It’s easy to forget about servicing your RedMax leaf blower to keep it in good condition. With the busyness of life, tuning up your leaf blower is one of those things that gets pushed aside for a later time.
To keep your RedMax blower running at its best and extend its life, it’s important to make time to maintain it.
Service a RedMax leaf blower by making sure there is good fresh fuel; the air filter, fuel filter and spark plug are replaced; the air passageways are free of debris; the fuel system is in good condition; and you don’t have any missing or loose parts.
Steps to Service and Tune Up a Leaf Blower:
- Gather tools and supplies
- Remove the spark plug & follow safety precautions
- Replace old fuel
- Replace fuel filter
- Check the fuel system
- Replace air filter
- Replace the spark plug
- Clean the cooling system/air intake system
- Clean the spark arrestor
- Clean the exterior
- Tighten loose hardware & replace broken and missing parts
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Follow all safety instructions provided in your equipment operator’s manual before diagnosing, repairing, or operating. Consult a professional if you don’t have the skills, or knowledge or are not in the condition to perform the repair safely.
Perform Maintenance on a RedMax Leaf Blower in 12 Steps
1. Gather Tools and Supplies
- Socket set and screwdrivers
- Fuel filter
- Air filter
- Spark plug
- Clean rags
- Protection gear: gloves and safety glasses
2. Remove the Spark Plug & Follow Safety Precautions
Before you start changing filters and cleaning your RedMax blower, make sure you take safety precautions to avoid injury and burns. This includes shutting off the blower, removing the spark plug wire, waiting for the engine to cool, and making sure all parts have stopped moving.
Refer to the operator’s manual for your model blower for a list of safety precautions.
3. Replace Old Fuel
Old fuel in your RedMax blower can cause problems to develop in the fuel system that can keep your blower from getting sufficient fuel.
Because gas can begin to break down as soon as 30 days after purchase drawing moisture to the fuel and leaving behind gummy deposits and a varnish that will corrode the fuel system and restrict flow.
If you find your fuel is older than 30 days, drain the fuel tank and add fresh fuel. This is a good time to replace the fuel filter while the fuel tank is empty.
RedMax currently offers a full line of leaf blowers with 2-cycle engines. These types of engines require gas and oil to be mixed before placing in the fuel tank. Read more about the type of gas RedMax leaf blowers use here.
RedMax leaf blowers use a gas-to-oil mix at a ratio of 50:1. This means 50 parts gasoline is mixed with 1 part oil.
- Gasoline: An unleaded gasoline with a minimum octane rating of 89 and a maximum ethanol content of 10%. Stay away from gas with ethanol contents greater than this. Ethanol is not good for small engines.
- 2-cycle premium oil: A 2-cycle premium oil that is ISO-L-EGD and JASO M345 FD certified like RedMax MaxLife.
| RedMax Gas to Oil Mix Ratio | 1 Gallon Gas | 2 Gallon Gas | 2.5 Gallon Gas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50:1 | 2.6 oz Oil | 5.2 oz Oil | 6.4 oz Oil |
Add a fuel additive like Sea Foam Motor Treatment to stabilize fuel so it lasts longer than 30 days before it breaks down. This additive not only stabilizes gas, but it will also reduce moisture buildup and help keep the fuel system clean.
Note: Some oils contain an additive that can keep the fuel stable anywhere from 30 days to 2 years. Don’t assume that, just because there is a fuel stabilizer included in the oil, it makes the fuel stable for longer than 30 days.
4. Replace the Fuel Filter
Replace the fuel filter to keep it in good condition so it will continue to strain dirt and debris while allowing fuel to pass through the filter. You will find the fuel filter inside the fuel tank attached the end of the fuel line.
Wipe around the fuel cap to clean the area so dirt doesn’t fall into the fuel tank. Remove the cap.
To replace the fuel filter, use a clean bent wire to hook the fuel line and filter to pull it out of the fuel tank. Hold onto the fuel line and ring clip in one hand while pulling the filter out of the line with the other hand.
Don’t lose the ring clip. Keep it on the fuel line and slide the new fuel filter into the line. Make sure it the fuel filter is securely attached to the filter using the ring clip.
5. Check the Fuel System
Check the condition of the fuel system components including the fuel tank, fuel lines, and fuel cap. If you find any leaks or cracks, replace the items.
Check the fuel cap seal to make sure it is sealing and the fuel will not leak out of the cap area. Do not operate your RedMax leaf blower if you find a fuel leak until it is repaired.
6. Replace the Air Filter
You must keep a clean air filter in your blower. With the dirty dusty conditions created when using a blower, it’s important to have an air filter that keeps dirt from entering the carburetor throat and wearing on the engine.
When the air filter in your RedMax isn’t cleaned and replaced regularly, it can get plugged causing problems such as your blower dying, failing to start, or overheating.
Replace the air filter annually with a new filter. You will have to replace it more often if you are working in very dusty conditions, use your mower more than the average homeowner, or for commercial purposes.
Never run your blower without an air filter. Doing so will wear and damage the engine.
Replace an air filter in Your RedMax leaf blower
- Close the choke to keep dirt from falling into the air intake.
- Remove the air filter cover held on by clips, knobs, or screws.
- Remove the air filter being careful not to knock any dirt or debris into the air intake.
- Remove any dirt remaining in the air filter housing and the air filter cover.
- Install a new air filter.
- Reattach the air filter cover.
Clean your RedMax filter regularly throughout the season.
- RedMax backpack leaf blowers use a paper filter along with a foam pre-filter. Replace a paper filter if it is damaged or dirty. Clean the foam pre-filter with a mild dish detergent and water solution. Rinse and let dry. (Don’t add oil to the foam pre-filter).
- RedMax handheld blowers may use a felt or foam filter. A felt filter can be brushed clean. If your RedMax uses only a foam filter as its primary air filter, clean it by washing the filter with mild dish detergent and water. Allow the filter to dry before coating it with a small amount of engine oil.
7. Replace the Spark Plug
Make sure you always have a good spark plug in place. A fouled or damaged plug can cause your RedMax blower to have intermittent spark problems resulting in poor performance.
Remove the old spark plug and replace it with a new spark plug that is gapped to the manufacturer’s specification. Hold off on attaching the spark plug wire. You want to leave it unattached until you have completed servicing your RedMax.
8. Clean the Cooling System and Air Intake
The engine can overheat and shut down when it gets hot due to debris and dirt clogging the air passageways. When air can’t circulate around the engine to keep it cool, your RedMax blower will overheat which can result in potential engine damage.
Before working around the engine, make sure the spark plug wire is still removed. Remove the engine cover. Clean all debris from the engine cover and around the engine.
Remove debris buildup on the cooling fins. You can use a bristle brush to remove dirt. Don’t use any metal tool to remove the debris as this can damage the blower.
9. Clean the Spark Arrestor
You will find a spark arrestor on your RedMax leaf blower that can become plugged with soot and prevent it from starting. With the spark plug wire disconnected, remove the engine cover and engine exhaust cover.
Remove the spark arrestor and clean it with a wire brush to remove the soot. If you are unable to clean it sufficiently, it is damaged or has a hole in it, replace it with a new spark arrestor.
10. Clean the Exterior
Add a mild dish detergent to the water. Dampen a clean cloth and clean the exterior of the leaf blower. If you are servicing a RedMax backpack leaf blower, make sure you remove the debris that gets stuck between the backpack frame and the blower housing.
11. Tighten Loose Hardware & Replace Broken & Missing Parts
Inspect your blower for loose or missing parts. Replace any items that are missing or damaged. Tighten any loose parts. Don’t operate your RedMax blower until all parts are installed and in good working order.
12. Reattach the Spark Plug Wire
Now that all of the work is complete on your Red leaf blower, you can reattach the spark plug wire.
Tuning Up Your RedMax Leaf Blower Will Help Keep It Running: Don’t Skip Regular Inspections
While you should tune up your RedMax leaf blower annually to keep it running at its best and to minimize significant problems during the season, it is also important to check it over before each use.
Check these items before each use:
- Inspect and clean the air filter.
- Look for fuel leaks and repair.
- Check the condition of the fuel filter.
- Make sure air passages are not clogged.
- Inspect the muffler for damage.
- Tighten loose parts and replace missing parts.