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We've had this STIHL weed eater for years and this is the first time I wasn't able to crank it up. When I pull on the cord, it'll come out part way then stop. And it's kind of hard to pull. Sometimes it'll come all the way out but it still doesn't crank. Is the motor going bad or is it something else?

Did you take the spark plug out and try to crank it? Do you have a compression release button to let some compression out to make it easier to start? If that doesn't help I would take the pull rope cover to see if anything in there is needing lubrication & cleaning. There are catches in there that have to move freely to start engine, that is what makes your rope come out with out turning the engine. The spring that returns the rope back in sometimes falls out & may be hard to put back in.

I haven't tried taking out the spark plug yet but I will. I'm not sure if there's a a compression release button . I'll get back to you.

Do you have a operators manual? It will tell you about compression release.

There is a compression release on the cam that may be faulty.
But first off, remove the plug and pull the rope. See how wet the plug is.

Ok. Sorry for the late reply. I took out the spark plug and saw that it was just a little bit wet. When I pulled on the rope, it came out very easily. I did this several times and then put I the spark plug back in and tried pulling the rope again but found that it was still hard to pull. I saw you guys mentioning the owner's manual and a compression release switch. I looked all over for a compression release switch but couldn't find one. What does it look like? I'll check out an online manual and see what it says and get back to you.

You don't have a manual compression release like some chainsaws. You have a 4mix engine. The cam has a compression release built into it. Try this, remove the spark plug. Turn unit upside down so the spark plug hole is facing down. Be sure switch is turned off. Pull the rope vigorously a dozen or so times. Put the plug back in and try to pull the rope. If still hard then adjust the valves. Make sure the the valve cover is installed and air tight before starting the engine. The cylinder head upper area is part of the primary compression. If it is still hard to pull after adjusting the valves you probably need a new cam. 4180 030 1800 part number.

Ok. I'll try this next week. Hope it works.

Possibly totally unrelated but I just did a Husky 345 which exhibited the same symptoms.
It threw me all week till I finally decided to remove the starter pulley and check the condition of the spring.
Well blow me down if the pulley had not split into 2 discs and when the rope was pulled on the saw they moved apart & jambed.
Without the plug or when off the saw the cord pulled out & retracted easily and properly .
It is the little things that drive you mad.

bertsmobile1 said:

Possibly totally unrelated but I just did a Husky 345 which exhibited the same symptoms.
It threw me all week till I finally decided to remove the starter pulley and check the condition of the spring.
Well blow me down if the pulley had not split into 2 discs and when the rope was pulled on the saw they moved apart & jambed.
Without the plug or when off the saw the cord pulled out & retracted easily and properly .
It is the little things that drive you mad.

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Man... I really hope that's not the problem. About how much did you charge to fix that?

$ 50 AUS
The pulleys can be bought from China for $ 5,00 but I get mine from a wholesaler in order to get better parts with warranty
And that price included a new rope.
IT was a 5 minute fix once i found the problem.

Have you adjusted the valves yet?

Fish said:

Have you adjusted the valves yet?

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Not yet.

Shawn R. said:

Not yet.

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Do that before spending any money. Very easy to do.

Fish said:

Do that before spending any money. Very easy to do.

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Ok. We tried adjusting the valves but it didn't help at all. I finally had enough of it and took it to a repair shop. They replaced the carburetor, spark plug, air filter, and primer bulb and now this thing is running like it's new. All those parts it needed because I never replaced those. They charged $107. The cord pulls very easily now.

Must have been a carb flooding thing.
The valve adjustment should be done every now and then.

Well, that didn't last too long. I am catching hell cranking it up now. The cord will pull out but it won't crank up unless I pull on it like 10-20 times. I prime it up about 3-4 times and then try to crank it. Why is it so hard now? Is it the fuel? I am using TruFuel 40:1. Should I switch to 50:1?

That is a 4mix engine. If the valve cover or the crankcase is not sealed it will be hard to start. The valve cover is part of the crankcase primary compression. Double check all the crankcase bolts are tight and that the valve cover is sealed. Look for telltale oil leaking at crankcase seams and the valve cover. Would not hurt to check the valve lash and replace the spark plug.

Ok. I'll check all of that out tomorrow. I had this in the shop and they pretty much replaced everything except for the fuel filter. It cranked just fine the first couple of days though. Strange this is happening now.

I took the cover off and took out the spark plug. I wiped it off and put it back in. This seems to have fixed the issue. Very strange indeed.