Steve Calvin wrote:

Yup. I have the Mantis and it always starts just fine. I do put some
winter stabilizer in the gas and run it to get it into the carb for
winter storage.

To start it (assuming that you use the correct oil mix) just hit the
primer 4 times, put the choke on full and pull the cord until it just
starts to sputter. Then put the choke in and pull it and it should fire
right up. Assuming that you've remembered to put the kill switch into
the run position. (gee, bet you're wondering how I know that huh? ;-) )

The thing's an animal for digging. I love it. I wouldn't want to do a
very large area with it but it's a digging fool.


Well, that's good to know. The experience with my new string trimmer has
almost made me want to give up on anything with a 2 stroke engine. I put
fresh fuel with the proper oil mixture in it when I wanted to use it for
the first time last June. It was new, right out of the box. It didn't
start and I followed the directions exactly. It was from Sears so I
called the help line they provide. The only help they could offer was to
read the exact same starting directions I already had followed.
I got it started twice all summer. I tried and failed about a dozen
times. I actually used it once for several minutes until I stalled the
engine and couldn't start it again.
Obviously, I'm not real happy about this. I put fuel stabilizer in it
this fall but couldn't start it to run it through the engine.

Steve