GardenKit

From the way I read it a permission may not be granted via email, but has to be in writing and signed. This hard copy then has to be safely kept on file. So not only will we be keeping data such as names and address, but also the customers signature! But, like I say, I really don't understand what we have to do yet, and time is running out.

The GDPR compliance date is nigh (May 25th), and we are struggling to understand what we need to do. This effects ALL businesses, however large or small. How are you guys doing? Any thoughts may help others.

If the primer is pressurising the tank then it is working OK in so much as its pulling air in one side and pumping it out the other, causing air pressure to enter the tank. Normally though, the system does not pressurise the tank as it pulls fuel from the tank, through the carb and back into the tank, maintaining equilibrium. So you need to find out why the vacuum from the pump cannot pull the fuel, I suspect the pickup hose is kinked or trapped, or the filter is choked. This would prevent the fuel leaving the tank and also prevent the tank from venting pressure. But if this were the only issue the pump bulb would stick down once pressed and not return, so I would check for a fractured hose between the carb and primer.

Glad you got it sorted Andy. Not sure what fluid I am using in my Ultrasonic at the moment, but its a proprietary one bought through one of my suppliers, probably Kramp. There are two basic types, one for steels and glass etc, and another non caustic one for softer metals. Its the latter type you need for carbs. The Ultrasonic will work with just water, but a bit of help from a cleaning agent is useful. In the absence of a proprietary fluid a drop of washing up liquid will help.

To be honest Spud, its really fine to prick out the jets on these larger carbs with a wire. In fact Honda supply a set of picks specifically for this job. I have the Honda picks which are merely two different diameters of greatly overpriced steel wire, and have supplemented them with various other made from governor springs with the hooks cut off. Often, the deposits in the jet holes and the holes in the emulsification tube can be a little stubborn and air or solvents will simply not shift it so a quick rodding with the wire is the best course. I have even resorted to my set of acetylene torch nozzle cleaners from time to time, but these are like little files and need to be used very gently. However, I never use these tools on two stroke carbs, only solvents or Ultrasonic and only ever use air with extreme care.3

All engines need a little extra fuel to start them, and this is what the primer does. Some need a little extra to keep them going whilst warming up, but the Quantum is not one of these whilst in good order. The problem with yours will be a partially blocked main jet not allowing sufficient fuel through. Although yo say it eventually runs without the primer pumps I doubt its running properly. In the first instance remove the bowl and clean it out, and clean the jet. The jet is the hole in the little brass bolt that holds the carb bowl on. Also drop the float out and clean the needle and seat. Change the fuel for fresh fuel and clean out the fuel tank, this should then do the trick. If not a complete carb clean will be required, best done in an ultra sonic cleaner.

To be honest, 160cc is more than enough power, the 21" Kaaz and it's variants have used it for years. The Stiga BBC model has a 160cc GXV engine, a much higher quality engine than the 190cc GCV in the lesser models

We have had some of these in the hands of pro users for a couple of seasons and have had no problems at all despite the intensive use. I have a lot of respect for the Twinclip range of mowers, great quality at a cracking price.

This sort of attitude from a dealer/repairer really winds me up as it such just goes to show how totally ignorant some technicians are. Aspen certainly is not 'crap' but some repairers certainly are. As said by others, there are slight differences in vapour pressure and density between alkylate fuel and pump petrol, just as there are differences between different brands of pump petrol. Its really not difficult for a good mechanic to make the slight adjustments for a machine to run on Alkylate fuel, or to repair the problems with the machine prior to converting to alkylate. I have converted thousands (really) of customers machines to Aspen and have staked my business reputation (and hence my livelyhood) on this product. It certainly has not let me down and I would never willingly return to using pump fuel in my workshop.

The so called 'monopoly' that Aspen has had in the UK is now much less of a monopoly than before, with both Stihl and Husqvarna bringing their own products to the market place. My initial thoughts as an Aspen dealer were that the availability these alternative fuels would compromise the sales of Aspen, after all, it stands to reason that the more slices taken from a cake, the smaller the slices become. But then on reflection, the fact that both of the major saw manufacturers are getting seriously behind Alkylate fuel is giving much more credibility to Alkylate and encouraging many more operators to swap to alkylate. So the 'cake' becomes bigger and the volume of Alkylate fuel sold in the UK is set to soar and each brand will have to be competitive to achieve and maintain market share. Sales of Aspen fuel have risen dramatically over the last few years and remains the best seller throughout UK and the rest of Europe.

It seems to me that it reads that as far as the MOT centre is concerned at present, you can take it away to fix it. But as soon as you hit the highway you are illegal.

I would say that driving a vehicle with defective brake pads on the road at any time is actually an offence.

All depends how you are reading it Eggs. Looks straightforward enough, and its the present rules, not the new ones. The new rulesdon't seem much different to the old rules, just a little more stringent, which is a great thing. I like to know that the car in front, the car behind, and the one coming the other way are fit to be on the road. I agree with Matelot on this one, a load of fuss about nothing IMO.

Nicely presented, did the dealer clean it up like that, or is how you keep it?

I do like my Stiga ride on mowers, and so do my customers. These have come in for service since Wednesday, and I am bringing two more in this afternoon. ?

To be fair Richard, you may seen a Mountfield Multiclip. The Multiclip is really a Stiga product, but has in the past been produced in Mountfield livery, but not for a few years now.

Mark, as long as you are willing to cut you grass regularly, maybe, as you say, twice a week in growing season, the Stiga Multiclip will leave a perfect finish. Its only when the grass is a little too long that some residue may start to appear and that can be countered by raising the deck a little to reduce the amount go grass being processed, or by reducing forward speed in the case of a push along model. Read this guide that I have written about mulching. All you need to know about Mulching There is not a mower on the market that will leave a mulched finish as good as as a Stiga. Mountfield do not have any Multiclip models in their range, they only have collectors with mulch plug options which will not mulch as well as a dedicated machine such as the Multiclip. The Multiclip 47 is, as you say, the entry model in the Multiclip range and comes in a choice of 3 formats The Multiclip 47 Blue is powered by a Stiga engine and is hand propelled at £229 offer price. The Multiclip 47 S Blue is also Stiga powered but is self propelled at the offer price of £289. The Multiclip 47 SQB is powered by Briggs & Stratton, is self propelled, and also has a side discharge facility for longer grass. It is priced at £339. I hope this helps.

Its really not a problem if the saw is in good order, although some smaller machines may possibly require a slight retune in order to reach peak performance on Aspen.

Many of the so called woes associated with Aspen are actually down to problems caused by petrol. Many people try to cure running issues by using Aspen but of course this does not work. They then seem to forget that they had a problem on petrol first and blame the Aspen. Problems must be properly fixed before converting to the use of Aspen.

The chance of a problem with the mix at the Aspen plant is very low indeed, if not impossible. The mixing of oil and fuel is precisely controlled. It is done in batches and every batch is sampled and tested in their lab. If a problem were to be detected the batch would not be allowed to leave the plant. Furthermore, a sample from every batch is stored for future reference if necessary. There is a store with hundreds if not thousands of labelled samples going back for years. If you check the Aspen can you will find the batch number and date printed on the can.

I can second this, AAOIL are an incredibly easy company to deal with. There are no minimum quantities for a dealer to buy, but it does make economic sense for a dealer to buy a pallet of 54 cans as it will then be delivered with no carriage charges, and any dealer can sell a pallet in very little time so need not worry that it is too large a qty. As Axel says, we buy a pallet a week in season, with absolutely zero hassle. Although its nice for a dealer to have contact with a rep, it is not necessary for a dealer to place an order with the rep. A dealer normally orders direct from AAOIL either by telephone or by the new dealer online portal, and they then receive the delivery within 2 working days. As long as a dealer pays his bills he will get his goods. As I said before Axel and his team atAAOIL are brilliant to deal with, keep up the good work guys.

If I am honest Marcus, many users just like you, find the cost of Aspen tolerable once they have proved the benefits themselves. Many of my 'light commercial' users pass the cost onto the customer and often make a bit out of it too. e.g. add £20 'environmental fuel' to the job and only use half a can.

should look like this

I agree with many of the comments, and I too hate the effects of salt on the underside of my car. Potential problems from salt polution? Not so sure, after all its been in use on our roads for the best part of 100 yrs, have there actually been any issues? (Not saying there have not, but I have not heard of any until this) However, I would much sooner hit a dark looking wet patch on a salted road than a patch of black ice on an unsalted road. I have done both, and believe me, the unsalted road causes more damage to my car, and much quicker.