Help With Echo Weed Whacker

[jetsam]

Well I haven't tuned anything well. My father in law is who messed with that one. So I have been watching YouTube examples of it, and hoping I can figure out.

Honestly, that could explain 100% of the issues listed in the first post (though with an older machine, could easily be other stuff too).

I suggest buying a cheap digital tachometer off Amazon to help you get started (I don't use mine anymore but I found it helpful at first). I think I paid $10 for mine. You don't need it but I found it reassuring to see that I was at the right idle and top RPM speeds (grab the product manual off echo's website to see what those are).

There is a great overview here, that is pretty much what I do (idle, low, idle, high, low, idle).

On an echo those orange caps come off before you start and on again when you are done (they're all chewed up because your father in law used a screw to take them out, which works fine if you're gentle and careful).

 

[Allagash350]

Agreed with what others have said, also worth checking spark arrestor screen if it even has one in the muffler.
I am a landscaper and have hundreds of hours weed wacking. A new unit comparable to that would set you back 400 bucks easily. A regular weedwacker may be cheap but the kind of work youre talking about, harnessed brushcutters are the way to go.
I never use grass blades they are too slow in my opinion. Gator magnum line works excellent, and i have brush blades for the wooded stuff thicker than a quarter or half inch. Stihl line is also really good, .105, but the thicker and heavier the line the slower it goes and more power is required. .95 is pretty standard and gator line in that size really decimates the grass.

 

[CTYank]

What blades work well for tall grass and weeds? I have tried one or two from hand me downs. They always seem to move the grass out of the way with air.


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As usual, it depends. Partly on machine design. How large a blade diameter can it handle, and what is I.D. of hole in blade. IME, with machines from 21 cc Echo of '78 (honest) to 27 cc Tanaka, a 12" diam. 25 mm hole diam, 3-knife or an 11" 4-knife blade works best on anything up to 3/4" woody stems. Beyond that 10" 20-tooth carbide or 9" chainsaw-cutter blades are preferable. All but the carbide-cutter blades are easily sharpened, even in the field, with flat or round file.

Some stihl brushcutter/trimmers can present a problem. Two I've encountered (130 and 460) can't accomodate much beyond a 9" diam blade. Don't ask me what they were thinking, or if they were.

From what I've read of "Tricut" blades, that are pitched like a propeller, I'd have to pass on getting bathed in the clippings they toss.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I'd like to get a blade for my Echo. What type works the best on brush?

 

[CTYank]

I'd like to get a blade for my Echo. What type works the best on brush?

Please see my previous. If you'd like a specific set of recommendations, I'd need to know what size blade your Echo can accomodate, and the size of the flange face on its arbor- the size of the corresponding hole in the blade center. Of course this all presupposes that the machine is capable of brushcutting- solid steel straight shaft, suitable (compact) guard, hardware to clamp blade to arbor, and harness to keep the blade away from your body parts. Absent that, you're kinda stuck with line-head. Pity. Else, read on.

Very likely you can get a "brushcutting kit" from the mfg., as I did for my machines, including all the bits named above, so you just have to mount your blade of choice.

About the blade, that would depend on just what you want to be able to cut. I've found that there's no "one size fits all", that different blades best serve different jobs. One with radial knives works best on smaller stuff like grasses, small woody stems and vines, stuff that various saw-tooth blades struggle with. Those knife-blades struggle with the bigger woody stuff, where the saw-blades spit chips and mow them down.

I've found it advisable to have a variety of blades available, and sometimes to make multiple passes through an area, whacking the small stuff first, then gearing up for the heavier. Doesn't take long to change a blade. Good opportunity to refuel machine and hydrate some. Another take on this would be to have, for example, a 10" 3-knife blade on a machine with front d-handle for whacking small stuff from the ground up past head height, then go to a bike-handle machine with a saw-blade for dropping the big stuff. Whatever works best for you, and lets you avoid overusing a given muscle group.

 

[greg13]

One thing that no one mentioned, NON ETHANOL gas!! Ethanol will destroy rubber, let it sit in a carb when the machine is sitting and it just starts swelling most types of rubber.
Non ethanol costs a little more usually only available as higher octane but worth it, after you run a few tanks through it you will not believe how much easier it starts.

 

[jetsam]

One thing that no one mentioned, NON ETHANOL gas!! Ethanol will destroy rubber, let it sit in a carb when the machine is sitting and it just starts swelling most types of rubber.
Non ethanol costs a little more usually only available as higher octane but worth it, after you run a few tanks through it you will not believe how much easier it starts.

It's not available everywhere.

For example here in NY, pretty much your only ethanol-free option is that "trufuel" stuff which is upwards of $20 a gallon.

I can buy a carb rebuild kit AND a gallon of gas for $20…..

 

[sportbikerider78]

Come upstate...we have plenty of the non-corn fuel. There are several stations around me and one about 3 miles from my house. Very handy.

 

[greg13]

It's not available everywhere.

For example here in NY, pretty much your only ethanol-free option is that "trufuel" stuff which is upwards of $20 a gallon.

I can buy a carb rebuild kit AND a gallon of gas for $20…..

More and more stations around here have it usually only as a premium grade for a few cents more than gas WITH ethanol additive. Go figure it costs more NOT to add something!

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Or you can buy pre mixed 50:1 in cans @ the big box stores.

 

[jetsam]

Or you can buy pre mixed 50:1 in cans @ the big box stores.

Not likely!