Author Topic: JCB Strimmer won't work (Read 31790 times)

bennettsleg · « **on:** October 06, 2006, 10:11:05 »

After spending 40 minutes trying to get my blasted JCB petrol strimmer to work (1 year old, lost receipt), gaining two blood blisters and a fine towering rage in the process, I recognise I need help.

Does anyone know of someone how I can make this blasted thing work? Not necessarily take it to an approved mechanic with price tag to match, but how to tinker with it to make it work. I've had to ask the site secretary to strim it for me and I know darn well that's going to lead to comments re: give up 'arf yer plot, missy!" or somesuch. If the strimmer worked I wouldn't have to have that conversation!

JCB Customer Services are useless.

We've managed to get it started twice in the fist three months of ownership and never again since. I presume that the reason it worked back then was that it was exactly 17degreesC in Moscow, the strimmer was resting on a surface that measured exactly 2000mmX x 2000mmY x 0mmZ on which was drawn a perfectly angled pentagram inside of which we'd just sacrified 3 genuine platinum blonde 23 year old virgins who each measured 5' 2 & 3/4 inches precisely. I think someone was telling some porkies...

katynewbie · « **Reply #1 on:** October 06, 2006, 11:11:56 »

:-\

Can we have some more symptoms please? Does it "try" to start, cough and give up? Does it do anything at all?

I have a Ryobi one, so may not be much help, but some of the problems may be the same with all of them...

P.S. Have you been holding your tongue correctly?

;)

pete10 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 06, 2006, 13:23:10 »

Darft question have you taken the plug out and cleaned it ? They are very easy to
flood as well .

gary · « **Reply #3 on:** October 06, 2006, 13:35:37 »

As Pete says have you tried the plug, I have a ryobi and I tried for hours to get it started, change the plug was up and running in about 10 minutes.

Getting a new plug was not easy though, the place near me sells them in packs of ten which wasn't very helpfull but a single from my local hire shop.

ACE · « **Reply #4 on:** October 06, 2006, 14:47:53 »

Stale petrol, dirty plug, dirty air filter, wire loose in cut off switch.

Change or clean, plug,petrol and filter. check for spark at plug by taking the plug out and resting it on the metal part of the machine with the lead still on and pull the starter, you should see a blue spark.

Sucking eggs come to mind. But just in case you know nothing.

when all these have been checked, this is the starting proceedure for most 2 strokes

Switch on, pump the little clear bubble and make sure it is filled with fuel,
put the lever over to choke and pull the starter. When it coughs take the choke off and it should start after a couple of pulls. If not repeat proceedure.

If it does still not start it will be flooded so take out the plug and clean
it and pull the starter with no throttle to clear out the excess fuel.
Some times if you use too much two stroke oil it clogs the plug and makes too much carbon which will foul the plug, widen the plug gap and make sure you still have a blue spark using the plug check system.

GOOD LUCK and use gloves to stop the blisters.

RobinOfTheHood · « **Reply #5 on:** October 06, 2006, 21:37:54 »

And, you have been adding oil to the petrol? Silly question maybe but me dad managed to seize his up by not adding it.......soon rectified though.. :)

valmarg · « **Reply #6 on:** October 06, 2006, 22:52:38 »

I'm amazed it ever did work. JCB = crap. Just be warned, never ever ever buy anything with the JCB logo on. It will be an expensive waste of money!!

valmarg

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #7 on:** October 06, 2006, 23:17:47 »

Can't be that bad as they hold the fastest diesel car land speed record of 328.767mph ;D

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/5273540.stm

redimp · « **Reply #8 on:** October 07, 2006, 00:32:34 »

...and thousands of builders and farmers swear by them ;D

Melbourne12 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 07, 2006, 14:31:30 »

Quote from: ACE on October 06, 2006, 14:47:53

.....when all these have been checked, this is the starting proceedure for most 2 strokes

Switch on, pump the little clear bubble and make sure it is filled with fuel,
put the lever over to choke and pull the starter. When it coughs take the choke off and it should start after a couple of pulls. If not repeat proceedure.

....

^^^^ This is true wisdom for small two-smokes.

The manual (if you can find it) will probably tell you that it will start on full choke. It almost certainly won't. Every machine is slightly different but you may find that after an initial pull on full choke, it will start second pull with no choke as ACE suggests, or perhaps on half choke. My machine (a McCulloch rather tha a JCB but equally temperemental) needs half choke to start and run when it's cold. Only when the engine is really warm will it run on no choke at all. I often have to restart it half a dozen times at the beginning of a session.

Trixiebelle · « **Reply #10 on:** October 07, 2006, 15:28:33 »

URGGHHHHH!!!! I've got a JCB strimmer as well and it's a SWINE to start ::)

I often think I could cut the weeds down with a pair of nail scissors in the time it takes to fire up. The only good thing about it is, when it finally DOES decide to start, you are entirely inspired to strim EVERYTHING IN SIGHT in one go rather than risking turning it off and doing a bit 'tomorrow' ;D

ACE · « **Reply #11 on:** October 07, 2006, 16:09:52 »

Most of the engines in all the popular strimmers are made by kawasaki, even if it does not say so on the machine it probably is. there are 25cc, 40cc an 75cc the smaller is rubbish and the larger are for professional use.

I can only think if there is a problem with jcb is that the jcb clutch is grabbing and making it hard to start under load when cold. Wind most of the strimming cord in to about 2 inches and see if it starts better, once it is warmed up let the cord back out again.

It could also be the diaphram carb getting glued up, I always turn the fuel off and let the engine run unti the bit in the pipe and carb is used up. This also makes it safer to transport without the smell of petrol in your vehicle.
There is a drain button on some models that does this job for transportation. I have been using strimmers/ brushcutters for over 35 years so most of these problems I have come across. By the way The FUJI is the best but expensive.

valmarg · « **Reply #12 on:** October 07, 2006, 20:17:54 »

Quote from: redclanger on October 07, 2006, 00:32:34

...and thousands of builders and farmers swear by them ;D

I think you'll find redclanger that the builders and farmers spend more time swearing 'at' them than 'by' them!!

Living appromixately three miles from the 'World Headquarters' (how naff can you get) they have the most terrible reputation as employers, and there is not a philanthropic bone in the whole of the Bamford family.

Going further off thread, they have built a new factory near Uttoxeter, named 'World Parts Centre'. Every time I go past, I think to myself, does it really???

If I had the option of buying anything or JCB, I would always go for 'anything'.

tim k · « **Reply #13 on:** October 07, 2006, 21:34:19 »

one word stihl ;D ;D

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #14 on:** October 07, 2006, 21:40:18 »

;D Two words ...Bloody expensive. ;D

tim k · « **Reply #15 on:** October 07, 2006, 21:49:14 »

they are not now £110 for the bent shaft £180 for the straight brush cutter that will take all the attachments they go on for hours and hours and

how much are jcb's £80ish thats expensive for about 3 hours use :o

tim

artichoke · « **Reply #16 on:** October 07, 2006, 21:52:44 »

This is all quite encouraging. I have a petrol strimmer that I get quite anoyed with. Until yesterday, I had not used it for about 7 years, and the oil/petrol mixture was the same age. I cursed and swore when I got a new allotment and really needed it - but eventually it DID start, and yesterday I had a very stimulating session with it, only turning it off when I could not bear the vibration and noise any more.

It seems I am lucky.

At this new allotment, the council apparently mows it by tractor every few weeks, but has neglected it recently for a month or so. I have emailed them (and spoken to man on tractor doing another area - "Why not here???" "Oh, does it need it?? I'll tell Them") but nothing has happened yet. So I am very happy that my old strimmer cleared the tall grass around my small and hard-won beds successfully.

tim k · « **Reply #17 on:** October 07, 2006, 21:58:02 »

i have also used the new makita strimmers and when my stihl packs up i will be buying one of these a bit more oompf cheaper and quieter but it wont be for a few years yet fingers crossed ;D

Merry Tiller · « **Reply #18 on:** October 07, 2006, 22:33:17 »

I bought one of these in the Spring, very good it is too, no problems starting as yet and very powerful

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7200195/Trail/C%24cip%3D42115.DIY%2C%2Bgarden%2Band%2Bcar%3EC%24cip%3D44805.Clearance%2BDIY%2C%2Bgarden%2Band%2Bcar%3EC%24cip%3D44825.Clearance%2BGarden%2Bpower%2Btools.htm

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #19 on:** October 07, 2006, 23:01:37 »

:o Landcape :o Pants...a Hilka in disguise that was pants too, reason I know
is that I took mine back to Argoos and bought a "Landscape" and that dripped
petrol out the back nearly touching my clothes :o the "Hilka" refused to start ::)

Not wanting to sound like a stuck record, but repeat, buy a 4 stroke generator and use
your domestic electric tools, top of the range strimmers (electric) are cheap
compared to highly dangerous two stroke petrol varieties that most times refuse to work
and if your not fit can damage your health by pulling your guts out trying to
start the blessed things. ::)

News:

Author Topic: JCB Strimmer won't work (Read 31790 times)