susquach

My Feedback: (1)

Summer's over...it's time to convert the lawn equipment to more productive purposes! Wuz wondering if anyone has converted a Weedeater Featherlite 1500? Just looking at the leafblower, it looks like a fairly easy job.....a lot of munching on the aluminum mounting assembly. Kind of have some misgivings about the prop its capable of turning. Any words of wisdom??

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

They have rather small ports and are not the most powerful gas engine around. The hub and back plate required is the same one used with the Homelite. I converted a 21 cc trimmer. I put a much larger Homelite 25 stock caarb on it and still, it was nowhere near as powerful as the Homey 25. You want to shoot for around 7,000 rpm. Try a 14-8 and see what you get. It's been a while with mine and I sold it some time ago.

Enjoy,

Jim

susquach

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks for the info. Yeah...got the feeling this little guy is going to have to go into a carefully selected plane....still, marginal power in a lightly loaded plane is way more fun than marginal power in a stooopid leafblower.

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

I bought a rreconditioned Featherlite from Lawnstation a few years ago to try...Put a hub and glowplug adapter on it with a WT499 carb from a glow G23...Ran ok, was not overly impressed with it so it's still in a drawer somewhere...Anybody wants it without the carb, send me $20 and your address....

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

Ralph, does the hub go with it? If so, I'll take it!

Let me know and I'll send you a $20 MO today.

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

It does, send me your address, I'll send it tomorrow...

farley9n

Hi!
Just a note to advise you that all Featherlites are not created equal. If you can get one with a bolt on muffler that clyinder will also have larger transfer, intake, and exhaust ports. More power but same light weight! Maybe not as much as a couple other 25cc conversion engines but still very light.............Bob

oslim

to farley9n: Can you remember the model designation(s) for the weedeaters with bolt-on mufflers? Were these part of the featherlight series? I really like the low weight of the weedeater engines even if they don't develope max power. BTW, stopped in Sears recently & they are selling a new model of Weedeater Featherlite 25 trimmer with less plastic shrouding and 2-bolt back cover instead of 4-bolts. Weight increased to 8.8 lb & box implies 50-states emissions calibration (includes California). Don't know if this will make it more tempermental or harder to start???

farley9n

To OSLIM

farley9n

To OSLIM
I have no idea of the model numbers but I can send you some pictures of two that I have sold and one that I still have if that would help. ............Bob

oslim

To farley9n: Yes , would appreciate pictures. Please send to [email protected].

Thank you

pcjohnson_ohio

My first conversion was a Featherlite Blower, just finished this weekend
$70 from [link=http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=90618-000000283-FL1500]Lowes[/link]

Really easy to do. Ran for 30 minutes as a blower. Pulled everything off the motor. Trimmed off excess aluminium with a RotoZip. Trimmed and balanced flywheel. Added a hub. Trim crankcase backplate on bandsaw. Made a motor mount out of HDPE cutting board. Cut the plastic throttle arm off carb and added a control arm. Cut a couple of 1/2" holes in muffler to open up exhaust. Mounted on a test stand. Wired kill switch. Used tank from blower. Started right up with $20 Tower starter

Couple of things, though. I'm using a carb off of a Featherlite string trimmer (the pics show two different carbs) because I couldn't turn the needle valves and I couldn't find my Dremel to slot them. Plus there is no idle stop (not a problem once mounted in a plane with a servo to control the idle.)
Also, this is a long shaft model, so the hub needs a 5/16" straight hole (instead of threaded)
The muffler is bolted on (unlike earlier models) but it has a 4 hole backplate which makes mounting easy (unlike later Featherlite Extreme models)

BTW the Lowes ad says 18cc, the box says 23 cc, and the engine plate says 25cc, so who knows

Turns 7400 rpm with a Zinger 15x8, Idles all day, surprisingly smooth, transitions nicely, hand starts with one flick when warm, have about 1 hour run time
Total weight is 3 1/2 lbs.
Going to try a APC 14x8 in am

Overall, I'm pleased for $80 and 2-3 hours invested for first gas engine. It's going in a 72" 1000 sq. in SPAD, projected weight 10#

Pete Johnson

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Where's all the snow?

Jim

pcjohnson_ohio

50 degrees and Sunny on New Years Day, Snow don't stick

oslim

To pcjohnson_ohio: Neat job! What material did you use for the hub spacer? Did you add serrations or friction material to prop or flywheel contact surfaces? Thank you for pictures . Say hello to your dog.

pcjohnson_ohio

Thanks,

The hub is plastic pipe cap filled with JB weld
The center tube came with the blower
See diagram

Seems quite solid, runs true, have 2 hours on engine
I can't vouch for long term durability but the 5/16" shaft carries the load
There is a washer between prop and hub that has both sides dimpled with drill bit tip

Turns 8000 on 14x8 APC, idles at 2000
BTW covering one of the two muffler holes cuts the noise without cutting rpms much
One 1/2" hole may be optimal

Pete Johnson

randall1959

My Feedback: (11)

If it's a 5/16 shaft, I'd opt for an adapter for a homelite. I'd say you have a 25cc engine from the stats on that prop. Anything less than 25cc just won't turn that prop as fast, no matter what you do with it. I would be concerned that your plastic prop hub will wear down from vibration and your prop will eventually loosen. The adapter hub for homelite isn't very expensive compared to surgery [X(]


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

dirtypool

My Feedback: (6)

I just had one given to me (weed eater featherlite) but I have to disassemble to see which one I got.

I will probably put it on a Big Pink or on my Sr Telemaster.

Who sells the prop hubs?

bbbrown

I have a Weedeater Featherlite 25cc on a Balsa USA Stingray 120. It has OVER 80, 10 minute or more, flights on this engine. Enough power to fly the stingray and do all the usual maneuvers. It has the stock carb with a velosity stack and CH ignition. 6800 rpm with a 16x8 prop. Next project is a 36cc Poulan chainsaw conversion.
BBBrown

dirtypool

My Feedback: (6)

Well, the ID plate says 25cc but I havent torn it down to a bare engine yet. Is the tag on the powerhead usually correct?

Thanks.

Rob

mikenlapaz

I tried a VHMW prop hub and retired it, with limited use. While changing props I noticed more than once a white powder. I could not get the prop tight enough to keep from it slipping and abrading the VHMW. THEN a close inspection revealed stress cracks radial from the center! I'll stick with aluminum from now on. Not worth the risk.

Lacking a method to neatly roughen the a bearing surface, I use drywall sanding screen. It is tough.

Prop Nut

My Feedback: (3)

Coverted a Featherlight 1500 last summer, love it. Really easy to convert and runs great. I turn a 15x8 at 7000-7100 RPM. Its on my Balsa USA Eindecker 80". We (fellow club members) bought 6 of these directly from Poulan's factory reconditioned store at the factory for 37.00 (9.00 for shipping UPS) and one of our members made the coversion parts for us in his machine shop. Very very easy to convert and use. They do say 16cc on the box, but the engine houseing says 25cc and we mic'ed them at 24.9 or so. These are the ones with bolt on mufflers. If anyone is interested I can look up the phone number to thier store (Or anyone can for that matter).

oslim

To Prop Nut: Searched Google under "Poulon Reconditioned Store, Factory, Trimmer, & Blower. Did not find factory store. **** has reconditioned Poulons but at higher price & shipping than you found. Would appreciate if you could find address or phone number, or better key words to search with. Thank you.

Prop Nut

My Feedback: (3)

The number is 870-845-6614, I purchased mine in July of 2004. Dont know if the price is still the same, they where closed a few minutes ago when I called the number. There is another outlet store (not the factory store) at Lawnstation.com that has a posted price of 49.99 plus shipping. All these are reconditioned. The feather light says 18cc but all of the ones we have purchased have turned out to be 25cc. Hope this helps. (Your right, I did a search to and found everything but this number)

Prop Nut

My Feedback: (3)

By the way Oslim, if you would like to see them fly this summer, come on over to Greenville (just north of GrandRapids) and fly with us. We have six of these things mounted on various planes.