Some intersting info for Poulan owners

[gm280]

I realize that this as far from boating issues as you can get, but I recently found out why I now have TWO Poulan BVM200SV (and FE) leaf blowers that won't start and run anymore. I owned one a few years ago and the usual carb cleaning and fuel line issues UNTIL is finally stopped cranking anymore. So stupid as I seem to be, I drive off to Lowe's and look what was available and actually bought another one exactly like what I had, a Poulan BVM200FE leaf blower. And after only a few months this one stopped cranking as well. It actually was running and pretty quickly slowed down and stopped while I was half way into the job...never to restart again. So a little PO'ed by now, I started to research the problem. It seems there are so many others with the exact same problems with the exact same blower. While they are warranted for two years, they are not making but a few weeks to months. So I watched a few YouTube repair videos and every one they were repairing had the exact same problem. That problem was a stuck piston ring on the piston which drops the compression to about 20psi instead of 100psi or so. And yes both my blowers had that exact same problem as well. The new piston rings are relatively cheap, if you don't include your time, being about $3 dollars each. But the actual repair effort takes a little time that you could be doing other things. I also thing that Poulan understands this problem because the original piston ring part number has been changed to a newer type. Hopefully when the parts come in I will fix both units again and all will be well again. Just had to post so others know what can happen to their leaf blowers if it is the same type... Have a wonderful evening folks and Merry Christmas if I don't get to post again until then...

 

[nwcove]

what happened to the days when a piece of equipment would last for years ? i have a skil chain saw that my father bought new many years ago...no chain brake...push the button to oil the chain....has had nothing done to it other than chains and bars, still starts with three pulls and is scary to use. the new stuff is iffy at best.jmo

 

[thumpar]

what happened to the days when a piece of equipment would last for years ? i have a skil chain saw that my father bought new many years ago...no chain brake...push the button to oil the chain....has had nothing done to it other than chains and bars, still starts with three pulls and is scary to use. the new stuff is iffy at best.jmo

There is still good equipment out there but with all the cheap stuff out there. I have a Husqvarna chain saw that is less than 10 years old and it never stops. One night it got left out next to a sprinkler. When they came on it filled the cylinder with water and hydrolocked. I pulled the plug and cranked on it a few times. Put plug in and it fired right up. That was about 5 years ago and it still fires right up.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Both my father and I have old craftsman saws (both 1974 vintage). both have been used to cut downed trees when camping alont the river. both have been dunked when running (pull plug, drain water, fire back up). both continue to run to this day. I did have to break down and order a carb kit to clean out the ethanol induced green gel a while back because I let it sit with ethanaol fuel in it, however other than that, these saws are now 40 years old and start right up. my old ryobi weed wacker that I handed to my sister finally needed some service. the original plug needed to be changed (after 20 years) they just dont make them like that any more

the newer equipment doesnt make it anywhere that long

 

[dingbat]

The reality is that we've turned into a throw away society. No one is going to spend $500-$700 on a piece of equipment they use 2-3 hours a year.

Customer no longer value quality. Everyone is looking for a "better value" which translates into "good enough". Buy cheap, throw away and buy another when it breaks. The manufauctures are more than happy to accommodate their desires

 

[gm280]

I actually got those two stuck rings on both leaf blowers freed up and the engines and piston cleaned. Everything looks really good now but I await the new rings to reassembly again. When I reinstall the old rings for comparison issues, there seem to be a lot of compression again. So maybe these things will see life again...

 

[Cofe]

I have an older hand held Poulan leaf blower that I bought at a yard sale 4 years ago. Gave $5.00 for it and it wouldn't start. Tore it down, and found the ring was carbon seized on the piston. Also the two hex head cylinder bolts were loose. Cleaned it up and replaced the fuel lines. Lasted two years before it again lost compression. Put a new ring in it last time I had it apart and has ran for another two years. I am thinking that it will probably quit on me again soon.

 

[gm280]

Yes Cofe, I am now reassembling my two engine since the new rings should up. And both of mine did have their rings frozen to the piston as well. With a little effort I did manage to get the rings off both unit's pistons and everything cleanup very nicely. But I am installing new rings being how they didn't cost but a couple dollars. That seem to be a very reoccurring issue with that engine from watching YouTube videos from small engine repair shops. So I'll see what happens once I get the recoil spring back in. Cleaning up the entire unit, I let that stupid recoil spring out of its cage. But I've rewound them before so tomorrow I should get them both operational again...at least I hope so!

 

[Grub54891]

The leaf blower I bought 4 years ago had a decal on it: average life,80 hours. Wth?? Well it's got many more than that on it now,clean good fuel every time. I don't know why it keeps running,but it does. I only buy husquvarna mix oil as my chainsaws are huskys,wich I havent had any issues with in 10 years. Maby I'm lucky the cheap blower still works! Not so much with the cheap weedwacker I had years back,no amount of fixin' could get that running again...
I must add,the poulan chainsaw I had before the husky's,would start and run in the driveway everytime. Get to the woods,if ya didnt have 3-4 sparkplugs with ya,ya just went home.I re-ringed it,carb kits,crank seals,ign module,no change.....
No more poulan for me.......

 

[dingbat]

The leaf blower I bought 4 years ago had a decal on it: average life,80 hours. Wth??

The average consumer blower and string trimmer get used 9-10 hours a year per an EPA report. At that rate, those 80 hours translates into a life expectancy of 8 to 9 years.

Lots of interesting insight in this report
http://www.epa.gov/nonroad/equip-ld/ph2nprm/ph2rsd-9.pdf

 

[rbh]

sounds like some one did not cut the ring groove big enough in the pistons

 

[gm280]

DIngbat, thanks for that link, that was some interesting reading.

However, I do have a little update to my two Poulan leaf vacuum/blowers to post for those that may be following this post. I receive the two new rings, pretty quickly too. They were very cheap about $2.50 each. And while I was waiting for the rings, I did manage to remove the old rings without breaking them and then cleaned everything up like pretty much new. So I installed the rings on each piston(s) and replaced them in their own engine. Yes, I did keep them separated, and then reassembled them. I have to say the first one cranked within three pulls... I was very pleased, and I ran it for about ten minutes without issue. The second one also started in about five pulls, Again very pleased. and I ran almost one tank through it blowing leaves around and off the driveway. So now I have two perfectly running and fairly easy to crank leaf vacuum/blowers again. Sure wish I would have just fixed the first one before buying the second one... But I can work with two now. I also drained out the old remaining 40:1 gas/oil mixture (only about an once or so left though in the main holder) and used new gas AND Poulan specific oil made for these engine to make absolutely sure everything was proper. 3.2oz of Poulan oil per gallon of fuel. Just wanted everybody to know how these two totally dead leaf blowers worked out. Opened my eyes pretty much. I'd never believed stuck rings in both blower would be the only problem with them... Glad I did a little research on the net before throwing them out... Sad that both only worked for such short times before needing internal work though. I did learned something, so I guess it wasn't all for nothing!

 

[Grub54891]

The average consumer blower and string trimmer get used 9-10 hours a year per an EPA report. At that rate, those 80 hours translates into a life expectancy of 8 to 9 years.

Lots of interesting insight in this report

http://www.epa.gov/nonroad/equip-ld/ph2nprm/ph2rsd-9.pdf

Well i suppose so,but not being an average suburbonite, I do use the thing pretty regular,between the house and cabin it gets many more hours on it than "average"
That 80 hours was up 2 years ago. Its reached it's 5th birthday this summer.