I sure everybody got there own little rituals when starting. I Push the primer buttom 5 to 10 times, choke it, and pull, should start on about the 3rd or 15th pull.

Got carb. cleaner? if so prime it by squirting a 10 to 2 second blast down the carb. (don't worry it won't hurt two strokes regardless of what some say)(and a side benifit it may clean the carb alittle making it easier to start)

When it warm you don't need to choke it rarely need to push the primer buttom also.

Most don't push the primer buttom enough to get all the air out and gas into the carb. Some even forget to choke it when the engine is stone cold, I also hold the throttle wide open so when it does fire it winds up and won't die right off.

My Echo hedge trimmer used to be a bear to start, now I have my way to start all of my stuff. Prime(push) the bulb hard 10 times, close choke and pull, when it start, open the choke as fast as you can and let it warm up for 10 seconds. It is good to go. I since start my Echo 3 to 4 pulls, Hondas 1 pull every time, my Shindaiwa not as good, 4 to 6 pull.

Was the trimmer working fine then started to make life difficult kinda slowly?

To each his own, but here's my take on this. First, change the plug. As far as priming, I push the bulb until I see fuel reach the carb through the hose, then I give it one more push...too much then you have too much fuel for a choke setting and have to work it out resulting in more pulls. If you are priming more than 5 times and there is no leak, you are likely going to flood it.

Does the trimmer have a 3-step choke? This is similiar to most of the homeowner types found today.

With the fresh plug, try to start in this manner then tell me how it's doing....

When cold, prime about 3-4 times..no more. Choke fully closed, full throttle, give it a few pulls until it starts to want to run. When it fires up..this is important, you may not be able to reach the choke to switch to the 2nd setting before it dies, that's o.k...if you do, well done, but if it dies, move to the 2nd position, full throttle, should fire right up and stumble from the choke..lots of smoke..yadda yadda but it will stay running.

Once it's started in the 2nd position, you may ease off the throttle and blip it a few times to warm it up, after about 10-15 sec of this move the choke to full open and easily apply the throttle until its wide-open and stays running, return to idle, then WOT and if it responds quickly off you go.

If the motor dies during the warm-up in the 2nd position, DON'T re-prime, whatever you do or you will flood it.....a very overlooked instance.

This is also important...

If it dies in the 2nd pos, you can pull the starter no more than 2 times and if it doesnt fire, close the choke fully again, NO PRIME and pull the cord and you won't need full throttle, just when it fires in closed pos, move to 2nd and blip the throttle, like when it was cold, then open the choke, you have to repeat all the steps if it dies before warm.

This has worked on every two-stroke trimmer I have owned, a few chainsaws seem to run better when cold but the little trimmer motors need finesse. Nevermind what the owners manual says.....what are they thinking :)

Also, give the trimmer a shake before you start it in case any oil may have settled but generally it stays in suspension.

Good luck.

Don't forget the plug.

Remoser hit the nail on the head when he mentioned
"rituals". Each and everyone of my 2-strokes takes
a different ritual. For example, my JD21 trimmer
needs to have the primer bulb pumped 6 times and then
one pull with the choke on. Then one pull with the
throttle wide open. Hopefully on the next pull, it will
fire, but I have take the choke off real quick or it will
stall, (sometimes I have to spin around 3 times while
patting my tummy and singing 'Three Blind Mice').
And to complicate matters, the air temperature and humidity
make a difference. I suggest you just keep experimenting
until you hit on one that works for your machine,
(and write it down on the shed wall or next spring
you will be experimenting again).

There are 3 things that you need to check with any 2cycle machines.
1. Spark Plug - Make sure that it is clean and dry...Buy a box of what type you need and change them fairly often.

2. Fuel Filter - Keep of couple extras on hand, it doesn't take much for them to need changed also.

3. Exhaust port... Pull the muffler and make sure the exhaust port is clean on both the engine and muffler.

Buy a can of carb cleaner to spray out the carb and exhaust port every now-n-then. Put in a new fuel filter and plug...should start right away and run very healthy.
I do this with all of my 2cycle equipment and everything starts on first pull...
Later,
WEIMER

I must be cheap I never but spark plugs unless I bust or crack them, If I think it's the plug I just pull one out of another. I must be lucky cause it never fixes anything. rarely change spark plugs in my mowers. My 34 year old tiller still has the orginal plug, But, I did have to change the points and had to decarbonize the combustion chamber about dozen times.

I sure do agree with the carb. cleaner. I would never get anything started if I didn't use that for priming. I don't like cranking and the CC starts'em on the first or second pull or crank.