Home of Folly Lane Allotment Group
Tool Loans
We have a range of tools our members can borrow at their own risk.
How to borrow our tools
Brian Songhurst [plot 22N] & Joe Horner [plot 45S] look after the site tools and organise repairs as needed. FLAG owns mowers and strimmers. Any FLAG member can use them.
When using any of the machines please use the correct fuel - straight petrol or 2-stroke as marked on the machines. Using straight petrol in a 2-stroke will cause the engine to seize.
Fuel is normally available in Aspen 2 containers for the 2-strokes and green cans for the 4-strokes.
Also please wear safety glasses and suitable clothing e.g. the strimmers can flick stones.
For your first time please email Brian or Joe who will provide access and explain the equipment to you.
For subsequent uses please contact one of the key holders as per the phone list below.
Brian and Joe ask "If anything goes wrong with a tool, do let one of us know and we can get something done about it. Please don’t just leave it for someone else to find out!"
Key holders:
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Brian Songhurst (22N) 07914 145293
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Joe Horner (45S) 07713 687878
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Richard Cloutman (32) 07790 343909
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Tim Leicester (31W) 07771 811986
Please use the FLAG petrol-driven tools carefully and read the safety instructions in the manuals. FLAG members use the tools at their own risk. Manuals are kept in the steel shed and web links below for pre-reading.
If you do break one or can’t get it working, please contact Brian [plot 22N] or one of the key holders. We don’t criticize but we need to know so we can get them working again and help you use them more effectively.
We have 2 mowers:
A Weibang 18” cut and a EFCO 16” cut. They both have 4-stroke engines and use straight petrol from the green can.
After use;
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please empty the collection box and clear the underneath and cut grass hole that feeds the box with a stick - do not put your hands inside the blade area. A brush is provided in the shed.
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Please don't refill the mowers as the petrol evaporates a bit and makes starting harder.
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If you do kindly refill a green can buy premium grade petrol as regular has 10% ethanol which does not store well and causes difficult starting.
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Please also use the mowers on a high setting on our rough ground to save damaging the blade when hitting the high spots.
We have 3 strimmers:
One Honda 4-stroke UMS425E and two 2- strokes - a Maruyama MX223 and an EFCO Stark25TR.
We recommend the use of Maruyama which is new and is light and powerful.
The 4-stroke Honda strimmer uses straight petrol from the green can. (same as the lawn mowers).
The 2-strokes use Aspen 2 a synthetic 2-stroke fuel which avoids the use of 2-stroke oil in a normal mix which separates out clogging the carburettor jets and causing starting problems.
The Aspen fuel is kept in clearly marked 5 litre plastic bottles simiar to the illustration below.
The Honda has a pre-loaded Universal head. To extend the strimmer line slacken the centre screw (clockwise) and pull out the line.
The 2-stokes have bump heads – preloaded line extends by tapping the head on the ground.
All strimmers use 2.4mm line. Please do not thicker line as it overloads the engine.
Do not vigorously pull the starter cord the full length as it can jam the recoil mechanism – just half to two thirds.
When finished please remove any grass or string etc that has would around the head and give a brush down. A brush is in the steel shed.
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Please contact Brian [plot 22N] iif we need more Aspen 2 two stroke fuel.
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Do not fill the strimmer tank after use. The petrol will partially evaporate increasing the oil concentration and make starting difficult next time.
