Brian, you're right. THANK YOU !!! Tru-Fuel seems to be the real deal. And
I've been scoffing at canned gasoline sold for wine prices.
I've brought aviation unleaded home from the airport and added Sta-Bil for all
the 4-cycle lawn equipment (lawn tractor, mower, snow blower) for a couple of
years. Runs much better, though to be honest the tractor doesn't care what gas
is in it or how old. 17.5 HP Kohler, about 1999. I don't need Tru-Fuel for
the 4-cycle stuff.
I've recently been mixing that same gas with high-quality chemical lubricant
for the 2-cycle stuff and it's seemed mostly OK. For sure better than pump gas
(gasohol only here). With pump gas every new batch of fuel requires carb
adjustments. And I had a can of starting fluid sitting around for decades,
unused. Now I seem to use starting fluid every month or two.
My (1970) Echo blower hadn't run in years. Probably a fuel issue. That was
why I tried the EGO blower. When the EGO wasn't up to the taks, I bought a
diaphragm kit for the old Echo's carb and put it in. Filled the tank with
Tru-Fuel and a couple of pulls and it runs. That ancient Kioritz engine is
still strong. And it blows far stronger than that top-model EGO battery toy.
Little 2-cycle equipment uses so little fuel that there's nothing to save even
at $6 a quart for Tru-Fuel. It works. No more mixing for me.
I may even buy a gas string trimmer now. Not sure if Echo is still what it was
though -- I got screwed on an Echo ES-230 vacuum/shredder/mulcher some years
back because of the warning about using only 89+ octane fuel less than 90 days
old. Where is that warning? In a paragraph on page 17 of the manual, after
pages of lawyer advice about not licking the muffler while the engine is
running. Who reads that?
My "Pro" Echo dealer told me NOTHING other than to buy Echo oil - and I bought
a case from him along with the ES-230. When the engine overheated I took it
back to him and he said it was fine, just use it. It ran less than 45 minutes
more and finally shot fire out of the head gasket. Then he refused to even ask
Echo to warrantee it. Bottom line, I got a lemon from a lemon of a dealer. I
called Echo and they gave me a short block as long as I had (another) dealer
install it. And it's still running. That huge landscaper supply dealer has a
sign in his service area about the Echo fuel requirement.
I shipped the EGO electric blower back - not sure how much that experiment will
cost me, but it wasn't worth it. I'm an engine guy.
Thanks to all !!!
Karl
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Kemp [mailto:bk13@earthlink.net]
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Electric String Trimmers
Regarding your "lower hassle factor" comment, if you stay gas, give the
canned fuel like Tru-Fuel a try. My blower, string trimmer, and chain
saw always start right up, even after months or 2 years for the chain
saw. Yes it costs more, but it makes it super easy not having to keep
fresh gas, especially with the mess they have in California.
I had problems starting my Echo string trimmer and went back to the
dealer and the first thing they wanted to blame was my gas. I said that
I never used anything other than Tru-Fuel and he became super helpful.
Turns out I shouldn't have followed the starting directions as written
and was flooding the engine. No problems in the 6 years since and it
gets worked very hard 4-5 times a year.
My previous string trimmer was a Ryobi and when the engine died at 3
years and 2 month, all the service places blamed my gas and said to just
toss it. Have not bought a Ryobi product since and never will. The
semi-pro Echo is far superior. Especially like the easy loading string
in the Speed-Feed head - Just take a 20' length of .095 line, stick it
through the hole and twist the head to wind it up. No more trying to
wrap a spool then install it in the head. This alone is worth most of
the price difference from a home center product to a real outdoor
products dealer.
Also like my Sthil low noise backpack blower. I have a corded electric
Toro, but it seems louder and has much less power. It too always starts
right up on Tru-Fuel. When I use it, I'm running it 30-45 minutes.
Could never expect a battery product to work for me.
Battery products may work for some, but for my situation, I don't
consider them an option and I have zero issues with gas products since I
stopped mixing with pump gas.
Brian
On 8/20/2019 3:26 PM, Karl Vacek via Shop-talk wrote:
> Related topic. I recently went through this consideration (still don't have
> a new string trimmer or edger) and became convinced that the EGO stuff was
> the best. Based on reviews and videos - never touched one till I ordered it.
>
> I started with their biggest blower, which came with the 5-AH battery and a
> charger. It's fine, I guess, but unless you push the "Turbo" button it's not
> close to the power of my 50 year old Echo gas blower. A fast clean-up after
> mowing, using full trigger but not any time in Turbo mode, and I'm down to
> half battery. If it was leaf season I'd be taking a 1-1/2 hour break every
> 45 minutes. And I swear it slows down as the battery runs down, though maybe
> that's just my disappointment kicking in.
>
> It was an Amazon purchase and it's going back. Now I'm not sure the lower
> hassle factor of a battery tool is worth it. I still need a string trimmer
> and an edger.
>
> Going to the Stihl dealer next, and probably resigning myself to putting up
> with 2-cycle engines for a while more.
>
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