Starting a reluctant hedge trimmer..... Argh!

[ruaricoles]

Hello peeps

I hope you can enhance my 2 stroke knowledge (wouldn't be hard)

I have a Ryobi hedge trimmer which has always been a bit tricky to start but after a few extra pulls has always run fine (only had it a year or so and used it maybe 10 times though).

Yesterday I gave it to my father in law to use, and after starting it for him I handed it over and he got on with the cutting. I forgot to take the choke fully off I think, not sure if it goes off automatically though or if it's relevant at all.

He used it for 10 mins or so then it cut out (he might have hit the off button, he's not sure), but then neither of us could restart it.

I let it cool then tried again today but with no joy. It's fairly fresh fuel mix (and it ran ok anyway), the spark is ok (checked with the plug out), and it's getting fuel (the plug gets wet after repeated start attempts). The compression seems fine too, at least it puts up a good resistance when pulling the cord. It has a fuel priming bulb (instructions say 10 presses, I've tried fewer and a lot more), and it's almost catching; you get the occasional one or two firing strokes after pulling the cord and it's putting smoke out of the exhaust.

I've tried a new plug, and a few squirts of easy start too. I've tried with the throttle a little open. I've taken the carb off and re-seated it (looked ok), checked the throttle is closing ok, and have run out of ideas (and my shoulders are aching).

Any suggestions please? (My only other 2 stroke is a Husqvarna chainsaw which has always been so easy to start!)

Many thanks

Ruari

[paulwirral]

try it without the air filter and or heat the plug tip with a flame , it used to work on my old sthill saw , and its free

[treehack]

Normal procedure would be, choke on pull till it fires then turn choke off, pull again till it starts, it should run on now on half throttle, let it run for abit and slowly try and blip it until u cc an get full throttle.
Hedge cutters are notoriously hard to start sometimes. They are easily flooded with the first step, if you do then close the choke and squeeze the throttle, this should close the carb butterfly then pull till it fires and feather the throttle, when u do get t going keep the revs up and enjoy the smokeyness:-)

Edited by treehack on Wednesday 3rd April 22:11

[Wings]

^^^^ ensure petrol is fresh, and then produce a new petrol mix, pour a drop down the spark plug chamber.

[MGTS]

I had this problem and it was the petrol / oil mix ratio

I'd check this

[Lynch91]

Maybe buy a new plug as 10 mins with choke on it will probably have oiled up, not always easy to spot if it has oiled up or use a spark plug brush on current one. May also be good to fit a new air filter if it has been left around over the winter as they don't like getting damp.

[blueg33]

lighter fluid squirted into the chamber should get it going. Well it works a treat on old Ford Pintos when squirted into the inlet

[moustachebandit]

New plug and check the HT lead for breaks - no spark, no start.

[ruaricoles]

Thanks guys; I was trying again this evening and still couldn't get the thing to run.

Ref. the fuel mix - this must surely be OK (?), as it started ok a few days ago when I gave it to my father in law to use, and it's the same tank full I'm trying to start it on again now

I've changed the spark plug too, and tried a good squirt of Easy Start which presumably would normally have a similar effect to lighter fluid?

It does sometimes run for maybe half a second or so - very frustrating!

I've learned that a friend of a friend used to service such things professionally; I'll give it to him to see what he says.

[ruaricoles]

I've checked the spark too, which is fine, and it doesn't have much of an airfilter to remove! (Just a plastic cowl and a wire mesh)

Thanks

[Pickled]

Have you checked the cut off switch?

My Father-in-law had a petrol lawnmower that refused to start, he bought new plug, air filter and was about to resign it to the bin, when I had a quick look and noticed the cut out switch was stuck in the off position.

[L22KMD]

Try blowing out carb/jet, possibly a piece of crap in fuel that filter didn't catch.

[mondeoman]

May sound silly, but have you checked for water in the fuel...

[Johnnytheboy]

Regarding servicing, it is worth the expense of having two stroke garden tools serviced every couple of years, as it avoids many of these problems.

[Wacky Racer]

It is VERY important with any garden equipment to use fresh petrol, using fuel left over from last season is not a good idea as the flashpoint goes off after a few months, also on a two stroke the carb jets and fuel line can get gummed up with congealed two stroke mixture.

I would certainly try a new spark plug anyway, for what they cost, three or four pounds.

Also make sure any air cleaner (if fitted) is not blocked.

[Conian]

check the kill switch wiring
buy an mx5 etc

[Cunfuzed75]

Hi ive just read the above posts and am having the same kind of trouble with a ryobi hedge trimmer it starts eventually but wont stay running i did find that the filter type thing in the fuel tank had fell off but have put that back on after a ton of messing about i have also tried a fresh mix of petrol and have had the carb of and blown it through aswell as removed the diafram from the bottom of the card and clean that end of the carb i have tried a new spark plug but it still wont run under full or part throttle
please someone help im at the point where im just going to poor petrol on it and set it alight

[GRL]

Does your trimmer have a fuel bulb (squidy rubbery thing) that you have to use to prime the system? If so, when you prime, can you see the fuel being drawn up?

My petrol trimmer has some stupidly daft fuel lines running into the tank and unless the tank is filled to at least 2/3 full, the fuel will not be drawn properly.

Otherwise, what everyone else has suggested - fresh fuel, carb clean, new plug...

[Cunfuzed75]

the primer bulb is a new it does draw petrol through but yes you make a good point it did work a bit better when i filled the tank to the top but then after a few minutes it just went wrong again, i did notice that the diafram in the bottom of the carb looked a bit rippled im not sure if that ok or not i did clean a ton of stuff out of the tiny mesh filter inside the carb hoping that would solve the problem but it didnt.
Would running a slighty less oily mix through the trimmer have dont any harm
the problem is i like the ryobi stuff and use a fair bit of it but their customer care is less than useless

[sparkythecat]

Mainly because of the increased bio ethanol content of fuel, the fuel pick up pipe in the tank is inclined to rot and split. Particularly if old fuel has been left in there a good while. Get a piece of bent wire and fish out the pipe and filter through the filler cap and inspect thoroughly.
When the tank is full it will probably suck unfiltered fuel in through the split in the pipe and run OK for a bit, but as the fuel level in the tank drops, it will suck in air through the split pipe and conk out.

I'll wager that the reason the filter had dropped off the pipe was because the pipe has rotted and that the muck in the carb was particles of rotted pipe

Replacement fuel pipe is available on eBay for pennies.

Edited by sparkythecat on Thursday 13th October 18:36