Repair parts prices...RIPOFF

[JDgreen]

Went to my in laws this morning to pick them up and take them push mower shopping at the big box stores, and provided my relatively biased opinions and a strong back, plus my truck to help them transport the mower home. Unpacked it, checked for loose parts, filled with oil, showed them how to start it and adjust the height of cut. The one I picked had the 190cc Briggs with 6.75 torque rating. While there, my dad in law asked if I could fix his 2005 vintage Homelite 25cc gas trimmer...last fall he leaned it against his workbench and somehow it fell over onto the floor, and the plastic choke lever broke off about an inch from the carb. Just did a Google search for repair parts, cannot find anyplace that sells the choke lever itself, you have to pay $80 and shipping for the entire carb assembly for the trimmer. He paid less than $90 for the trimmer new. WHAT A RIPOFF. :thumbdown:

I am going to try to JB weld a plastic "L" over the stub of the broken off choke lever. May not work, but....

 

[KennyV]

I am going to try to JB weld a plastic "L" over the stub of the broken off choke lever. May not work, but....

It will work if you make some pins out of wire and stake the pieces together & JB it.. any wire even a paper clip, drill holes and insert wire clip it off and do a few others. :smile:KennyV

 

[JDgreen]

It will work if you make some pins out of wire and stake the pieces together & JB it.. any wire even a paper clip, drill holes and insert wire clip it off and do a few others. :smile:KennyV

The choke lever shaft is a round section about the size of a 3/16 inch drill bit and it's too small to drill into. Hate to toss a good trimmer because of one little part being broken....:frown:

 

[BKBrown]

Did you TRY a dealer ? Sometimes they can order a part that individuals can't get - I'm sure there will be a mark up on the part, but you might not need to get a whole unit.

I've had good luck with the JB Weld by layering - rough up the surface, put on a layer and put a piece in the first layer spanning the break, let it dry (harden), rough it up, apply another layer --- etc. the extra pieces act like splints.

 

[JDgreen]

Did you TRY a dealer ? Sometimes they can order a part that individuals can't get - I'm sure there will be a mark up on the part, but you might not need to get a whole unit.

I've had good luck with the JB Weld by layering - rough up the surface, put on a layer and put a piece in the first layer spanning the break, let it dry (harden), rough it up, apply another layer --- etc. the extra pieces act like splints.

Thanks BK, there are no dealers in the area for Homelite except the big box stores. The choke shaft goes thru a hole in the side of the carb and seems to be a press fit into the choke butterfly itself. I may be able to make a metal rod that will either attach to the existing broken plastic part via (rubber or plastic tubing?) or make a new one and carefully pop rivet it to the choke butterfly. Wish my dad in law had asked me to fix it last fall. Oh yes, I tried to start the gadget for a while with the choke open, no luck doing that. The trimmer itself has very poor design, it is much too easy to break the choke lever off. My Yard Machines trimmer has a choke that you would practically need to hammer on to break the lever off.

 

[KennyV]

The choke lever shaft is a round section about the size of a 3/16 inch drill bit

Round... better yet, slip a short piece of tubing over the splice and epoxy it on... :smile:KennyV

 

[fastback]

Kenny, I like the advice of sleeving the plactic with a piece of tubing. I was thinking in terms of butt welding. I 'll keep this in the back of my mine for future reference.

Oh, JD good luck on the repair.

Paul

 

[JDgreen]

UPDATE on the repair...

The broken shaft of the choke only extended about 3/4 inch from the carb body, so sleeving tubing over it wasn't practical. I finally decided to carefully drill a 3/32 inch hole about midway thru the shaft, and then after removing the carb from the engine, bent a long thin nail (headed type) to make it functional as a mini-lever to operate the choke shaft, then used hot melt glue to fasten the nail into place. If not handled roughly it should last a long time. I blunted the pointed end and then used hot melt glue to attach windshield washer tubing to the nail.