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Ryobi blower won't start hot, plaguing my life.

47K views 31 replies 15 participants last post by  Bosabob  
#1 ·
I have this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-185-mph-510-CFM-Gas-Backpack-Blower-RY08420A/203312654

Bought it refurbished 1.5 year ago. Right out the box, it needed like 4X the amount pulls to start, had it mailed to me and didn't want to pay return shipping or anything and thought it might just needed to be broken in or something.
Then it became that I had to remove the extension tube for it to start easy. I think the resistance of the tube had something to do with it but for whatever reason removing the arm tube helped.
Then it would only start if I locked the throttle at full before pulling the cord.
I played with the LH screws and solved all the problems at one point. But now it refuses to start warm. A few days ago it would just need more pulls to start when hot.
Anyway, now it just refuses and I tried all the little tricks above and sprayed starter fluid in the carb. Always used the correct fuel ratio.

I read many solutions for 'won't start when hot', but hoping these details will better pinpoint it.
 
#5 ·
I wouldn't let a blower "plague" your life. Cut your losses and buy a new commericial unit.
I agree. Go get a kawasaki or redmax or something like that. You won't have an issue for quite a while.
 
#9 ·
Then it became that I had to remove the extension tube for it to start easy. I think the resistance of the tube had something to do with it but for whatever reason removing the arm tube helped.
I know everyone keyed in on the not starting warm, and indeed that is a typical symptom of a coil failure, but I saw this statement above, and had to correct it.

The blower has the MOST resistance with the tube off. If you completely block the fan outlet, it has the least resistance.

Ever notice that the pitch of a vacuum cleaner goes up when you cover the nozzle and block the suction. It's the same thing. Resistance drops when you block the flow on a centrifugal pump (the blower).

What's with that horizontal blower on a backpack. It looks like they backpack mounted a string trimmer engine to a blower wheel and called it a backpack. What a joke.
 
#12 ·
I know everyone keyed in on the not starting warm, and indeed that is a typical symptom of a coil failure, but I saw this statement above, and had to correct it.

The blower has the MOST resistance with the tube off. If you completely block the fan outlet, it has the least resistance.

Ever notice that the pitch of a vacuum cleaner goes up when you cover the nozzle and block the suction. It's the same thing. Resistance drops when you block the flow on a centrifugal pump (the blower).

What's with that horizontal blower on a backpack. It looks like they backpack mounted a string trimmer engine to a blower wheel and called it a backpack. What a joke.
True, it sounds more resisted when you put the blower end close to the ground, maybe it needed higher resistance to start. I dunno, I should have adjusted the LH screws at that point anyway - had to do the ole dremel trick to grind some flat head screwdriver grooves in the LHs trick instead of ordering the special tool they make to adjust the headless screws.

Actually it's 42cc 510 cfm 185mph, not a line trimmer engine, but not quite as strong as some of the $500 units. I paid like $120 refurbished shipped. They positioned it horizontal-ish because it lessens the need for a drastic elbow in the tube thus creating more power.

Other than the cheap ignition coil causing it to not start when hot, I love this blower but will probably get a refurb husq or something. The ignition coil is like $25 shipped for this Ryobi but not a guarantee it will fix it.

I would like a 4 stroke but don't want the $900 makitta which is the only 4cycle I know of so far with enough power worth my money.
 
#13 ·
I might just order a new ignition coil for $22 shipped and mail it back for $2 and get a refund if it doesn't fix it. I'll try some tricks I might find for renewing the ignition coil but I think from past experience, you can't like rebuild them and once they're shot they're shot, maybe I can space it a hair back from the flywheel if it's rubbing and heating up or something.
I'd rather put the saved money into a better mower. I'm not gonna get much better CFM/MPH unless I spend almost tripple what I pad for this and I'm pretty set on a 4 backpack anyway which is like $700 for high-end CFM&MPH. I love 4 stroke.. I can part this blower out and probably double my money but I don't want to weigh and take pics of everything - have too much of that stuff already.

thanks for the replies. Take care.
 
#16 ·
Cheap metal ide control screw on the carb cracked a section of the carb off while adjusting that and the L H screws. Needing that plus the ignition coil most likely, I ended up getting a Husqvarna 150BT. I narrowed down everything for hours and this was the best deal, got it refurbished with warranty shipped for $240 ish.
You need to spend $500 for the big 700ish CFM in tube (not housing) but this 150BT's got 494 CFM like the Ryobi's 510 cfm which was enough usually but also has 251 MPH vs Ryobi's 185. I just hope that doesn't mean 251 mph only when the pointed reducer nozzle is used.

I really wanted a 4 cycle but I think the ones with high CFM and MPH are like $800. I was contemplating a refurbished troy bilt 4 cycle 525 CFM 160 mph for $230 shipped but the reviews are a landslide, like half are 1 of 5 star. The husq reviews are like %95 5 star. The Ryobi is like 4 out of 5 star. Ryobi is as cheap as I go and I have good experience with them other than this. Homelite, Poulan and stuff like weedeater and probably troy bilt, avoid like the plague.
 
#19 ·
Husky makes a decent blower from what I hear, but I don't one anything husqavarna. And, don't get a 4 mix. You will have velvet to mess with, and I am not that big of an orange fan.
 
#20 ·
Husky makes a decent blower from what I hear, but I don't one anything husqavarna. And, don't get a 4 mix. You will have velvet to mess with, and I am not that big of an orange fan.
Agreed. Husky makes a pretty good blower. I have the 130bt. Good power for blowing off after mowing but not for leaf cleanups.
 
#21 ·
Received my refurb'd 150BT yesterday. This came from maxtool.com. Maxtool refurbished it, not Husqvarna. I thought only Husqvarna would refurbish it.
Mine might not have been refurbished right and it looks like it was used for 20 hours and just wiped down, air filter replaced and tank emptied. Normally when I buy something refurbished like this it looks and runs brand new minus a few minor markings. I think I'd still have to pay return shipping if I want a refund or even to use the warranty. If I bought it with credit card, I might be able to file a dispute if valid and make them pay return shipping, but I paid with paypal and their policy is that even if the buyer gets screwed, they have to pay return shipping. We'll see.

I used it 10 mins last night. It started right up but started bogging out as if the carb L H was off. I know with leaf blowers you might have to slowly increase throttle to full instead of just popping the trigger to full because that can cause it to bog but I didn't do that.

Then I let it warm up a few minutes (it's freezing in NJ) and locked down the throttle at full, walked away for 15 seconds and it stalled out as if the L H needs adjusting (or something else I'm not sure besides maybe a gunked up carb or fuel filter).

Today I blew light snow with it for 35 mins and it didn't really bog out but the engine tone sounds weak compared to the Ryobi, it sounds like the Ryobi at %75 throttle. Normally I would tinker with the L H and try and fix this being that they have similar specs or is it because the Ryobi is only 42 cc and the 150BT is 50.2 cc why the tone sounds higher pitched in the Ryobi?

switch back and forth and you'll hear it:

150BT max throttle sound (skip to around 2:30 if the ad stops the link from starting at that time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7RUL5WzXZs#t=154

Ryobi full throttle sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0sKGeEpfaE#t=77

I'll email husqvarna to help determine if this was a bad refurb job or not, because I think they actually deceive with the specs and say this has 494 CFM AND 251 MPH at the same time but I think it might only make 494 cfm with the regular large diamater tube (and thus a MPH much lower than 251, probably around 155), and only when the tapered tube end attachemnt is on does it reach 251 MPH (but not 494 CFM coming out that small hole).

The Ryobi has 510 cfm 185 mph and the husq is 494 cfm 251 mph (but all that extra MPH might only be with the cone attachment).

This is the $70 carb it uses that cost 1/3 the entire machine and doesn't look like it even has L H adjustment, or does it?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GENUINE-Wal...a-350BT-Backpack-Blower-/281481000485?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4189933625

Am I wrong to prefer machines that actually have a carb and actually have L and H adjustment? I feel I have more options without taking the machine apart or replacing parts when something goes wrong when the L H is a possible fix.
 
#22 ·
#25 ·
True, it sounds more resisted when you put the blower end close to the ground, maybe it needed higher resistance to start. I dunno, I should have adjusted the LH screws at that point anyway - had to do the ole dremel trick to grind some flat head screwdriver grooves in the LHs trick instead of ordering the special tool they make to adjust the headless screws.

Actually it's 42cc 510 cfm 185mph, not a line trimmer engine, but not quite as strong as some of the $500 units. I paid like $120 refurbished shipped. They positioned it horizontal-ish because it lessens the need for a drastic elbow in the tube thus creating more power.

Other than the cheap ignition coil causing it to not start when hot, I love this blower but will probably get a refurb husq or something. The ignition coil is like $25 shipped for this Ryobi but not a guarantee it will fix it.

I would like a 4 stroke but don't want the $900 makitta which is the only 4cycle I know of so far with enough power worth my money.
Why would you want a 4 stroke backpack blower. More trouble than it's worth. Your biggest mistake was buying ryobi, if you can't afford something better, you don't have enough money go cover operating costs of your business.

You can get stuff from lowes and HD, Husqvarna and echo only. That stuff is actually good. Don't but refurbished. That stuff is the worst.
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