# Leaf blower won't start **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 28, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaf-blower-wont-start/735989 "2015-10-28T17:42:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaf-blower-wont-start/735989/1 "2015-10-28T17:42:01Z")
Technically, this is probably a GQ. I wouldn’t be asking, but my neighbor has OCD with respect to blowing the leaves off his lawn. The question is, why does my neighbor’s leaf blower take forever to start. Every fall for at least five years, he goes through the same ritual about a dozen times. He starts the leaf blower. It revs up for about 2-3 seconds and then dies. He does it again, and again, and again. After about 8 starts, the rev-ups start lasting longer. After about 15 starts, the rev-ups are lasting upwards of 10-15 seconds, but the thing still dies. After about 20 starts, the unit almost dies, but doesn’t die all the way. For a minute or two, the RPMs go up and down, then it finally works. What would cause the engine to have trouble until it gets warm? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaf-blower-wont-start/735989/2 "2015-10-28T18:08:24Z")
> [@bizerta](#): > > Technically, this is probably a GQ. I wouldn’t be asking, but my neighbor has OCD with respect to blowing the leaves off his lawn. > > The question is, why does my neighbor’s leaf blower take forever to start. Every fall for at least five years, he goes through the same ritual about a dozen times. He starts the leaf blower. It revs up for about 2-3 seconds and then dies. He does it again, and again, and again. After about 8 starts, the rev-ups start lasting longer. After about 15 starts, the rev-ups are lasting upwards of 10-15 seconds, but the thing still dies. After about 20 starts, the unit almost dies, but doesn’t die all the way. For a minute or two, the RPMs go up and down, then it finally works. > > What would cause the engine to have trouble until it gets warm? old gas. typically the fuel tanks on these things have some sort of vent to allow the carburetor diaphragm to pump fuel (assuming this is a two stroke with a Walbro-style carb.) As gasoline ages, the lighter more volatile fractions evaporate away and what’s left is harder to ignite. it takes a warm/hot engine to evaporate it sufficiently so the spark plug can reliably ignite it. ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaf-blower-wont-start/735989/3 "2015-10-28T19:29:35Z")
I agree, old gas, he should put some gas stabilizer in the tank. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaf-blower-wont-start/735989/4 "2015-10-28T22:48:33Z")
Better yet, buy him an electric one so you don’t have to listen to that obnoxious noise. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaf-blower-wont-start/735989/5 "2015-10-28T23:08:19Z")
[del]In before the Dope hunts this man down and kills him with his own leaf blower[/del]