The summer season has come, and lawn mowers have habitually rattled out on personal plots. Great tool, powerful and mobile. With the help of a gasoline trimmer, you can also cut the grass and get rid of dried weeds. However, there are cases that the lawn mowing does not start, works intermittently or without developing full power. There is certainly no time for work! And as they say, you pull the starter handle more than mow.
Difficulties with launching arise not only in experienced lawn mowers, but also in new ones. How to be in this situation? There is only one way out. to heed the advice of experts and take advantage of their practical experience!
You bought yourself a new gas trimmer and you immediately got into trouble. Very bad start. If you mow a little and then turn it off, then turning it “on hot” is an even bigger problem than “on cold”. What to do with it, I won’t know how to start it right?
The instructions for the lawn mowing plant are as follows:
1. Turn on the ignition.
2. Pump fuel with a silicone button (primer) located at the bottom of the carburetor. It is necessary to do as many clicks (or a little more) as written in the instructions, usually about 8-10.
3. Close the choke.
4. Secure the throttle lever with the stop button at higher speeds.
5. Pull the starter handle 2-3 times. The engine should "grab."
If the engine "grabbed" and stalled, then you need to put the choke in position 1/2 and try to start again. If the engine starts, then we dump the gas and put the air damper in the "open" position. Getting started.
Performing fuel pumping manipulations, one should not be afraid to overfill it. If this happened, and, as they say, “filled the candle”, then you do not need to unscrew it, just turn the air damper to the “open” position and, while holding full throttle, simultaneously rotate the engine with a starter 2-4 times. After that, you can start the engine and get to work.
The time for continuous operation of the lawn mowers is indicated in the trimmer instructions. On average, we mow for 15-20 minutes, after which we muffle the trimmer and let it cool for 3-5 minutes. Also, the duration of continuous operation is exerted by weather conditions. In hot weather, when mowing tall grass, weeds, under heavy load, the trimmer overheats faster.
Many lawn mowing problems arise from improperly prepared fuel mix. In two-stroke engines, lubrication is done with special oil (not ordinary motor oil!) Mixed with gasoline. If the oil is not mixed with gasoline, then the lawn mower will quickly fail. Oil / gasoline is mixed in the proportion indicated in the trimmer instructions. This is usually 1:40 or 1:50.
The question often arises: the proportion of 1:50 is how much oil and gasoline?
The numbers mean the following: fifty parts of gasoline are taken per part of the oil. Hence: 1000 ml (1 liter of gasoline) is divided by 50, we get 20 ml, i.e. 1:50.
Thus, the composition of the fuel mixture (gasoline / oil) in any proportions can be calculated. To add oil to gasoline not “by eye”, it is advisable to take a 20 ml medical syringe, draw oil into it and “inject” into the tank to prepare the fuel mixture.
For the period of engine break-in (this is approximately the work of the trimmer on 2-3 tanks), the amount of oil can be increased. For example, mix it with gasoline in a ratio of 30: 1.
A small amount of oil mixed with gasoline leads to increased wear of the piston-cylinder group. An excess of oil in the mixture, although not so fatal, but also harmful. Coking of the piston rings, rapid formation of soot in the combustion chamber, and a drop in engine power can occur. In addition, the coke screen of the muffler is coked. Therefore, some users (after the end of the warranty period for the trimmer) recommend dismantling it.
The gasoline used in the lawn mowing machine is AI 92. The brand of gasoline is precisely prescribed in the operating instructions. Do not try to “force” the engine by pouring 95th gasoline into it. This can lead to overheating, unstable operation of the trimmer and breakage.
It is not recommended to leave fuel in the trimmer tank during a long break in work. It is better to finish the working day, having fully worked out the whole mixture. If this is not done, then, because during the night the gas from the engine will evaporate and a thin film of oil will remain, the carburetor jets may become clogged. This will cause difficulties the next time you start the engine.
It is also necessary to observe safety precautions when storing fuel. Many pour gasoline into a plastic water bottle. Is it worth it?
In no case should gasoline be stored in plastic containers from under water. When mixing the fuel mixture, a static charge builds up, you can catch a spark.
Therefore, at gas stations they are not allowed to refuel gasoline in plastic cans, only in metal ones. Before pouring gasoline into a metal canister, it is better to put it on the ground, so the static is removed from the body.
But there are situations when simple manipulations with the lawn mowing do not help. The engine still does not start. In this case, we check the power supply and ignition system, guided by the rule "the engine does not work if there is nothing to burn or nothing to set on fire."
gas trimmer loves cleanliness. It is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the air filter and fuel. It is better to stand for gasoline purchased at a gas station for 2 days and pass it through the simplest filter. a piece of bike stuff.
We check the electrical equipment as follows:
1. Unscrew the candle, inspect the gap between the electrodes. We set the correct gap between the electrodes in the "grandfather" way. We take a razor blade, scrap it in half and insert a makeshift probe between the electrodes. If the blades fit tightly, then the gap is ideal.
2. We put a cap of a high-voltage wire on the candle and lean the candle against the metal surface of the engine. We pull the starter several times. If the spark strikes well at one point, then the gap is adjusted correctly. If not, the spark is weak or “wandering”, then it is necessary to re-adjust the gap between the electrodes.
Also in electrical equipment, an ignition coil may be punched. In this case, the lawn mowing does not start or starts up and works intermittently, and then stalls, or does not start up to “hot” at all.
You can check the serviceability of the coil in the same way as when checking the spark: we unscrew the candle, lean it against the body of the trimmer. If there is no spark when the starter is jerked, or it appears every other time, the coil must be changed.
If everything is in order with the electrical equipment, then we check the carburetor.
Vacuum carburetors are placed on trimmers. When disassembling, cleaning or rinsing, you must be extremely careful. in no case do not disassemble the lower part of the carburetor, where the primer is located. The air filter (it is visible if the protective cover is removed from the carburetor) must be washed with detergents. Best for washing dishes. After drying, put back. We wash the carburetor with clean gasoline and purge all the holes with a pump. We also rinse the gas line filter, then dry and assemble everything. Usually, after all the manipulations, the trimmer starts to work.
Thin cable instead of fishing line, is it worth it to put on a lawn mowing ground?
This idea comes to the mind of almost everyone who had to mow 10 acres overgrown with tall grass. At first glance, the idea seems good. The cable is stronger than the fishing line, it does not wear out so much. However, not all so simple.
If you put the cable in place of the fishing line, without the possibility of releasing it, securely fixing the two ends of the cable and cutting them off by welding (a drop of molten metal keeps the cable from opening). Such a tool “knocks” grass at a time. Cutting off the shoot to about a finger thick. Stones are not as afraid as a disc. There is a truth, a problem: pieces of wire rope break off during wear, and these twisted wires remain in place of mowing. If you step on them, you can get hurt.
But the pieces of cable left on the field are half the trouble. The fishing line, breaking off, weakens dynamic impacts on the transmission and engine, the cable does not give such an opportunity. The result is a quick wear of the lawn mowers.
Any braid has a knife on the protective cover that cuts off excess fishing line after winding, and the cable can no longer be cut. If part of the cable breaks off, then as a result there is an imbalance, increased vibration. Bottom line: the shaft drive bearings are broken.
You also need to remember that a piece of cable unwound by centrifugal force during rotation of the trimmer head flies like a bullet. Imagine what will happen if he gets in the leg or someone in the eye?
The use of a cable, wire, multicore cable instead of fishing line leads to a quick breakdown of the trimmer. In addition, this is a direct violation of safety precautions!
Experienced users recommend buying a fishing line with an asterisk profile. Compared to a round one, it mows much better; stems with a finger thickness of a fishing line with a diameter of 3 mm cut into a light, and less is consumed.
Manual mowers will help to cope with any vegetation without overstressing the user, but a careless attitude can quickly disable any tool, including the highest quality. Proper care of the trimmer will extend its life and save the money of the owner who does not need to pay for the maintenance and repair of the device. Such simple actions can be done even by people with minimal technical knowledge. How to care for this garden tool. in all details in the material below.
Video: How To Put A Blade On A Stihl Trimmer
Types and features of grass trimmers
Lawn mowers are divided into two main groups: gasoline and electric. The first type works on liquid fuel (pure gasoline or its mixture with lubricant), the second. on electricity, from the mains or battery.
Petrol Hand Mowers
The principle of the lawn mowers. before starting work, fuel is poured into its fuel tank, which enters the engine in small portions, where it burns, and the resulting hot gas pushes the pistons in the cylinders. As a result, the engine crankshaft rotates, this movement is transmitted to the working head spindle, where the reel with fishing line or the nozzle-disk (knife with two or more blades) is located.
Outwardly, the lawn mowing looks so. the engine and the cutting part are located at opposite ends of a long rod and are connected using a rigid or flexible shaft. A gearbox is located above the mount for the coil / nozzle, the task of which is to transfer the spindle less revolutions per unit time than the crankshaft of the motor makes. The buttons and control levers are located on the handle connected to the engine by a flexible cable.
Management Features. a starter is used to start in lawn mowers, a gas trigger is used to adjust the speed, which opens or closes the carburetor damper, due to which more or less fuel enters the engine. You can stop the operation by pressing the “Stop” button, which opens the circuit.
On a note! Most often, the trimmer head, on which the fishing line, knives or discs are located, is attached to the rod with a screw. On the side, from the side of the mower, the cutting element is surrounded by a protective casing.
Hand Mowers Electric Group
Electric trimmers are arranged similarly, only they do not need a fuel tank, and the control buttons on the handle are much smaller. The engine may be above, like lawn mowers, or below directly above the head. In the latter version, there is no gearbox. here the drive and the cutting nozzle are connected directly. The rods of the trimmers are solid or collapsible, and in some models. telescopic for convenient and quick length adjustment.
When powered from the mains, the mower is plugged into a power outlet or extension cord (a cable leaves the top of the engine). Accumulator models work from batteries which are inserted into special nests.
How to care for trimmers
Each type of device has its own characteristics that must be taken into account during operation and storage. But some rules apply in all cases.
General recommendations
These tips should be followed by users of any lawn mower. gasoline and electric.
- Store the device in a dry room.
- It is better to hang it on the wall, on a special mount.
- After each use, the machine must be cleaned of dirt and mowed grass, inspected for damage and wiped with a soft cloth.
- Before work, you need to check whether the bolts fastening the parts of the unit, especially the fasteners of the working head, are tightened tightly.
- It is best to wash the grass juice from the reel immediately after mowing.
- It is necessary to monitor the amount of fishing line and the condition of the nozzles made of metal or plastic. The fishing line should be of a suitable diameter (for the bobbin used and the type of thicket). Blades of discs and knives need to be sharpened, and double-sided nozzles are turned over for uniform grinding of teeth.
On a note! Grass is often wound around the reel, rod and gearbox. this slows down the rotation of the spindle and creates an excessive load on the engine. Long stems and leaves should be removed from the trimmer immediately after mowing or during breaks.
The turns of the cord on the bobbin should be uniform, without overlaps. The fishing line must be wound in the right direction and in the recommended amount. There are marks on the reel: arrows to indicate directions and risks to indicate boundaries.
Large shrubs, trees, fences and other solid obstacles should be cut around the perimeter, while the trimmer must be turned with a casing to the obstacle. Otherwise, the consumption of fishing line will increase, and the blades become dull very quickly.
Features of petrol trimmer care
Powerful, designed for long-term continuous operation of the lawn mowers require special attention. Doing it yourself with a do-it-yourself trimmer at first may seem like a daunting task, but most buyers quickly get used to following the recommendations listed below and are very rare to contact service specialists. The care requirements are as follows.
- Gasoline for the engine must be clean, with an octane rating of at least 92. The fuel density is 750-770 kg per cubic meter.
- Two-stroke engines are charged with a mixture of fuel and high quality oil in the proportions indicated in the trimmer instruction manual. Most often, per liter of gasoline accounts for 20, 25 or 40 ml of grease. The best oils are produced by manufacturers of gardening equipment themselves. Stihl, Husqvarna and other brands.
- When working with a four-stroke engine, fuel and oil are poured into different tanks. Both containers should be filled to the upper mark.
- A sponge gasoline filter needs to be cleaned about every 10 hours of operation: dirt, particles of mowed grass and shrubs bark get into it. It must be ensured that it is saturated with oil. If cleaning fails, replace the filter with a new one.
- Remove carbon deposits from spark plugs and engine silencers periodically.
The gears of the gearbox need to be lubricated, especially after replacing them, when the spindle rotation is slowed down, and also when extraneous sounds appear during the operation of the trimmer. Manufacturers of lawn mowers produce lubricants for their products, but universal ones, such as lithol, can be used. How and how to process a specific model of the mower, it is better to learn from the documentation for the device. Most often, manufacturers advise lubricating the gearbox once a year / season; oil in many models is poured into the technological holes on the assembly.
Attention! Before lubrication, the gearbox must be cleaned of dirt.
Running the lawn mowers
A new trimmer is run in to make sure it is working. The motor of the device must run in to fuel and oil, the parts must rub against each other, and the fasteners must pass a strength test. This process is carried out as follows. it is necessary to start the tool and gradually increase the speed, warming up the motor, but at first it must be protected from overheating. Then you should open the throttle no more than 2/3 of the possible stroke, and let the engine idle for the first few minutes and then test on soft grass. It is best to mow the lawn.
Attention! After a test run, the oil must be drained.
Preparing a gas trimmer for the working season
Before starting regular use of lawn mowers, you need:
- assemble the device according to the instructions;
- to prepare a new portion of the fuel mixture. for a two-stroke engine;
- pour fresh gasoline and oil to the desired level. for a four-stroke engine;
- change spark plugs, clean or replace air and gas filters;
- adjust the carburetor (according to the instructions for the device);
- check the condition of the fixing bolts and tighten them if necessary;
- grease the gearbox.
- check fishing line and heads.
Preparing for the winter
In order for the gas trimmer not to lose performance over a period of inactivity, you need to:
- inspect the apparatus for cracks, chips, bent parts;
- disconnect the casing and the cutting head;
- drain the fuel from the tank and turn on the appliance to generate the rest of the gasoline;
- thoroughly wipe / rinse the bar, handle, casing;
- remove the coil or knife;
- clean the gearbox and add oil to it;
- inspect and rinse filters.
Then you should remove the spark plug, pour a little (20 ml) of engine oil into the hole and gently rotate the engine shaft with the starter several times to distribute the lubricant to the cylinders. After these manipulations, you need to insert the candle back, but do not screw it to the end. This procedure (except for adding oil) must be carried out once a month, until the device is used.
Important! The engine will not corrode if the trimmer is stored in a dry place where the air temperature remains constant and does not drop below zero. If this is not possible, wrap the motor with cloth.
If the bar is disassembled, the joints must be greased (e.g. with lithol) to protect the metal from rust.
Features of caring for an electric trimmer
Electrical appliances are easier to maintain than gas mowers. Here are the basic rules to follow.
- Protect the device from moisture (rain, dew, puddles).
- Monitor the condition of wires and contacts, especially when using an extension cord. After work, the cables must be cleaned of grass and dirt, wiped dry and gently reeled up.
- Only plug the trimmer into a grounded power outlet.
- Try to keep the wire behind the back while mowing.
- Charge the battery in time (for battery devices).
- Work intermittently so that the motor does not overheat. The maximum mowing duration usually does not exceed 20 minutes; rest should last at least as long.
Before wintering you need to lubricate the gearbox, remove dirt, disassemble the rod, remove the battery. Places where metal parts are joined should be treated with preservation grease.
In the spring inspect the device, collect, check the integrity of the wires, the condition of the mounts, add oil to the gearbox, charge the battery and install it in place.
Electric braids are run in the engine like this. they turn it on and off several times and, if there are no problems, cut the lawn young grass. The first session. no longer than 5 minutes.
What to avoid
When operating a hand-held mower, both fueled by electricity and powered by electricity, it is very important not to allow certain actions that could damage the device or, worse, harm the life and health of the user. The list of inadmissible actions is usually prescribed in each instruction to the tool, but for convenience and clarity, we present them in the table below.
Note! To use the lawn mow on wet grass, it must have an appropriate degree of protection against moisture. This can be found in the tool manual.
So, competent care for the trimmer is the best way to extend the life of garden equipment. But if there are problems that the owner cannot handle, then the wizard will help them, although many users prefer to look for repair tips on forums and videos shot by experienced users, technical specialists or representatives of the manufacturer.
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In the midst of summer, when the grass mowing season is not over yet, and your tool does not look new anymore, it’s time to provide it with some maintenance. Proper care of the petrol trimmer is the very condition that will ensure the trouble-free operation of your mechanical assistant.
Specialists of the GreenLine company, which has been engaged in the production of gardening equipment for more than 15 years, and at the same time has been present on the Russian market for 10 years, recommend starting to monitor the condition of the trimmer from the end of summer. This is necessary because even with the first rains the grass-mowing season does not end, only the mower contrary to the recommendations was used, most likely, under more severe conditions than provided. Typical examples of such improper use can be: mowing water-filled lawns, cutting bushes (and not only young ones), some try to use a knife to break earth clumps on a dug out bed. Such an application can be met all the time, but if the braid is not made “on the knee”, then it will transfer this, the main thing is not to split the brick.
After such an operation, as a rule, the grease is washed out of the gearbox, its fastening is loosened, as well as the fastening of the protective cover, the air filter will probably be clogged, especially if you like to leave the mower with the engine running on the ground. If you want the rest of the season and the next season to go without any problems, then it is advisable that several simple manipulations be performed on the gas trimmer.
Firstly, it is necessary to drain the gasoline from the tank, then dry it and blow it off, since during operation it accumulates a lot of garbage unnecessary to the engine. Then, you need to unscrew the candle and use the starter to blow out the piston.
Further, it is necessary to remove dried grass from the gearbox, it very often twists around its axis, and in combination with soil and water it becomes stone, forming a kind of “washcloth”, which collects grass with greater intensity.
In practice, each gearbox has a screw for revision, it must be unscrewed and the lubricant pumped. GreenLine engineers recommend AZMOL 158. This lubricant is well suited for bearings and gears. No need to spare grease, excess will come out anyway. Tales about a special “super lubricant” is a loaf of “super services” offering it, let’s leave it on their conscience.
Then, remove the air filter. As a rule, it is foam rubber and it can be washed and dried, or it can be simply blown, depending on the degree of contamination.
If the transmission shaft is easily accessible, then in some models, after disconnecting the engine or gearbox, it simply drops out of the bar. It is also desirable to lubricate it with AZMOL 158. It has sufficient adhesion, penetrates well under the guide bushings and is retained in the pores of the flexible shaft, as well as on the surface of the rigid shaft. You will notice this when you wash your hands, if you do not work with gloves on.
It is recommended to check the muffler, especially if a neighbor used your mower, because it is not known what quality of the mixture he poured, it may be that instead of push-pull oil, he used vegetable oil or drying oil. This may seem ridiculous, but this is common enough.
On some models, the silencer may be collapsible. In this case, it can be easily disassembled and washed. But if the silencer is integral, then there is only one way out of this situation. to remove it, as a rule, it is held on studs with nuts. and then try to start the engine. If the start is confident and the operation is more stable than with a silencer, and the reaction to gas is instantaneous, then most likely the silencer should be flushed. Some craftsmen can soak it in kerosene, but, as a rule, if the deposit is strong, then the muffler should be replaced.
And finally, preparing the gas trimmer for winter storage, it is recommended, after carrying out the above operations, to wrap the motor and gearbox with a thick cloth, but in no case cellophane, since condensate accumulates under it, and this leads to oxidation of the contacts and the appearance of corrosion. It is also advisable to store the trimmer in a dry room, not necessarily warm.
When all these simple recommendations are followed, your gas trimmer will work stably until at least the middle of the next season, then again you can do the same operations.