Fuel Related Problems In Garden Machinery And How To Avoid Them

There are many reports, especially in the springtime from dealers and suppliers of garden machinery that they are getting complaints about petrol hedge trimmers and other petrol driven garden machinery failing to start. Very often, these are fuel related problems and if often turns out that what has happened is that the customer has left fuel in the tank of their machine and this has become old and stale over winter – or alternatively, that they have have remembered to drain down, but have re-filled it with fuel stored in a can overwinter – and of course, this is also now stale and useless!

It is so annoying for owners to find that a machine they may only have purchased a few months ago just will not work – perhaps unsurprisingly, they are also very annoyed to find that because they have failed to drain the tank or have refilled it with old fuel, repair is not covered by the warranty which is limited by certain terms and conditions.

Many people are very surprised to learn how short a time petrol remains viable in storage. When you buy it from a garage and put it in your car tank, it is used almost immediately and is certainly not there for more than a few weeks. Once it has come out of the pump and been exposed to the air, it starts to degrade. This degradation is even more pronounced if fuel is stored in a container that is not lightproof. The first thing that happens is that some of the more volatile elements in the fuel evaporate. In your hedge trimmer engine, this means that it is harder for the spark from the plug to ignite the fuel.

There are changes in the actual chemical make-up of the fuel over time in store. The inside of the carburettor may become coated with a sticky film and this can also clog up the fuel filter. Engine damage can result as two stroke engines are more prone to damage if insufficient fuel is delivered into the engine.

What you can do to avoid this sort of problem with your hedge trimmer and other garden machinery.
Make sure that any time you are going to be storing your machine for longer than a few weeks and definitely for the winter period, you remove all fuel from the tank. After this, running the engine on ‘idle’ will ensure that the carburettor is also cleared of any remaining fuel.

Make sure that you clean the outside of your engine before storing away.

It is helpful to protect the inside of the engine over winter and this is easily done following the instructions in your handbook. The process usually involves removing the spark plug and pouring in just a teaspoon of oil or a couple of sprays of lubricating spray. Pulling the starter cord slowly and gently a few times with the ignition switch in the off position will distribute the lubrication inside your engine. Finally re-insert the spark plug before storing.

Make sure you store your machine in a clean and dry environment. A hessian sack makes a good covering that will keep dust off, allow circulation of air and give some protection from cold temperatures as well as keeping light out.

After you have drained your garden machinery, including your hedge trimmer, make sure that you not only dispose SAFELY of the fuel you have removed but that you also dispose of any remaining fuel in your storage can. It would be very sad after going to all that trouble to accidentally refill your tank with stale fuel from the can in the spring. Following the above procedures will ensure that you avoid fuel-related problems.

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