Just needs a spark plug they said...

[jeepman3071]

Echo backpack blower PB-620ST that a friend brought me claiming they think it just needs a spark plug since they couldn't get it to start. I went to pull it over and it was obvious it was low on compression. Go to check the fuel and it had straight gas in it, which makes sense seeing how the piston and rings look.

 

[Cujet]

Oh that sucks. Maybe the crank survived, sometimes they do.

 

[wag123]

They always think that it just needs a spark plug

 

[Snagglefoot]

Just buff up the piston and it should be good to go.

 

[wag123]

The worst part is when they blame you (or a manufacturer's defect) for the damage... "I never put raw gas in it!" they insist, then they demand that it be fixed under warranty.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

"Mix the gas? What do you mean?"

 

[jeepman3071]

Yeah today after work I'm going to pull the cylinder and see how it looks, might be able to get away with just a piston replacement.

 

[BISCUT]

Just me but if you can't replace a spark plug in a homeowner sized blower you should be operating one. Am I too harsh?

 

[jeepman3071]

Just me but if you can't replace a spark plug in a homeowner sized blower you should be operating one. Am I too harsh?

I see this all the time. Nobody reads the manual or does any maintenance.

 

[BMW Dom]

I had an issue with my echo 210 starting a while ago. I use the crap out of it, and I went to check the piston, and it was spotless. No wear at all.

With maintenacne, these Echos last forever

 

[JRed]

Worked with a guy that was constantly blowing up weed eaters because he was convinced you could use any oil mixed with gas as two stroke mix. His "favorite" was SAE30 and he even had an ancient Stihl two stroke mix bottle that he used to measure the correct amount of [engine] oil to mix to a gallon of gas. He would just buy cheap weed eaters from yard sales, use them for a season or two until they refused to start, then go get another one.

Sometimes he'd bring them in to work to see if we could fix them. His pistons always looked exactly like that.

I really hope he's moved on to four stroke weed eaters.

 

[Slick3914]

J.U.N.K.

 

[racer12306]

Just me but if you can't replace a spark plug in a homeowner sized blower you should be operating one. Am I too harsh?

How many blowers/trimmers actually get to the point of needing (actually needing, not per maintenance schedule) a spark plug?

Just like mowers, add gas and go.

 

[Lubener]

Time to scrap it.

 

[wag123]

How many blowers/trimmers actually get to the point of needing (actually needing, not per maintenance schedule) a spark plug?

Just like mowers, add gas and go.

Exactly.
I have an Echo PB210e blower and Maruyama ML23s straight shaft trimmer/brushcutter that are over 25 years old and both still running on their original spark plugs. Aside from removing the spark arresters when new, I have done literally nothing to the blower and only had to replace the primer bulb and air filter element on the trimmer. I did add some grease to the trimmer's gear box once. Quality 2-cycle equipment tends to fall into the category of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". It pays to purchase quality equipment.
It also pays to purchase E0 gas (I have also used 100LL in them) and use a quality air cooled 2-cycle oil with stabilizer in it.

 

[BISCUT]

How many blowers/trimmers actually get to the point of needing (actually needing, not per maintenance schedule) a spark plug?

Just like mowers, add gas and go.

Not sure but I do know a blower/trimmer actually needing a spark plug isn't relevant to what I stated.

 

[BMW Dom]

How many blowers/trimmers actually get to the point of needing (actually needing, not per maintenance schedule) a spark plug?

Just like mowers, add gas and go.

I think it was this year, my trimmer wouldn't start. I check: spark arrestor, fuel, etc. I was thinking " spark plugs don't go bad". I got my spare spark plug, put it in, fires right up.

 

[Fordiesel69]

The cranks survive straight gas. Due to how fast they score and seize. New piston and cyliner and you will be in business.

 

[wag123]

The cranks survive straight gas. Due to how fast they score and seize. New piston and cyliner and you will be in business.

The cylinder's chrome plating is so good on Echo engines (and some other high quality 2-cycles) that it may have survived. A blower's piston will seize very quickly when raw gas is used due to the fact that the engine is always under a full load.

 

[jeepman3071]

How many blowers/trimmers actually get to the point of needing (actually needing, not per maintenance schedule) a spark plug?

Just like mowers, add gas and go.

Not many. I've seen machines from the 1960s/1970s with the original spark plug in them. With that said I've replaced 4 spark plugs in the last 2 months on 2-stroke equipment that were fouled out. All of those people were running way too rich of an oil mix (32:1) and my guess was they weren't getting the engines good and hot to burn the carbon off (short run times). The mufflers and exhaust ports were also full of carbon. More oil is not necessarily better.