Petrol Strimmer Won't Start? Here's the Easy £15 Fix

20 Aug

Written By Rich

How I Fixed My Petrol Strimmer for £15 Instead of £150

If your petrol strimmer sounds terrible, refuses to start, and you’re staring down the prospect of a £150 repair bill, don’t panic. I was in exactly that situation – and I managed to fix mine for just £15 with a simple kit from Amazon. Here’s how I did it (and how you can too).

If this helped, you can buy me a coffee — buymeacoffee.com/fixmake — it keeps Fix Make going.

Why I Decided to Give It a Go

I bought this repair kit over a year ago, but honestly, I didn’t feel brave enough to tackle it. When the strimmer finally gave up and the cost of a professional fix loomed, I thought, “Time to put on my big boy pants and get on with it.”

The kit I used included a new carburettor, spark plug, fuel filter and pipes, and an air filter. For £15, it was worth a shot – much better than shelling out £150 for someone else to do it.

Tools You’ll Need

The multi-tool that comes with your strimmer (for most of the screws and nuts)
8mm socket set (for the air filter housing)
A pair of pliers (for the throttle cable)

That’s it. No specialist tools needed!

Step 1: Strip It Down

I start by taking photos of the main parts on the machine, reference. Then I start by emptying the fuel out because I don’t like working with petrol sloshing around. Then I removed the main cover by undoing three screws with the strimmer tool.

Next, I disconnected the spark plug lead and removed the spark plug using the same tool. Make sure the new spark plug matches the old one before fitting it back in. Tighten it – but not too much or you’ll strip the thread.

Step 2: Replace the Air Filter

Pop out the old air filter. To remove the housing, you’ll need that 8mm socket. There are two nuts holding it on – take those off and put the housing to one side.

Step 3: Remove the Carburettor

Here’s where things look a bit more technical, but it’s simple if you take your time. Disconnect the green fuel pipes gently, and remove the throttle cable (pliers make this easier). Keep the small clips – you’ll need them for the new carburettor.

Before fitting the new one, I wiped away any dirt near the fuel tank. You really don’t want debris falling in.

Step 4: Fit the New Parts

Install the new fuel filter to the end of the long pipe and push the filter and pipe into the tank.
Push on the new, black seal. Slide on the new carburettor, making sure it is the right way round. The green pipes are connected to the right places (a quick photo of the setup before you take it all apart, helps with this).
Slide on the other black seal.
Screw on the air filer housing.
Fit the new air filter and reassemble the housing.
Refit the white casing with the six screws
Refit the orange casing with the three screws, making sure the fuel tank is fits in snugly, Don’t force anything.

Step 5: Test It

I filled up with ready-mix two-stroke fuel, primed the carburettor bulb three times, and pulled the starter. After a couple of pulls and switching the choke off, it fired up beautifully!

I haven’t even adjusted the carburettor yet – it’s running fine on the default settings. And the best part? It cost me £15 and about 10 minutes of actual work.

How Long Does It Take?

This job took me the length of the video (about 10 minutes) plus a bit of camera fiddling. So realistically, you can do this in under half an hour.

What I Used

Here’s the repair kit I bought:
👉Strimmer Repair Kit – Carburettor, Spark Plug, Air Filter & Fuel Lines

You’ll also need:
👉 8mm Socket Set
👉 Ready Mixed Two-Stroke Fuel

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Final Thoughts

I never thought I’d take a strimmer apart, but here we are – it works, and I saved £135! If you’ve been putting this job off, give it a try. It’s easier than you think.

If this saved you some time or money, you can buy me a coffee here — buymeacoffee.com/fixmake — it keeps Fix Make going.