chrisj

Yes the prussik goes below the fig 8. It's clipped to the leg loop to stop it being able to run up against the fig 8 which would release it. The fig 8 takes your weight and the prussik tends the rope below the fig 8 to prevent it running through the fig 8. When you want to descend you hold the rope between the fig 8 and prussik, slide your hand down to release the prussik and abb down, your hand sliding the prussik down and controlling your descent at the same time. Rock climbers use this method for backing up an abseil all the time. A French prussik works better than a standard prussik for descending on, because it's releasable under load.

Cheers TCD. I've spoken to Echo and I am getting a dealer to look at it with a view to possibly getting it sorted under warranty.

So is this a serious fault do you reckon. What does the impulse line do? I know there shouldn't be pressure pushing fuel out through the air filter and the bottom of the carb, especially after it's switched off. But I don't want to have a hassle sending it back, only for them to say it's just a routine maintenance issue and bill me.

That was my thinking. Only I bought it on-line , so return to dealer is going to be a hassle. Hence I wanted to check whether it was something silly and simple, or serious enough for a warranty claim before sending back.

Hi, I'm having problems with my Echo 550. It's only about 12 months old, and has hardly had any use. I put fresh fuel in. It fires fairly readily on choke, then cuts out as you'd expect. Push the choke in and it started easily, but sounds rough, like it's missing. If you try and rev it, it bogs down is the best I can describe it. The revs just fall away. If you just try to open the throttle it dies away til it cuts out. If you blip the trottle carefully you can get the revs to pick up, but not as high as they should go, it sounds a bit weedy and high pitched, instead of a throaty roar like it used to. If you hold it on high throttle it rapidly dies away and stalls. I've checked the fuel filter and it's really nice and clean, as is air filter. I've changed the plug. I thought maybe there was still stale fuel in the fuel line that needed running through, so I persevered holding it on as high a revs as it would hold without dieing. Half a tank has been used and it's still no better. I tried cutting some softwood and it just bogged down and tried to stall each time. Then it finally cut out and didn't want to re-start. So as I walked back to the shed with it I noticed a weird noise. Kind of like a very quiet kettle boiling, and hissing and spitting. Taking the cover off to investigate I found fuel coming out under the carb and also back into the air filter, under pressure. Taking the carb off there is a little hole next to the main inlet. Connected to this is a pipe that appears to run to the crankcase? Under the cylinder anyway. If you pull it over fuel spits out of this. Any ideas anyone?

I flake mine into one of those flexible plastic trugs. Plenty of room for lanyard, harness etc. to go in on top.

I've done my PA1 and PA6 if that's what you mean, but I don't know anything about a grandfather rights course. I thought grandfather rights meant that you could operate without needing to hold the certificate. Although you'd obviously need to stick to rules, regs and best practise, so without doing the training I could never figure out how people operating under grandfather rights would know what they were, so it would make sense to me for you to do the course, even if you don't need to do the assessment due to grandfather rights.

Thanks for the tip Old Mill Tree Care. From what has been said so far it looks like I'll be getting a new rope soon.

I'll give that a try Gerbutt. Once I have it sorted I can see it staying on as you say Alinicoll.

Yes I've got the bone and karabiner on the correct side, so that the rope is pinched between them and the spine of the HH. I can see why you would question that though.

This may sound silly, so please don't pick me apart. I'm really having problems with my hitchhiker. I just can't seem to get it to adjust right. Either it binds up something terrible or doesn't bite without setting everytime. I've tried wrapping it tight before tying the stopper as they suggest and it often bites so hard that it's a battle to pull slack through. Even if I can adjust it to overcome this it often locks up once weighted, so that I have to pull down as hard as poss to get it to move, when it then releases suddenly and I feel like I'll drop, so I let go to stop myself and I'm back to square one. Tying it a touch looser it runs nice but often doesn't bite on it's own. Even when I can get it set right, after weighting it a few times it gradually locks up. I've even had it so that it won't bite on it's own but once I've set it and got it to hold it locks up. I've tried an extra wrap or two and as few as 4. It works ok ddrt, it's just srt I'm having problems. I'm using 13mm Gecko (not ideal but it's what I have), and have tried some 10.5mm static to see if it was just the rope size that was the problem but that was no better, if not worse. I'm loath to buy a new rope only to find I'm having the same problem still. Has anyone had similar problems and got any tips.

Haven't tried the 390, but my 550 is brilliant.

Strong winds and heavy rain here today. Definitely a day to catch up on paperwork.

That's right Spud one LA screw and one HL screw, rather than separate H and L screws. I'll give it a go tomorrow.

It's a Stihl HS75 Spud. I thought it would probably be a case of a bit of a turn one way or the other. But without knowing which way I could see me a bit this way, a bit that way and ending up losing track of where I was. I'll give it a try and see how it goes. Cheers

I like that approach. I might have to steal that idea.

Well all re-assembled. It started waaaaay easier. It has a bit of a flat spot though. Once at full revs it's fine, but it hesitates before picking up when you pull the throttle. My guess is that the mixture needs tweeking. It only has one screw, rather than a H and an L. Any tips rather than me randomly twiddling hoping to get it right?

I've recently switched to Stihl green, because I've got a 4 mix machine and everywhere I read suggested that the 4 mix preferred the green. I've noticed that it smells much better. I no longer come home stinking of 2 stroke. Much pleasanter to use.

Well, by the time I've been able to look at it, it's not great once running either. Taking the cover off I seem to have fuel leaking from somewhere between the carb and the cylinder. So if at least one of the gaskets is leaking fuel out, I guess it's leaking air in too which won't be helping. Stripped it down and the exhaust and piston looks fine, no coaking or scoring. So I've ordered new gaskets, fuel and air filters and plug too while I'm at it. So once I've got those and re-assembled I'll see how it is and whether it needs a tune up.

Wow. Lots of things to check. Thanks for the input everyone. I'll let you know when I've had chance to check it out.

No it's a proper 2 stroke. I do have 4 mix machines though and intend to keep ontop of the valve clearances. So thanks for the warning.

Hi, my Stihl Hedgetrimmer is a nightmare to start. It is a few years old but it really is becoming a pain, and it shuold have loads of life left in it. It used to be absolutely golden. Set it to start, put the choke on and prime it and it would fire on the first (or maybe second) pull. Take the choke off and it would start straight up on half throttle, blip the trottle and ready to work. Then stupid me. I though I've had it a couple of years and only ever put fuel in and used it, maybe it would be worth getting it serviced to look after it. It's never been the same since. It came back and was a pig to start. Took it back and it came back no better. Reset the carb screws to factory settings and it was better, (although still not as good as originally) so I figured lesson learnt and have never taken any machinery there again. Years on and it's gotten worse to the point that it is now a complete pig. Doesn't matter what I try it can take 30 pulls to fire. Then when it finally starts it revs poorly and if you touch the trottle the revs die and it cuts out. Once it's properly running it's ok while you are cutting with it, but if you put it down, it either cuts out while on the floor or when you pick it up. Then to restart it you need to put the half throttle on. Any ideas anyone?

I've heard bad things about the 756 on a landscape forum. Apparently it's really slow compared to the 755.

That's how I was taught too and it's always seemed fine for me when lowering 2 on a Blake's. I just mentioned the F8 revolver since the OP specifically wanted to add in something to add friction. I supose you could have it ready made up for rescue use, to just clip one end to your harness and attach the other to the rope.