1. 50 psi compression is low or bad IMO unless it has some type of compression release.
2. See if you can hold the compression in the cyl with your finger while cranking (testing gauge).
3. If you can hold the compression in, it might be bad. That is my simple method of testing gauges.
4. How old is the blower or approx hrs per # of seasons?
5. Pull the muffler to see if the cyl & piston looks scratched vs slick and ring looks free in grove.
6. I have seen some run with little compression but erratic or stopping as if there should be more.

Hopefully someone will know the range of good compression and will share to help diagnose the problem.

Good Luck!

Outside chance? make sure the muffler spark arrestor screen in not carboned up. My less than two year old sthil blower done the same thing and it was the muffler screen plugged not letting exhaust escape. This is routine maintenance on these two strokes. If you haven't ever done it good chance that's the problem.

If the compression reading is correct with air in and air out, probably too low to fire anything below 75 probably bottom of the barrel IMO. takes a lot of torque to move air, so the blowers usually wear out quicker than trimmers IMO>.

This post was edited by rcmoser on Thu, Apr 17, 14 at 6:07

Stihl and Husqvarna handheld blowers..

You either get a good one that will run good for a year maybe two. Or you get a bad one that will not run at all right out of the box..

I do not care what people have to say about it.

Once they go bad. There are no fixing them.

Hippy glad you back! Always liked hearing your opinion over the years...