[AT] ATIS members

[Ben Wagner]

Mike, thank you for your comments.  A while back, I read that  the 
pioneers of two stroke invented them to last just as long as four 
stroke, but now companies such as Poulan won't even support the engine 
components on their equipment.  Considering the price of a new trimmer, 
for example, a Poulan can easily be totaled just by replacing the fuel 
lines and doing a general service for $25 labor.

Thanks for sharing.
Ben Wagner


On 11/8/2012 7:57 AM, Mike Sloane wrote:
> Here is my "word of advice" on your endeavor: enjoy working on those old
> engines, but if anyone shows up with an older 2-stroke that "won't
> start", show them the exit. I have a barn full of chain saws, string
> trimmers, leaf blowers, etc. that look like new but won't run. They can
> be fixed up, but it usually means replacing the fuel lines, gas tank
> filter, and overhauling or replacing the carburetor - all the result of
> running ethanol laced gasoline that the machines weren't designed to
> handle. (Most of the old 4-stroke engines seem to manage the ethanol,
> but not well.) While I don't mind puttering with these things for my own
> amusement, there is no way you could do the work and charge less than
> the cost of replacing the whole machine - a brand new chain saw can be
> bought for $100 or less at one of the big box stores. I just brought
> home an older Husqvarna 40 chain saw that cleaned up very nicely, but,
> of course it won't start. Now I have to partially disassemble the saw to
> get at the carburetor/line/tank and see what I can do. If the Husky
> wasn't such a nice machine, I would send it right back to the town
> Clean-up day where it came from.
>
> Mike