average life span of a well maintained weedeater?

[Spazdog]

My Troy-Bilt 2 stroke as a whole? About 1 month.

The gear drive at the end of the shaft locked up completely.

Replacement took a couple of days and the small engine shop had to go by production date since Troy-Bilt had not bothered to process my warranty registration by then.

The new gear drive was just as noisy as the old one had been. Took it apart, cleaned out the old grease, repacked it and haven't messed with that end of it since.

The powerhead has been reliable....I'll give it that. It's seen years of service in every condition from easy edging around my house to heavy overgrowth clearing and saplings behind my shop.

It is reliable. But that does not mean it is pleasureable to use.
It is literally 10X harder to start than my Echo blower. I mean you literally have to do 10 more things to get it to kinda' run on half choke until it's warmed up. It vibrates so much more than my neighbor's Stihl. And it's louder.

I anticipate no less than 10 years of service out of it. I sort of want it to die now though because I have used better equipment. It's just so disappointing knowing that I do not have to deal with the whole rigmarole of getting it started and the vibration and noise. I'm not going to let it die prematurely by neglect but I'm not going to fix it when something substantial fails.

 

[kkreit01]

I'm unsure how to find the date code, but my Stihl has to be around 20-25 yrs old. It was my father's, and handed down to me. It has only ever had fresh gas/oil mix, plugs, and new string. This year it started giving me issues. I cleaned the spark arrestor screen and air filter. I'm able to get it started, but it doesn't run that well. Changed plug also. I think it needs a carb claning &/or rebuild.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: southernjeeper
actually not fixed... I just thought it was.

It turns out the guy at the husq shop said that it might be the coil going out. SO then I went to show him what happened to the sparkplug boot when I went to put the socket on it. It came off in my hand. He said that could do it since the wires in the coil wire weren't looking too good and that would cause the engine to run like [censored].

So hopefully by friday or saturday morning I will get the weedeater back in action.




Are you taking back your MMO praise?

 

[Donald]

I think I read somewhere its a good idea to take out the drive shaft spring on curved models and flip it around end to end. It always looked like a PIA to do and I might ruin rusted bolts/nuts/screws.

 

[FowVay]

I currently use a IDC string trimmer that I bought back in 1989. This thing is a Tank! It has run flawlessly for 23 years and is my front-line string trimmer that I use around my neighborhood.

This thing is missing cooling fins from being dropped, has had the tap spool replaced once but still on the original head and the plastic pieces are faded and looking their age. But,,,it still starts and works as well as a new one.

It's been fed a diet of motorcycle 2-cycle oils since new with products ranging from Bel-Ray MC-1 back in the early 90's to the present mix of Kawasaki K-tech JASO-FD oils that have become my new favorite.

This IDC is a straight shaft unit with cable drive. I remove the screw at the end of the shaft and shoot a squirt of GL-5 axle lube into the hole about once a year. I don't know if that helps but I had the oil sitting in my tool shed so I figured I'd see what happened.

 

[southernjeeper]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: southernjeeper
actually not fixed... I just thought it was.

It turns out the guy at the husq shop said that it might be the coil going out. SO then I went to show him what happened to the sparkplug boot when I went to put the socket on it. It came off in my hand. He said that could do it since the wires in the coil wire weren't looking too good and that would cause the engine to run like [censored].

So hopefully by friday or saturday morning I will get the weedeater back in action.




Are you taking back your MMO praise?



it probably needed the dose but it really wasn't the culprit. I still praise MMO. It's great stuff.

 

[Mkos1980]

I have a 24 year old Toro TC3000 Industrial unit. Only thing I had to fix in the all the years was a dry rotted primer bulb. It says 32:1 but I run the Stihl 50:1 mix in everything I have.

 

[fordman65]

I would try something called Mechanic in a Bottle. It is a 2 pack treatment. I used it early this year on an old non-running Toro mower. Poured it in the gas and let sit over night. This old Toro is a 1970's model, and the next day it started right up.
I found it at Home Depot for like $8.00

 

[Cujet]

As I have mentioned before, the EPA ratings placard does reflect the engine's lifespan. As there are no external emission controls on weedwackers, it's engine condition that affects emissions. The testing does not reflect carburetor problems.

So, many bottom of the line units have a 50 hour lifespan.

My John Deere "extended life" engine has worn through the plating in the cylinder at 10 years old. It's done. My Echo "300 hour" engine has a steel bore and is still strong.

 

[OtisBlkR1]

Originally Posted By: Errtt
Although my Echo is only a few years old, I hope to get a few more years out of it. Still runs like the day I got it. Always starts on 2nd pull, and runs strong.
I have always used the Echo oil.


+1 i paid $200 for my echo in 2006 and its still running like the day i bought it for residential use.. Im more than pleased and when it fails i will buy another of the same ilk.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: Cujet

So, many bottom of the line units have a 50 hour lifespan.

My John Deere "extended life" engine has worn through the plating in the cylinder at 10 years old. It's done.


If I were to guess, I'd say my JD weed wacker has 100-150 hours on it. The cylinder is obviously thinly plated and the plating is not "Nikasil".

 

[4Kings]

Stihl FS44, bought new in 1989. I have 5 acres so it gets used alot. Have always used Stihl mix oils. Started running badly 2 years ago. Bought a $9 carb rebuild kit. Starts on 2nd pull everytime again. Argueably the best OPE I've ever bought.

 

[Barkleymut]

I own an Echo 2601 purchased in 99 or 2000. Still runs like new, used it commercially for 5 years and at my home since. It has to have well over 2000 hours on it. I have changed the air filter a few times and cleaned the spark arrestor screen a few times and thats it. I've run some really old Amsoil premix at around 70:1 since it was new.

 

[ARB1977]

Troy bilt 4 stroke is 4 years old. Run Amsoil 10W30/30W and either mmo or stabil in the gas 92 octane. Pretty good so far.

 

[jdawg89]

My buddy had a sthil fs 110 and it lasted him 7 years. It was used and abused heavily and drank every oil out there...he weedwhacked along the sides of roads for miles with it frequently not to mention weedwhacking trails and aroud his house and camp. I have a poulan pro I bought at walmart for 125...I've used it for 2 months for the same purposes he has...no problems yet...

 

[Big_Kat]

Dad bought a FS 180 in '87 and is still going strong. Always on a 50:1 mix.

 

[jdawg89]

That's what he always mixed. But ANY brand...I stick to 1 or 2... I mix 40:1 the rings are shot in his...