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#1
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Leaf Blower engine seized
So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable.
Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks -J |
#2
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/18/20 9:32 AM, J wrote:
So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks -J It's the chicken and the egg as far as off topic posts. The group is getting more like a bunch of people at the local coffee shop and discuss what ever comes to mind. The normal denizens have a wide range of backgrounds. One was a mechanic and another an electrical inspector. Do you have spark? Pull the plug and find a way to hold it against metal of the blower. Your local hardware store should have some sort of jumper wire with clips at each end if you can't hold the plug against steel. It should spark when you pull the cord with the switch on. Does the blower spin freely with the plug removed? I'm wondering if the slight catch is the top of the compression stroke. |
#3
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Leaf Blower engine seized
J writes:
So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks Most likely, the piston and cylinder bore are beyond repair. That's a fairly low powered blower, I'd replace it with an Ego battery powered blower. For my own use, I need something more serious and use a higher end 2 cycle back pack blower. -- Dan Espen |
#4
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 10:53:02 AM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/18/20 9:32 AM, J wrote: So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks -J It's the chicken and the egg as far as off topic posts. The group is getting more like a bunch of people at the local coffee shop and discuss what ever comes to mind. The normal denizens have a wide range of backgrounds. One was a mechanic and another an electrical inspector. Do you have spark? Pull the plug and find a way to hold it against metal of the blower. Your local hardware store should have some sort of jumper wire with clips at each end if you can't hold the plug against steel. It should spark when you pull the cord with the switch on. Does the blower spin freely with the plug removed? I'm wondering if the slight catch is the top of the compression stroke. +1 I'd remove the spark plug, see if it spins freely. If not, spray some lube or light oil in there and see if it will free up. If it does, see if it will start. Nothing to lose. IDK exactly what happens though when it's run without oil like that, like does the cylinder typically get scored so it's shot? If so, even if it's free now it could be toast. Testing for compression would be a key factor, but OP probably doesn't have a tester. |
#5
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Leaf Blower engine seized
I'll remove the spark plug and see what happens. I'd love to replace with an electric blower, but I fear my yard is too large and leafy for that.
-J |
#6
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/18/2020 9:32 AM, J wrote:
So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks -J That hard spot in the rotation might be where the piston ring seized .... if it was me (and I love to resurrect lost causes) and I couldn't get it to fire after putting some gas in the spark plug hole I'd toss it and get another . Especially if original cost was less than a hundred bucks . My new line trimmer is a Stihl , entry level commercial unit . A little over 300 bucks but it's probably going to be the last one I buy . I was buying cheap every other year so if this lasts 8 years I come out even . -- Snag |
#7
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Leaf Blower engine seized
Dan Espen writes:
J writes: So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks Most likely, the piston and cylinder bore are beyond repair. That's a fairly low powered blower, I'd replace it with an Ego battery powered blower. For my own use, I need something more serious and use a higher end 2 cycle back pack blower. Here's some additional info: You may be able to remove the exhaust to look at the piston and get an idea how bad it is. That Hitachi is 441 CFM, 170 MPH. An Ego battery powered is 530 CFM, 110 MPH. So, not nearly the oomph from the electric, but it moves a lot of air. They both weigh about the same. The electric is way easier to operate and is quiet. -- Dan Espen |
#8
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/18/2020 7:32 AM, J wrote:
So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks -J Check the flywheel key. It could have sheared if it froze up suddenly. I'd probably inspect for broken rings of cylinder damage magnitude. |
#9
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/18/2020 12:56 PM, Dan Espen wrote:
Dan Espen writes: J writes: So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks Most likely, the piston and cylinder bore are beyond repair. That's a fairly low powered blower, I'd replace it with an Ego battery powered blower. For my own use, I need something more serious and use a higher end 2 cycle back pack blower. Here's some additional info: You may be able to remove the exhaust to look at the piston and get an idea how bad it is. That Hitachi is 441 CFM, 170 MPH. An Ego battery powered is 530 CFM, 110 MPH. So, not nearly the oomph from the electric, but it moves a lot of air. They both weigh about the same. The electric is way easier to operate and is quiet. I got one of these B&D that I am looking forward to trying when leaves come down this fall: https://www.lowes.com/pd/BLACK-DECKE...lower/50295247 I had considered a battery operated leaf blower but this seems more powerful. Don't know how good the mulching part is but have heard that these type mulchers are not that great which is not important to me. |
#10
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/18/2020 08:32 AM, J wrote:
It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? If the plug and gas flow look okay it might be salvageable by lightly honing the cylinder and replacing the rings. Depends on what the piston and cylinder look like. With 2 stroke dirt bikes it's easier to replace the whole mess but I don't think that would be cost effective for a leaf blower. https://www.ereplacementparts.com/hi...90_120692.html |
#11
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 6:20:18 PM UTC-4, rbowman wrote:
On 10/18/2020 08:32 AM, J wrote: It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? If the plug and gas flow look okay it might be salvageable by lightly honing the cylinder and replacing the rings. Depends on what the piston and cylinder look like. With 2 stroke dirt bikes it's easier to replace the whole mess but I don't think that would be cost effective for a leaf blower. Why not? A leaf blower costs a lot less than a dirt bike, stupid. |
#12
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 15:43:44 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote: On Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 6:20:18 PM UTC-4, rbowman wrote: On 10/18/2020 08:32 AM, J wrote: It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? If the plug and gas flow look okay it might be salvageable by lightly honing the cylinder and replacing the rings. Depends on what the piston and cylinder look like. With 2 stroke dirt bikes it's easier to replace the whole mess but I don't think that would be cost effective for a leaf blower. Why not? A leaf blower costs a lot less than a dirt bike, stupid. I think he was talking about swapping the engine. I bet that if this thing has any compression at all it will come back. Put some 2 stroke oil in the plug hole. Pour an ounce or so in the carb hole and pull it over until gas oil mix is well distributed. Then put the plug back, open the throttle and pull it until it starts. |
#13
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:52:53 -0500, Dean Hoffman
wrote: On 10/18/20 9:32 AM, J wrote: So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks -J It's the chicken and the egg as far as off topic posts. The group is getting more like a bunch of people at the local coffee shop and discuss what ever comes to mind. The normal denizens have a wide range of backgrounds. One was a mechanic and another an electrical inspector. Do you have spark? Pull the plug and find a way to hold it against metal of the blower. Your local hardware store should have some sort of jumper wire with clips at each end if you can't hold the plug against steel. It should spark when you pull the cord with the switch on. Does the blower spin freely with the plug removed? I'm wondering if the slight catch is the top of the compression stroke. He siezed it due to lack of lubrication - so the rings have most likely scuffed the cyl - and it is both not building proper compression in the combustion camber and not building crankcase pressure/vacuum which is required for a 2 stroke engine to run. Call it an expensive lesson and pitch it. |
#14
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:09:44 -0700 (PDT), J wrote:
I'll remove the spark plug and see what happens. I'd love to replace with an electric blower, but I fear my yard is too large and leafy for that. -J I just bought a Toro electric. Works great - but I DO have 100 ft of 12 gauge extention cord. |
#15
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 11:05:48 PM UTC-4, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:09:44 -0700 (PDT), J wrote: I'll remove the spark plug and see what happens. I'd love to replace with an electric blower, but I fear my yard is too large and leafy for that. -J I just bought a Toro electric. Works great - but I DO have 100 ft of 12 gauge extention cord. Me too, I'm happy with it. If I could just find a decent string trimmner ............. nah, not gonna happen. |
#16
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/19/20 6:56 AM, TimR wrote:
On Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 11:05:48 PM UTC-4, Clare Snyder wrote: On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:09:44 -0700 (PDT), J wrote: I'll remove the spark plug and see what happens. I'd love to replace with an electric blower, but I fear my yard is too large and leafy for that. -J I just bought a Toro electric. Works great - but I DO have 100 ft of 12 gauge extention cord. Me too, I'm happy with it. If I could just find a decent string trimmner ............. nah, not gonna happen. There was one that had plastic blades that swung out when the trimmer ran. Maybe is was an aftermarket thing. Is string the issue? |
#17
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/19/2020 6:56 AM, TimR wrote:
On Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 11:05:48 PM UTC-4, Clare Snyder wrote: On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:09:44 -0700 (PDT), J wrote: I'll remove the spark plug and see what happens. I'd love to replace with an electric blower, but I fear my yard is too large and leafy for that. -J I just bought a Toro electric. Works great - but I DO have 100 ft of 12 gauge extention cord. Me too, I'm happy with it. If I could just find a decent string trimmner ............. nah, not gonna happen. I really like my (pretty new) Stihl FS91R . It wasn't cheap ... but I expect it to outlast at least 5 of the cheap ones I've been buying . -- Snag |
#18
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Mon, 19 Oct 2020 04:56:15 -0700 (PDT), TimR wrote:
On Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 11:05:48 PM UTC-4, Clare Snyder wrote: On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:09:44 -0700 (PDT), J wrote: I'll remove the spark plug and see what happens. I'd love to replace with an electric blower, but I fear my yard is too large and leafy for that. -J I just bought a Toro electric. Works great - but I DO have 100 ft of 12 gauge extention cord. Me too, I'm happy with it. If I could just find a decent string trimmner ............. nah, not gonna happen. I've been using this BD battery trimmer for 2 1/2 years. It's good for about 200' of lawn edging and misc weed cleanup before you need to recharge the batteries. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 |
#19
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Mon, 19 Oct 2020 04:56:15 -0700 (PDT), TimR
wrote: On Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 11:05:48 PM UTC-4, Clare Snyder wrote: On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:09:44 -0700 (PDT), J wrote: I'll remove the spark plug and see what happens. I'd love to replace with an electric blower, but I fear my yard is too large and leafy for that. -J I just bought a Toro electric. Works great - but I DO have 100 ft of 12 gauge extention cord. Me too, I'm happy with it. If I could just find a decent string trimmner ............. nah, not gonna happen. It hasn't been designed yet - - - |
#20
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Leaf Blower engine seized
To: jcl541
Leaf Blower engine seized By: jcl541 to alt.home.repair on Sun Oct 18 2020 07:32 am So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a It's junk. Buy a new one. HusTler --- Synchronet 3.18a-Linux NewsLink 1.113 * Havens BBS - Queens, Ny - telnet://havens.synchronetbbs.org |
#21
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Leaf Blower engine seized
I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). Now we have a Chevy Bolt and it theoretically gets over 250 miles on a charge (and not much less in the winter) - and that number seems more accurate (based on estimated mileage and charge remaining - I've never run it out of charge or below about 1/4 charge). Right now it seems a lot more expensive for an electric leaf blower that would require several charges to do our yard - and unlike a gas blower that you can refill in a minute, recharging the electric will take a while. But I look forward to the near future where electric is the standard for this tool. It's tough (and expensive) to be an early-adopter - you often pay a lot of money for something that doesn't live up to the hype. For most of us, waiting a few years is the way to go. For electric cars, we definitely were on the early side, but we leased instead of bought, knowing that major improvements were likely coming. The electric car still has some limitations, but for most driving applications, I think it's there. :-)
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#22
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/20/20 9:08 AM, J wrote:
I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). Now we have a Chevy Bolt and it theoretically gets over 250 miles on a charge (and not much less in the winter) - and that number seems more accurate (based on estimated mileage and charge remaining - I've never run it out of charge or below about 1/4 charge). Right now it seems a lot more expensive for an electric leaf blower that would require several charges to do our yard - and unlike a gas blower that you can refill in a minute, recharging the electric will take a while. But I look forward to the near future where electric is the standard for this tool. It's tough (and expensive) to be an early-adopter - you often pay a lot of money for something that doesn't live up to the hype. For most of us, waiting a few years is the way to go. For electric cars, we definitely were on the early side, but we leased instead of bought, knowing that major improvements were likely coming. The electric car still has some limitations, but for most driving applications, I think it's there. :-) Mazda has a new vehicle coming in a couple years. https://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2020/10/return-of-the-rotary-mazda-will-use-wankel-as-range-extender-for-all-electric-mx-30/ You might run out of charge but won't have to hoof it. |
#23
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Leaf Blower engine seized
J writes:
I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). Now we have a Chevy Bolt and it theoretically gets over 250 miles on a charge (and not much less in the winter) - and that number seems more accurate (based on estimated mileage and charge remaining - I've never run it out of charge or below about 1/4 charge). Right now it seems a lot more expensive for an electric leaf blower that would require several charges to do our yard - and unlike a gas blower that you can refill in a minute, recharging the electric will take a while. But I look forward to the near future where electric is the standard for this tool. It's tough (and expensive) to be an early-adopter - you often pay a lot of money for something that doesn't live up to the hype. For most of us, waiting a few years is the way to go. For electric cars, we definitely were on the early side, but we leased instead of bought, knowing that major improvements were likely coming. The electric car still has some limitations, but for most driving applications, I think it's there. :-) Right now, electric leaf blowers can't match the power you get from a 2 cycle blower. I have a lot of leaf producing trees and I normally use a high end back pack blower to deal with the leaves. But this year I got a self propelled battery powered lawn mower. So far, instead of blowing the leaves I just run the mower over the leaves and they are gone. I'm not sure how much more leaf fall I'll be able to handle this way but it's definitely quicker to just run the mower. I'm able to do both the front and back on one charge. I could always buy another battery if I had more lawn to mow and didn't want to wait. -- Dan Espen |
#24
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/20/2020 10:08 AM, J wrote:
I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). Now we have a Chevy Bolt and it theoretically gets over 250 miles on a charge (and not much less in the winter) - and that number seems more accurate (based on estimated mileage and charge remaining - I've never run it out of charge or below about 1/4 charge). Right now it seems a lot more expensive for an electric leaf blower that would require several charges to do our yard - and unlike a gas blower that you can refill in a minute, recharging the electric will take a while. But I look forward to the near future where electric is the standard for this tool. It's tough (and expensive) to be an early-adopter - you often pay a lot of money for something that doesn't live up to the hype. For most of us, waiting a few years is the way to go. For electric cars, we definitely were on the early side, but we leased instead of bought, knowing that major improvements were likely coming. The electric car still has some limitations, but for most driving applications, I think it's there. :-) I just use VP's 50:1 pre-mix fuel.Â* It eliminates the problem of stale fuel damage from winter storage. https://www.amazon.com/Small-Engine-.../dp/B00W9595JG -- Demolitioncrats are destroying America! |
#25
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 10:54:29 AM UTC-4, Dan Espen wrote:
J writes: I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). Now we have a Chevy Bolt and it theoretically gets over 250 miles on a charge (and not much less in the winter) - and that number seems more accurate (based on estimated mileage and charge remaining - I've never run it out of charge or below about 1/4 charge). Right now it seems a lot more expensive for an electric leaf blower that would require several charges to do our yard - and unlike a gas blower that you can refill in a minute, recharging the electric will take a while. But I look forward to the near future where electric is the standard for this tool. It's tough (and expensive) to be an early-adopter - you often pay a lot of money for something that doesn't live up to the hype. For most of us, waiting a few years is the way to go. For electric cars, we definitely were on the early side, but we leased instead of bought, knowing that major improvements were likely coming. The electric car still has some limitations, but for most driving applications, I think it's there. :-) Right now, electric leaf blowers can't match the power you get from a 2 cycle blower. I have a lot of leaf producing trees and I normally use a high end back pack blower to deal with the leaves. But this year I got a self propelled battery powered lawn mower. So far, instead of blowing the leaves I just run the mower over the leaves and they are gone. I'm not sure how much more leaf fall I'll be able to handle this way but it's definitely quicker to just run the mower. I'm able to do both the front and back on one charge. I could always buy another battery if I had more lawn to mow and didn't want to wait. -- Dan Espen That's what I do too, insitu mulching. I probably can get rid of 25% of the total leaves that way, at the beginning and then at end by mowing while trimming the lawn. At least here I can blow them into the street where the township picks them up or into the woods. Some poor *******s in nearby towns have to put them in bags for pickup. |
#26
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/20/2020 7:08 AM, J wrote:
I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). So, did your Nissan Leaf have the "blower" option? |
#27
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/20/2020 10:08 AM, J wrote:
I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). Now we have a Chevy Bolt and it theoretically gets over 250 miles on a charge (and not much less in the winter) - and that number seems more accurate (based on estimated mileage and charge remaining - I've never run it out of charge or below about 1/4 charge). Right now it seems a lot more expensive for an electric leaf blower that would require several charges to do our yard - and unlike a gas blower that you can refill in a minute, recharging the electric will take a while. But I look forward to the near future where electric is the standard for this tool. It's tough (and expensive) to be an early-adopter - you often pay a lot of money for something that doesn't live up to the hype. For most of us, waiting a few years is the way to go. For electric cars, we definitely were on the early side, but we leased instead of bought, knowing that major improvements were likely coming. The electric car still has some limitations, but for most driving applications, I think it's there. :-) I preferred corded electric as they are more powerful than the battery types and you don't have to worry about burned out batteries. Also when I can use corded stuff in place of gasoline powered I do not have problems like op faced or having to change my clothes and shower after using the gasoline engine. Years ago I bought a combo hedge clipper weed trimmer set for $100 with 2 batteries and charger. Great for small jobs. Then both batteries gave out, were no longer available, and I had to toss the lot. |
#28
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Tue, 20 Oct 2020 10:54:22 -0400, Dan Espen
wrote: J writes: I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). Now we have a Chevy Bolt and it theoretically gets over 250 miles on a charge (and not much less in the winter) - and that number seems more accurate (based on estimated mileage and charge remaining - I've never run it out of charge or below about 1/4 charge). Right now it seems a lot more expensive for an electric leaf blower that would require several charges to do our yard - and unlike a gas blower that you can refill in a minute, recharging the electric will take a while. But I look forward to the near future where electric is the standard for this tool. It's tough (and expensive) to be an early-adopter - you often pay a lot of money for something that doesn't live up to the hype. For most of us, waiting a few years is the way to go. For electric cars, we definitely were on the early side, but we leased instead of bought, knowing that major improvements were likely coming. The electric car still has some limitations, but for most driving applications, I think it's there. :-) Right now, electric leaf blowers can't match the power you get from a 2 cycle blower. I have a lot of leaf producing trees and I normally use a high end back pack blower to deal with the leaves. But this year I got a self propelled battery powered lawn mower. So far, instead of blowing the leaves I just run the mower over the leaves and they are gone. I'm not sure how much more leaf fall I'll be able to handle this way but it's definitely quicker to just run the mower. I'm able to do both the front and back on one charge. I could always buy another battery if I had more lawn to mow and didn't want to wait. My new Toro electric blower has more power than my old gas powered Baracuda blower ever had and it starts every time. I blew my leaves into a pile and fired up my old toro 194cc mower and chopped them all up. The pile started out about 15X7 feet and a good foot high and they were not dry. Made the mower work, but that looked after the maple leaves in the back yard.(chopped up to about 1/4" square chunks) In the front yard I just blew the smaller amount of maple leaves and all the honey locust leaves and "strings" out onto the street for municipal leaf pickup because the locust doesn't compost down well and the "strings"are a royal pain to rake and don't mulch. When the red maple drops the rest I'll mulch them too, and hopefully the boulevard maples down the side drop before we get snowed under so I can look after them too. They are still green and hardly starting to drop yet - the back sugar maple has dropped almost all it's gold coloured leaves,andthe front Crimson King has dropped better than half. |
#29
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Tue, 20 Oct 2020 07:08:41 -0700 (PDT), J wrote:
I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). Now we have a Chevy Bolt and it theoretically gets over 250 miles on a charge (and not much less in the winter) - and that number seems more accurate (based on estimated mileage and charge remaining - I've never run it out of charge or below about 1/4 charge). Right now it seems a lot more expensive for an electric leaf blower that would require several charges to do our yard - and unlike a gas blower that you can refill in a minute, recharging the electric will take a while. But I look forward to the near future where electric is the standard for this tool. It's tough (and expensive) to be an early-adopter - you often pay a lot of money for something that doesn't live up to the hype. For most of us, waiting a few years is the way to go. For electric cars, we definitely were on the early side, but we leased instead of bought, knowing that major improvements were likely coming. The electric car still has some limitations, but for most driving applications, I think it's there. :-) I have a 12 amp corded plower that gets the stuff moving and I don't have the charge problem. OTOH I also have power everywhere so I am not dragging a 100' cord around. It might not be practical in your "one" NEC required receptacle (until recently) was in the back. |
#31
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Tue, 20 Oct 2020 09:30:22 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote: On Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 10:54:29 AM UTC-4, Dan Espen wrote: J writes: I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). Now we have a Chevy Bolt and it theoretically gets over 250 miles on a charge (and not much less in the winter) - and that number seems more accurate (based on estimated mileage and charge remaining - I've never run it out of charge or below about 1/4 charge). Right now it seems a lot more expensive for an electric leaf blower that would require several charges to do our yard - and unlike a gas blower that you can refill in a minute, recharging the electric will take a while. But I look forward to the near future where electric is the standard for this tool. It's tough (and expensive) to be an early-adopter - you often pay a lot of money for something that doesn't live up to the hype. For most of us, waiting a few years is the way to go. For electric cars, we definitely were on the early side, but we leased instead of bought, knowing that major improvements were likely coming. The electric car still has some limitations, but for most driving applications, I think it's there. :-) Right now, electric leaf blowers can't match the power you get from a 2 cycle blower. I have a lot of leaf producing trees and I normally use a high end back pack blower to deal with the leaves. But this year I got a self propelled battery powered lawn mower. So far, instead of blowing the leaves I just run the mower over the leaves and they are gone. I'm not sure how much more leaf fall I'll be able to handle this way but it's definitely quicker to just run the mower. I'm able to do both the front and back on one charge. I could always buy another battery if I had more lawn to mow and didn't want to wait. -- Dan Espen That's what I do too, insitu mulching. I probably can get rid of 25% of the total leaves that way, at the beginning and then at end by mowing while trimming the lawn. At least here I can blow them into the street where the township picks them up or into the woods. Some poor *******s in nearby towns have to put them in bags for pickup. I have a bunch of live oaks that drop stuff all the time. I blow it into a pile in the yard and run over it with the lawn mower a few times. They get recycled into the soil. |
#32
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 23:04:11 -0400, Clare Snyder posted for all of us to digest... On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:52:53 -0500, Dean Hoffman wrote: On 10/18/20 9:32 AM, J wrote: So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks -J It's the chicken and the egg as far as off topic posts. The group is getting more like a bunch of people at the local coffee shop and discuss what ever comes to mind. The normal denizens have a wide range of backgrounds. One was a mechanic and another an electrical inspector. Do you have spark? Pull the plug and find a way to hold it against metal of the blower. Your local hardware store should have some sort of jumper wire with clips at each end if you can't hold the plug against steel. It should spark when you pull the cord with the switch on. Does the blower spin freely with the plug removed? I'm wondering if the slight catch is the top of the compression stroke. He siezed it due to lack of lubrication - so the rings have most likely scuffed the cyl - and it is both not building proper compression in the combustion camber and not building crankcase pressure/vacuum which is required for a 2 stroke engine to run. Call it an expensive lesson and pitch it. To the OP "J" I would have to agree with Clare's post. By the time you figure it out by yourself or others and get parts $$$ it is mostly likely *junk*. Sorry to say. I am even slower than you and have done similar "life lessons". You might be at the stage of life (I am) to have a landscaper do it. I have found it to be cheaper. No buying mowers or other equipment on a 3 year cycle, etc. Plus I couldn't do it if I wanted to. Ah, the smell of fresh cut grass every other Monday. -- Tekkie |
#33
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Wed, 21 Oct 2020 17:29:20 -0400, Tekkie©
wrote: On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 23:04:11 -0400, Clare Snyder posted for all of us to digest... On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:52:53 -0500, Dean Hoffman wrote: On 10/18/20 9:32 AM, J wrote: So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks -J It's the chicken and the egg as far as off topic posts. The group is getting more like a bunch of people at the local coffee shop and discuss what ever comes to mind. The normal denizens have a wide range of backgrounds. One was a mechanic and another an electrical inspector. Do you have spark? Pull the plug and find a way to hold it against metal of the blower. Your local hardware store should have some sort of jumper wire with clips at each end if you can't hold the plug against steel. It should spark when you pull the cord with the switch on. Does the blower spin freely with the plug removed? I'm wondering if the slight catch is the top of the compression stroke. He siezed it due to lack of lubrication - so the rings have most likely scuffed the cyl - and it is both not building proper compression in the combustion camber and not building crankcase pressure/vacuum which is required for a 2 stroke engine to run. Call it an expensive lesson and pitch it. To the OP "J" I would have to agree with Clare's post. By the time you figure it out by yourself or others and get parts $$$ it is mostly likely *junk*. Sorry to say. I am even slower than you and have done similar "life lessons". You might be at the stage of life (I am) to have a landscaper do it. I have found it to be cheaper. No buying mowers or other equipment on a 3 year cycle, Still using my Yazoo Pro built in 1961 (or most of it, anyway - replaced the original Briggs and Straton engine with a Chonda about 8 years ago and rebuilt the deck with a sheet of stainless steel countertop) I picked up a little Toro on the curb a few years ago that I use in the fall to mulch leaves (Mid eighties) etc. Plus I couldn't do it if I wanted to. Ah, the smell of fresh cut grass every other Monday. |
#34
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Tue, 20 Oct 2020 07:08:41 -0700 (PDT), J posted for all of us to digest... I love the idea of electric - I'm a big proponent. The issue I have is not the power so much as the amount of time you get on a charge. My yard is not a half-hour job ;-). But maybe things will get better. We had a Nissan Leaf a few years back - it got a theoretical 100 miles on a charge, but less in reality (more like 75), and much less in the winter (you'd be risking it if you had to go 50 miles). Now we have a Chevy Bolt and it theoretically gets over 250 miles on a charge (and not much less in the winter) - and that number seems more accurate (based on estimated mileage and charge remaining - I've never run it out of charge or below about 1/4 charge). Right now it seems a lot more expensive for an electric leaf blower that would require several charges to do our yard - and unlike a gas blower that you can refill in a minute, recharging the electric will take a while. But I look forward to the near future where electric is the standard for this tool. It's tough (and expensive) to be an early-adopter - you often pay a lot of money for something that doesn't live up to the hype. For most of us, waiting a few years is the way to go. For electric cars, we definitely were on the early side, but we leased instead of bought, knowing that major improvements were likely coming. The electric car still has some limitations, but for most driving applications, I think it's there. :-) When you make your decision, let us know. Maybe you could use an inverter off your car... Just kidding -- Tekkie |
#35
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On Wed, 21 Oct 2020 20:36:49 -0400, Clare Snyder posted for all of us to digest... On Wed, 21 Oct 2020 17:29:20 -0400, Tekkie© wrote: On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 23:04:11 -0400, Clare Snyder posted for all of us to digest... On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:52:53 -0500, Dean Hoffman wrote: On 10/18/20 9:32 AM, J wrote: So, this is due to my own stupidity, but I believe I've seized (or mostly seized) the engine on my leaf blower. This group seems about 90% off topic these days, but maybe some of y'all are still answering repair questions, so I've come to find out if it's possibly salvageable. Because of back problems, I hadn't used my leaf blower in a couple of years, but was feeling up to it this year. Due to a fit of stupidity and just not thinking, for some reason I believed it took straight gas instead of a mixture of gas/oil. And for some even dumber reason, I didn't bother to confirm this suspicion. After a couple of (small) tankfuls of gas, it conked out. I left it to cool down for a while and came back to it and the pull-cord would not pull at all. I took it partially apart and was able to spin the engine by hand, which loosened up the pull-cord. Now I can pull the cord and it will spin, but not start. The spinning is not smooth, it catches a little at one point in the rotation. It was at about this point that it dawned on me what I had done (not too quick on the uptake). My question is, is it junk at this point and should I list this in the column of lessons learned the hard way, or since it will rotate and slightly catch at one place, is there a way to lubricate the engine and get it going again (and fill it with the proper mixture of gas/oil this time)? It''s a green Hitachi (RB24EAP I think), maybe about 3 years old. Thanks -J It's the chicken and the egg as far as off topic posts. The group is getting more like a bunch of people at the local coffee shop and discuss what ever comes to mind. The normal denizens have a wide range of backgrounds. One was a mechanic and another an electrical inspector. Do you have spark? Pull the plug and find a way to hold it against metal of the blower. Your local hardware store should have some sort of jumper wire with clips at each end if you can't hold the plug against steel. It should spark when you pull the cord with the switch on. Does the blower spin freely with the plug removed? I'm wondering if the slight catch is the top of the compression stroke. He siezed it due to lack of lubrication - so the rings have most likely scuffed the cyl - and it is both not building proper compression in the combustion camber and not building crankcase pressure/vacuum which is required for a 2 stroke engine to run. Call it an expensive lesson and pitch it. To the OP "J" I would have to agree with Clare's post. By the time you figure it out by yourself or others and get parts $$$ it is mostly likely *junk*. Sorry to say. I am even slower than you and have done similar "life lessons". You might be at the stage of life (I am) to have a landscaper do it. I have found it to be cheaper. No buying mowers or other equipment on a 3 year cycle, Still using my Yazoo Pro built in 1961 (or most of it, anyway - replaced the original Briggs and Straton engine with a Chonda about 8 years ago and rebuilt the deck with a sheet of stainless steel countertop) I picked up a little Toro on the curb a few years ago that I use in the fall to mulch leaves (Mid eighties) etc. Plus I couldn't do it if I wanted to. Ah, the smell of fresh cut grass every other Monday. We had a Gilson - Cheap price but built very well. The tranny lost it's bearings after 8 years due to rough terrain. Got a Simplicity which managed to burn (actually catch fire) up after 6 years (of dealer service every year) Got a John Deere which lasted until my wife couldn't do it any more. Donated it a church and as far as I know still use it. Assorted trimmers and leaf blowers which it seems my neighbor ended up with... -- Tekkie |
#36
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Leaf Blower engine seized
Thanks for all the replies, especially Bob F. After hitting the "post message" button on my previous reply where I said I used to own a Nissan Leaf, I thought - now there's a missed opportunity for some good puns on this thread ;-)
I like the idea of a corded model, but even a 100' cord is not long enough to get to the perimeter of our yard. We definitely do not live in a suburban subdivision. And carrying around a generator... Doesn't that defeat the purpose of going electric? When I was a teenager (eons ago), we had a corded lawn mower - which was great for our tiny yard. Also, you could flip the push handle over to the other side and push it in the other direction instead of turning it around. That kind of thing wouldn't fly with my current yard. I'm not even sure "yard" is the best word, more of a cleared undulating grassy area in the woods. I have reached that age (and back health) where I have relegated most of the yard work to a hired service. However, the past couple of years we've had early snow and cold weather. I was waiting for the leaves to all drop and have it done all at once, but the result was the leaves got covered by snow and weren't taken care of until spring. It get's expensive to have those guys come multiple times and do this work, and then in the spring it was hella expensive because it took a long time for them to blow the leaves that had been compressed into the ground. I gave up on the old gas blower. I actually did get an electric model (an EGO), and as expected, it's too underpowered and has too limited a battery charge to do the lawn in one go (or even two). But I'm going to rationalize that as a positive as it will prevent me from doing this activity for too long a period of time all at once - and maybe saving my back from harm. I'm like that stereotypical guy who will keep going until it's all done instead of stopping when my body tells me I should. Cheers everyone. |
#37
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Leaf Blower engine seized
On 10/23/2020 12:05 PM, J wrote:
Thanks for all the replies, especially Bob F. After hitting the "post message" button on my previous reply where I said I used to own a Nissan Leaf, I thought - now there's a missed opportunity for some good puns on this thread ;-) I like the idea of a corded model, but even a 100' cord is not long enough to get to the perimeter of our yard. We definitely do not live in a suburban subdivision. And carrying around a generator... Doesn't that defeat the purpose of going electric? When I was a teenager (eons ago), we had a corded lawn mower - which was great for our tiny yard. Also, you could flip the push handle over to the other side and push it in the other direction instead of turning it around. That kind of thing wouldn't fly with my current yard. I'm not even sure "yard" is the best word, more of a cleared undulating grassy area in the woods. I have reached that age (and back health) where I have relegated most of the yard work to a hired service. However, the past couple of years we've had early snow and cold weather. I was waiting for the leaves to all drop and have it done all at once, but the result was the leaves got covered by snow and weren't taken care of until spring. It get's expensive to have those guys come multiple times and do this work, and then in the spring it was hella expensive because it took a long time for them to blow the leaves that had been compressed into the ground. I gave up on the old gas blower. I actually did get an electric model (an EGO), and as expected, it's too underpowered and has too limited a battery charge to do the lawn in one go (or even two). But I'm going to rationalize that as a positive as it will prevent me from doing this activity for too long a period of time all at once - and maybe saving my back from harm. I'm like that stereotypical guy who will keep going until it's all done instead of stopping when my body tells me I should. Cheers everyone. I have a bigger lot too and 100 ft does not go to far but only tree that gives me a problem is one in the front yard within 100 ft reach. I used to work on back yard but quit and find leaves are not a big problem. I have a friend that started on leaves a couple of weeks ago and they have not begun fully fallen. Told him if I lived there I would remove several trees. You also don't want hundred ft trees next to your house. He's had neighbors with houses and cars severely damaged by trees coming down in a storm. |
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