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homechicken

Edger recommendations?

homechicken
12 years ago

My 10 year old Homelite trimmer/edger finally bit the dust yesterday. I'm pretty sure its a fuel system issue and will try and tinker with it to get it running again just because I've never tinkered with a small engine like this before. I doubt its worth paying someone to repair, so if I can't get it running myself its going to the trash. But in the meantime, I'd like to get a new trimmer and/or edger. This one was a great trimmer but a little underpowered with the edger attachment on it, so I'm thinking about getting a dedicated edger and a cheap electric weed whacker. I don't need the weed whacker as much as an edger. I've got about a 100 yards of edging to do vs. most of the weedeating can really be done with my small pushmower that I use as a trim mower.

Comments (5)

  • loger_gw
    12 years ago

    Was the edging attachment a hard blade type? Are you planning to replace with a dedicated hard blade edger only?

    The fuel issue can usually be easily detected in 3 places IMO if it is a sudden issue.

    1. Deteriorated fuel line. Dump the gas and see if the filter falls out with the gas.

    2. Examine the fuel line at the carb (usually under the air filter) for deterioration (cracked, broken, etc).

    3. Carefully pull the simple carb, take a pic if needed, pull one plate to inspect rubber diap., the other to inspect the very fine screen.

    4. Also check your muffler and spark arrester screen for build-up causing back-pressure which would affect the power. I'll start a new post related to a recent experience with back-pressure.

    Good Point on what do you have to loose vs learn. Good Luck! loger

  • homechicken
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Yes, the edger was a hard blade type. I briefly tried using the trimmer to edge with, but was going through trimmer line like crazy, so I bought the blade type edger attachment. I prefer the blade type, so that's what I want to replace it with. The fuel line looks good, everything looks good. I believe its a carb issue, probably the diaprham or something internal. It isn't a completely new problem. Its been getting tempermental (ocassionally bogging down when I press the throttle tigger)since I first fired it up this season. It just finally decided to quit.

  • loger_gw
    12 years ago

    Clean, re-build and adjust that carb if the kit is needed and reasonable in cost. Remember to clean that small screen but leave that "Monster" in-place. Be sure to verify all ports are open with small wire, compressed air or compressed carb cleaner (from your auto store in a can). If the carb has varnish built up in it, you might need to soak it in a small container to reduce the amount of cleaner needed. If disassembling the carb is beyond your interest. You might try a quick fix.

    1. Count the turns/half turns it takes to seat your carbs adjustment screws as a ref to back them out to and remove them.

    2. Remove carb fuel line, use wire and compressed carb cleaner to try and verify all ports are open to capacity. Replace all to specifications.

    3. And OR! Just add a small amount of carb cleaner to a tank of fresh fuel mix (1/4th cup to a tank is my guess ??) try and start and run the Monster to verify cleaning and hopefully good results.

    4. Have you checked the spark plug's condition and fire and air filter??

    This TX heat is keeping me in on this One Eyed Thing. I hope to add AC to my Garage tomorrow X back to Projects. loger

  • homechicken
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I'm planning to try and rebuild the carb, but there's no big hurry, so it may be a fun winter project. I went and bought a Stihl FC90 today. Wow, the thing is great. I didn't know what I was missing not getting a top of the line edger earlier. I tried it out on the curb in front of our house that hasn't been edged in a couple of weeks, so no big surprise that it worked fine there. The surprise came when I edged the curb in front of our neighbor's house. It hasn't been edged in at least a year and was overgrown with thick tough weeds. Two passes at almost regular walking speed and it was done. The FC90 didn't bog down once, just sliced right through the weeds and dirt and cut a nice crisp edge. My old Homelite would have bogged down repeatedly and taken me 5 to 10 minutes to do what I did in about 30 seconds with the Stihl.

  • loger_gw
    12 years ago

    Great Feedback! I hope you learn a good lesson with the Carb and etc when you have time.

    I just helped a friend on 3 Trimmers and to my surprise all 3 were combo machines with split shafts. They appeared they would do hard blade and string trimming "At Least" worthwhile. Their problems were simple neglected servicing, bad fuel lines on one and blocked spark aresstors on two (due to a bad mix IMO). We are trading time and products (since 1969), when extra hands are needed on his tasks or mine. I got a working 110V - 7,600 BTU Window AC unit out of the trade. To cool my work-bench area and etc from a cart I can roll vs cooling the garage (only during morning needed work vs experimenting).

    Have Fun! loger