BR 450 Electric

FLaker

Forum Newbie
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Threads
1
Messages
7
Greetings, the forum looks great, I am on several others for automotive and this one just looks nicer… a little more user welcoming?

To cut to the chase, I have a BR 450 electric start, it is indeed a great blower, it even moves rocks, "pulls" weeds and flattens a three year old pile of composting grass!!… but it has been back to the dealer two, now three times for the e-start not working.

Recoil works fine, there is not an overall operation issue… just the e-start. It is sporadic… sometimes does, sometimes not. There are no symptoms other than it just doesn’t work.

I purchased it because I get interrupted a lot [town home association and local cemetery] where I use it and the time savings in the convenience outweighs the additional heft. After about 8 hours [not cumulative] of run time out of the box [dealer set up] it either starts or just sets there…. No noise, no click, hum, buzz…. no pieces of symptom to research. The dealer states a loose ground…. Ok I can see that… but three times? I am thinking switch contact, starter capacitor [I guess that's the "battery"?] ...or logic board… any suggestions?
 

EngineMan

Lawn Addict
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Threads
9
Messages
2,275
What did they replace..?
check the battery and then from the switch (power in, power out) and work your way back (wiring) to starter, and then check the starter.

The battery is integrated into the control module of the BR 450 C-EF and cannot be replaced separately. If the battery is damaged, you need a whole new control module with battery.
 
Last edited:

FLaker

Forum Newbie
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Threads
1
Messages
7
That’s the path I’d also take… but it’s under a four year, 100% warranty, I’ll let them do their thing… but will post what they find / do.

BTW, that 4 year comes complementary when you buy a six pack of synthetic oil [gallon mix], at POS for the machine, so it was kinda a no brainer.

And that oil? I can’t say enough about it…. I use it in my circa late 70’s McCullough chain saw [the good ones], 50:1 in a 16:1 machine and it doesn’t miss a beat!
 

FLaker

Forum Newbie
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Threads
1
Messages
7
Backpack returned yesterday, they replaced the starter switch spring and contact, it was determined inoperable… time will tell, they say the third time’s the charm?
 

EngineMan

Lawn Addict
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Threads
9
Messages
2,275
Good to know its up and running again, thanks for the feed back.
 

BlazNT

Lawn Pro
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Threads
28
Messages
6,973
The parts they are replacing I would be buying and stockpiling for after the warranty runs out.
 

FLaker

Forum Newbie
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Threads
1
Messages
7
Capacitive / battery It’s been around for a while….

This is a term which can be used in certain pieces of power equipment in relation to electric or battery starting of tools such as gasoline fuel leaf blowers, very small chain saws and lawn trimmers.

An example could be a Stihl BR 450 c-ef back pack blower with electric start.

The owner’s manual does describe the starting procedure, however there is a bit more in understanding to take full advantage of the technology.

1. The battery on board is not a battery in the usual sense; it is an integrated capacitor circuit. A capacitor has no moving parts… is device which will store an electrical charge much as a storage battery. There are no fluids, the storage is rather temporary, and can be used only a few times in its charge cycler before needing to be re-charged… depending upon how large the electronics are.

2. In the case of the Stihl, it is a relatively small and limited circuit and is recommended the owner pull start the blower at the days beginning, or whenever it can be pulled. That start is needed to be at least a run time of 15/20 minutes and at full or near full throttle. That speed and time will allow the capacitor to charge for a two to three event start use before the capacitor is depleted, and would then need another 20 minute so run cycle.

3. If the user gets interrupted a lot and has to shut off and electrically restart the blower, the run times vs start times can over-run the charge time and the electric start will not function. The starting circuitry is not broken; the starter usage has simply out used the ability of the capacitor to have enough charge to run the starter motor.

Summary… Be sure to use the blower longer than using the starter. You will determine what is long enough when your electric starter will not work…. Then it’s a simple adaptation to use the engine long enough to gain a full, capacitive charge.

By the way…. Resist the urge to see if it’s “charged enough”, if you make use of long or repetitive short run times without hitting the button… it will be. Every time you “test” it, it sets you back on the charging cycle.
 

FLaker

Forum Newbie
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Threads
1
Messages
7
Update… The brain box was exchanged, and all is well with the e-start when used in the correct, hit and miss way.

Now on to the spark arrestor, which has plagued all of Stihl for years it seems. This one, and others has a round screen with a tapered weld at the end, and a friend of mine who engineers 2 stroke expansion chambers for racing machines… says they shot themselves in the foot by making the crimp.

Carbon particles trap on the crimp end because at the crimp the mesh is actually smaller… then it just builds itself along the way until loss of power starts at only a few hours of wide open running. They HAVE to know this is an issue, I mean they have to!!

So, I’ll pull the arrestor, like countless of others and have at it. Stay tuned, I’ll update as I can.
 
Top