Is a Spark Arrestor really Necessary?

[Born2Mow]

Unless you in a fire zone with 4 foot high dry grass (Africa) you don't need a spark arrestor.........

or California

Spark arrestors have been shown to cause cancer in California.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

Spark arrestors have been shown to cause cancer in California.

I hear you need a spark arrestor on a battery powered chainsaw in California.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

LOL!

 

[genevaemery]

You don't need the spark arrestor to stihl tools at first, but it will make your job so much better. Although it isn't the same as driving without an air filter, it does help keep dirt and sawdust from being sucked back into the engine. Any dust or dirt that enters the piston may cause it to score.

 

[cpurvis]

You don't need the spark arrestor to stihl tools at first, but it will make your job so much better. Although it isn't the same as driving without an air filter, it does help keep dirt and sawdust from being sucked back into the engine. Any dust or dirt that enters the piston may cause it to score.

I'd like to hear an explanation of how dirt and sawdust gets sucked into the engine through the exhaust.

 

[slomo]

I'd like to hear an explanation of how dirt and sawdust gets sucked into the engine through the exhaust.

Okay, add me to the list.

slomo

 

[Hammermechanicman]

I guess i need to get plug up them big holes i put in a few chainsaw muffkins

 

[mitchstein443]

I got to page 2 and stopped reading responses, but want to make sure one of them hit on this point.. if not here is new information..

If it was equipted with one from the manufacturer is is required by law and INSURANCE rules..

Here's what has happened to a homeowner..

He was weedwacking, his weed wacker set a pile of leave to smoldering which he didn't notice, he got done wacking off and put his tools away and went inside the house..

the leaf pile caught fire and burned his shed all up, when he went to file a claim with his home owners they wanted the weedwacker for investigation, first thing the adjuster said was, where is the spark arrestor, home owenr said huh? then said after being told what it was, "I was told it was not neccesary to didn't replace it just removed it". the adjuster said thanx and left..

his claim was denied for not using proper operating tools that caused the fire...

He was pissed, he hired a private guy to investigate and a lawyer to sue the inurance company, the lawyer said "don't waste your money, it doesn't matter what started the fire, the spark arrested was missing and therefore the insurance company is not liable to you any longer..

So to me, the arrester is important.. if your running a landscaping company it might just void your business insurance if it is missing or your homeowners insurance...

 

[cpurvis]

I got to page 2 and stopped reading responses, but want to make sure one of them hit on this point.. if not here is new information..

If it was equipted with one from the manufacturer is is required by law and INSURANCE rules..

Here's what has happened to a homeowner..

He was weedwacking, his weed wacker set a pile of leave to smoldering which he didn't notice, he got done wacking off and put his tools away and went inside the house..

the leaf pile caught fire and burned his shed all up, when he went to file a claim with his home owners they wanted the weedwacker for investigation, first thing the adjuster said was, where is the spark arrestor, home owenr said huh? then said after being told what it was, "I was told it was not neccesary to didn't replace it just removed it". the adjuster said thanx and left..

his claim was denied for not using proper operating tools that caused the fire...

He was pissed, he hired a private guy to investigate and a lawyer to sue the inurance company, the lawyer said "don't waste your money, it doesn't matter what started the fire, the spark arrested was missing and therefore the insurance company is not liable to you any longer..

So to me, the arrester is important.. if your running a landscaping company it might just void your business insurance if it is missing or your homeowners insurance...

I got to paragraph 2 and quit reading this.

It sounds just like the old hogwash that if you use handloaded ammunition in your gun and have to use it to stop a criminal from doing harm to you or your family, YOU will be the one going to jail.

For one thing, is a person who buys a used two-cycle piece of equipment expected to disassemble and verify the presence of this spark arrestor, of which few people are even aware of its existence, let alone where it is located?

 

[7394]

Agreed 100%.