Costalegre Jalisco Mexico

Anyone had one of these. I'm using the metal blades but can't figure out how to mount the plastic string attachment. Don't know if I'm missing parts

Figured it out. Have to take the metal blade off to see how it's meant to go. Metal blades make a lawn look like a bad haircut. Maybe the plastic spool will last until the Home Depot is open in Colima

Scott -- For once I would have been of assistance. My parents ran a mower shop while I was in grade and high school and I had mowing jobs on the side -- back in the days when 5th graders were allowed to be productive members of society. I learned quite a few tricks with lawn tools

It works well both ways but the plastic string is the way to go for small stuff. I imagine I'll get to try both when clearing our lots. Gas because there is no electricity there. It's a nice machine but could now use one of their chainsaws for the trees. Probably have to hire a local with a machete

Now I have a real question. Just tried to fire it up after after sitting a few weeks. A friend used it last and didn't mention any problems. Now it's like there is no start clutch ... in other words, pull the cable and it spins free - not turning the engine over. Do these things freeze up in humidity

I have never heard of humidity affecting them. Of course, my experience is limited to the Pacific Northwest. I assume you looked for the possibility of debris blocking a connection with the start clutch. I am trying to imagine what else could be wrong. But I am much better with my hands than with imagining.

The housing pretty much covers the clutch area and I'm not ready to start taking it apart. Maybe and inserted screwdriver will move the rope thingy back and forth

Scott, if you need more string, let me know what size and I'll pick some up at Home Depot or Lowe's and bring it down next month. Your other item arrived 2 days ago.

Elke

Cool .... thanks Elke. The start rope is fine, this thing is almost new. Looks like I`ll need to remove the cover and look at it. A screw driver was no help

From a Ryobi forum ... I don't have any Torx drivers and don't really want to do it. Anyone know a good small engine repair person
--------------------------------------

My SS30 is about 2 years old I think, but just yesterday
developed a pull cord problem. After a few pulls it got in a
bind and would not return. I have taken it apart 3 times
trying different things, but after a few pulls, same thing.

For those interested, I found the clue on another forum.
Once you take out 4 screws with t-25 torx driver, you can
remove the handle. Be watchful of a spring that goes around
the shaft as it can fall out. If it does the narrow end goes
in first. Once that is removed, you will see the clutch,
which is also held on with a t-25 torx screw (the clue). You
do need a narrow shaft driver to be able to go down the center
of the clutch housing. I used a screw driver placed through
the vent holes in the plastic housing and into the fins to
hold it so I could turn it counter-clockwise to break loose
and remove (did not need a lot of force). Lift the clutch
housing off and then you will see the clutch threaded onto
the shaft. I used the screwdriver in the fins again to hold
and then a strap wrench to turn the clutch counterclockwise
(did not need a lot of force).

Once that is out of the way, you remove the t-25 torx screws
holding the plastic case on. Now lift this off and you can
get to the cord which is located in the plastic case. There
is a metal plate holding down the pull cord assembly. as
soon as I loosened the three screws the pull cord returned
easily. Something in the assembly is no longer staying in
place. it starts pushing up after pulling on the cord and
binds again against the metal plate holding the assembly into
the plastic case.

If you remove the metal plate, you can take the top of the
assembly off. Be careful, to hold down the main part at the
edges, otherwise the whole thing could lift up and come apart
and the spring unwinds. (this did not happen to me here but
has on other equipment. Not sure if this would happen or
not, just a warning.) There is a spring just under this cap,
that I thought was causing my problem. The top part has
notches which turns the motor for starting. This spring
appears to help turn the motor. It is not under tension, so
no worries about removing and getting it back. One end of
the spring has a bend that fits in a hole in the top. It
looks like the plastic top is not strong enough to keep the
spring where it needs to be. on my last attempt I bent the
spring so it was 90 degrees so it fit better in the whole,
but alas it did not help. I have tried 3 times tightening
everything carefully not to bind and after a few pulls, it
binds up.

There is a Dewalt sales and repair more or less across from the Scuba Shack. He directed me to a Husqvarna (plus a few other things) sales and repair about a block north of Juanitos on the beach side of the street. He does small engine repairs.

Since we didn't find him 'till everything else was done ... killing 3 hours was not in our schedule. He is also not a humble backyard Mexican mechanic ... but I'll let you judge that if you go there.

I think I'll look further around here ... or deeper in Manzanillo

I found a shade tree mechanic in Villa Obregon and gave it to him yesterday. Picked it up today
----------------------------

The shade-tree mechanic fixed it for $300 pesos which is about $27us these days. Also gave me a lesson in these small engines - saying you are better off buying electric or the $500us models (mine was $250 w/metal blade). The small ones just get too hot no matter the brand name. He brought out a Trooper brand and it looked identical to the Ryobi. The Trooper couldn't be fixed and was only a few months old. If you have one of these keep the RPMs down (hard to do) and don't use it for too long at a stretch