Has anyone here purchased/using this Homelite petrol blower/vac ?
Hi @Noyade,
This Homelite 26cc Petrol 2 Stroke Blower Vac hasn't changed drastically in the past ten years. I'm very familiar with it and have used it many times. If you have any questions about it, I'd be more than happy to assist.
Mitchell
Good morning Mitchell @MitchellMc
I bought this on Friday afternoon - despite mostly negative reviews on the Bunnings web site and only a 2.5 star rating.
To cut a long story short there were a number of issues with it which I believed I could live with and I managed to start it with minimal effort, but further starts became troublesome and then impossible.
After the engine was hot - I turned it off and tried a hot start. This proved to be very difficult.
So I left it for two hours to cool down and tried a cold start, but there was no may this machine was gonna start.
I gave up that evening, repackaged it, went to Bunnings and spoke with the garden appliance staff member.
He reassembled it and following the instructions - failed to start it.
Refunded.
When I got home I re-read the reviews and one person said the only way they could get this started was to squeeze the trigger fully THEN pull the cord. I couldn't see this in the instruction book. If it had a Ryobi style cruise control you could set this up but despite the web page saying it has one - I couldn't see it?
Nor could Larz...
But thinking about this - was I too hasty in returning the appliance?
Should I have tried the "full throttle" method?
Cheers!
There's a good chance you've come across a defective unit. In my experience, if the start-up procedure is followed exactly, whether the machine is hot or cold, it will start the first time every time. In almost all the units I assessed over the years, 99% of start-up failures were because the choke was not turned from full to half after a few pulls of the cord. If left on full, it will flood the engine, and the only way you'll get it started then is to pull the trigger, which disengages the choke and then pull the cord several times. You'll find that the machine likely will fire up and run during this clearing procedure if you're holding the trigger down. If you're not holding the trigger down, it will combust the fuel in the cylinder and stop. I suspect that's what has happened with the reviewer. They're flooding the engine by not turning off the full choke when starting and then managing to start the engine by holding the trigger whilst pulling the cord. Both of these methods will start the engine; it's just better practice to turn the choke to half when starting.
From memory, I believe the start-up procedure is prime by pressing the bulb three times, selecting full choke, pulling the cord three times, selecting half choke and then pulling to start. Mind you, it's been a good ten+ years since I ran a Power Gardening section. I can't remember the exact procedure for a hot start, but instinctively, if the machine has just been running, I'd be pulling the trigger and pulling the cord. It should start right up.
If the machine was functioning correctly, I have no doubt that you'd find starting it a breeze. The team member not being able to start it is also a good indication that it was faulty. You do come across faulty units from time to time, but they are typically reliable and budget-friendly machines that I wouldn't hesitate to purchase myself.
G'day Mitchell. @MitchellMc
Thanks for your post above!
"There's a good chance you've come across a defective unit"
Quite possibly. But what do they say - one door closes and another opens. In the end I googled "cheapest petrol blower in town"
And I bought it - $95.
If you're interested - I'll let you know how it goes. 😁
Firstly - congratulations on a far superior search engine. You get a basic summary of the past thread - including photos…
So this past thread was very easy to find.
"If you're interested - I'll let you know how it goes."
Just over three years now and still going strong. I did try gaffer tape to reduce air leaks - but I think this is a retrograde step as since no air can escape from the sides there is more motor effort to 'push' outward though the narrow nozzle. Just a theory. Still in use as it is so easy to start.
This is now the only 2-stroke machine in my gardening inventory. I blew a shoulder ligament trying to start a whipper-snipper three weeks ago and in frustration and anger I have now tossed out all the other 2-stroke machines. I have scavenged my shed and found my 240V chainsaws, whipper-snippers and hedgers.
If I'm still alive in three years - I'll give you a further update.
Cheers.
Hello @Noyade
Thank you very much for the update! It's good to see that the blower is still functioning, I'm sorry to hear about your injury, I hope it is much better now and wish you a speedy recovery. An update after three years would be fantastic.
Eric
