Getting chainsaw massacred

[CaptnA]

Like Scott, I am late to this.
Stihl gets my vote as well. The NC Forest service uses Stihl exclusively as do most of the tree companies, power companies, and logging companies in the area.
Echo wasn't mentioned but makes a quality product as do Husqvarna, Jonsered, and others. My 70's model Poulan still is a dandy limb saw.
Even though you may need a smaller saw - don't skimp. The big boxes do little besides sell you the cheapest product they can get for the most money you are willing to pay for it. Outdoor power companies know their products and can match your needs to the best size and chain for you. From time to time they may get trade ins when large companies replace their tools.
For what its worth, the "identical saw" at the big box - most likely isn't identical.

Check your fuel mix as mentioned. For what its worth, start from scratch on your fuel, including totally fresh fuel in the saw. Replace your spark plug. Clean your air filter. Sounds like you haven't run it enough to, but perhaps check your exhaust screen. When clogged they can keep your saw from running well, and cause starting poorly. Amazing the difference something you may not even know is there can make.
Good luck.

 

[RobS.]

Try this with the Poulan - turn the switch to "on", sqeeze the trigger (trottle) 5 times, release it, engage the choke, then pull the crank cord. My 20+ year old Poulan works when I do this if the engine's cold. After running out a tank of fuel I put it aside and get out my Stihl, also 20+ years old.

The Poulan is often a pain especially if I cut it off and then try to restart it. In fact it's caused me to create new compound profanities. My Stihl does most of my cutting. It's an 028 wood boss with a 16" bar. I'm running a 20" bar on it now and it cuts fine. I cut a 40" diameter pecan with it - cut thru 1/2 the log then moved to the other side to finish. It never bogged down.

 

[scsmith42]

In fact it's caused me to create new compound profanities.

:rotflm: :rotflm: :rotflm:

 

[CarvedTones]

One of the reasons I had to switch to electric was not knowing enough profanity to keep a 2 stroke running.

Seriously, I have dealt with chain saws, boat motors, weed whackers, motorcycles and a few other 2 strokes over the years and a lot of the advice is vagues but accurate, if that makes any sense. It is almost always the fuel flow. You try to start with a dry carb and pull the cord right as the first bit of fuel trickles in. failing that, you flood it and choke it. Start paying attention to nuances in the way it sounds and feels when you pull it. You don't just curse at them; it is a 2 way conversation.

 

[Trog777]

I agree with many others here. Stihl or Husky. I have a Stihl saw, backpack blower, string trimmer/brush cutter, and a hedge trimmer. I find something that serves me well I tend to stick with it.

 

[sasjzl]

Update: Getting chainsaw massacred

Scott, and many others, were correct in questioning my fuel supply. I ran out and got a new gallon of gas, mixed it up with my 40 to 1 mix and all is well. It is running like it should be.

What I am puzzled by is why the fuel mixture would go bad so quickly. It was probably a month since I had used the saw and I was still using gas from the original 1 gallon that I made up sometime earlier in the summer. I have left gas in my old cars for much longer periods of time. I guess there is something about the mixing of the fuel and oil which makes it expire much sooner?

Is there anyway of making it last longer? I guess the most obvious thing to do is to make smaller and smaller batches as it would take me a long time to use up a gallon of fuel and I would not think it would be usable in my 4 stroke mower.

One last Chainsaw question. Do you guys sharpen your own blades or just buy another one when they get too dull? As I recall the 16" blades were not very expensive. Does it take alot of skill or time to sharpen a blade?

Thanks very much.
Jim Lee

 

[CarvedTones]

Re: Update: Getting chainsaw massacred

Stabil will make it last longer, but I really think a better solution is to get one of those big syringes (they look like oversize syringes, but are made for this purpose) that lets you measure small amounts of oil to mix accurately. Oil lasts a very long time; the gas is the problem. So unless you will use 2 stroke often enough (and you already indicated you don't) just get straight gas for your mower and borrow a little for your saw in small quantites as needed and only mix up a pint or quart at a time in a measuring cup. You can clean the measuring cup a lot easier than a gas tank also (but just the same, I would advise getting one for this purpose).

EDIT - forgot about part 2:

They are easy to sharpen if they are not dull, if that makes any sense...
If you run one too long and are establishing a bevel, it is hard. If you are using a little round file to clean up the existing bevel, it is easy. You have to stop when it stops throwing chips and starts throwing dust, even if you are most of the way through. It accelerates dulling if you keep cutting because it will get really hot.

 

[Trog777]

Should have lasted longer than that anyway, but I use Sta-bil when I store gas. As far as sharpening, I can do my own, but I'm slow. I have a friend who can do a better job 10 times quicker.

 

[Ozzie-x]

Andy is right on target. The various fuel stabilizers will extend the life of the fuel but it's an unnecessary expense and added hassle. I would go with the smaller batches, maybe a quart?, mixed just before you use the equipment, if you run out you can always mix another small batch. Different 2-cycle oils are better than others. I would buy 2-cylce oil by the saw manufacturer and mix per their instructions. As Andy said, the problem is probably the no-lead gas more so than the oil. I have found the "new" (showing my age I guess) to be very unstable and can go bad very quickly, especially when exposed to extreme heat like you have in Cary. Another note, always use regular grade gasoline or that is what most 2-cycle saw mfgr's and 4-cycle small engine manufacturers recommend, I've never owned a Poulan so check your owner's manual. As for sharpening, I always do my own sharpening by hand with a round saw file to match the size of the chain, for a number of reasons. If I'm working all day in the woods, the chain will need to be sharpened several times. The Equipment store will use an automated grinder that unnecessarily eats away the teeth of the chain, not to mention, most often do a lousy job of sharpening and costs a trip to town when you're trying to work and maybe 50 miles from civilization, and not to mention the sharpening fee. So just like your chisels, plane blades, handsaws, etc., you also need to learn how to sharpen your saw chains. It's very easy and the secret (if there is one?:dontknow is to get a good hig quality file of the correct size with a good file handle. :icon_thum

 

[Ozzie-x]

Should have lasted longer than that anyway, but I use Sta-bil when I store gas. As far as sharpening, I can do my own, but I'm slow. I have a friend who can do a better job 10 times quicker.

After you sharpen a saw chain 200-300 times, I promise you will get faster and better. Like everything else, practice, peractice, practice.

I was wrong about the gasoline octane, but maybe not for some (older) saws. The current videos on Husquavarna's website says minimum of 89 octane, which would probably be mid-grade. Some of the hot rod race saws use high test because of the high compression. I'm pretty sure my 12-year-old Husky said regular and I will check tomorrow. I am attaching a shortcut to some videos on Husquavarna's website that has a video on saw sharpening and mixing oiul and gasoline. There's probably also good ifo on Stihl's website.
http://www.husqvarna.com/us/forest/support/how-to-videos/

 

[McRabbet]

I agree with Randy on the sharpening -- it is easy to learn and get right. I normally find the spot in the chain where the odd tooth is located (almost every saw has a link spot or there may be two right-hand teeth) and work down the blade from there on one "hand" of teeth, maintaining the correct cut angle. Once all the teeth on one side are done, I turn the saw around and do the other set of teeth. Works like a charm and I've never used one of those attachments as I've found they get in my way.

 

[mikeacg]

I tried a number of brands over the years but once I got my first Stihl (more than 30 years ago) I have stuck with them. My last one lasted over 25 years and I only replaced it because I needed more power to run a rip chain for some of the big logs I couldn't muscle on the trailer in one piece. Very dependable, long-lasting saw...

 

[merrill77]

When I first moved onto my heavily wooded lot here in NC, I had a tree-trimmer at the house for some cleanup. Every saw on his truck was a Stihl. I asked about them - he said Stihl and Husq were the only brands that held up for professional use. I bought a Stihl 028 (14") - this was about 10 years ago - and it has run flawlessly for me. It starts every time I pick it up and runs perfect. I put a lot of hours on it after the ice storm of 2002 - many hours of cleanup up and down my street and my sister's house. I resharpened my first chain by hand a few times - I'm now on my second chain. I don't think I've ever done any other maintenance on it besides oil and gas -- never seems to need anything. I use it a little every winter when I do my trimming and cleanup, but it sits the rest of the year.

my 2c,
Chris

 

[scsmith42]

Re: Update: Getting chainsaw massacred

Scott, and many others, were correct in questioning my fuel supply. I ran out and got a new gallon of gas, mixed it up with my 40 to 1 mix and all is well. It is running like it should be.

What I am puzzled by is why the fuel mixture would go bad so quickly. It was probably a month since I had used the saw and I was still using gas from the original 1 gallon that I made up sometime earlier in the summer. I have left gas in my old cars for much longer periods of time. I guess there is something about the mixing of the fuel and oil which makes it expire much sooner?

YES THERE IS.

Is there anyway of making it last longer? I guess the most obvious thing to do is to make smaller and smaller batches as it would take me a long time to use up a gallon of fuel and I would not think it would be usable in my 4 stroke mower. YOU HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS - THE BEST IS TO MIX SMALLER BATCHES. SECOND OPTION IS TO USE A SYNTHETIC 2-CYCLE OIL. USUALLY THEY HAVE A HIGHER RATIO (100:1 STICKS IN MY MIND) AND THE MIX LASTS LONGER. THIRD OPTION IS TO ADD A FUEL STABILIZER, SUCH AS STABIL, BUT AT THE MOST THAT MAY GET YOU ANOTHER MONTH OR TWO. LAST OPTION IS TO BUY A HIGHER GRADE OF FUEL, AS USUALLY THE ADDITIVE PACKAGE WORKS BETTER. 100 LOW LEAD AV GAS LASTS THE LONGEST (A COUPLE OF YEARS) COMPARED WITH MOGAS.

One last Chainsaw question. Do you guys sharpen your own blades or just buy another one when they get too dull? As I recall the 16" blades were not very expensive. Does it take alot of skill or time to sharpen a blade? SHARPEN THEM YOURSELF AND KEEP THEM SHARP! DON'T WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE DULL TO SHARPEN. BUY A GOOD GUIDE SYSTEM AND HIGH QUALITY FILES, AND KEEP THE CHAINS OUT OF THE DIRT.

Thanks very much.
Jim Lee

Jim, I answered in CAPS for ease of reading. Glad that you got your saw running again. Scott

 

[Gofor]

I guess I have had better luck with Sta-bil than most. I routinely have a mix batch that will last a year or more, and have noticed it also stops the varnish from building up in the carburetor as the gas evaporates. I store lawn tractors, mowers, weed eaters, etc with the tank full of stabilized gas, especially over winter, and haven't had had any problems with them starting right up come spring time.

Go

 

[scsmith42]

I guess I have had better luck with Sta-bil than most. I routinely have a mix batch that will last a year or more, and have noticed it also stops the varnish from building up in the carburetor as the gas evaporates. I store lawn tractors, mowers, weed eaters, etc with the tank full of stabilized gas, especially over winter, and haven't had had any problems with them starting right up come spring time.

Go

I've had it preserve regular gasoline for a similar time (one year), however one problem with the gas/oil mix is not just the gasoline breaking down, it's the oil breaking down as well. The saw will still run, but you're not getting the lubrication qualities needed to maximize the longevity of the engine. So, while Stabil will preserve the gasoline, non-synthetic oil will still break down and you should replace the mix.

 

[CrealBilly]

Re: Update: Getting chainsaw massacred

One last Chainsaw question. Do you guys sharpen your own blades or just buy another one when they get too dull? As I recall the 16" blades were not very expensive. Does it take alot of skill or time to sharpen a blade?

Thanks very much.
Jim Lee

It's so easy even I can do it and get it right every time.

 

[CarvedTones]

Steve,

That's interesting; I never really thought about it much, but I do end up having gas around without Stabil for quite awhile sometimes without problems, but probably no more than a year tops. 2 stroke oil, OTOH, I have had for several years because of a great deal I happened on. I posted something (don't remember if it was here or not) once wondering about it and had a lot of people (some with techno scientific explanations) tell me if oil in a good sealed container is sitting in a cabinet at reasonable temps it won't break down in a lifetime. I have used some that is over 10 years old with no troubles. I still have a few cans on the shelf now. But once you mix the two, it is a different story.

 

[Dragon]

Have to concur with the Husky folks. I had always used McCullough and never had any complaints over many years. Moved up here 2 years ago and discovered I wanted to get back into woodworking. Went looking and all I could find were Echo and Stihl and Husqvarna. Having seen many other brands at work in the woods before,(they had all taken a dump and my McCullough was still stroking), and not being able to locate my old standby, I opted to buy the Husky 455 from Lowes. Been running great for 2 years now and never had a hickup. They are a bit more expensive than some of the other brands but so far, I'm sold on them.

 

[Dragon]

Re: Update: Getting chainsaw massacred

It's so easy even I can do it and get it right every time.

I do my own sharpening and use a file guide made by Granberg's. http://onlinestore.forestindustry.com/scripts/granbergint/G106B.html

Nope, it ain't one of them new fangled powered grinder things. I prefer the old way of filing by hand as I get a better feel for what's going on with my chain cutters. Takes some time to sharpen a chain sure but the end result is I'm still cutting with ease when other machine-sharpened chains have gone dull again. There is a skill that needs to be learned with one of these but it's easy enough for me so anyone else ought to be able to run with it in no time. I've wasted a lot of $$$ on other file guides and cheap, p%$# poor imitations of the Granberg. I always have one around when I need it.