5 weeks ago I bought an Echo PB2520 and am very unhappy with it. It will not operate at full power or full throttle until the engine is completely warmed up. It takes 3 to 5 minutes to warm up. After it gets warmed up it blows with more force than any other hand held I have owned. I spend more time trying to get it warmed than I do using the blower. The problem is not a carb setting issue. Adjusting the carb will not correct the problem. I deeply wish I had bought the Huskqvarna.
Recommendations for a Handheld Gas Blower
- Thread starter edge10
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What fuel mix/oil are you running?
Time it for real. All my blowers with exception to my pair of PB-8010/PB-9010 take a full 2 min to warm up. They (4 stroke) a little until the crankcase gets up to temp. 3-5 min is excessive.
My Husky / Redmax 150bt takes a few minutes to warm up before it will take full throttle. I would not want to use full throttle/rpms until up to operating temp anyway . Doing that can cause premature wear to cold engine.
I use Amsoil Saber mixed 50 to 1. I can blow off my equipment and am ready to move on in 60 seconds. I had an old Craftsman 200 mph for the last 10 years and it would rev up and blow for 60 seconds and I was done. Wish I had it back.
This is very similar to my Stihl BG86 that I sold minus excepting the blowing force seemed weaker than what I was used to.
Many Echo carbs have a hidden high RPM screw in the center of the throttle cam or (more likely) between the fuel in and out lines. If yours does, pull off the cap (using a drill and self tapping screw) and adjust. You will love the results!
By the way, all modern 2 stroke equipment really does need to be "tuned" this way. Temperature, altitude, fuel quality, oil quantity and so on all affect jetting.
Also, using E10 fuel makes any properly jetted 2 stroke engine overly lean, as the ethanol does separate from the gasoline in the crankcase and won't vaporize until the crankcase is fully hot. Leading to possible octane problems and a strange lean/rich condition as the alcohol droplets inconsistently travel into the combustion chamber.
Also, the Husky uses the same type of carb and is subject to the same EPA tuning conditions.
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I had seen that and mine can not be tuned out. I went even farther and went into the carb to measure the metering valve and check the needle. This one can not be improved. I use 100% gas without ethanol. Hate to hear that Husqvarna uses the same carb. Thanks for info.
Most of the online reviews say about 1-2 minutes before it warms up and will accept full throttle. This would depend on outside temp too, of course. A few mention "long" warm up, but no actual time. The commercial version PB-2620, which does have a different carb, seems to have similar warm up issue based on some online reviews.
It does not sound like a carb metering issue, but an EPA optimized engine design and may make the engine performance sensitive to other factors. Have you checked/changed out, spark plug gap, fuel, air filter etc.
Here is a online review showing the blower rpm before and after warm up .
It does not sound like a carb metering issue, but an EPA optimized engine design and may make the engine performance sensitive to other factors. Have you checked/changed out, spark plug gap, fuel, air filter etc.
Here is a online review showing the blower rpm before and after warm up .
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Got a free Echo handheld which just needed fuel lines and a carb. Love it, for post mowing work it's great. Little underpowered for major leaf duty but that's why I have a Husky backpack.
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My older PB250 exhibits this same behavior. Carb tuning would help but modern will have fixed jets. Probably a bit rich at startup as evidenced by the "four cycling" sound.
Did you buy this from Home Depot or from an Echo Dealer?
I bought an Echo SRM-2601 Trimmer back in 1998 that I still have from a dealer, same story as far as the Backpack Blower and Chainsaw that are also Echo's from the Dealer. I told them 2 make sure the Carburetor was dialed in right and they did whatever they did.
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Still running a SRM-2100 SB from 1997. They just won't die. Solid equipment.
I ran the Echo Powerblend for like 3 years and then went to Amsoil Saber Pro in the year 2000, what 2 stroke oil are you using in your SRM-2100?
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Honestly it depends. Currently running Husqvarna oil. It's been a lot of different stuff over the years. I've gotten more selective as time goes on, so who knows what got put in during the early years. I was 9 when we bought it, haha.
The Echo gets my vote even though the OP probably already bought a blower by now. I bought the older PB250 version new 13 years ago and sold it after I inherited a Stihl SH85 shredder vac blower. I wish I hadn't done that, the PB250 had a ton of use on it, and I never had a single issue with it. I sold it to my former boss about 4 years ago and it still ran like the day I took it out of the box. That SH85 was almost new use wise, and it was temperamental even after a carb replacement and wouldn't hold a carb tune for very long. I sold that and bought a Husqvarna 125BVX factory refurbished for like half price of new since I use the shredder vac capability. That blower has been ok, it's got this weird intermittent idle and mid throttle surge at times that I can't tune out but it always starts easy and it blows well other than that, I don't use it much. I have an Echo PB-580T I use for most of the blowing, that thing has been great, I've had that one about 5 years now. I have also had several Echo trimmers, one SRM 2510 is approaching 30 years old now and has been run very hard and still runs like a top. I sorta did the same with an Echo SRM-230 I bought new in 2009, inherited a FS90R at the same time as that SH85 and that low use pile had been through 2 ignition coils, 2 carburetors, an on/off switch and wouldn't hold a valve or carb adjustment for very long. It ran great when it was all tuned up but it would only last about 3 weeks before I was working on it again. I sold my SRM-230 after I got that thing and same story, I really wish I never sold it. I had about 350 hours on that thing and I ran it like it was my last day every time I used it and never a single problem out of it and I had it so hot one time I got a second degree burn on my arm from the clutch cover once, but that engine never cared. It only had 5 PSI less compression when I sold it than when it was brand new and I ran a lot of crappy TCW3 outboard oil in that and the PB250 over the years. I bought an Echo SRM-266 to replace the FS90R, no problems in 4 years.
Get a Stihl. My fs-38 isn't commercial grade but has been flawless for 5 plus years. Just a fuel filter needed replacement.
