Some personal ramblings about 2 cycle vs. 4 cycle
tools:
I have a 2 cycle leaf blower, weed whacker & snow
blower; 4 cycle mower, power washer
and generator. The 2 cycle engines are somewhat
harder to start, however, the
4 cycle power washer w/3.5HP B&S is the worst at
starting. It says easy "easy
start design." Right! I almost always have to
use starting fluid on this one when the
engine is real cold. One problem I've noticed is
the priming bulb. They usually
say to press 3 times max! Well, if engine has the
gas tank under the carb, I press
it many, many times until I hear and feel the gas
moving (leaf blower, weed whacker,
power washer). If the gas tank is above the carb,
2 or 3 presses is fine. Also, I
have noticed that every engine want to be started
in its own way, i.e. chock position,
throttle, etc. I have also noticed on the 2 cycle
engines, ambient temperature seems to
play a big part. I have to adjust the air/gas
mixture when the weather is really hot.
The one real objection that I have with 2 cycle
engines is that I come in the house
after using the tool and I smell like gas and oil.
This doesn't seem to happen with
the 4 cycle tools. Some of that might be that the
leaf blower and whacker are much
closer to your body than say a mower. But it also
occurs when using the 2 cycle
snow blower which obviously is pushed like a lawn
mower.

wrote:
You cant even GIVE me a 2 cycle engine for FREE. I have hated every
one of them that I have ever owned, and I end up fixing the damn
things more than using them. I am referring to the small ones like
chainsaws, weed whackers, etc. I threw all of them in the trash and
bought electric ones. If you want to spend half your weekend pulling
the damn strings on the tool, get a 2 cycle, but you'll also be
spending up to half the cost of a new tool each year to get the damn
thing fixed about 5 times each year. No 2 cycle tool will ever be
allowed on my property again.

Seeing what everyone said on here about Lawn Boy 2 cycle mowers, I
also tend to disagree. I bought one at a garage sale.. It worked for
awhile, but like the chainsaws, it needed to be pulled and pulled and
pulled to get it to start. I drained the gas in fall. The next
spring I pulled that cord for hours, added carb cleaner, changed the
plug and air filter and yanked on that cord for a few more hours.
By that time, I went and got my trusty over 20 year old 4 cycle 3.5HP
Briggs engine mower that is so worn I have to add oil everytime I mow
because it smokes like crazy. I had not used it in about 2 years, and
forgot to drain the gas. I gave the string one pull and it was
running. The Lawn Boy went in the trash, I bought another newer 4
cycle mower, and still got that old junker that always starts, just in
case I need a spare.



On 24 May 2005 19:58:45 -0700, "dean" wrote:


Because I've been tempted to buy some of the new Honda 4 cylcle
engine-powers garden equipment, and until recently the really small
engines have always been 2 cycle. Or at least I think they have.

Dean