seem" right until you become the owner and have to consider the cost of getting the unit to run. A lot of stuff will run with a little fuel in the cylinder but doesn't necessarily mean there aren't problems. A lot depends on whether you can do the work or have a shop do it. Another thing to consider is JD's high parts prices.

I'd want to know that the compression is at an acceptable level, that the cutter bars are straight with no deep nicks, that the gear case has no hairline cracks. I'd also like to look inside the gear case to inspect for proper lubrication.

I'm naturally apprehensive about buying used, particularly in the hand held lines. It doesn't take many problems to run up a repair bill.

My general guideline is that if I can't get a used unit running at an accecptable level for 1/3 to 1/2 the price of a new unit--buy new...........let the used piece be someone else's problem.

Your mileage may vary--just my two cents.

[piston slapper]

If it was easy or cheap to fix...the guy would have already fixed it and be asking more money for it...
An easy way to check a non running 2 stroke engine is to remove the muffler and look at the piston...I've seen a few that the piston was so scratched up that the engine felt like it had good compression...the piston was digging into the cylinder.
Posted via Mobile Device

[DieselDork]

Yowzers. Two great posts full of wisdom. I'm pretty handy and this seems great, but I agree... too many things to look for. You're likely right in that if it were a cheap fix, it would've already been done.

Passing on this deal. Too far to drive only to find something I don't like.

Thanks!!!
Andy