new powermate tiller.... what a letdown

[catjac1975]

Try cleaning the air filter and cleaning out the gas first. No one wants to buy a tiller that won't start.

I am probably going to put this thing on craigslist and take the loss. I am looking for a bigger one this year what is sturdy since I plan to expand the garden this year. So any recommendations for a good walk behind tiller that is good sized?

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

Naughty, i had a similar problem with an Airens tiller i bought a couple years ago. my dad was a mechanic and worked on mostly motorcycle engines as a young adult but dabbled a lot with small engines too. so when my tiller didn't start up the following year after i bought it i called him and he showed me how to pull the engine apart. not much to a small engine really and most time the problem getting them started is something related to the fuel not getting through. you just need to have a bowl or bucket ready to catch the fuel when you pull that line off, and remember which bolts you pulled off from what section. there really aren't many bolts to pull, usually one on the filter and 2 on the engine, and the connectors for the throttle and choke. most times it's just water in the fuel line or at the bottom of the tank, or a piece of grit blocking an intake. if you don't run them fully dry before you store it away for the season these problems can happen. i had to do that again this last spring, this time i didn't have to call my dad to help me!

the first year i had my dad fix the tiller it was a combo of something stuck in the fuel intake port and water in the fuel. we didn't have our compressor at the time but i had a can of compressed air handy and that worked to get the grit out of the intake. the fuel issue was easier to spot, water is heavier than fuel so it will show as a weird bubble at the bottom of a bucket/bowl. after all, water and oil products don't mix. you won't have to completely throw out the fuel, just pour the fuel off the top that is still good and don't let any of that water pour back in. i also suggest getting a fuel additive to help dry up any water that might be in the tank that didn't easily pour out when you pulled the fuel line and drained the tank.

eta: also, check youtube for videos on how to do small engine repairs. i'm sure there is some decent info on there! i've learned a lot by just searching on the internet and looking on there for things i want to learn to do on my own!

 

[so lucky]

My DH wouldn't dream of putting a gas powered motor away for storage without draining the gas tank first. He says gas goes bad quickly, and that will cause a lot of problems. On the other hand, my BIL is famous for buying the top of the line anything, then leaving it sit for years with gas in it. I can't tell you how many mowers, weed eaters, motorcycles, three-wheelers, etc, he has purchased and allowed to go to ruin in the past 20 years. It is also his habit to tear a machine down because "It needs some tweaking" and then leaving it in a pile, never to be a whole functioning motor again. Some folks are born to ruin. Come to think of it, he does that with people, too.

 

[Naughty]

Thanks for the ideas... I am not a mechanic but I am good at the basics... and remembering which screw goes where.... I'll try a little work b4 kissing it off.

 

[catjac1975]

We were told by a mechanic that the #1 cause of engines not starting is bad gas. What was changed in gas to help the environment makes it break down very rapidly. My husband buys an additive for gas and uses it very often if an engine has been sitting for even a short time.

 

[897tgigvib]

The Stihl leaf blower I bought is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than that Poulanpullpullnpull!

I set the poulan at a place for giveaways actually marked it as an exercise machine, and somebody took it Hope they get some good aerobic exercise from it!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

 

[DigginWithJon]

I have a few tillers. A old beast of a troy built. A early 80's Ariens Rocket type, and a attachment for my 1975 Cub Cadet. My girlfriend has the Mantis, and I must admit it has power for its size. And can tackle small to medium jobs fairly easily. Nothing is built with much quality anymore, and especially what they sell at the big box stores. You can find and older machine on craigslist and probably get it for a great price. If you want to buy a new tiller try a cub cadet dealer or stihl.

But no matter what you get, you will have a hard time starting it if you don't use gas with an additive such as stabil. The gas turns to sludge in the carb without it after sitting for a year. Even if you try to run the fuel completely out there will still be some in there. Best guess on the one you cant get started is this same issue. If you can figure out how to get the carb off- do it and take it to a small engine shop that should charge you about $20-30 for a cleaning.

Marshall- Jealous of where you live... The only orchid wildflower around here I've seen around the Chicagoland is the Spiranthes cernua.

 

[catjac1975]

I find that my Mantis needs a new air filter a few times a summer. I use it a lot.

I have a few tillers. A old beast of a troy built. A early 80's Ariens Rocket type, and a attachment for my 1975 Cub Cadet. My girlfriend has the Mantis, and I must admit it has power for its size. And can tackle small to medium jobs fairly easily. Nothing is built with much quality anymore, and especially what they sell at the big box stores. You can find and older machine on craigslist and probably get it for a great price. If you want to buy a new tiller try a cub cadet dealer or stihl.

But no matter what you get, you will have a hard time starting it if you don't use gas with an additive such as stabil. The gas turns to sludge in the carb without it after sitting for a year. Even if you try to run the fuel completely out there will still be some in there. Best guess on the one you cant get started is this same issue. If you can figure out how to get the carb off- do it and take it to a small engine shop that should charge you about $20-30 for a cleaning.

Marshall- Jealous of where you live... The only orchid wildflower around here I've seen around the Chicagoland is the Spiranthes cernua.

 

[seedcorn]

I bought a rear tune MTD with Briggs engine, after 5 years still love it. My dad bought a Cub, they look identical.

I'm big on who makes engine--no Tecumseh engines. Briggs ok, Honda excellent, stihl/husqavarna fine.