Help with my Ryobi

[Alan Davis]

I purchased a Ryobi string trimmer last year mainly because of the attachment capability. I have the tiller, hedge trimmer and edger. All attachments work well but the Ryobi is HARD TO START!

I am so frustrated with this string trimmer.

Ready to look at another one such as Stihl, Husgavarna or Echo but does anyone know if there any modles from these manufactures that will accept my Ryobi attachments?

Thanks,
Alan

 

[RandyT]

I believe that most of the trimmer manufacturers are using the 1" shaft that will interchange with about everybody elses brands. I wish that the trimmer companies would get there equipment straight with there carb adjustments. most are too lean from the factory and need to be adjusted within a month of purchase. I've adjusted 7 in the past week alone.

 

[arrabil]

I literally just went through this last week. None of the high end brands (Stihl, Echo, RedMax, Husqvarna, Maruyama, Shindaiwa, Tanaka, Kawasaki) interchange with the MTD system they call TrimmerPlus, Click-Link, EZ-something-or-other, etc.

I took a TrimmerPlus attachment to the Stihl dealer and tried to hook it up. The outer round shaft fits but the square driveshaft is bigger than the Stihl mating plug. So it doesn't spin freely like it should because its not really engaged. You could probably grind it down and make it fit (needs a quarter of a mm of grinding on two sides from my measurements).

I'm going to make an adapter to my new trimmer head (Tanaka 7-point star drive).

Now you could buy a Poulan Pro, Toro, Cub Cadet (near impossible to get), or Troy-Bilt full-crank engine but the reviews on the big sites say they are just as unreliable as the cheapo half-crank unit you have. Likely because its the stupid carb and ignition system that is the problem, not the crankshaft support that they advertise as making it so much more reliable.

 

[Gator6x4]

I have a neighbor who purchased a Ryobi. He advised he traced the hard start feature to the fact the unit does not have a choke. His answer was to drill a hole in the center of the plastic cover on the carburetor. When cold starting the engine he squirts gas by using a flexible plastic bottle containing gas to directly introduce gas down the throat of the carburetor. He advises it starts much better. He also advised the unit did not have an air filter on the carburetor only a screen wire covers the throat of the carburetor.

 

[arrabil]

How does he pull the rope and add gas at the same time?!

 

[Gem99ultra]

>snip All attachments work well but the Ryobi is HARD TO START!

I am so frustrated with this string trimmer.<snip
Thanks,
Alan

I have a Ryobi as well as a new Husqvarna. This is my second Ryobi; first one lasted 9 years. I have just about every Expand-It attachment sold and use it on the Ryobi.

There is a trick to starting either one though. You have to be sure to pump the primer up real good; at least 8 or 9 pumps. Choke just barely open. Hold the throttle wide open - it'll make pulling the start rope a lot easier. Three pulls and it should fire off.

BUT - the secret to keeping it easy to cracking and running smooth is to add about 1 oz of SeaFoam to 1 gallon of gas. Those little carbs gum up in a New York Minute. And they cost $40!

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

Gem99's just described the way I do it. I also had to try about 20 different settings for the idle adjustment screw before I found one I liked.

Now, how do I keep the vibrations from shaking that screw to another position?

 

[Bird]

I can't help with the Ryobi, but for anyone buying a new machine, the Stihl Easy2Start system in well worth the $30 it cost me. I would assume some other brands offer something similar, but it sure keeps you from working yourself to death to get started. My string trimmer starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull each time cold; first pull if it's been running and was shut off awhile, but even those are slow, easy pulls.

 

[arrabil]

Now, how do I keep the vibrations from shaking that screw to another position?

A drop of Blue Loctite.

the secret to keeping it easy to cracking and running smooth is to add about 1 oz of SeaFoam to 1 gallon of gas. Those little carbs gum up in a New York Minute. And they cost $40!

Now this is something I'm going to give a try. And the carb on my Troy-Bilt (31cc MTD) is almost $60. On a $99 trimmer no less.

but even those are slow, easy pulls.

Bird, my Yard Machines chipper/shredder has the best system I've seen yet. Starts on the first pull every time. Some kind of self-priming thing that turns the engine over many times on one slow and long pull. Granted it isn't a small 2-cycle.

 

[Gator6x4]

How does he pull the rope and add gas at the same time?!

He turns the Ryobi unit over onto it's side, squirts gasoline into the carburetor bore via the hole he bored into the plastic covering, turns the unit back upright, sets the gasoline container down and pulls the start rope. The short time lapse between injecting the gasoline and starting the unit prevents fuel evaporation.