Stihl leaf blower reached the end of the road

[gmerkt]

Which is a tool that I use a lot, year-round. We have lots of trees on the property, many mature trees 75 to 165 years old which give off a lot of litter. I've been using a Stihl BG 55 for a long time, at least ten years. It's been very good equipment, started easy and so on. I think the only thing I had done to it was have a new starter rope installed. Now, however, it has gotten very cranky about starting. It takes quite an effort to get it going, sometimes it won't start at all. I've put a new air filter in it to no effect. Also, the fuel tank has a slow leak. I can't leave fuel in it, I have to drain it out after every use.

I called a couple of the local Stihl dealers. I knew the answer already; the cost of repair for this machine would probably be somewhere around $100 or more. The shop labor rate is $85 an hour, plus parts. It doesn't take long to get up close to the cost of a new machine. Which would be a BG 56 priced at $180.

I know better than to try to buy anything like this second hand. I might wind up with two machines that don't like to start.

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[DB is Here]

Run non ethanol in your power equipment or you'll be replacing them every 10 years or so. At least what I've found.

 

[Unicykle]

10 years of hard use and it might need more than a $100 repair, could just need a tune up or the top end might be soft. I love my stihl br600 makes
Job site Clean up a snap and takes no time to blow the leaves into the neighbors yard

 

[cooper]

Replace/fix fuel leak and see what happens. Primer bubble, vacuum tank deal attached to fill cap, fuel line seal tank... Replace spark plug......take out the silencer and check if runs better.
That's all under 20 buck... No fix send me the barrel extension as mine duck taped.

 

[deadeye]

Have you cleaned the exhaust spark arrester screen, is the primer bulb in good shape, when's the last time you changed the fuel filter and what does the plug look like?

 

[JRapRobert]

Clean the plug or swap it out. Good fresh fuel and a clean plug usually brings the babies (and their sharper brothers, the chainsaw) back to life pretty well. Not a small engine mechanic, but a daily user

 

[The Heretic]

I use a pressure washer. The litter sticks to the asphalt so much after sitting there for months that it takes the pressure washer to get it unstuck. Especially the mossy parts - anything that is in the shade for months has lots of moss on it. I wait until it is warm, sunny and dry like now to do the washing.

I considered getting this for my 2 wheel tractor:




Because it would be a LOT faster, work better, work anytime of the year and work on snow too - but at almost $2K I can't afford it.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Buy a new one

 

[Mikej]

I've never run non-ethanol in anything. I do spike my gas for the power equipment with Seafoam fairly regular though. Mainly just to keep funk from building up in the fuel system and carbon out of the crankcase and rings in the 2-strokes. Over winter or prolonged sitting it will stabilize the gas/mix

Check and see if you have a good hot spark. If that blower of yours still has good compression, but hard starting, runs full out and idles low without dying once you do get it started the coil is suspect. In my experience with plugs in those 2-strokes, the plug will fail when hot, rather than on cold start. If it low idles with out trailing off and dying it's not a carb blockage keeping it from starting. The problem with Stihl is that you may have to go to a dealer to get the coil. Could be spendy.

I run Husqvarna backpack blowers, plural because I've had two of them stolen out of my truck. BUT, I order on line and have it at my door in 3-4 days. For less than the Stihl, that you need to kiss a dealers butt $$, for parts and such. I do my own work though and have had to replace coils in the Husky.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

I run non-ethanol is everything other than fuel injected newer vehicles.
And I never have issues.

 

[dmack]

Another place to check is the fuel line from the tank to the carb. They will crack and pull air into the system. I had it happen on a stihl chainsaw and a husky weedeater. About $15 part, and both started easily after the fix.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

new one. sell the old one for parts!

 

[gmerkt]

Run non ethanol in your power equipment or you'll be replacing them every 10 years or so.

I have been doing this with all my small horsepower equipment for several years now.

Buy a new one

I like this idea. I guy can dink around with this, dink around with that, doing a "diagnosis" by progressive parts replacement. I've got the funds, my inclination is to just move on to a new unit without spending a bunch of time messing around with my worn out one.

Another place to check is the fuel line from the tank to the carb. They will crack and pull air into the system

I think I have the opposite problem. When it does start, it seems loaded up. The normal routine of setting the choke to start it cold only loads it up more. I believe there is a diaphragm in the carb., that might be shot. I think the leaking fuel tank is a separate problem. Fuel slowly leaks out of the tank just sitting.

new one. sell the old one for parts!

Once again, I like this idea. As I said in my OP, no way am I gonna buy a used two cycle device. Just for the heck of it, I checked Craig's List. Used ones are offered for $140, 150, which is pretty close to the new price. Maybe my junker is worth something to someone for parts.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

I think I paid $259.00 for mine.

 

[gmerkt]

I just looked up my receipt for original purchase of this blower. I bought it in Oct. 2009, over ten years ago. I paid $150 for it new. So I used it for (rounded down) for ten years, that's a cost of $15 per year amortized out over the period of use. I guess I'm coming out okay by just "letting go" and getting a new one.

Replacement costs $180, note the $30 inflation in ten years.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

sure beats payin a landscape service

 

[gmerkt]

I think I paid $259.00 for mine

My existing blower is model BG 55, no longer made. The direct replacement for it is model BC 56. I've now checked four Stihl dealers in my area, all came up with $179.95. Plus tax, of course, add 10%.

I like Stihl equipment. I have two of their chainsaws and a weed trimmer. They've all been pretty good products. When I look at other machines that do the same thing, their prices are up there close to Stihl.

My first chainsaw was a Homelite. In my opinion, the American Motors of chainsaws. It's the brand that caused me to start buying Stihl.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

I think I have a 86 model

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

i really like my stihl chainsaw! its an old 026 thats been modded quite a bit. runs like a champ!

 

[gmerkt]

sure beats payin a landscape service

No argument there. When I can no longer do my own work of that kind here, I've got to find another place to live. Because our property is big enough that there is a lot to do. And a lot of it is stuff that needs doing over and over again all the time. I don't think Mrs. Merkt quite realizes how much work it really is. She looks out a window and sees trees. I can go out there and work the entire day long, and next day she looks out and sees the same thing, it doesn't look any different to her.