Walbro plate carb vs. Zama rotary carb - Which is better?

Joined
Sep 10, 2005
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Location
Erie, PA
If I have my choice between echo equipment to leave at camp and not get used very much, which carb is better, the old skool walbro throttle plate style, or the newer more efficient zama rotary style?

I stock diaphrams and primer bulbs for both of them...
 
Both are susceptible to damage from ethanol fuel, I wouldn't say one is more robust than the other. If they are going to be sitting a lot with occasional use, I'd buy the ethanol-free canned fuel and keep it with those machines. The canned fuel is expensive, but perfect for low use machines so you don't need to fuss with them every time you go to use them. I prefer the Echo Red Armor fuel over the Trufuel.
 
I replaced a Zama carb in a Stihl blower - they do not like sitting gas. The older Zamas have readily available rebuild kits and aren’t terrible to tear down and clean.

My vote is the Zama. Store them dry, meaning run the gear until it stalls and then try to start it.
 
I second the idea of using TrueFuel pre-mix (the canned stuff). Either carb will work about the same. Drain the fuel and run it dry when you're done and it should be fine.
I used to mix my own gas, but only used the leaf blower a few times a summer. I switched to TruFuel and it ran great. One can lasted me two summers. It was a small expense (about $8) and I didn't have to mess with anything. The can stays sealed and the gas stayed fresh.
 
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