How's your EZ-START ?

[Old2stroke]

This refers to the system that uses a second "start" spring in addition to the normal cord rewind spring. When the cord is pulled, the engine gets harder to turn over as it approaches TDC and this causes the start spring to wind up, then when the piston goes past TDC the spring is released and kicks the engine over through another revolution, if the engine is going fast enough as it hits the resistance of compression again, it will get a spark out of the ignition and the engine will run. There is a critical amount of energy that must be stored and released by the spring, as the FW magnets must be traveling past the coil at or above the minimum speed required to create a spark. A common problem is some of these springs get weaker with use and can no longer drive the engine fast enough to do this, and it just stops when it hits compression. When this happens, the only way to get them started is to revert to drop starting, but this is a technique that is bound to destroy the starter, besides that, drop starting never feels right due to the mushy, lost motion feel of the cord pull. You are supposed to start these with just one smooth, even pull until the spring kicks the engine over, an instruction that is ignored by many owners. Cold starting can be an issue, even if the saw has a "primer" bulb and a good choke , it seems to take a lot of these 1-pop pulls to get a charge of fuel into the combustion chamber. The Poulan PP4218 and PP5020 with their helical spring are the worst, a marginal design to begin with and prone to early failure. I've modified many to return them to normal starting. Another innovation that's great when it works and gets owners swearing when it doesn't.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Some like these but those are the ones with torn shoulders or worse and cannot start a saw normally. I had to repair one of these. Gawd, what a pita . No way I would ever recommend one…

 

[stihltech]

Hate it or love it. I have many come in asking If I can convert their saw over to it. Pretty trouble free on the Stihls IF you use it correctly.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Guys try to start them like old saws and be a he man. You cant do that IMHO and I try and tell guys that.

So they pay me labor $$ fixing the weak design. When they yank the pizz out of them.

Stihl too. Husky and Poulan same same design.

I change them to regular when they let me.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I taught my dad how to use it right on his 180 I gave him for Christmas one year and he likes it. He has yet to fubarr it for many years now.

Now running ethanol mix is another thing.

 

[Old2stroke]

The ones with a flat spiral spring are easy to mod, I just pot the spring in epoxy so it can't wind up. The stacked coil ones you have to get out a torch and silver solder the coils or use a tig welder if you have one.
There's some confusion with Stihl, some saws have the shock absorbing pull cord handle and the owners think they have the EZ-start system.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

The ones with a flat spiral spring are easy to mod, I just pot the spring in epoxy so it can't wind up. The stacked coil ones you have to get out a torch and silver solder the coils or use a tig welder if you have one.
There's some confusion with Stihl, some saws have the shock absorbing pull cord handle and the owners think they have the EZ-start system.

I actually like the wind up one stihl uses on the 250. Got a couple in like that.

Pull a inch at a time till wound up and it takes off.

 

[Fordiesel69]

I have a GT-200i string trimmer, and you basically wind the starter and when it gets tight enough, it strokes the engine about 3 full revolutions. I personally hate it, but keep the engine assy for my dad so he at least has something he can start when the shoulders finally give out.

 

[ZeroJunk]

I keep a sack of the springs for the Stihl handheld blowers.
They don't take to being yanked .

 

[Pioneer]

Dislike them on string trimmers.

 

[Simon.O.]

I have an Echo trimmer and shindaiwa blower and both have the ez start.
Soft - gentle pull and they bark into life. I do a lot of lawn care and my elbow and shoulder appreciate the ease of use.
My saws are all solid pull and need a good yank as we know.

 

[Michael E]

I bought a used MS180 with the EZ start, didn't like it because it seemed weak and slow. It took quite a few attempts to start the saw. I figured I can start it much faster with a conventional starter and a decent pull. No. Turns out that I still need the same count of pulls. I will probably convert it back to EZ start.

 

[stihltech]

On the blowers, Stihl advised replacing the whole starter assembly if it came back after a assist spring replacement. Cured every one so far.

 

[Lee192233]

I have the assist on my 180. Just gotta remember it has it. It works well when you let it do it's thing.

 

[NSEric]

I have a couple clone saws with these spring assisted starters.
I havent broke them yet, you cant drop start the saw, pulling really slowly with no effort but the full length of the pull cord works best. Cold starts with no primer after sitting for a while take 8-10 pulls but they're very easy pulls.
When I run a different saw for a bit then use the easy start one I have to remind myself to not drop start it.

 

[GMB74]

The easy-start systems make it so anyone can start a saw. You just have to resist the temptation to yank on it like a normal starter.
Back when I worked at a Stihl dealership, I witnessed a little old lady weighing maybe 100 lbs. soaking wet, STANDING (both feet) on top of her MS180C and pulling the handle with BOTH hands to start her saw.
It worked for her.