Petrol strimmer.......

[slim_boy_fat]

I think my petrol strimmer is haunted

I've had it about 5 years now and it's been fine for what's needed [not a Stihl or other expensive make, just a mail-order jobbie], but the other day the recoil pull cord stuck out when I pulled it.

Took it apart and dealt with the bird's nest which the spring had turned into [I used to work as a greenkeeper in a previous life so know a bit about fixing small machines], reassembled it all and put it back on the strimmer. Two pulls and it jammed out again......

Repeated the above and did it all over again, same result. I've repeated the exercise five times and am becoming really pee'd off now. The odd thing is I can test it as many times on the bench as I like and it works perfectly smoothly, running out and recoiling time after time.

Meantime, weather conditions are ideal for growth and I can hear the grass rustling as it grows - it's like the Day of the Triffids round the boundaries of the garden [which thankfully isn't enormous]

Any ideas before I put it on Gumtree and get an electric one, lads?

 

[TechnicAl]

Yes, get a big hammer and smash the **** out of it.

I have anger issues with petrol gardening equipment

 

[rikrobson]

It Sound like you are fixing the symptom and not the cause.
Something is making the cord birdsnest. so when you untangle it the original fault is still there causing it to tangle again.
And Everything always works on the bench

 

[pedrobedro]

Try a bit more tension on the spring ?

 

[gaz1]

get a new recoil spring the usage its probably had it would be time for a new one to be used

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...ecoil+spring.TRS0&_nkw=recoil+spring&_sacat=0

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Try a bit more tension on the spring ?

Thanks, I'll give that a go as a first point. Then investigate a replacement spring as suggested ^^.

Thing is, it's a shame to chuck it as the engine is very good once started. I can't find the company I got it from to order bits, they must have gone out of business in the interim

I'll have another go once I've calmed down, meantime I'll borrow back the small electric one I gave off to my neighbour....... Car's thrown a bit of a tantrum over it's Active Steering so I'll have to look into that before the strimmer gets my full attention.

Cheers lads - onwards & upwards.

 

[rikrobson]

what is Active Steering?

Surely all steering is active by its very nature

 

[pedrobedro]

what is Active Steering?

Surely all steering is active by its very nature

Just looked outside and ours is not doing anything sat on the front of the house.
There are lots of generic recoil mechanisms on eBay with measurements for comparison.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@slim_boy_fat


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/British_Grand_Slam_bomb.jpg

That will fix the strimmer and thee car.
Drop me a PM with make and size I may be able to rummage a spare.

 

[Migmac]

normally the springs should last a good while, has the goose neck broken off the spring? If it's broken off its very easy to bend a new one to replace the broken one

 

[slim_boy_fat]

@slim_boy_fat


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/British_Grand_Slam_bomb.jpg

That will fix the strimmer and thee car.
Drop me a PM with make and size I may be able to rummage a spare.

I'll put the strimmer in the car and that'll save you sending two.

Car's a pre-LCI BMW e60, it'd been so well specc'd by the first owner it has electronic boxes and sensors everywhere. But I like it too much to think about moving it on - hopefully, it'll be the last car I ever have to own, because getting a newer one with the same 'toys' [e.g. heated, massage seats with air-con in them which blows cold air on your back and nether regions through the vented leather ] would be more than I could [reasonably] afford.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

normally the springs should last a good while, has the goose neck broken off the spring? If it's broken off its very easy to bend a new one to replace the broken one

End is OK, but the spring may have weakened so I'll add your suggestion to the list and bend a fresh one.