Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: posie on May 12, 2008, 22:16:34
-
Ok Argos have a 30cc Spear and Jackson grass trimmer for £59.99. It has 1hp, 40cm cutting width and a low vibration 2 stroke engine.
I know nothing about petrol strimmers, but it's clear my cordless rubbish one from B&Q isn't going to work up the lottie, there's just not enough battery strength or power in it.
Does this one sound ok? I'm limited cash wise so can't really go above this.
The cordless one I have at the moment is a B&Q own brand and is something stupid like 18v - which i think is about 250w possibly.
Am I going to be buying a better one or is there going to be no difference?
-
Hi all new to all of this but we use sthil strimmers & found the to be the best might cost a bit more but last a lot longer & will still run after the others have died :)
-
Welcome and hello Fry and thanks for the advice.
-
I have the Ryobi One cordless strimmer and its great. Once you have the majority strimmed down and are just doing maintenance I can get round the whole plot easily.
Might be a bit out of your budget though at £80 for the strimmer, charger and 2 batteries (18v)
Regarding battery voltages, the important value is the battery's Amp Hour (aH) rating as this os a much better indicator of how it will last. Unfortunately, very few sites list this info, not all 18v batteries are created equally :)
-
Well I can tell you Ant mine lasts 20 minutes on a full charge so just isnt up to the lottie unfortunately.
-
Posie, we have bought this one from Argos.It is still in the boxLOL but I will let you know what it is like ,hopefully soon ;D
-
lol - cheers Betula, planning on getting it on friday all being well, so we may well be finding out together! Need to get it sooner rather than later or I can guarantee the money will end up getting spent elsewhere!
Anyone know how much petrol I'd need for it?? I really am rubbish with this stuff and Argos doesn't tell you that bit!
-
try netto's if you have one offer on at moment £39.99/spare spools £1.99 (limited stock)about same comparison Compo49
-
the tank capacity on petrol strimmers is about a pint :)
-
Oh cool! I think there's a Netto's in Cardiff somewhere. thanks Compo. Edited to say - Hmmm maybe not.....I remember we used to have one in Barry but now the nearest is in Kidderminster! Oh well......
Cheers for that Ant.
I love this site - you can guarantee no matter how obscure the question, somebody somewhere will have the answer! lol
-
the tank capacity on petrol strimmers is about a pint :)
If you are new to these things, don't forget the two stroke oil to mix with the petrol.
Make sure you use the goggles that are usually supplied with the strimmer. Also no bare arms or legs.
A little cheapie is just what you need as you will only use it 8 to 10 hours a year, just make sure you do not leave any fuel in the tank or carb when you store it. Sthil strimmers are for serious work and I would not use anything else, but as I said, a cheapie should be all you need
-
Hi Posie, I bought one of those last year from Argos and it is BRILLIANT!! I wrote about it on my blog ...
http://fork-in-hell.blogspot.com/2007/07/i-bought-myself-toy.html
I had used a rechargeable one until then but it used to run out after 10 minutes. This strimmer is great and has an ample big enough tank for the petrol. It comes with a little mixing bottle to mix the oil and petrol to make 2 stroke and also a small bottle of oil to start you off. Go for it, you won't regret it!
-
Well I guess I'll be buying one then! Thanks for the tips ACE because I can guarantee I wouldn't have done the oil thing lol - now computers I can do, machinery I seriously can't - one day I will learn!
Thanks for all the advice guys.
-
I bought a Homelite petrol strimmer from b and q.
Took ages to start, then the cord for the pull start snapped. I repaired this myself not an easy task I can tell you but I used to do that sort of thing for a living.
The cord snapped again before I could start the bloody engine.
Into the car, back to b and q for a refund, money back in my bank account.
The photo of the strimmer from Argos looks suspiciously similar to the Homeshite one in B and Q for about the same price.
Cheap strimmers..... Not for me.
-
We bought a couple of the Spear & Jackson from Argos last year for the Society. I agree, they're good - but if it's only you using it! One of ours is already out of action because the pull cable has broken. (It was actually me wot did it, but it had been used - and mis-used - quite a bit before me, so they don't seem to have much staying power.)
Cheap stuff is OK if it's one careful user, or if you can fix it when it goes wrong.
-
To my way of thinking, for what we do you need something that you can throw in the car, throw in the garage, throw some petrol into it and off you go for anything between 20 mins to 1 hour plus depending on the time of year and these machines really aren't up to that in my honest opinion.
I wish they were because I am now scratching my head because I don't want to spend £150 plus. I may try a high end battery job if that is cost effective. It would probably need to be Lithium though.
-
To my way of thinking, for what we do you need something that you can throw in the car, throw in the garage, throw some petrol into it and off you go for anything between 20 mins to 1 hour plus depending on the time of year and these machines really aren't up to that in my honest opinion.
I wish they were because I am now scratching my head because I don't want to spend £150 plus. I may try a high end battery job if that is cost effective. It would probably need to be Lithium though.
My Ryobi with its 2 NiCads will last an hour or so...
Lithium, double the run time, double the cost unfortunately... Maybe invest in the NiCad version, then as the price of the lithium batteries drops, replace the batteries with those? (With the Ryobi One range everything is swappable)
That will be my plan anyway :)
-
Hi Ant,
Say hello to sparkly for me.
Have you got a model/price for your ryobi. They aren't bad I seem to remember.
Ta,
Gaz.
-
Why not get a sickle instead they are a fraction of the price, don't need any fuel, they are just as effective (once you get used to using one) & the only maintenance needed is a spray of wd40 after use to keep the blade clean & rust-free & the ocassional sharpening.
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/bristol-reaping-hook/path/garden-hand-tools
-
Well I for one am frightened of cutting my leg off!!
-
Well I for one am frightened of cutting my leg off!!
Yup me too. I'm accident prone enough without sharp blades being swung everywhere lol. Plus I have to be quite careful with my back as certain movements can cause it to spasm (joy of childbirth my eye!!) and I end up immobilised for a week, which I really don't have time for right now lol
-
Why not get a sickle
Big drawback with sickles. scythers elbow. You easily tell if you have scythers elbow as your actions and thoughts revert back to the dark ages and your mind refuses to accept the 21 century inventions.
People also tend to address you as 'that silly old fart up the allotments'
-
Well i bought one today as i've been looking for one for ages. Gave it a test run tonight - just the job for the lottie ! Much more powerful than the last battery one i used. Only took about ten pulls to get it going from new - very good IMO.
Sickles and scythes are good, and its easier to tidy up as you go - especially with really long grass etc.. - but with the strimmer ten mins with the grass rake sorts that. Scythers elbow is painful - teenage lads suffer particulary badly from it.
-
Hi Ant,
Say hello to sparkly for me.
Have you got a model/price for your ryobi. They aren't bad I seem to remember.
Ta,
Gaz.
Hi Gaz,
It is the Ryobi One Plus 18V Line Trimmer Kit RLG1339, comes with 2 NiCad batteries and charger for £89.98 from B&Q. I take my dad on a Wednesday for the 10% discount :)
Ant
-
To my way of thinking, for what we do you need something that you can throw in the car, throw in the garage, throw some petrol into it and off you go for anything between 20 mins to 1 hour plus depending on the time of year and these machines really aren't up to that in my honest opinion ...
Mine is!! ;D
I've had it for nearly a year old now and still working well! It lives in the shed at home, gets thrown in the car boot, strim for an hour and Bob is your uncle! Of course you may have had problems with one of these strimmers, I can only speak as I find. Was yours the Spear and Jackson one?
-
Big drawback with sickles. scythers elbow. You easily tell if you have scythers elbow as your actions and thoughts revert back to the dark ages and your mind refuses to accept the 21 century inventions.
People also tend to address you as 'that silly old fart up the allotments'
People round here are very rarely that polite when they are telling me how I should be doing things. Besides I have actually got one of those new fangled 20th century inventions as well as the sickles, a Jonsered GR50 brushcutter to be precise which slices through saplings 2" thick without a second thought, I dread to think what that would do to a leg.
Strimmers & brushcutters are worthwhile if you have a lot to clear but if it is just clearing a plot or tidying paths then I find a sickle is just as effective. I have never yet injured myself using a sickle but there have been plenty of times I was glad of my chainsaw trousers and the visor on my forestry helmet as the brushcutter has sent twigs, stones, bits of hidden cans & bottles etc... flying towards my legs or face.
I regularly work on steep slopes & a sickle feels far safer to use then. It's a lot easier to drop a sickle if you slip than it is to unhook a brushcutter & as a brushcutter blade continues spinning for around a minute after you switch the engine off the risk of injury is somewhat higher if you are sliding down a slope than it is with a sickle.
-
the tank capacity on petrol strimmers is about a pint :)
Sthil strimmers are for serious work
I found my stihl a problem, but i came across an attachment for various strimmers, stihl included. It takes up to 12 threads and has made my brushcutter useless. It goes through brush easily and also mulches grass short or long.
-
About 40 years ago, I came out of the navy and obtained a job on the local council. In the cemetery. Arrived the first day and was shown the tool shed. Hung up was a broom, rake, pick and shovel and a riphook. I was informed that was all the tools I needed to dig about 4 graves a week and keep the 45 acre site nice and tidy. An old barrow was found in the bushes so it should have been a doddle.
Kinell! I'm out of here, but as I had just put my discharge money down on a house, the morgage needed paying so I was stuck. Within a couple of years I had a few more cemeteries to look after but also a few extra staff who I had to organise. I used to raid the local parks and gardens sheds and get their old mowers and equipment. The old boys in the parks were a bit like baccyman and swore by the sickle. even though they had a brand new brush cutter in the shed. It must have been one of the first ones out called a Fuji cutter.
I grabbed it and we never looked back. Eventually over the years I was made up to gardening foreman. I never let the gardeners slack off and skive, but I always made sure they had the best tools for the job. Never saw the point in struggling with a riphook for a couple of hours, when you could strim for ten minutes.
Loads of new machinery came in over the years so it also came down to me to instruct the staff in the safest way of using these machines. Which mean't that I had to go on training courses to be an instructor myself.
Nobody lost any legs all the time I was there. But we used to have a few cuts from sharpening riphooks
I was pensioned off early, when the job went out to tendering. I see some of the contractors doing the job now in shorts, t shirts, no eye protection even wearing trainers on their feet. I bet there will be a few accidents now.
Now for you lot that are having trouble with your stimmers, wind the cord back in, It might start easier then bump a bit out when the choke is off.
-
Now for you lot that are having trouble with your stimmers, wind the cord back in, It might start easier then bump a bit out when the choke is off.
Sorry Ace,
Don't understand that last paragraph ???
-
We have a MCculloh 250 Trimmac Petrol strimmer unfortunately I don't have the operating manual. Please can someone tell me how to get it going please. The petrol and two stroke oil are all mixed and in the tank. I tried this morning to get it to start and I'm not sure what to do. I turned it on and kept pulling the cord but nothing happens, I'm certain I have more to do then just pulling the cord but I'm not sure what.
-
We have a MCculloh 250 Trimmac Petrol strimmer unfortunately I don't have the operating manual. Please can someone tell me how to get it going please. The petrol and two stroke oil are all mixed and in the tank. I tried this morning to get it to start and I'm not sure what to do. I turned it on and kept pulling the cord but nothing happens, I'm certain I have more to do then just pulling the cord but I'm not sure what.
One of our strimmers is a McCulloch - I think a slightly larger one than the 250 but also a swine to start.
Procedure is:
Turn on/off switch to ON or hold safety lever in ON position (depending on what type of switch your machine has)
Pump some petrol with the primer. To do this, push the little clear half-globe thingy in and out several times. It will fill with petroil mix. Note that it won't fill right up - there'll be a little air bubble at the top. That's normal.
Turn the choke on. There'll be a choke lever on the engine. Move it to "choke" which is the opposite end from "run"
Pull the starter cord quite hard several times. With luck the engine will "cough" as if it's about to start. As soon as it does, move the choke lever to "run", and pull the starter cord again.
If it's your lucky day, the engine will roar into life.
If not, try a couple more times, then check the primer, put the choke back on, and repeat the process.
-
Just in case anyone is planning on getting a Spear and Jackson strimmer from Argos, it's currently reduced to £47.99!
-
Just in case anyone is planning on getting a Spear and Jackson strimmer from Argos, it's currently reduced to £47.99!
>:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( f'in typical !!! I might take mine back and buy another one exactly the same at another store and save £12.
-
Just in case anyone is planning on getting a Spear and Jackson strimmer from Argos, it's currently reduced to £47.99!
I wonder why ;) ;) ;D ;D :'( :'(
-
Today was the day the spear and jackson came out of the box and it was brilliant.
You have to mess around a bit putting the handle ,strap and guard on .
It was a while to get it started but once we got the hang of it we were away.
It strimmed really well.
On the negative side,for a woman to use it is heavy and hard to keep going for long.
Luckily for me,Jim thought it was a great new toy and he was off like Turbo man. ;D
We bought it from Argos several weeks ago and it was 49.99.
-
it is heavy and hard to keep going for long.
Now whenever the subject of extra effort comes up you are in the middle stateing your piece. On Pathways you had to have them, (pathways are just a way out of digging the whole allotment) We won't go in to double digging. Raised beds because you gave up on traditional ways of cultivation. Now the cheapie ladies model strimmer is too heavy.
Come on now you can tell us, most of us won't hold it against you.Perhaps you are too old to cope. But admit it now.
You are workshy. ;)
STANDBACK EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!INCOMING.
TAXI!
-
Gosh who would have thought that a 'thread' on strimmers could get so heated and have so much interest!! ;D ::)
-
You ain't seen nothing yet!
-
....... Now the cheapie ladies model strimmer is too heavy.
Says someone who uses a lightweight Stihl strimmer ;D, although I'm tempted to agree with you as mine is about 5lb heavier than the argos one & my wife has no problems using it, she has problems starting it ::) but then it doesn't come with ergostart/elastostart like most of the Stihl ones do.
Here are the specs on Spear & Jackson, Stihl & Johnsered stimmers/brushcutters which clearly shows how much variation there is in weight.
The Argos one:
Spear and Jackson 30cc Petrol Grass Trimmer
1hp.
Cutting width 40cm.
Bump feed.
Easily disassembled with split shaft, low vibration 2 stroke engine.
Carrying strap for ease of use, low vibration engine.
Weight 6.3kg.
RRP £59.99
The heaviest Stihl brushcutter around (I picked a brushcutter because the heaviest strimmer they do is on 4.3kg) & I don't know which model ace uses anyway:
Stihl FS130 4-Mix Brushcutter
1.4kW/1.9bhp Power Output
36.3cc Displacement
5.89kg Weight
4-Mix Engine
AV-System
Automatic Decompression
Multi-function handle
ElastoStart
Bike handle
Cutting blade Metal blade + AutoCut
RRP £564.00
The brushcutter I have:
Jonsered GR50 Brushcutter
Engine size 48.7cc
Power Output 2.8hp
Unit weight 8.6kg
Fuel capacity 0.6 litres
Noise level 102 dB(A)
Vibration Left handle 3.5 m/s²
Vibration Right handle 4.5 m/s²
RRP £699.99
-
Thank you Melbourne 12 for your kind response. I did try it out as instructed, but I'm discovering that I haven't got the strengh to pull the cord hard enough to get it fire up. I will just have to take it to the allotment and pray each time that there will be some strong chap on the plot who will help me pull the cord. It is a powerful machine. When I hold it upright I'm only slightly taller than the gadget. It is scary
-
I reckon my old stihl is over 10 years old, I cannot see any model numbers on it but I know when I ordered it I wanted a 50cc engine. The rep. ordered me one but rang me later to say they did not do a 50 but he had a 70cc on trial I could have for a couple of hundred quid. It is a kawasaki engine and goes through clutches quite quick. (I have a boxful in hand) It seems to weigh a ton with a double shoulder harness to hold it on. Once it is balanced and adjusted to suit me I can go all day with it.
I know this is a professional machine compared with the one the thread is about. But if mine ain't working I ain't earning.
-
They don't make them like that anymore though
the most powerful Stihl brushcutters you can get now are either:
The FS130 already mentioned or
Stihl FR450 Backpack Brushcutter:
Brake Horse Power : 2.9
Engine CC : 44.3 cc
Power Output : 2.1 kW
Weight : 10.9 kg
or the most powerful clearing saw is:
Stihl FS 550 Clearing Saw:
Engine CC : 56.5 cc (3.45 cu. in.)
ENGINE POWER 2.8 kW (3.75 bhp.)
WEIGHT 9.8 kg
FUEL CAPACITY 750 cc (25.4 oz.)
The latest sales technique seems to be making them very light & easy enough for a child to start as shown in the easy2start video on the stihl website. Not a good idea in my opinion though as if you can't even start a strimmer or chainsaw then you are probably not fit enough to use it safely.
http://www.stihlusa.net/information/info_lit_video.html
Husqvarna are doing the same thing too. Mcculloch tools used to be worthwhile but since the original McCulloch ceased operation in 1999. Someone bought up the tooling and the North American rights to the name and Electrolux bought the eastern hemisphere rights to the name and they are making a totally different line of saws/strimmers etc... with the McCulloch name out of Italy neither of the current versions of mcculloch are worth buying.
Most tools seem to be disposable these days they die the second the warranty expires & servicing them can be more expensive than buying a new one.
-
it is heavy and hard to keep going for long.
Now whenever the subject of extra effort comes up you are in the middle stating your piece. On Pathways you had to have them, (pathways are just a way out of digging the whole allotment) We won't go in to double digging. Raised beds because you gave up on traditional ways of cultivation. Now the cheapie ladies model strimmer is too heavy.
Come on now you can tell us, most of us won't hold it against you.Perhaps you are too old to cope. But admit it now.
You are workshy. ;)
STANDBACK EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!INCOMING.
TAXI!
Darling boy,thank you for your sweet message.How lucky I am Visiting IOW this summer to vist my friends .
I can then demonstrate my much improved technique with the spear and jackson.
The one method I got really good at takes much skill to be really accurate.I think with much practise between now and then my aim will be perfect.This move actually has a name only appreciated in Horticultural circles.Em,whats it called now?Oh I remember it is called.........stuffing it up your jacksie.......not sure of correct spelling but I am sure you know what I mean..........Roll on summer
-
I'll come and meet the ferry, just let me know which one you will be on.
(http://sant.theiet.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/submarine.jpg)
-
Hmmmm,it would take more than a sub to stop me sweetie,oh yes as you mentioned age,I remember you said you left the navy 40 years ago.
You must surely be a national monument or a tourist attraction at least :)
-
Hmmmm,it would take more than a sub to stop me sweetie,oh yes as you mentioned age,I remember you said you left the navy 40 years ago.
You must surely be a national monument or a tourist attraction at least :)
ooooh betula!!! You are funny!!! ;D
-
Rofl - you lot are nuts!
Quick update - I bought one and now it's flippin raining!!!! >:(
-
I bought a Challenge battery strimmer yesterday, I had it on charge all night took it to the allotment today where it gave ne 12 minutes of fun before the battery gave up. ???
-
It might need a couple of charges before it gets to proper power. Is it the one from argos for £24? if so it has the same rated batteries as my Ryobi
I think a few people are going to get bitten by the old adage "Buy cheap, buy twice"
-
Is it the one from argos for £24? if
It is from Aggos but I paid £19.95 for it, I was thinking that it may work better after a few charges.
-
NiCads tend to take a few full charge/discharge cycles to get to full power. They used to suffer from a thing called memory effect, which meant if you didn't fully discharge the battery from new it would only ever reach a lower capacity. Luckily they don't suffer from that so badly anymore.
-
It's fab. I love it. It is heavy, my arm hurts big time! And it's a sod to start when it's cold, but all in all I'm very pleased with it, most of the jungle has now been strimmed to within an inch of its life and the rest is getting it tomorrow!!!
-
Yay, well done Posie, glad you like it!
-
It's fab. I love it. It is heavy, my arm hurts big time! And it's a sod to start when it's cold, but all in all I'm very pleased with it, most of the jungle has now been strimmed to within an inch of its life and the rest is getting it tomorrow!!!
Are you priming it enough ? after 10 or 12 squirts mine starts after 2 or 3 pulls. Mess about with the strap and how you wear it so that it takes all the weight most of the time.
-
I shall be buying a bush cutter from Argos next week (reduced from 80 to 63 ;D )
I have a question, i have never owned a car so subsequently have never bought petrol :o I am going to buy a petrol can and visit a petrol station, the thing i am worried about is over filling my petrol can as i won't be able to see how much is in it, please re assure me i won't ;D ;D
Is there any chance i can buy the petrol already in a can and what kind of oil will i need ?
-
Hi all, Hi Legendary one, :)
As a non-driver I found myself in the same dilemma. This is something people are supposed to know by magic, car drivers may be unsympathetic to your worries but maybe after reading this those on this forum may help a person in distress.
When you take your petrol can, say its five litres or something just plan to buy three litres then you have a space to allow for error.
The nozzle the petrol comes out of only lets the petrol out when you pull in the trigger on the pistol grip and the amount coming out is shown on the display on the pump in litres. It also has a float switch that should turn off the flow when your can is full - I have never found this to work.
Then you take your petrol can into the kiosk to pay, there you can buy chocolate as a reward for learning a new skill.
The people serving at the petrol may be surly and disinterested in you and your achievement, but thats their problem.
Read your instructions but I imagine you will need diesil unleaded from a petrol station and two stroke oil in a green bottle from B&Q, Homebase etc. (Incidentally my local Homebase had a starter kit of petrol can, mixer bottle, funnel, oil etc)
You have to mix these in precise proportions in a mixer bottle that has little lines to help you. If you have too much oil your strimmer may smoke dramatically and if you have too much petrol it may vibrate.
Best of luck, let us know how you get on, Col
-
Hi Columbus, thanks for your reply, it as put my mind at ease, I've seen cars being filled up loads of times but have never paid to much attention. I will definitely reward myself with a choccy bar for my achievement :D
Thanks again :)
-
Well I've managed to get lottie from this.....
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l274/posiepain/lottiemay003.jpg)
to this, just over the weekend, so I think we can safely say that it's already paid for itself as far as I'm concerned!
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l274/posiepain/lottiemay009.jpg)
Ps - Am I a proper allotmenter now that I have bean canes n everything?! ;D
-
I shall be buying a bush cutter from Argos next week (reduced from 80 to 63 ;D )
I have a question, i have never owned a car so subsequently have never bought petrol :o I am going to buy a petrol can and visit a petrol station, the thing i am worried about is over filling my petrol can as i won't be able to see how much is in it, please re assure me i won't ;D ;D
Is there any chance i can buy the petrol already in a can and what kind of oil will i need ?
After a bit of googleing...
http://www.aaoil.co.uk/environment-Aspen-2T-alkylate-petrol
Not cheap though...
-
It's fab. I love it. It is heavy, my arm hurts big time! And it's a sod to start when it's cold, but all in all I'm very pleased with it, most of the jungle has now been strimmed to within an inch of its life and the rest is getting it tomorrow!!!
Glad it went well posie. ;D
-
I shall be buying a bush cutter from Argos next week (reduced from 80 to 63 ;D )
I have a question, i have never owned a car so subsequently have never bought petrol :o I am going to buy a petrol can and visit a petrol station, the thing i am worried about is over filling my petrol can as i won't be able to see how much is in it, please re assure me i won't ;D ;D
Is there any chance i can buy the petrol already in a can and what kind of oil will i need ?
After a bit of googleing...
http://www.aaoil.co.uk/environment-Aspen-2T-alkylate-petrol
Not cheap though...
In the link supplied they talk about the petrol going off after about 30 days, will that will be a problem ?
-
In the link supplied they talk about the petrol going off after about 30 days, will that will be a problem ?
No, it'll be fine. Note that they say "starts going off". If you leave petrol in an engine for months on end, some of the additives can separate out and "gum up" the carburettor, which stops the engine from running. That's why it's best to empty the fuel tank at the end of the season. In fact, best of all is to tip most of the fuel into a can, and then start the machine and run the engine until it runs out of fuel. Just remember that it'll need a bit of repriming when you refill it the following spring.
But there's no problem in leaving petrol in a strimmer or mower for a month or two. These aren't exactly high precision racing engines, and most of us get away with leaving fuel in the tank of mowers and rotavators even over the winter.
-
Thanks for that, i am now re-assured :)
-
I now own the bush cutter and will be getting the petrol tomorrow, in the instructions it says to buy "regular grade unleaded petrol" now does petrol still come in stars e.g. four star ? And is that what i should buy 4 star unleaded ?
Another question, in the box is a small bottle of unbranded oil should i use that or go and buy a better make ?
-
No,you just buy unleaded,green colour at the garage.
-
Any petrol any oil, now stop stalling and go and strim that allotment ;D
-
Legend,
it seems you have a two stroke engine, green pipe at the pumps for your petrol, you should had a touch of two stroke oil to the fuel I think it could be a twenty mix, but check the label ;)
-
Thanks for the replies folks :)
Mr. Smith it is a forty mix (40:1)
I was looking forward to strimming but it has been raining since i bought it ::)
-
I have a Ryobi 30cc petrol strimmer which I got for my birthday present last year. I am guilty, however, of not emptying out the fuel which has now been in since about July.
With quite a bit of trepidation yesterday I got it out strained the fuel through and old pair of tights into a glass jar.....examined it and poured it back in....then attempted to start my machine. It didn't start first pull mainly because I've lost the knack more than the machine's fault. On about the 6 pull it roared into life and sounded fine.....so I'm quite impressed and my long grass will soon be short.
My only problem is I haven't had to change the reel yet and I have no idea how to do it.
Legendaryone...Just remember you have to buy at least 2 litres as they have a minimum sale amount.
-
Legendaryone...Just remember you have to buy at least 2 litres as they have a minimum sale amount.
I didn't know that, thanks for letting me know :)
-
I didn`t know that either, ???
Col
-
Have just returned form the petrol station and now own just over two litres of petrol ;D
It was a pretty harmless transaction and speaking to the attendant he said there was no minimum amount you had to purchase, this was at a Texaco station it might be different elsewhere.
Thanks for all the helpful advice i will let you all know how i get on :)
-
I've been able to get to grips with it this afternoon but am having a problem, i can get it started but when ever i move the choke back the engine stops :(
I have the throttle in and the choke down as per instructions i get it started and i am supposed to immediately move the choke back, well that doesn't work, so i try again and and release the throttle and it idles nicely, but moving the choke back again switched the engine off, I can nearly get the choke into the right postion if i move it slowly.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what i should try next ?
-
Hi Legendry one, well done with the petrol pump. ;D
I meant to mention that walking with a full can of petrol can get heavy and awkward after a while.
Your strimmer sounds more complicated than mine, but have you tried not putting the choke back and running it full throttle.
Col
-
Hi Col, thanks for your reply, i can get it to run on full throttle but i still cannot get it to carry on running when i move the choke back, does it matter if the choke does not go back all the way ?
My strimmer only has the choke and throttle so it is not complicated, the only thing that confuses me is the instructions do not make it very clear for to tell whether the choke is on or off :(
-
It sounds as if it is starting without the choke, which it will in warmer weather. Then you are choking when it you move the choke lever.
The choke makes the petrol/air mixture richer. ie more petrol, less air. If your machine is set to run rich ie large petrol jet, you will hardy ever need the choke. Which does as it says, stops the engine breathing.
I have a hedge cutter with a two stroke engine. Off/on switch is not marked, choke is not marked, so I stuck my own little reminders on. Also it will only run smoothly on half choke. They are tiny little engines with one piston so they are all a little temperamental.
Also another tip to save the clutch is strim at full throttle, don't be scared of it. As they say in the biker world 'Ride it like you stole it'
-
Thanks Ace for your reply, what you say does make sense, i have done a bit of reading on the web about chokes so kinda understand them and now with your comments i feel more comfortable in running it.
-
Well had my first go with it today and i am very impressed had it running for an hour with no problems and used just over half a tank of petroil.
Got covered head to toe in green sap which doesn't taste very nice either ;D
Hopefully i didn't kill any of my frogs as i did try to make sure they had plenty of warning i was coming. Going back tomorrow with the blade on to tackle the brambles then will have to start digging it :)
Just want to say thanks again for everyones advice it is much appreciated :)