To use The Petrol Strimmer
Before starting to use the petrol strimmer the line has to be hand wound onto a reel making sure that both ends of the line are extending from the reel housing. When in operation the motor turns the reel and the line extends horizontally whilst the operator of the unit swings the trimmer in a sweeping motion where the plants have to be trimmed. It is for the user of the unit to decide and control the height in which the cutting takes place and it is possible for him or her to trim right down to ground level if that is what is required. As happens with the petrol trimmer on occasions is that the line will wear out or even break. To deal with this the operator just has to knock the reel on the ground so that the release mechanism allows some of the line in the reel to extend and replace the worn or broken line. So of the more high quality units do have an automatic feed operation that has a small cutter which ensures that the length of line exposed for the cutting is that of the correct length for the cutting process and also to be run correctly by the motor.
Petrol Strimmer Maintenance
So you have invested some of your hard earned money into a petrol strimmer. To protect your investment and ensure that your trimmer remains in excellent working condition for years to come, the machine has to be maintained. Now the easy option for doing this is to just drop it off at the repair shop for any repairs that need performing or for the annual service. But this costs you money and to be honest with you the petrol strimmer is not such a complicated piece of machinery and it’s possible to do most of the maintenance work yourself.
Petrol Strimmer
Trimmer Lines
It is inevitable that the trimmer line that is supplied with your petrol strimmer will eventually run out and you will need to replace it. Trimmer lines are widely available from most garden equipment outlets as well as being able to purchase from your particular brand maker of petrol strimmer.
It is recommended that you always buy the best quality available as we all know that buying cheaper or inferior products is a false economy. Brand manufacturers such as Stihl, Honda and Flymo do manufacture and supply high quality spare parts for their products and we would not put anyone off from buying them. However we here at petrol strimer.net have discovered a company called Proulx Mfg that specialises in the manufacture of trimmer lines and heads for petrol strimmers.
The trimmer lines produced by Proulx are made using Tri-Blend. This Tri-Blend is a formula of 3 polymers which results in very high resistant standards of abrasion, wear and tear, flexibility and weld. We shall give you the examples below:
Ultra Quiet
This trimmer line has an aerodynamic design which results in
Noise reduction,
Decreased vibration at the trimmer head
Improved engine efficiency
Increased head speed
Better Elongation
Petrol Strimmer Not Working Properly?
Will not start
Starts and then cuts out after a short time of use
Starts but will not rev up
The petrol strimmer emit’s a lot of black smoke
These are very common occurrences with the petrol strimmer and are usually associated with poor maintenance.
So always:
Ensure you have fresh and correctly mixed fuel
Keep the air filter is clean and unblocked
Ditto with the carburetor
Spark Plugs do not have a great life span. Change them
Ensure all fuel lines are not blocked.
Check out the petrol strimmer troubleshooting page on this site.
With this trimmer line you will experience smoother cutting with a significant decrease in high frequency noise. It will help with the reduction in fuel consumption and emissions given off by your petrol strimmer.
Spark Plug
A spark plug is an electrical device that is fitted into the cylinder head of certain internal combustion engines. The spark plug ignites compressed fuel by means of an electric spark in order to create motion. In the petrol strimmer there is one spark plug and you can be rest assured that one day it will wear out and you wont be able to start your machine. So if this happens you nearly need to know how to change a spark plug as it is actually a very simple task to perform. Once you know how to do it you will save money in the future on service bills and if your strimmer does not start, instead of running it down to the repair shop, change the spark plug first. If after changing, the machine still refuses to work then you know you have a more serious problem on your hands.
So to change the spark plug in your petrol strimmer, locate the spark plug hatch and pull it off. You will need a ¾ inch deep well socket to remove the spark plug and
DIY Petrol Strimmer Maintenance
If you have a lawn to maintain then you will find yourself cutting it approximately every other week and using the petrol strimmer for the finishing touches. As well as petrol strimmers are constructed today, they are mechanical and have moving parts. This means that over time you will have issues with your machine, even if you faithfully maintain it.
Standard maintenance checks should include:
1- Checking fuel lines for blockages
2- Replacing spark plugs
3- Checking and replacing air filters
4- Cleaning out the carburetor
5- Putting in fresh oil and fuel
Even after following all these maintenance steps problems may still arise with your machine. Perhaps the carburetor fails to function properly or perhaps the fuel lines disintegrate completely. For these more serious problems you are faced will a small dilemma.
Do you
1- Go for professional servicing that may actually cost more than the original cost of your petrol strimmer
2- Replace any broken or worn out parts yourself with new parts which again could exceed the original cost of the machine
3- Try to fix the problem yourself
Many people when they get to this stage tend to replace the old petrol strimmer with a new one. This option is a lot more convenient and we understand why they do it. There is great belief concerning mechanical things, that when one part breaks then another part will soon follow it. This domino effect can lead to great expense and much annoyance.
However if you are the type who enjoys mending things and tinkering, then have a go at repairing the petrol strimmer yourself. You can save on the expense by checking around for second hand parts or even buying reconditioned parts. One really good piece of advice we received was to actually buy a broken petrol strimmer which can be done for peanuts. You then can strip this strimmer down and have yourself a treasure trove of spare parts.
The speed and power of the petrol strimmer is controlled by the operator of the unit with a trigger on the handle. A common mistake made by users is to run the unit at full power all of the time. This can cause line breakage or excess wear in the line especially when you have high speed near to objects that must be cut. By running the machine at a slower pace can actually speed up a cutting job as fewer passes are required and of course there are less stops to replace the line. The other benefit of running the machine at a slower speed is that the line will whip around the thinner objects needing cutting without grabbing them.
Most petrol strimmers are powered by 2 stroke engines which feed off gasoline mixed with oil. The pollution laws are having an effect on the petrol strimmer. Four stroke engines are now becoming more popular in machines. Honda manufacturers a four stroke engine trimmer and many other companies such as John Deere now build and supply low emission two stroke engines for the petrol strimmer.
Two - Stroke Engine
Most petrol strimmers are powered by a 2 stroke engine. The 2 stroke engine is an internal combustion engine that completes the thermodynamic cycle with 2 movements of the piston as opposed to 4 movements of the piston with a 4 stroke engine for example. Completing the cycle in just 2 movements means increased efficiency that is accomplished by using the start of the compression stroke and the end of the combustion stroke to perform simultaneously the intake and exhaust functions. Because of these actions the 2 stroke engine gives out a very high specific power level which makes them so suitable for such power tools as petrol strimmers and chainsaws. Dugald Clerk invented the first 2 stroke engine in 1881 in Scotland. His version of the engine had a separate charging cylinder. The crank cased scavenged 2 stroke engine was invented by the Englishman Joseph Day.
As with all engines the 2 stroke engine needs lubrication in order to function properly and smoothly. But the thing with the 2 stroke engine is that it cannot use regular sump lubrication because the crankcase is actually used to pump the fuel and air mixture into the cylinder. So to lubricate all moving parts of the engine you add lubricating oil to the fuel that runs through the system. You can mix this oil and fuel together yourself in proportions of about 20 to 1. So you want to have about 5% of your petrol/oil mix to be the lubricating oil. So if you mix a batch of oil and petrol in the correct proportions and store it some place safe, every time you refuel your petrol strimmer you will also be confident in the fact that you are lubricating the engine properly.
Line Replacement
It’s inevitable when using your petrol strimmer that the line will break or become worn. Unfortunately there is no way to avoid this. So if your petrol strimmer is not a version with the tap and go feature then you will one day have to replace or rethread the line. This rethreading process is quite simple to do and after a couple of times of performing the task you will become very quick and accomplished at doing it. So if the line breaks whilst in operation the first thing you must do of course is switch off your machine. Seeing as you will be working on the underside of the trimmer there is no harm in cleaning off the area and removing any loose cuttings or dirt. When you have yourself a clean working area, locate the cap that keeps the line in place and remove it. On the inside you will find the spool of line and you must take this out. Once out you must cut off the damaged line if there is any or give yourself new line if the existing line had snapped off. The ideal length of new line you need should be about 6 feet in length. Thread one end of this new line through the hole in the spool and then in an anti clock wise motion wrap the line around the spool. Make sure you do not do this clock wise! After wrapping around the spool leave yourself about 6 inches of line free at the end. The need for this 6 inches is to be used for cutting. Put the spool back into the strimmer and take the loose end of thread that you left and thread it through the correct hole for it in the head of the strimmer. Finally put the cap back on and you are then ready to go again.
This is a kind of simplified version for changing the line but it will apply to most strimmers. Not all models are the same and there maybe slight variations on the line changing method for you to adhere to when changing the line. But as with all mechanical tools and power tools, you will have a manufacturers instruction manual included in the purchase. So always read and familiarise yourself with the workings and maintenance requirements of your petrol strimmer. Petrol strimmer safety is also of much importance.
once you have removed the plug hatch place the socket over the spark plug. Unscrew the spark plug and pull it out. Then get your new spark plug and put it in place. Then tighten it with the well socket and replace the plug hatch. That’s it! As simple as that.
Petrol Strimmer 2010 Contact:garnett65@hotmail.com
Super Edge
This is a unique trimmer line with 10 point edges. Five of the edges are large and five are small. They work well together and when the large edges wear out, the smaller edges take up the job to give you continuous strimming with your petrol strimmer.
Kross Kut
This is one of the most popular trimmer line designs. A lot of work has gone in to the design of this particular line and the results are that it cuts much cleaner, as opposed to tearing the grass.
Round Line
This trimmer line is perfect to use with all year round trimming. It is very robust and durable and has a professional grade rating to it.
Square Line
If the trimmer line you need for your petrol strimmer has to be tough then this is certainly a line worth considering. It is designed for those extremely tough jobs and to give an excellent result. The shape of this line means that it will last much longer than a round line and it has a larger mass than any round line.
Proulx
This company was established in 1970 and began life building tooling for Mattel Toy Company. In 1976 the company Weed Eater approached Proulx to design and manufacture a spool tooling for a strimmer head. From 1990 Proulx began making it’s own strimmer line using rigid quality control in all stages of production.
You can buy Proulx trimmer line and replacement heads for your petrol strimmer directly from them via the internet at Proulx
If after servicing your petrol strimmer you still have problems with it, or in fact you have other issues that are not mentioned here, then it may well be worth you while to pay a visit to Fixya.com.
We discovered this website one day when we were roaming around the internet and found that it allows you to ask about any problems that you have with equipment. They tend to answer quite quickly and offer you several solutions to the your problems. You can find this site at Fixya.
Storing The Petrol Strimmer
The storing of your petrol strimmer is quite an important issue and there are steps to follow. You will not be using your strimmer in the winter months so the unit becomes pretty redundant. But this does not mean that you just place it in your garden and then pull it out 3 or 4 months later to use it again. If, after a period of non use, you wish your petrol strimmer to function properly and at the top of it’s working game, then a couple of procedures need to be adhered to.
So when you have come to the time of your last cut for the season, the first thing you need to do with your strimmer is to thoroughly clean it. You can hose it down with cold water and use a cloth to remove any dirt. Once all the dirt has been removed, take another cloth and dry the unit properly.
Secondly, you do not want to store the strimmer with any fuel in it. This fuel will become contaminated if you do. Drain all the fuel mix from the fuel tank. After you have successfully done this, drain away all the fuel from the fuel lines and carburetor. The best way of doing this is to simply start the strimmer and allow it to run until it stops due to no more fuel being present.
Finally, remove the spark plug and apply a rust inhibitor in to the combustion chamber and remove the head from the shaft. Your strimmer is now ready for a period of inactivity and the next time you require it, just fill again with clean fuel and you are ready to go again. Much has been said about storing the strimmer in a dry warm place, but this in our opinion is not so essential. Storing the strimmer in a garden shed with a blanket over it is adequate enough and has always given satisfactory results for us. For additional storage information check out garden tool storage.