l demonstrate how to replace the starter cord on a Stihl gas blower, l also show my home made modification on the blower to make this job easier for the next time.
Guys, These are TORX screws. Very common in Auto industry: GM has lots of them. Germans love them : All over my BMW, Bosch and Stihl machines. They are much better than philips, slotted. I appreciate that Greg posted this since I am doing this on my blower, but he is definitely not a mechanic. Stihl makes great equipment, but is not for amateurs.
I found this video helpful but found the pull cord installation to be much easier that Greg makes it out to be. The screws in question are torx head, a common screw driver you can find at any hardware store. Threading the new cord in the opposite direction as displayed in the video was a snap. It took me less than a minute! Be are to burn the end first.
Thanks for the vid Greg. Also, big thanks to everyone that posted comments on here, some of the comments helped a lot. This is definitely a 5 minute job, very easy..
Greg, if you use an old leather glove and melt the cord first, you can make a thin point of it, then thread it from the outside of the reel, you can pull it through that way easier. That'll save 15 minutes right there. Thanks for putting out the effort to show others they can do it themselves. :D
Just did mine after watching your video Greg though didn't have your hassle thankfully...15 minutes but had to undo handle knot and make the pulley shorter. Thanks mate
I just changed mine and thread the pulley from outside in. You went inside to out. Found it much easier. Melted the tip and threaded it in under 20 seconds
You can pick up a “stihl tool” at any Stihl dealership - or you can where I live anyways. Makes unscrewing those bolts super easy. Also I threaded the string through the opposite way that you’ve shown and it only took 2 minutes. Thanks for the video!
Thanks, buddy. Could have kicked my dog when my edger cable broke after I had finally made myself go out in the 88F heat to get it done. Wound up getting a cold beer and watching your video instead. Much calmer.
Mannnn.. I'll tell ya..about 1 1/2 hours.. 😂.. I have a backpack blower yet this Stihl is the truth and much more powerful. I broke the pull cord this winter.. actually let a friend hold it then when I went to use it.. bam. Well spring is here and I found your video here. I done exactly 💯 as you except I burnt the cord to make it hard and was able to needle it through the hole..After that I was able to get tweezers to pull it through. I paused your video through steps.. even heated up a microwave meal in-between 😂.. Thanks 👍..About to finish after the hard part..I hope my baby growls for me. Appreciate you..Much Respect.
Took maximum 10 minutes start to finish. Used Torx bit which everyone that wants to work on things should have. Also a good angled pick allowed me to easily feed new line through hole. Rope isn't Stihl's fault, perhaps you pull at an angle when starting that prematurely wears rope? Again, simple fix. I noticed also that you had play in your rope. Wrap around inside reel to allow more rope with proper tension so that handle is snug to blower body.
Thanks for the video. Torx are not that bad. This will be my first time replacing my stihl cord... had the blower 10 years with semi commercial use. I think you are using the wing kind of cord which would make sense why it isn't lasting
I got a replacement cord from the local Stihl reseller. It is thinner than what this guy uses, single weave but strong nylon, without an outer cover on the string. Much easier to fit that way.
I found to feed the cord through the hole twist a small length of earth cable sleeve onto one end of the new cord and push into the hole toward the centre of the unit then once visable pull through with pliers. Whole process took about 30 seconds!!!
Nice video If it possible for cord to get stuck when I pull the assembly off the BG 86C it pulls fine in isolation. When I pop it back on it gets stuck somewhere and wont pull? strange.
This guy is obviously a Stihl hater. The longest part about changing the cord was the drive to the hardware store, and I'm not what you would call "handie". Greg doesn't even mention the split pin (in view on his video). Which removal of makes it easy to get out the cord housing, and even easier to put the new cord through the hole. The hardest thing about the whole job is putting the split pin back on - which takes about a minute. Entire job takes about 5min. As for the Stihl spacific tool to take those screws off, you can get them at any hardware store for a couple of bucks.
you can get tools for those screws i have a set there called torque bits or something (haven't used them so cant really remember), there made by kingcrome so i guess there a good set
If you quit using that cheap hardware store Pull Cord with the Coarse Weaving. Get some of the fine woven stuff like you show in this video of the right diameter and use it. It will last about 5 times as long! Also there is no need to make those screws into phillips. The Screws are called Torx Head. You can buy the bits to fit them at any Hardware Store or Auto Parts Store.
Your video was helpful but you successfully changed an awesome never stripping Torx head screw to an easily mangled phillips head. Stihl did NOT use torx screws to make it difficult or so you would have to go to a mechanic. They used it as an upgrade to the phillips head. Thank you for the video.
Didn't see how he got any tension on the pull back spring to return the rope into the casing after it was pulled. Am I missing something? Doesn't there need to be tension to pull the rope back in?
I know it looks like that's the way it goes in but if you put it in through the roller and then it comes out of the hole very easy it's like two minutes just tried the next time my friend
To get the pull cord through the small hole, I tied fishing string to the end of the pull and used the fishing string to get the cord through the hole.
dj, there is a girl that shows how to do this and doesn't complain about how hard it is to do. This guy made it look like I should just take it to a dealer to get fixed. It's easy to do.
as for your CRAZY reason/method of "fixing the screws" "Jus roll down ta bunnings mate or local and pickup a security bit set that has a T27 bit for those screws MATE"
Very informative by saving me from taking the pulley out to just change the rope, Thank you............I think your new career should be a director and video editor. Your video and narration was very professional looking.
I was looking for a lightweight blower for my deck. czcams.com/users/postUgkxgioZQl3J5wPGAeDINzbieKbT5qomSEx3 There are some huge trees around my house and the leaves and pods drop all over my deck. Having to move furniture around to sweep has become too big a chore. This blower was the answer. It is light enough for this 70yr old lady and powerful enough to blow all the tree droppings off my rather large deck. Thank you B&D. Be aware the cord is not included. I use a 3 prong outdoor cord 25' cord for my 12' x 20' deck. The cord retainer works very well, but don't try to pass the plug through it. That is NOT how it works. You just have to loop the cord and it works great. One of my best purchases. Very happy.
If you will melt down the cord about 5 inches just to where it's stiff roie it around in your fingers to the right angle that you need to put it through the holes it's much easier then just melting the tip
You shed so much blood sweat and tears you had to change your clothes!! lol. Man, you have patience! I would have smashed it with a hammer after 10 minutes! Helpful vid for those with one of those doohickies! I'm sure this will help them save a lot of money too! :)
Stihl uses Torx head screws. Kind of a poor choice, but they are not unique to Stihl. A friend of mine has a mountain bike which uses torx head screws on the disc brake rotors. My graphics cards also uses incredibly small torx screws on the circuit board--those were a major pain to find a driver for.
Yea, dude, Kenneth Reece is correct. Feed from the outside. You are putting the cord in from the wrong direction. Takes 10 min max for the entire process. BTW, use my blower quite a bit and only need to change the cord every 6-8 years.
I can't believe how negative you are towards Stihl power tools. I've owned these for years and they are by far the best lawn care products on the market. You struggle to replace a simple pull cord is obviously a ploy to discredit Stihl tools. First off, the tools that you say people can't get are easy to find. Secondly, the manner in which you replaced the cord is backwards. And a pair of needle nose pliers are all that's needed to grab the cord. There are other easy to follow directions here on youtube that you should watch. They are positive and easy to follow. This guy did it the hard way.
Cool, thx for this. I have some thin brass wire that I will probably use to fish the line through. You'd think they'd make this shit easier though. Stihl is mosly made in China now I think, which is where it all started to go wrong... like so many other things.
Dude...they're Torx screws. They're not unique to Stihl. Nearly every automobile made has them. You can buy a set pretty much anywhere, and cheap. And wouldn't the Scotch tape trick have been a good idea for the OTHER end of the cord, too? Appreciate the video, but this is a very simple job.
Ah, Stihl, the same over priced crap no matter the hemisphere! I swear by Husqvarna for my yardwork needs. Friend of mine got fed up with his, the cord kept snapping on his and it was one of those KombiSystems with a tillerhead. He tore off the blades and put wheels on it and turned it into an airplane tug to pull his PA-28 out of his hangar. It looks like something off of a crappy sitcom, but it works just fine like that! It's REALLY nice in the MN winter, not having to touch a frozen airplane!
I used a piece of fishing line and a knot. Took less than five minutes. Its strange that this video popped up today since I just replaced the pull cord on a BR420, 500, and 550. About a month ago I replaced the pull cord on my Stihl 015l which took less than 3 minutes. Just make sure the spring doesn't slip because if it does it will take probably 20+ minutes to rewind it and its very likely that you wont get the tension right the first time. I think its absurd that this guy thinks it will take a hour to replace the pull cord. If its not something that is new to you like this isn't to him he should be able to replace the cylinder and piston in 1.5-2 hours. He must be smoking crack to take that long. Also why would you put a philips head screw in place. Only reason I could think of is so you can slip out of the screw and damage the housing. I would say he is retarded but that would be unfair. I guess idiots should stick to ryobi that way when something needs work you can just throw it away and get a new one. Like the landfills don't need more trash. Sickening
The sad thing is that Stihl probably made good tools at some point. Since they have a pretty big share of the market, they probably produce tools of shoddy quality, but have a big name to sell them. Very few companies will actually stand behind their products these days.
Guys,
These are TORX screws. Very common in Auto industry: GM has lots of them. Germans love them : All over my BMW, Bosch and Stihl machines. They are much better than philips, slotted. I appreciate that Greg posted this since I am doing this on my blower, but he is definitely not a mechanic. Stihl makes great equipment, but is not for amateurs.
I found this video helpful but found the pull cord installation to be much easier that Greg makes it out to be. The screws in question are torx head, a common screw driver you can find at any hardware store. Threading the new cord in the opposite direction as displayed in the video was a snap. It took me less than a minute! Be are to burn the end first.
That last sigh cracked me up! If my p.o.s. Stihl blower wasn't so hard to start I doubt my cord would have broken.
I did this in literally 5 minutes entire process Just feed the cord from the outside Easiest thing I’ve ever done
Thanks for the vid Greg. Also, big thanks to everyone that posted comments on here, some of the comments helped a lot. This is definitely a 5 minute job, very easy..
@Futurenow77
My son over pulled the cord now won't retract. Any ideas ?
Thank you for sharing. I have learned to do a lot on my own since my husband passed.
Sorry to hear that props for picking up and doing what you do
Greg, if you use an old leather glove and melt the cord first, you can make a thin point of it, then thread it from the outside of the reel, you can pull it through that way easier. That'll save 15 minutes right there. Thanks for putting out the effort to show others they can do it themselves. :D
Just did mine after watching your video Greg though didn't have your hassle thankfully...15 minutes but had to undo handle knot and make the pulley shorter.
Thanks mate
I requested this video a while back, got my blower fixed a few weeks ago, thanks for the tutorial mate.
Thanks heaps bud . Helped me out big time today. I pulled the cord off at my first job... your vid helped me BIG TIME...
I just changed mine and thread the pulley from outside in. You went inside to out. Found it much easier. Melted the tip and threaded it in under 20 seconds
You can pick up a “stihl tool” at any Stihl dealership - or you can where I live anyways. Makes unscrewing those bolts super easy. Also I threaded the string through the opposite way that you’ve shown and it only took 2 minutes. Thanks for the video!
Any homeowner can buy a small set of Torx head bits at ANY home improvement store for a few dollars.
Fished it through with 14 gauge wire and duct tape. Worked like a charm - too 15 seconds. Great video. Cheers!
Thanks, buddy. Could have kicked my dog when my edger cable broke after I had finally made myself go out in the 88F heat to get it done. Wound up getting a cold beer and watching your video instead. Much calmer.
Thanks Greg for the effort in explaining all that
Effort is was. It's easier than he makes it out to be.
Mannnn.. I'll tell ya..about 1 1/2 hours.. 😂.. I have a backpack blower yet this Stihl is the truth and much more powerful. I broke the pull cord this winter.. actually let a friend hold it then when I went to use it.. bam. Well spring is here and I found your video here. I done exactly 💯 as you except I burnt the cord to make it hard and was able to needle it through the hole..After that I was able to get tweezers to pull it through. I paused your video through steps.. even heated up a microwave meal in-between 😂.. Thanks 👍..About to finish after the hard part..I hope my baby growls for me. Appreciate you..Much Respect.
Took maximum 10 minutes start to finish. Used Torx bit which everyone that wants to work on things should have. Also a good angled pick allowed me to easily feed new line through hole. Rope isn't Stihl's fault, perhaps you pull at an angle when starting that prematurely wears rope? Again, simple fix. I noticed also that you had play in your rope. Wrap around inside reel to allow more rope with proper tension so that handle is snug to blower body.
greg the screws are called torx head
@poolehart oh yeah, got my heads mixed up
@DeluxeNathan it WILL break again, so this will be for the next time :)
Thanx for the info, helped a lot, 12 years later 😀
Thanks for the video. Torx are not that bad. This will be my first time replacing my stihl cord... had the blower 10 years with semi commercial use. I think you are using the wing kind of cord which would make sense why it isn't lasting
Get a Stihl cord. My has lasted over 12 years. Broke today. I quick picked up a cord and replaced it in 10 minutes.
@TheToddsvlog exactly!
Greg you’re a bloody legend my blower has been out of action for two months and I fixed it in about five minutes after watching your vid
Thanks for the video. Torx (T27) screwdriver or bit works best for my STIHL BG 55
Yay! Success... I love these videos! Thanks, Greg!!
I got a replacement cord from the local Stihl reseller. It is thinner than what this guy uses, single weave but strong nylon, without an outer cover on the string. Much easier to fit that way.
Nice helpful video Greg cheers buddy
@AuntieDiluvian i don't know how they do it in the shop, i'm sure they have a machine for it
@golfernky that's the one!
All you need to do is buy torx bits for those screws. They even make torx screw drivers. I have some and they are very common now.
What is the easiest and correct way to reassemble the coils if they pop out of the plastic part of the guts on a km55rc
Mine snapped again 😢😢😢 big up from Scotland 👍
Nice work bro!
You're entertaining even when not swearing up a storm.
thanks greg, got it done fairly quickly...used tweezers to feed and grab end of cord when necessary. avoided some swearing that way :)))
@karmagirl74 it's true!
I found to feed the cord through the hole twist a small length of earth cable sleeve onto one end of the new cord and push into the hole toward the centre of the unit then once visable pull through with pliers. Whole process took about 30 seconds!!!
@GuppyPal thanks GP ;p
Nice video If it possible for cord to get stuck when I pull the assembly off the BG 86C it pulls fine in isolation. When I pop it back on it gets stuck somewhere and wont pull? strange.
@DibbersPage bump start, ha ha, they're not the standard ones, they are stihl specials
This guy is obviously a Stihl hater. The longest part about changing the cord was the drive to the hardware store, and I'm not what you would call "handie". Greg doesn't even mention the split pin (in view on his video). Which removal of makes it easy to get out the cord housing, and even easier to put the new cord through the hole. The hardest thing about the whole job is putting the split pin back on - which takes about a minute. Entire job takes about 5min. As for the Stihl spacific tool to take those screws off, you can get them at any hardware store for a couple of bucks.
you can get tools for those screws i have a set there called torque bits or something (haven't used them so cant really remember), there made by kingcrome so i guess there a good set
Allen keys work in torque screws also
I changed mine many times it's actually easy I should make a video for ya LOL
If you quit using that cheap hardware store Pull Cord with the Coarse Weaving. Get some of the fine woven stuff like you show in this video of the right diameter and use it. It will last about 5 times as long! Also there is no need to make those screws into phillips. The Screws are called Torx Head. You can buy the bits to fit them at any Hardware Store or Auto Parts Store.
Torx 27 driver is all you need.
I see after testing the blower at the end your cord hanged. I'm having the same issue
hey Greg, simple star bit will fit the screw head
Hey Greg they are a t27 torque bits and common as shit you just need a torque key set $25 from any hardware
i thought stihl provide the torx bit with the product? they do in the uk
they do supply them. If you lose it, just go to a dealer or hardware store and get a tool that fits.
The do with every product
is that on your stihl blower?
Your video was helpful but you successfully changed an awesome never stripping Torx head screw to an easily mangled phillips head. Stihl did NOT use torx screws to make it difficult or so you would have to go to a mechanic. They used it as an upgrade to the phillips head. Thank you for the video.
Didn't see how he got any tension on the pull back spring to return the rope into the casing after it was pulled. Am I missing something? Doesn't there need to be tension to pull the rope back in?
T25 Torx to be exact.
I know it looks like that's the way it goes in but if you put it in through the roller and then it comes out of the hole very easy it's like two minutes just tried the next time my friend
I use very thin fishing line tied to the string
You took the time to convert them to Phillips heads hahahha 🤣
its a common Torque 27 wrench
To get the pull cord through the small hole, I tied fishing string to the end of the pull and used the fishing string to get the cord through the hole.
Hey you have shoes this time!:) Great videos, very knowledgeable! Thanks you sir from Vancouver BC
dj, there is a girl that shows how to do this and doesn't complain about how hard it is to do. This guy made it look like I should just take it to a dealer to get fixed.
It's easy to do.
do you ever clean your machinery
+trent farrell on the odd occasion i do :)
as for your CRAZY reason/method of "fixing the screws"
"Jus roll down ta bunnings mate or local and pickup a security bit set that has a T27 bit for those screws MATE"
@ShallowBeThyGames ha ha nice one
Using a lighter, melt the end to a point and then feed the line from the OUTSIDE, not the inside.
Ive had my stihl blower for more than 3 years now and never had this happen
Probably you don’t use it every day
Very informative by saving me from taking the pulley out to just change the rope, Thank you............I think your new career should be a director and video editor. Your video and narration was very professional looking.
I was looking for a lightweight blower for my deck. czcams.com/users/postUgkxgioZQl3J5wPGAeDINzbieKbT5qomSEx3 There are some huge trees around my house and the leaves and pods drop all over my deck. Having to move furniture around to sweep has become too big a chore. This blower was the answer. It is light enough for this 70yr old lady and powerful enough to blow all the tree droppings off my rather large deck. Thank you B&D. Be aware the cord is not included. I use a 3 prong outdoor cord 25' cord for my 12' x 20' deck. The cord retainer works very well, but don't try to pass the plug through it. That is NOT how it works. You just have to loop the cord and it works great. One of my best purchases. Very happy.
It's a T27, VERY common in the USA. 🤷🏻♂️
If you will melt down the cord about 5 inches just to where it's stiff roie it around in your fingers to the right angle that you need to put it through the holes it's much easier then just melting the tip
You shed so much blood sweat and tears you had to change your clothes!! lol. Man, you have patience! I would have smashed it with a hammer after 10 minutes! Helpful vid for those with one of those doohickies! I'm sure this will help them save a lot of money too! :)
I think that this video should be called "HOW TO REPLACE PULL CORD ON A STIHL BLOWER".
4:01 take note! As simple as it sounds.... don't miss this step before pulling through 🤣
T27 torx is all you need for removing the screws. Geeeez
@kennethh70 ha ha ha
Stihl uses Torx head screws. Kind of a poor choice, but they are not unique to Stihl. A friend of mine has a mountain bike which uses torx head screws on the disc brake rotors. My graphics cards also uses incredibly small torx screws on the circuit board--those were a major pain to find a driver for.
Its called a torx bit
Did you know, the guy who invented the phillip's head screw actually parted his hair four ways...
torx bit bro, torx bit. any auto store has entire sets of them.
Needle and thread through the cord and then just poke the thread through with a twist tie and the cord follows :)
yep, get grandma to do it :)
*****
LOL
*****
This video did help me lots though Greg. TY! :)
cheers, thanks :)
😂 pity we missed it
Thank you well-made video
Read the comments Ernest. You'll see what I mean.
Don't diss stihl!!
GREG YOUR STIHL THE BEST ......
This guy is clueless, watch the video by Bobbi Meyer
He’s a fuckin idiot
Seriously dude, the screws are T-27. I've removed thousand of them and none of them have stripped out like a Phillips head screw would tend to do.
Yea, dude, Kenneth Reece is correct. Feed from the outside. You are putting the cord in from the wrong direction. Takes 10 min max for the entire process. BTW, use my blower quite a bit and only need to change the cord every 6-8 years.
I can't believe how negative you are towards Stihl power tools. I've owned these for years and they are by far the best lawn care products on the market.
You struggle to replace a simple pull cord is obviously a ploy to discredit Stihl tools.
First off, the tools that you say people can't get are easy to find. Secondly, the manner in which you replaced the cord is backwards. And a pair of needle nose pliers are all that's needed to grab the cord.
There are other easy to follow directions here on youtube that you should watch. They are positive and easy to follow. This guy did it the hard way.
Lol "designed these screws to make it difficult" 😂😂😂 those are standard T25 Torx screws. No special tool needed. Just a torx bit
🤯😀 thought the same thing
Cool, thx for this. I have some thin brass wire that I will probably use to fish the line through. You'd think they'd make this shit easier though. Stihl is mosly made in China now I think, which is where it all started to go wrong... like so many other things.
It is easier look at my message to him above
They're star drive screws.. jeezzz you make it look so f***ing hard.. #muppet
Feed the cord from the OUSTIDE!!!! 2 seconds!
Mistake no 1 take of wheel
Gawd people in the comments here are jerks. At least he made a video.
Dude...they're Torx screws. They're not unique to Stihl. Nearly every automobile made has them. You can buy a set pretty much anywhere, and cheap.
And wouldn't the Scotch tape trick have been a good idea for the OTHER end of the cord, too?
Appreciate the video, but this is a very simple job.
Ah, Stihl, the same over priced crap no matter the hemisphere! I swear by Husqvarna for my yardwork needs. Friend of mine got fed up with his, the cord kept snapping on his and it was one of those KombiSystems with a tillerhead. He tore off the blades and put wheels on it and turned it into an airplane tug to pull his PA-28 out of his hangar. It looks like something off of a crappy sitcom, but it works just fine like that! It's REALLY nice in the MN winter, not having to touch a frozen airplane!
Sh 86
Took me 3 minutes?
It shouldn't take more than 5 if it's your first time.
I used a piece of fishing line and a knot. Took less than five minutes. Its strange that this video popped up today since I just replaced the pull cord on a BR420, 500, and 550. About a month ago I replaced the pull cord on my Stihl 015l which took less than 3 minutes. Just make sure the spring doesn't slip because if it does it will take probably 20+ minutes to rewind it and its very likely that you wont get the tension right the first time. I think its absurd that this guy thinks it will take a hour to replace the pull cord. If its not something that is new to you like this isn't to him he should be able to replace the cylinder and piston in 1.5-2 hours. He must be smoking crack to take that long. Also why would you put a philips head screw in place. Only reason I could think of is so you can slip out of the screw and damage the housing. I would say he is retarded but that would be unfair. I guess idiots should stick to ryobi that way when something needs work you can just throw it away and get a new one. Like the landfills don't need more trash. Sickening
+Phillip Kramer my sentiments too
The sad thing is that Stihl probably made good tools at some point. Since they have a pretty big share of the market, they probably produce tools of shoddy quality, but have a big name to sell them. Very few companies will actually stand behind their products these days.