# Forum Home Renovation Landscaping, Gardening & Outdoors  stihl whipper snipper startup process

## breakerboy2000

Hello, my old whipper snipper had 3 options for startup.. up and down choke symbol, diagonal choke symbol, and 'run' symbol 
my sthl easy pull whipper snipper only has up and down symbol and diagonal symbol. 
which is 'run' 
say if i were to start it cold, what do i start it on, and what do i switch it over to? 
thank you for any replies.

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## Uncle Bob

Is it 2 stroke or 4 stroke?

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## Bedford

Not sure if this is the same but might help. 
If he'd turned the choke of quicker once it started it would be better.  Stihl trimmer proper/cold start - YouTube

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## johnc

No real basis for this but with Whipper Snipper and other similar engines (chainsaws, blowers) a few pumps if there is a fuel primer, I start off full choke, once it kicks first time (and doesn't fire) I switch to half choke another couple of pumps (or no choke) and usually one more pull and away it goes. Every motor has its own whims and it is pretty much trial and error. FWIW in my experience most easy start motors aren't easy starters with the small two stokes after a few months of ownership, on the other hand most four strokes are for their entire lives. There is probably a small motor expert out there though who might disagree on the basis of wider real world experience.

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## breakerboy2000

thanks for the responses. it is a 2 stroke model 'fs 55 rc'  
is the full choke the up/down symbol and half choke the diagonal? 
so for cold start should i have it on full choke, prime it a few times, hold trigger down, pull cord, once it kicks, switch it to half choke and pull till it runs then leave it on 1/2 choke for duration of use? 
thank you.

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## Uncle Bob

Open choke looks like this |l| closed like this |/| or |-| 
Usually for cold starts you turn the close the choke, prime, set throttle to 1/3 pull it till it fires, open the choke a bit, give it some more pulls till it tries to start, then open the choke fully.

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## toooldforthis

not familiar with yr model but mine, when cold: pump prime, say 6 pumpshas a throttle lock for start up - so set that (depress throttle and press button to lock)set choke fullpull start til kicks (and dies)choke full offpull startdepress throttle to take lock off. 
when warm: no choke, no throttle, no prime, just pull start - usually only takes the one. 
mine hates the choke at any time except for the first start from cold.

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## breakerboy2000

correction: it actually has horizontal choke symbol and diagonal.  thanks mate, yes that is similar to mine, it has a throttle lock, 
but what is full choke symbol: the horizontal line or the diagonal symbol? 
cheers.

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## Uncle Bob

> but what is full choke symbol: the horizontal line or the diagonal symbol?

  Open choke looks like this |l| closed like this |/| or |-| 
(Copied from my post above)

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## breakerboy2000

thanks uncle bob, sorry i didnt see yopur first post, 
so my machine doesnt have an open choke? 
for cold start would i use |/| then switch it to |-|  and leave it on |-| for duration of cutting? - or the other way around??  
my whipper snipper only has |\| and |-| 
thanks

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## johnc

I/I is open or run, I-I is for start or cold. You don't use extra throttle for all choked two strokes and never full throttle for a cold start as you'll flood the thing. It depends on the unit, but about third throttle is about as much as you would need. Try it when you start it without throttle next time you use it as it most likely advances the throttle with the choke when it is closed. I don't know your model the Stihl snipper, the one I use needs a small amount of throttle to get it to kick over and run but if you hit full throttle to early it dies, only takes a few seconds to settle itself in once starting.

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## Farmer Geoff

If you want to be certain, take the air cleaner off and look inside the carby intake and see how the choke behaves as you operate the lever.

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## Bedford

> say if i were to start it cold, what do i start it on, and what do i switch it over to?

  If the reason you're asking this is because you can't get it to start, and it's been sitting a while, check that the exhaust outlet is clear. 
It's not uncommon (in my area) for mud wasps to build a nest there which will stop it from starting even if everything else is set right.

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## Uncle Bob

Further to Bedford's suggestion, a can of "Start ya Bastard" probably wouldn't go amiss  :Wink:

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## Random Username

:2thumbsup:  For Start ya' Bastard.  Every shed should have a can even if just for the name!!  (also prompts you with the correct wording to use).

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## PlatypusGardens

A whole thread on how to start an "Easy start" machine?  
Surely I'm not the only one amused by the irony here...    
.

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