If you have a weed eater FeatherLite XT260, it is important that you maintain it well. After all, the said equipment is what you need to keep your garden looking neat. Once the said equipment is well-maintained, you can expect it to last you for a long period of time. It should be a garden weed whacker that is worth the money you invest.
The weed eater FeatherLite XT260 is the kind of weed whacker that you can operate on a choke. Thus, if you have any problems encountered with the said weed whacker, just follow the right troubleshooting steps according to a choke-operated weed whacker. Here are the tips to take advantage of when you want to troubleshoot a weed eater FeatherLite XT260 that is not running well:
Right Troubleshooting Steps
Step 1: The first thing to check if the weed whacker is not working well is if there is water inside your engine. Get a glass jar or clear container first. Pour the fuel in your engine inside the container. If you see that the fuel has water pockets, then that is a sign for the presence of water. Get rid of the fuel and replace it with a fresh one.
Step 2: If you do not see water pockets, then observe the fuel. There might be a bit of dirt found in the fuel. Check the smell as well as it might have already gone stale. If it is dirty and smells stale, then replace the fuel with fresh fuel.
Step 3: Check how long the fuel has stayed in the machine’s fuel container. There are times when you have forgotten to empty the fuel container last fall. If that is the case, then you must empty the container. After that, replace it with fresh fuel.
Step 4: The fuel you replace into the engine should have a mix of 40:1 (fuel to oil ratio). This ratio should be richer than the 50:1 fuel to oil ratio others use.
Step 5: Check the machine’s spark plug. To start off, remove the spark plug from the engine. Inspect it. The spark plug should be okay even if you see a bit of carbon on it. However, try to clean the carbon off by running it through the wire brush. After you are done with cleaning the spark plug, just put it right back.
Step 6: It is also a must to check the spark. To check the spark, just put the plug straight to the engine cap. You can then ground it to the engine using a spark plug tool. Make the spark plug come into contact with the plug tool. Start the engine. You should see tiny blue sparks on the end of the spark plug. This is a sign that there is nothing wrong with the spark plug. If you see the blue sparks, then everything should be okay. If not, then you need a new spark plug.
Step 7: If the weed whacker still does not work even if you have replaced the fuel and replaced the spark plug, then this means you need to adjust the carburetor. Prepare the screw driver-like special tool that has a splined tip. You will need this particular tool to adjust the screws on the carburetor. The screws are splined and not slotted, after all.
Step 8: The high screws and low screws should be adjusted bit by bit. High screw should be adjusted when revving up the machine while the low screw should be adjusted when the machine is idling. Tweak it bit by bit. Every time you give the screws a quarter turn, check whether or not the machine already works. This will be a step you have to repeat over and over as trial-and-error.
Step 9: Once you verify that the weed whacker works, you need to let it cool down for several hours. Turn it back on after that to see if it is already working. If it is still not working, then you might need to pry the carburetor open to see if it needs cleaning or not. Cleaning the carburetor is necessary if there are fuel gum build-up.
Bonus Tip
Check that the fuel tank has enough fuel. However, do not overfill it. Just make sure the fuel does not go over the line.