Chinese carbs... my experience

[Chevboy0167]

Had a customers Rancher 55 on my bench last summer. Started running like crap so he got a Chicom carb off Amazon. Not even a single pop off with it. Would pop if ya sent mix down the throat so had spark.

I remove said China block and tore it down to see what's what.... all looked ok except the H and L needle circuits were NOT fully drilled through carb body!!!

I ask if he still had the OEM carb and got a yes. Brought it to me, tore it down and into the ultra-sonic for half hr. Installed OEM carb kit, mounted it up with rough settings and fired off on the 5th pull running damn decent. A bit of fine tuning and all was well again.

I'm at 3 outa 5 so far on good Chicoms but try to get OEM used or if all else fails, new OEM if the customer or even I for myself can swing it. I don't gamble at all but this crap shoot game sucks!

 

[samaritan]

I just bought a carb from amazon-chinese of course, and it has no primer bulb, nor a place for one, I hope it will run my ms251c, anyone have any experience with this?

 

[Cliff R]

I work on carburetors for a living, or did till retiring last January. I'm still doing a few carbs a month but not 500-700 a year like I have been for decades. With nearly 50 years of experience and building tens of thousands of them I woln't touch any aftermarket "replacement" carbs for small power equipment with a 200' pole.

Same with any "remanufactured" carbs they sell for automotive applicatoins at the parts stores or on line, absolute pure JUNK no exceptions.

The KEY to success rebuilding small power equipment all position carburetors as well as side and down draft units for larger engines like power washers and generator sets is to use OEM kits and be meticulous and attention to detail. The biggest reason to go OEM is that the factory is continuously upgrading the components in their kits to hold up in this new fuel containing ethanol and other additives that hate rubber, neoprene and nitrile. For the Chinese kits who knows what tree bark they cut those gaskets out of and I'm certain that being reliable in long term service isn't even on their radar anyplace, they just want to get the sale and control that portion of the market....IMHO

Anyhow, as a consumer, part time user or hobbyist you will run into a few OEM units that will NOT work well even if you do a correct rebuild with OEM parts if the main nozzle check valve isn't working correctly, for example. Replacing those parts can be a lesson in humility unless you have the factory tools or a lathe to make some of them, so a NIB OEM unit often becomes the better course of action.

I've also ran into a few really high hour carbs from older saws where the hole the needle sits in was wollered out a bit and those will NOT work well no matter what you do so once again a NIB replacement carb will be in order.

My advice comes from running a business where time is money and come-backs kick your ars. For the hobbyist or homeowner for sure go on Amazon or Ebay and buy the $11 Tillotson replacement carb for your 272XP and it may or may not work for you. Here that option isn't on the table so I'm rebuilding the original unit with an OEM rebuild kit.

I'll also add here that some OEM carbs aren't really that much more than the knock-off garbage especially if you have time to shop around some. Once again where time is money I'll use that option instead of spending nearly an hour on the bench with the original unit.

There are also upgrades out there for some applications, so do your homework. I just had a nozzle act up on the Walbro HDA 268 carb on my Echo CS-600P. While waiting for an order of new nozzles to show up I located NIB Echo/Walbro HDA 327 carbs for the CS-620P's and went that route instead. The factory replacment carb didn't have limiter screws either, and flawless right out of the box. So the $80 I spent on it was small change compared to the time to R & R and completely rebuild the original 268 carb. I'll also make most of the money back because I'll go ahead and repair the original 268 carb and put it on the shelf or sell it if someone needs one.......FWIW......

https://cliffshighperformance.com/

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

I bought a G395xp carburetor from farmertech because it has the H jet, the factory husqvarna does not include this option.
Very simply if your not familiar with carburetor function OEM is your best bet. As stated though there's no replacement for some OEM carburetors and AM is your only option.

 

[bwalker]

It never ceases to amaze me what cheap bastards will do to save $100 bucks. My time is too valuable to mess around with Chinese junk. That and I refuse to give those evil bastards a penny if I don't have to.

 

[Cliff R]

Being "cheap" doesn't work out well as a general rule these days.

I've been in the parts business over 20 years now and it's getting worse. Amazon, Ebay, Google etc have changed the way people shop. EVERYONE "googles" what they need to the brink of extinction to fine the absolute LOWEST price with "free-shipping". They care not about where it comes from or the quality of the parts, they just want the lowest price. This seldom if ever works out well as you are going to get junk carburetors and carburetor rebuild kits.

I get emails and calls to the shop by the hundreds every week from folks who just cheaped out on a carb rebuild kit, nothing is working well, and they want me to crawl thru the phone and fix it. My FIRST question is "where did you get your kit". Their response is either "I don't remember" or never heard of you and bought from someplace else. My answer is to "install one of my kits and IF all your problems don't go away you have a fundamental problem someplace or botched up the assembly or settings."

Most who go ahead and replace the cheap parts with my USA made parts (lifetime warranty) end up with perfect results and get to go out and start worrying about other things in their lives besides their pride and joy muscle car or older truck woln't start or run for ****!......FWIW.......

 

[Hipastore]

Thanks for noting it. We will check this on Hipa carbs.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Before you knock the Chinese carbs too much remember that some OEMs are made there also. I recently pulled a Zama off a small Stihl saw and it said on the carb, "Made in China." It was the original.

 

[Lawless]

Laughing at the Chinese hate posted by typing on devices made in China. Chinese manufacturing might is 100% due to American demand for cheap goods. Good or bad aside, it arose to fill an American demand.

 

[ZeroJunk]

Yeah, if nothing else cheap Chinese carbs have made the OEM's consider their pricing.
We get about $45 for an OEM carb for the typical home owner stuff. They are consistent quality.

Of course, you can buy three Chinese carbs for that.

Takes me maybe 10 minutes to swap the carb on most anything other than a concrete saw. And, they are more like $110 OEM. But, I certainly don't want to spend that time and have to do it over.

But, for $15 I can throw some Chinese carbs in the round can on something I can swap in 5 minutes.

Absolutely does not bother the OEM's who are bending you over to get from China . Have an Iphone?

 

[Cliff R]

Correct, many carburetors are made there, however the bottom shelf $10-12 items are copies, not originals nor will they contain components nearly as good as the units Stihl (for example) is having made for them by ZAMA.

Also don't think for one second that the Chinese can't produce top quality components. We just don't get their best efforts with most of what comes from there because of the price point we are wanting to pay for it......FWIW.....

 

[Lawless]

Correct, many carburetors are made there, however the bottom shelf $10-12 items are copies, not originals nor will they contain components nearly as good as the units Stihl (for example) is having made for them by ZAMA.

Also don't think for one second that the Chinese can't produce top quality components. We just don't get their best efforts with most of what comes from there because of the price point we are wanting to pay for it......FWIW.....

Exactly. The manufacturer builds to the quality the customer specs.

 

[stihltech]

If you don't mind buying two or three chinese knock off carbs and spending time to switch them around, go for it. BUT if you run a shop, how many customers will pay for that? I am in the middle of one of those situations right now. Customer bought the parts for a rebuild. Carburetor will not work after all other tests completed. It is taking up space in the shop and the bill is increasing.
Do it yourselfer OK. In a business, not OK. Also got bit by a saw traded in with knock off flywheel. Lost all profit on that one.

 

[ZeroJunk]

Everything that goes through the dealership is OEM . But what I do at home for a neighbor, who knows.

Hard to put OEM on a beat up 017 or BG55 when I can put a $12 one on that usually works fine. Don't charge them for doing it so it's not like they can demand their money back.

 

[Cliff R]

I've been doing this full time since 2003 until retiring recently, and part-time at least 20 years prior to that. EVERYTHING you put out the door, charity work or not has your name on it. Using cheap/low quality components doesn't work for me. You wouldn't believe the number of folks over the years who have walked in here and wanted something just "patched up for now and I'll do it right later". That mentality is a recipe for disaster for a business. Those same folks will not remember that conversation IF you go the el-cheapo route and they have problems shortly thereafter or on down the road a ways. You are actually more likely to get a call from that sort of customer saying that "ever since you worked on my saw the headlights quit working in my truck" and they will be wanting you to fix them! You can also bet they will be telling ALL their friends about the crappy work you did for them as well.

EVERYTHING done here gets the best components currently available with the greatest attention to detail installing those parts. I built my business on that deal and NEVER wanted for any work and have very, very few "come-backs" or problems with anything we sent out of here.......FWIW.......

 

[Lawless]

^ I have never run a small engine repair but I spent 20 years in fixed ops at a GM dealer. We did use aftermarket parts for some things as an option. The customer was given the information and was allowed to decide. Paperwork provided and notes in our system spelled this out as well. Different cost and different level of dealership responsibility for performance. As a Master Tech I never worried about installing aftermarket parts As a SM I never worried as my advisors always explained the cost vs. warranty difference.

Granted that a Car Quest water pump wasn’t necessarily made extraordinarily cheaply but definitely wasn’t the same as new OEM. Were they good enough? Yes, in most every case. Chinese auto parts in my experience can be/are reliable and certainly seem to be what America is demanding based on sales.

This doesn’t mean I don’t spend $2 extra on an OEM Toyota oil filter, cost to benefit is analyzed and a judgement call made. I did replace the hydro filters in my Toro Z-Master with aftermarket that were ISO certified for 1/4 the cost and am happy with the result.

I also was a Snapon dealer. The premium tool business is affected by the demand for cheaper options as well. Snapon offers Bluepoint and other brands mostly made in China and Taiwan. These are tools at a lower price point which have been vetted and tested to meet a professional level of use. They are not as nice as the American tools but give more options. Options are good.

As I said earlier, I have several 2 cycle tools that have MANY hours that now wear sub $20 Amazon carbs. I read reviews and there are a handful of brands that seem to be GTG. I just last night ordered one for my BG55 that recently began to leak some fuel and require too much high jet. I have had great success with the brand I bought and it isn’t worth fiddling with the 15 year old factory Zama (which is *drumroll* Chinese too). Cost to benefit analysis showed that $16 for a carb brand that has performed perfectly for me was a better option than a factory Zama for over 3 times the cost. I get fuel line and plug and gaskets too.

Everyone has to decide what their own “lines” are. Tilting at Chinese OPE parts windmills while almost everything else you buy has Chinese origins is virtue signaling IMO. I certainly wish American manufacturing might was at WW2 levels and every town had booming plants with good jobs but sadly that isn’t the case. It probably never will be the case again. We gave those times away for $2 plastic waste baskets and $150 60” televisions.

 

[Cliff R]

Using sub-standard components can hurt you some on a big level but KILL you in a small business.

I'm not one to use my customers as a proving ground for cheap parts so in almost all cases I'm going top-shelf or OEM or using a replacement part that I absolutely know will make the grade.

I'm also not much for putting used parts back in place even though they look good and still serviceable. About 20 years ago shortly after going full time in this deal I was working on a customers carburetor. The electric choke on it didn't look too bad and still tested fine and I relayed this to the customer when I was making up the invoice.

He was NOT good with spending another $50 on a USA made replacement part so I reluctantly put the old one back in place. It was on a really nice mid-80's Chevy truck he used for towing. SOB on his very first outing about 200 miles from the house he pulled off the Interstate and his engine was racing at 1800rpms and he had to two-foot it to a gas station to check things out. The electric choke had failed and he couldn't get it off fast idle or wire the thing open knowing little to nothing about carburetors.

He called up here all pissed off FLAMING my ars about his issues with the carb and how it ruined his first outing, had to get towed, etc, etc. Now you know he told ALL his friends about how the guy up in Ohio charged him a LOT of money for a complete rebuild/restoration of his carburetor and the issues he had with it and for sure did NOT mention he wanted me to put the old choke back in place.

From that day forward every time a carb came in with an electric choke on it, original, used, or even looking brand new I took a small hammer and broke the terminal end right off the side or the carburetor!

NEVER had a single issue after that ordeal and don't plan to........FWIW.......

 

[sean donato]

^ I have never run a small engine repair but I spent 20 years in fixed ops at a GM dealer. We did use aftermarket parts for some things as an option. The customer was given the information and was allowed to decide. Paperwork provided and notes in our system spelled this out as well. Different cost and different level of dealership responsibility for performance. As a Master Tech I never worried about installing aftermarket parts As a SM I never worried as my advisors always explained the cost vs. warranty difference.

Granted that a Car Quest water pump wasn’t necessarily made extraordinarily cheaply but definitely wasn’t the same as new OEM. Were they good enough? Yes, in most every case. Chinese auto parts in my experience can be/are reliable and certainly seem to be what America is demanding based on sales.

This doesn’t mean I don’t spend $2 extra on an OEM Toyota oil filter, cost to benefit is analyzed and a judgement call made. I did replace the hydro filters in my Toro Z-Master with aftermarket that were ISO certified for 1/4 the cost and am happy with the result.

I also was a Snapon dealer. The premium tool business is affected by the demand for cheaper options as well. Snapon offers Bluepoint and other brands mostly made in China and Taiwan. These are tools at a lower price point which have been vetted and tested to meet a professional level of use. They are not as nice as the American tools but give more options. Options are good.

As I said earlier, I have several 2 cycle tools that have MANY hours that now wear sub $20 Amazon carbs. I read reviews and there are a handful of brands that seem to be GTG. I just last night ordered one for my BG55 that recently began to leak some fuel and require too much high jet. I have had great success with the brand I bought and it isn’t worth fiddling with the 15 year old factory Zama (which is *drumroll* Chinese too). Cost to benefit analysis showed that $16 for a carb brand that has performed perfectly for me was a better option than a factory Zama for over 3 times the cost. I get fuel line and plug and gaskets too.

Everyone has to decide what their own “lines” are. Tilting at Chinese *** parts windmills while almost everything else you buy has Chinese origins is virtue signaling IMO. I certainly wish American manufacturing might was at WW2 levels and every town had booming plants with good jobs but sadly that isn’t the case. It probably never will be the case again. We gave those times away for $2 plastic waste baskets and $150 60” televisions.

Your just wasting your breath buddy. Can't get blood out of a turnip and the virtuous don't understand that the oem carb was made at the same place, along side the phone they arw typing on.

 

[ZeroJunk]

It is interesting that I have had no problem out of aftermarket carbs that did not show up instantly.
I have had the butterflies stick, where the throttle linkage hooks up is just wrong, etc.
But, if they work to start with I have not had any come back.
Many been out there a long time. I'm pretty sure my MS660 has a fully adjustable aftermarket. I know my 026 does.

As far as reputation, I pray to God that people would just leave me alone at home.

 

[link]

My experience is they work "often" perfectly, but they leak gas.
So when the pressure in your gas tank increases - it pushes fuel up in to the carb, result is gas pouring down your chainsaw handle at the shelf, and that the saw is flooded when you try to start it.