I'm in the process of getting everything running and/or junking anything that's not worth messing with. Part of that list was a couple Homelite trimmers (actually have about 4 more down on the farm I need to look at). I tried everything to get them running to avail, fairly sure it's low compression (I'll test that next week). After I gave up I tore them apart.. the block area was filled with mud! They've been stored out of the weather and all the bolts were tight. Is this normal for 2 cycles?
Homelite trimmers
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I guess I should say they had a light coating of mud wasn't filled completely. I'm sure nobody has messed with them.
Inside the engine, or in the cooling fins? I've seen mud wasps do that....
BTW - In my experience, the best place for a Homelite is the dumpster...
BTW - In my experience, the best place for a Homelite is the dumpster...
Inside the engine.. could of been a mud dobber not sure how they would of got in.
I bought a Ryobi and it threw a baring within the first 10 minutes of use. I went out online and saw that there were 33 reviews, all with the same issue.
I went back to home despot and returned my Ryobi and paid an extra $70 more for a Echo. A truly awsome machine. You can feel the difference the moment you start it. I would reccommend an ECHO to anyone.
I have a buddy that has a homelite trimmer, and it has been nothing but headaches. He continues to say he cant afford anything better, but I also get to listen to him complain about how it is always breaking and how he has to jerry rig fixes.
Of course this is the same guy who I have totally ragged on for not fixing the air filter to his lawnmower after it broke off. "Oh yeah, is that bad?" Yeah, it is.
I went back to home despot and returned my Ryobi and paid an extra $70 more for a Echo. A truly awsome machine. You can feel the difference the moment you start it. I would reccommend an ECHO to anyone.
I have a buddy that has a homelite trimmer, and it has been nothing but headaches. He continues to say he cant afford anything better, but I also get to listen to him complain about how it is always breaking and how he has to jerry rig fixes.
Of course this is the same guy who I have totally ragged on for not fixing the air filter to his lawnmower after it broke off. "Oh yeah, is that bad?" Yeah, it is.
Umm this isn't a homelite bashing thread. I realize and know they're not the best. And my family doesn't buy echo or stihl thanks to a lemon chainsaw that the company refused to buy back.
Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
Umm this isn't a homelite bashing thread. I realize and know they're not the best. And my family doesn't buy echo or stihl thanks to a lemon chainsaw that the company refused to buy back.
Not sure what you mean. That's one chain-saw and two different companies.
In any case, there's always husky, shindaiwa, honda etc. FWIW, my echo line trimmer is a pleasure to use. It replaced a homelite, and by the time you've junked 2 homelites, you've paid for an echo and then some. Not to mention the hassle.
I've read that homelite problems are usually carb related. Taking mine apart and just cleaning everything really helped on occasion. Once you've done that, you could try using fresh fuel and and really good 2 stroke oil hopefully to keep everything clean.
Umm this isn't a homelite bashing thread. I realize and know they're not the best. And my family doesn't buy echo or stihl thanks to a lemon chainsaw that the company refused to buy back.
Not sure what you mean. That's one chain-saw and two different companies.
In any case, there's always husky, shindaiwa, honda etc. FWIW, my echo line trimmer is a pleasure to use. It replaced a homelite, and by the time you've junked 2 homelites, you've paid for an echo and then some. Not to mention the hassle.
I've read that homelite problems are usually carb related. Taking mine apart and just cleaning everything really helped on occasion. Once you've done that, you could try using fresh fuel and and really good 2 stroke oil hopefully to keep everything clean.
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I rarely ever log in here, so rarely in fact that I'd forgotten my PW but heregoes
I have one of theses cheepie little red trimmers, and I was amazed to learn that there is no air filter on them when they come from the factory, none! I emailed them about this and I received a "the screen should be sufficient" reply. Yah right fellas. I had some foam that's about the same consistency as the eggcrate stuff but flat and cut a filter to go in the cover that has a place for a filter.
I also took the muffler off and removed the wiry, brillo pad looking emissions junk. I can only guess this is some kind of a catalytic converter because the exhaust smelt ozone-y before I removed it. I tore out the spark arrestor screen as well seeing as how I do not live in a fire prone area.
I would bet a lot of the problems are related to the fact that they can't even be bothered to include an air filter. For shame. How's the carburettor supposed to work when it's full of dirt?
I gutted out the muffler to keep it flowing decently, that is to say I am trying to prevent it from getting plugged up.
Ripped the limiter caps off with diagonal cutters and richened it up a bit, too.
After my little tweaks it pop-pop-pop at idle the way a minibike does. It's a great noise. Homelites are the king of the "buy low, mod high" mentality.
It has to be said "Warranty?? What Warranty? What's a Warranty?!" heh
I got this thing because the Weed Eater SST25 I had before was losing compression because *cough* family members put straight gas in it
It wasn't fixable without an expensive rebuild so I gave her a proper send off. More straight gas and WOT until it got so hot it seized up. I prefer them to go out with a bang, rather than a wimper.
I have one of theses cheepie little red trimmers, and I was amazed to learn that there is no air filter on them when they come from the factory, none! I emailed them about this and I received a "the screen should be sufficient" reply. Yah right fellas. I had some foam that's about the same consistency as the eggcrate stuff but flat and cut a filter to go in the cover that has a place for a filter.
I also took the muffler off and removed the wiry, brillo pad looking emissions junk. I can only guess this is some kind of a catalytic converter because the exhaust smelt ozone-y before I removed it. I tore out the spark arrestor screen as well seeing as how I do not live in a fire prone area.
I would bet a lot of the problems are related to the fact that they can't even be bothered to include an air filter. For shame. How's the carburettor supposed to work when it's full of dirt?
I gutted out the muffler to keep it flowing decently, that is to say I am trying to prevent it from getting plugged up.
Ripped the limiter caps off with diagonal cutters and richened it up a bit, too.
After my little tweaks it pop-pop-pop at idle the way a minibike does. It's a great noise. Homelites are the king of the "buy low, mod high" mentality.
It has to be said "Warranty?? What Warranty? What's a Warranty?!" heh
I got this thing because the Weed Eater SST25 I had before was losing compression because *cough* family members put straight gas in it
That's unbelievable that they couldn't put a piece of foam in there. Good call on the mods!
What's the min and max compression on these engines? Both are putting out over 90lbs. I brought home 2 more homelites, ryobi and a weedwacker branded leaf blower today, haven't tested them yet. It looks like most of them need fuel lines, bulbs and probably a carb rebuild kit. All were given to me for free and originally bought my g-pa at a garage sale for less that 20 bucks. You can buy alot of trimmers for $20 compared to a new one, most lasted a couple years mowing 20 yards every couple weeks. Well I guess it doesn't when you compare them to the Shindaiwa he got for $10 four years he's still using.
I believe that most of these thinhgs quit working because of gummed up carbs. I'm thinking we need a thread called "extreme timmerz"
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
I believe that most of these thinhgs quit working because of gummed up carbs. I'm thinking we need a thread called "extreme timmerz"
That's for sure. 1) Carb problems, 2) Recoil start problems, 3) Broken throttle cable/mechanism, choke, wiring, 4) Broken string head or drive cable/shaft.
It's rarely a mechanical issue with the engine.
Joel
I believe that most of these thinhgs quit working because of gummed up carbs. I'm thinking we need a thread called "extreme timmerz"
That's for sure. 1) Carb problems, 2) Recoil start problems, 3) Broken throttle cable/mechanism, choke, wiring, 4) Broken string head or drive cable/shaft.
It's rarely a mechanical issue with the engine.
Joel
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I'm really starting to like Ryobi. All I had to do on the tiller and trimmer was replace the fuel lines. They fired to life on the first pull. The tiller runs a bit fast but that's easily cured. They seem to be built a little heavier duty than the homelites, at least from the outside. I'm leaving the homelites for last but I think they'll fire up easily also. I realize now I had the fuel lines switched on the first ones. On the weedwacker leaf mower also needed a new fuel lines. Starts on the first pull but runs to lean. I'm starting to have more equipment than yard. And to think I thought 2 cyles were hard to work on.
I've said it before, I love my little Ryobi trimmer. It's good on gas and runs very well.
Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
I'm really starting to like Ryobi. All I had to do on the tiller and trimmer was replace the fuel lines. They fired to life on the first pull. The tiller runs a bit fast but that's easily cured. They seem to be built a little heavier duty than the homelites, at least from the outside. I'm leaving the homelites for last but I think they'll fire up easily also. I realize now I had the fuel lines switched on the first ones. On the weedwacker leaf mower also needed a new fuel lines. Starts on the first pull but runs to lean. I'm starting to have more equipment than yard. And to think I thought 2 cyles were hard to work on.
Your hobby sounds like fun. I have alot better equipment than I need, but I just love any kind of gas engine. I've often thought it would be fun to rebuild an old B&S engine that someone had given up on. If I could find a snow-blower with an engine problem that someone gave up on, that would be ideal.
I'm really starting to like Ryobi. All I had to do on the tiller and trimmer was replace the fuel lines. They fired to life on the first pull. The tiller runs a bit fast but that's easily cured. They seem to be built a little heavier duty than the homelites, at least from the outside. I'm leaving the homelites for last but I think they'll fire up easily also. I realize now I had the fuel lines switched on the first ones. On the weedwacker leaf mower also needed a new fuel lines. Starts on the first pull but runs to lean. I'm starting to have more equipment than yard. And to think I thought 2 cyles were hard to work on.
Your hobby sounds like fun. I have alot better equipment than I need, but I just love any kind of gas engine. I've often thought it would be fun to rebuild an old B&S engine that someone had given up on. If I could find a snow-blower with an engine problem that someone gave up on, that would be ideal.
It is a great hobby.. my wife would call it a junk collecting obsession. I kick myself for some of the mowers I've taken to the recyclers. The internet is a wonderful thing when you can't figure something out. Small engines are just a warmup though. I'm getting a free boat today that needs to rebuilt and a 86 F150 at the farm needing some attention. Beats watching tv or annoying the wife.
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