Allotments 4 All

My ryobi 30cc strimmer which I've used about 4 times was working well until today. It started quite easily about 4 pulls and I started strimming and after a few minutes it just died. It kept doing this and each time I'd find the choke had switched itself on full every time. So I got it started again and just held it and watched the choke lever which quite soon switched itself to full and the engine stopped immediately. There doesn't seem to be away of adjusting the choke so it doesn't switch itself back to full and flood the engine. Anyone else had this problem?

An allotment neighbour has suggested pushing a cork in to hold it in place but I guess this will keep falling out.

Has something worked loose?

I can't see anything. i thought there might be a screw that needed tightening but there isn't just a very fine, fragile looking wire that is still intact Unless something has dropped out like a spring or something. The handbook doesn't cover this problem.

Welcome to cheap strimmers :'(
Don't mess about, take it back to the shop and get your money back.

Gazfoz
would you sugest another strimmer of a similer size that would be better?
lbb

We have a spear and jackson from Argos around £50,so far very good ,there is a thread about it somewhere.I think Posie had one as well and is happy with it. :)

If you're using it on full whack when it happens you could try pulsing it instead if you know what I mean. A strategic rubber band might work. If you can though, take it back.

Quote from: littlebabybird on June 12, 2008, 00:02:54
Gazfoz
would you sugest another strimmer of a similer size that would be better?
lbb

For that money, no I can't. I am looking to get a Lithium battery model and have given up totally on the petrol option.
I suppose it depends on how much land needs strimming, I luckily managed to get the worst of my weeds sorted before I got a refund. If I keep on top of it with the battery strimmer and glyphosate I should be ok.

Actually not a cheap strimmer.

Quote from: Gazfoz on June 11, 2008, 20:36:34
Welcome to cheap strimmers :'(
Don't mess about, take it back to the shop and get your money back.

If you get a replacement rather than a refund then repeat process every few weeks until the warranty expires.
The 30cc Ryobi strimmers sell for £45 round here although not currently listed on the website they are available from their shop in Llanidloes (I also get a further 20% discount on everything I buy there). Even at that price nobody buys them because they develop faults so quickly.

Quote from: littlebabybird on June 12, 2008, 00:02:54
would you sugest another strimmer of a similer size that would be better?
lbb

If your budget will stretch to around £100 you can get a stihl FS38 strimmer which would be considerably better.
101.94  + delivery from: http://www.tomsgardenequipment.co.uk/category/Petrol_Brushcutters/product/Stihl_FS38_Strimmer/
or £99 but only available in store (Aberystwyth, Newtown, Welshpool or Shrewsbury) from: http://www.charliesdirect.co.uk/product_pages/product_details.asp?ProductID=9426

My ryobi strimmer cost £90 and it's just out of warranty

My Ryobi cost £150 including brush cutter and hedge trimmer, and has been brilliant over many hours on four allotments since the autumn (I help my daughter as well as my own three).

But yesterday I could not start it. It would roar to life then die. Appealed to a neighbour. He heaved away at it and it did start and stayed started. I noticed that although the instructions say NOT to grasp yellow levers on the handle until it has been going for 5 seconds - he grasped them while pulling at the string.

So the next few times it died (choked with long grass) I did the same. Worked perfectly. Don't know if that helps.

No the guy at the garden centre where I bought it took me outside and gave me a half hour training session on how to start and how to use it plus how to thread the spool and mix the fuel. The spool bit is going to be a challenge as my OH will tell you i'm dyslexic when it comes to rotational direction.....I turn taps on and can't remember which way to turn them for off!
He told me to depress the throttle as soon as it started while the manual says depress the throttle,as you say, after about 5 secs.
I'm not having trouble starting it it starts easily but as soon as it gets going the choke flips itself onto full and the engine floods and it stops.
I'm going to take it to the garden centre and get them to look at it but as a female and having been there with cars i have learnt it pays to have an idea what's happening so they can't pull one over you and charge you for stuff that doesn't need doing.

It's been really good up until the other day when this started happening it was running well no smoke no oil dripping out nothing.

I have a HATE/HATE relationship with ALL strimmers  >:(

They all have a personality of their own and not ONE of them is kind, generous or reliable.

If they were humans they'd be the sorts that don't stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings, put potatoes up car exhaust pipes and pull the wings off flies JUST FOR FUN.

I've got a JCB one that I call 'The B*tch'.

It sits there looking like butter wouldn't melt in its priming button and then when you TRY to start it, it splutters teasingly and then refuses to start for the next 5 hours until the biceps on your right arm are twice the size as on your left.

I generally turn my back on it and pretend I'm not BOTHERED about it starting ... amble up the path towards the shed and when it's not looking SPRINT back and pull the cable.

This usually catches it unawares and it runs for about 10 minutes. CHOKE OUT FULL, ROARING LIKE A TIGER, TWO WHOLE SQ FT OF GRASS DEMOLISHED ...













.. and then the string runs out & the whole process starts ALL OVER AGAIN with another hour dedicated to trying to thread the string without the spring thingy jumping out and being lost amongst the LONG GRASS (which is visibly growing as I try to start the machine) and the string unravelling like 6 week old cooked spaghetti.

I'm asking Santa for a scythe this year. I am trying to be a good girl.

******** THIS POST WAS NOT SPONSORED BY JCB **************

Well I've just discovered why my strimmer instructions never made sense. I had never looked very hard at the front cover before but now I discover the idiot in the shop gave me the instructions for a different model.  ::)
No wonder I've been confused. That might explain why when I went into the shop and bought strimmer line for the correct model.....by pointing at it! .....he gave me 2.4mm line. When I read through the manual to try and work out how to replace it it said I needed 2.0mm line I was about to take that back but it will be correct though it is a different colour?

Anyway the happy news regarding my problem is that the strimmer has a two year warranty as i discovered on a quick visit in for something else on Saturday now I just have to find my receipt which should be an easy task normally but the burglar who broke in over Easter tipped out all my nicely sorted receipts from the past two years into a big heap while he was searching through my stuff. So the job I've been dreading will have to be done with some urgency >:(

Kea i have the same model and i think its meant to do this. Start it with the choke on leave it for 2-3 secs when you apply the accelerator that knocks the choke off automatic. I'm not dyslexic and changing the cord is a pain, its supposed to have bumpfeed but it doesnt work for me.Trixie i feel your pain.

I have a black and decker rechargable strimmer, no problems with the starting the battery life is excellent well over an hours solid strimming then an hours re-charge and back to full capacity.  The line is 2mm standard and is as easy as fie to use just pulls out more when you need it.

Highly recomended if you are going to exchance.

I am also thinking of a new strimmer , I have a Black & Decker model CLC120 12V which I have had about 6/7 years OK for light strimming but the battery needs charging more frequently. I wonder if a new battery is available or is it time to say goodbye...... ???

Northener...unfortunately the choke is going back to full choke not the other way! When it slips back to full choke it stops. You have a newer model, i have to manually move my choke off full.
I'm not dyslexic I just have a problem with not automatically knowing for instance which way to turn the screww driver to undo a screw etc....I don't know what that's called it probably has a name I can't be the only one...can I?

Oops sorry Kea hope you get it sorted, like you say its not a cheapo.