hi all, i have a troy bilt trimmer/brush cutter (with ez link accessories) that has been left sitting for a while.

it started but the problem is that the trimmer head is vibrating like crazy even before it gets to full throttle. the trim head shaft piece seems to be attached firmly. Manual says dont use it if there is any vibration.

the engine seems to be running ok - blew out a bunch of black smoke, various parts around the engine (screws, exhaust cover) seem rusted, but i'm guessing i can clean it out a bit and it should be ok.

problem is this vibration, is there any obvious cause like oil/grease missing in a critical place or a broken shaft? flux capacitor out of alignment?

is it even worth trying to fix this shaft? any thoughts appreciated

 

Sounds like something in the head is assembled wrung, out of round, or out of balance. Is there something caked up inside the head that would throw it out of balance?

 

Like maybe a Rodent????? Sorry just had to....

Do you have a different attatchment you can try, ..are you using the "String" or some type of gravity "Blade"....Any rust on a Pivot point of an attatchment will render balance "Useless"...

 

What a coincidence: I just finished "repairing" my craftsman string trimmer and upon starting found the engine end of the timmer shaked like crazy, both under idle and wide-open throttle.

The trimmer stopped running one year ago. I took it apart and found hardened fuel lines. 3 month ago I had the trimmer taken apart and today I got some nice fuel lines and have the old lines replaced. After the lines replacement, the engine started right away. But that's when I found the engine side shaked like crazy. Now just as I put the last sentence down, a thought came to my mind: "Am I mistaken a STRING-end vibration for an ENGINE-end vibration?" or "Is the actual imbalance source located at the ENGINE or the STRING end?"



Anyway, please excuse me for saying that I did not find the inputs here so far have been very helpful for me. I'd like to ask for more ideas for what could have been wrong with my trimmer.

Thank you very much!

Shay

 

Hello, just want to let you know: after posting the last note, I went out to put some new strings onto the trimmer. And the vibration level was subdued by a large amount. I cannot see adding the string was actually the reason for helping the level to come down, but I was wondering if any of you have experienced anything resembles what I've just been through.

Shay

 

Your trimmer has a cable type drive system and the longer it sits the more moisture and other contaminates adhere to the cable rendering it somewhat inflexible due to rust and corrosion, however with use the drive cable and old lubricate will become more flexible or break, if it becomes more flexible the vibration goes away, however, if it breaks the vibration goes away also. Have a good one. Geo

 

ok... so i took off the trimmer head, and i'm noticing that there is almost an inch of vertical movement in the cable where it comes out of the top of the shaft attachment.

when i turn the trimmer part upside down it actually slides out freely almost an inch, i dont remember if it did this when i got it, but i'm thinking this sounds like a busted drive cable in the shaft?

 

If the cable turns the head smoothly when you turn it by hand, I'd say it's ok. I'm assuming you're seeing this movement at the end where you removed it from the mid-shaft connection where you'd change attachments? If so, I wouldn't be overly concerned about it.