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I have gone through several, like at least one a year and have collected a ton of filters and fuel lines and spark plugs from these kits, I guess I could sell but I'd rather not have to keep buying the carbs. Can you seafoam them or something similar, fuel treatment, to keep these clean? I have an echo pas. Or if you know how to clean these. I've tried and never succeeded.

Use 100% non-ethanol Hi-test for your mix fuel.

Most good oil mix products have a fuel preservative in them..

run Tru Fuel premix or use non ethanol gas mixed with a quality 2 stroke oil.
in the winter i just crank my weedeater up once a week and let it run for a few minutes.

Simply not installing it would help.....Even then it will age.

Scrubcadet10 said:

run Tru Fuel premix or use non ethanol gas mixed with a quality 2 stroke oil.
in the winter i just crank my weedeater up once a week and let it run for a few minutes.

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If you don't run 'em long enough to get a full heat in it. It will just create moisture internally.

The primary weakness of these little two-strokes is the fuel pump, which is inside the carburetor. It's actually nothing more than a paper-thin rubber membrane, very delicate and flexible.

Regular pump gas contains up to 10% ethanol everywhere in the US. Ethanol is bad news for delicate rubber and plastic parts. Even worse, ethanol is hydrophilic, which is a fancy way of saying that it gets along with water quite well. These carbs fail because (1) the fuel pump membrane becomes too stiff to function or (2) the water that ethanol drags along with it plugs the tiny passages in the carb or leaves calcium deposits. Either way, your weed-whacker won't start in the spring.

I run pump gas in my two-strokes during the spring and summer, when I know I'll be using them often. Around the first of September, I switch to the canned stuff. By the time cold weather hits, everything is ready for the long winter nap, and in the spring will be ready to go.

1 oz Seafoam in every gallon of gas I buy for my smalls. Ice auger starts first pull or two, snowblower cranks up first pullsame with chainsaws,mowers, whackers and generator. I haven't had to clean a carb for 15 years.

If the filter on your fuel line is good then all you have to do is tip the fuel out when you have finished then start the tool & run it dry so there is little to no fuel in there to evaporate and clog up the very fine holes or glue the check valves open or closed as the case may be.
Cube carbs can only be cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner and even then it is 50:50
The bulk of the tune up kits are made from reject parts that are substandard from the start.
Other things that come into play are your location , the microclimate where your tool is stored, how you store your equipment .
In about 5% of the cases goops like seafoam & stabil will work in the other 95% all they do is cost money.
And it can be as simple as shifting it from the side wall of your shed to the back or visa versa

I use Seafoam as well. It even is good at cleaning out air tools, like my impact guns..

7394 said:

I use Seafoam as well. It even is good at cleaning out air tools, like my impact guns..

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I clean 2-stroke carburetors all the time, and replace metering diaphragm. Carburetor spray, fine wire and air compressor (no ultrasonic cleaner). Works most of the time. I use 10% ethanol in all my equipment year round. Keep the fuel fresh and dump it out when in doubt. Carburetors will never last forever, but good OEM ones will last a long time.

Tiger Small Engine said:

I clean 2-stroke carburetors all the time, and replace metering diaphragm. Carburetor spray, fine wire and air compressor (no ultrasonic cleaner). Works most of the time. I use 10% ethanol in all my equipment year round. Keep the fuel fresh and dump it out when in doubt. Carburetors will never last forever, but good OEM ones will last a long time.

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Using fine wire is just asking for trouble when it comes to the check valves which many cubes have.

BTW even a small USC is cheap enough for most shops to own one. Personally my shop has two 10L versions. One I use weekly and the other is the spare just in case the regularly used one fails. I started out with the 1.5L version but quickly found it to be too small for my use. The 1.5L is fine for cubes but not the larger carburetors that I clean. I actually sold my 1.5L unit nearly what I purchased it for four years after I brought it.

I have a JD weedwacker from 2005 and never had a problem with the carb. The problem with most WW is the exhaust. There's a spark arrestor screen on the outlet of the exhaust and that plugs up with carbon. I've seen carbs replaced,adjusted, and all sorts of other parts replaced when all along the screen was plugged.

Here is another vote for Seafoam. I use the stuff for everything, including my car because I am forced to buy unleaded gas with 10% or 15% ethanol in it. What the others have said about moisture is dead right. Ethanol is notorious for not only bringing moisture with it, but also causing condensation in fuel tanks that see hot and cool temps.

I put Seafoam in every can of gasoline I buy. I use it straight out of the can to help clean a carb that is running a little rough. I'll start he engine with no air filter. Then I'll pour a little Seafoam in the carb at a time. It'll blow big clouds of white smoke which is normal. After 4 or 5 times of pouring just a dab of Seafoam in, I'll pour it freely until the engines stalls. I let it set for a period of time. The length I let it set is dependent on how poorly the engine was running. It's usually just a few hours, but I have let it set overnight. It's amazing how many times doing just that will smooth a carb out. The problem is usually a build up of moisture laden ethanol fuel and sometimes a touch of varnish.

I also use Seafoam to prep all my engines for winter. I'll fire the engine up and let it get warm. I then do the carb trick just like trying to smooth out a sluggish carb. Once the engine has been stalled by the free pouring of Seafoam, I'll remove the plug and shoot a healthy dose of Seafoam spray into the cylinder. Then, I put them away for the year. Come spring, a couple of pulls and I'll get quite a bit of white smoke, but it'll fire and run without all the cranking on the engine. I have never had to replace a carb on any piece of my OPE in a whole lot of years.

Now, that's the opinion of a small time operator that has simply picked up tips and tricks from old time mechanics. Below is a link to a page on Seafoam's site with detailed instructions on how to do a LOT of things with Seafoam. Some of it is common sense stuff, but there is some very useful info on there too. I have every one of the How 2 files downloaded to my local hard drive for reference. And, before anybody asks, I have no affiliation with Seafoam at all. I'm just a long time, satisfied user. Hope you can find something useful on the link.

I do have to say that I just got home from scrounging through a guy's shed full of small engine stuff. He was in business a LONG time and was an Oregon dealer and had also received the Kohler Gold Certification. He died suddenly and his cousin is selling everything out. I bought two, 24 bottle cases of Seafoam for $5 a can. He had 10 or 12 more cases, but would only sell me 2 cases at that price. I couldn't refuse. A single can of Seafoam at my local O'Reilly store is $11.49. I bought a lot of other stuff as well, like a 24 count case of Champion RC12YC plugs. Right now they are $4.99 at my local O'Reilly store. I gave $1 each for them. Couldn't pass that either. LOL!

Here is the link:

https://seafoamworks.com/how2instructions/
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I own two Echo Trimmers Model # SRM210 that are about twenty years old & operating. Most folks do not read Operators Manual, valuable information & specifications. I use Echo 2-cycle oil, Star Tron Fuel Treatment & high test 93 octane gasoline in all outdoor power equipment. I also try to use OEM replacement parts when available.

My small stuff like WW, blower & Mini-tiller,etc. I always pull the piston up to TDC (Top Dead Center) & leave it there for storage.