I've never tried to run one without the shaft and cable connected but I would imagine you could. It is more like a chain saw with a centrifugal clutch than a lawn mower engine. They idle, or are supposed to idle without the string turning.
One thing to keep in mind if you decide to try it. The engine will scream in a hurry if you get it running. There won't be the normal drag created from powering the cable and cutting head. Give it a try and see what happens. ----- Original Message ----- From: Rob Monitor To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 2:22 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] weed eaters HI, I have a old weed eater that some one gave me not sure what kind it is but it's a cheep one. What I would like to find out is the flywheel on a weed eater heavy enough to run the motor with out the shaft on it?? Like most smaller lawn mowers have to have the blade on it to run does a weed eater have to have the shaft with the string on it?? THANKS ROB FROM MINNESOTA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]