If you are lucky to get your hands on a STIHL Fs120, FS200, or FS250 for under $50, consider yourself lucky. Even though, the STIHL FS200 has been discontinued it is a very capable machine and a great workhorse. Many of you might still own the instruction manual already if you purchased yours new. However, you may have lost it or bought a used unit without one.
Whatever the reason may be in this article we will be outlining the basics steps needed to start your STIHL FS200 weed eater:
Cold Start Procedure
Step 1.
Place the weed eater on firm ground and do a general check to make sure the trimmer head is not touching any obstacles. Fill the fuel tank if you have not done so yet. No matter how hard you try, your weed eater won’t start on an empty tank. Use the recommended oil ratio to gas (50:1) and STIHL brand oil.
Step 2.
Depress both the throttle trigger lockout and throttle trigger simultaneously. While you are holding down both triggers move the slide control into the start position. If done correctly the slide control will remain in the start position.
Step 3.
Turn the choke knob to the choke position.
Step 4.
Press the primer bulb no less than five times even if the bulb is filled up with gas. If the bulb is empty after pressing its several times you may have a fuel blockage. This could be an easy fix or require more investigating.
Step 5.
Firmly hold down the tool with one hand and grab the starter grip with the other. Pull the grip slowly until you feel a little bit of resistance followed by a strong and fast pull. When you hear the engine begins to fire up (BURP) turn the choke knob into the run position and continue cranking the engine.
Step 6.
After the engine starts running (BLIP) the throttle trigger immediately. This automatically places the slide control into the run position. Let it warm up before using. You may need to increase this warm-up time depending on the outside temperature.
Stopping the Engine
You can stop the engine by switching slid control to the STOP / (O) position. If you accidentally switched the control to the stop position you can restart the engine by switching it back to the in the run position again. This only applies if the engine is still warm. If the engine cools down you will need to do the COLD START procedures.
Trouble Shooting
You will need to further diagnose power tools that fail to run consistently or won’t start. Empty gas tanks, fuel blockage, fouled spark plugs, dirty air filters or clogged spark arrestors are among a few of the common culprits. Even so, many of these issues can be avoided when you perform routine maintenance.
