Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

My trimmer , about a month old, has suddenly developed a "frozen" head.  The first day I had it, it was balky, right from the initial start-up.  I attributed this to a tangle or mis-alignment of the string, so I removed the spool, fiddled with the string, and it worked OK.  On 3 or 4 subsequent uses, same problem, and the same procedure usually got things right.  Yesterday, after a pause to refuel, she fired right up as usual, but the head refused to rotate.  I fiddled with the string, spool removed, wound, re-wound, etc., a half-dozen times to no avail.  When I removed the spool completely, fired  it up, I noticed that NOTHING was rotating!  Is the head connected to the engine via a cable running through the hollow shaft?  What would cause this problem?  I'm taking it to an authorized Stihl shop today, but I'm really curious about the cause of this, for I am exceedingly careful with my equipment....Thanks, guys..Phil

The head froze, then the drive cable snapped, correct.

Let us know what the dealer did, hope it was covered by warranty.....otherwise $$$.$$

Your post doesn't say whether the engine was running but I'm assuming it was.

There is a flexible shaft, that looks much like a cable, that connects the engine/motor to the trimming head. Either the shaft is broken or the connection to either/both the trimmer head or the engine/motor are not properly engaged. I have a Stihl that has a removable trimmer head and you do have to ensure that the head is properly seated before tightening the bolts whenever you remount it. Either way it sounds like a warranty issue to me unless the brakage was due to some sort of excessive abuse on your part.

Earthworm and Nibbler,

   Thanks for your interest and responses.  First, may I say, "Mea culpa", etc., etc.,....Much to my shame, when I  picked up the trimmer from the Stihl repair shop, (no charge), I was told that the bolt which holds the head in place was not installed during the assembly process.  It seems that the units are sent from the factory in a partly diassembled condition, which is completed  at the seller's location.  Shame on me for not noticing it,  for the recess in the head where the nut goes is very obvious, as is the slot for the missing bolt.  I can only attribute my stupidity in not noticing this to my recent birthday, when I reached the exalted age of three score and ten!  Again, thanks, guys..  Phil

Sounds kind of weird that the only thing was a bolt that was either missing or not tightened up. I can understand it if the trimmer head was packed separate from the engine and shaft. Either way I would have thought the dealer would have asembled it for you.

BTW - Its a good idea to check that connection every so often. Vibration happens.