Chain Saw Recommendations

[GCroyle]

Nick

Any update on the saw the shop is working on?

Gary

 

[Killer223]

As an Amsoil dealer I ran it for a long time, but I find the Stihl HP-Ultra synthetic burns cleaner. It’s the only oil I buy that isn’t Amsoil.

I first tired the HP-Ultra in a weed eater because it doubled
my warranty. I didn’t want two jugs of gas so I ran it for two years. I was so impressed with how it burned that I never switched back to Amsoil.

i've been using amsoil dominator, @50:1 is the only amsoil product i buy. i use that ratio in my saws and dirtbikes.

 

[NIsaacs]

Nick

Any update on the saw the shop is working on?

Gary

Just got the official word, I am embarrassed

Cleaned the spark arrester screen, then readjusted the carb, no charge

It runs good now, but haven't hit the wood yet.

 

[GCroyle]

Nick

Carb problems are common but has anyone pulled the muffler and checked the screen if equipped for clogging? That messes this stuff up also.

Gary

Nick

A pure lucky swag on the exhaust screen but I’ll take luck anytime it shows up.

We see clogged screens on string trimmers and hedge trimmers.

Go cut and let’s hear how it runs.

Gary

 

[Dl5treez]

Clogged screens can happen from too much oil mix, or the incorrect type of oil mix. Oil designed for 'multi-use' or water cooled engines isn't optimum for running in air cooled equipment. Some are better at it than others, though.

 

[Topzide]

The marine 2 cycle is spec'd for the older 2 stroke non water cooled as well. That's whats important and can't tell you how many gallons of fuel mix that I've run over the years with that oil. My trimmer and backpack blower are approaching 20 years old! Have a couple of old Poulan saws form the late 80's still running on that same fuel mix. Balancing how much oil in the mix is important! The Echo reps told us that the company can't say to add a touch more oil do to regs. We could say that to help keep them from burning up! Now with the pre-mix fuel they sell, that's the easy way. Fresh fuel and oil are the best for these things!

 

[NIsaacs]

I have been using the HP-Ultra all along but switched to a six pac of the standard high performance this last time, mixed with premium. 5.2 oz and 2 gallons of fuel. Regular Sthil bar oil. My old Pioneer muffler had a delete kit Now that I know from all the help that the carb is not electronic, I can take a breath and go ahead and work on it and for sure will remember the screen.

Thanks for all the help, guys.

 

[SnoKing]

Back in the early 1980's my neighbor and I both bought Sears 3.7 18" saws that were rebranded Poulan 3700's painted red. I still have mine and it still cuts wood. I did have to replace the fuel pick up hose in the tank a few years ago. I along the line I switch to a 20" bar and Oregon chain. I do not know what happened to his, as he is gone now.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sea...#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b075e9d6,vid:Qet0LdQGy-U

 

[NIsaacs]

Gave the saw a good workout today, runs really well. Better than it ever has. I guess I will keep it

 

[GCroyle]

And I was ready to offer $20 for it as is.

 

[GCroyle]

Guys I think several of you could teach a class on this but I thought while I'm in between things I'll offer a few things that we see regularly on the bench that needs attention on a no start 2 stroke.

A good long T27, T25, 8mm deep socket X 1/4" drive, hemostat and a few metric allen hex T handles will help.

Any doubt about compression, pull the muffler and take a peak at the piston, ring(s) and cyl bore condition. No need to revive a trashed cyl with new fuel system parts.
Old fuel. Any doubt, drain and refill. We drain it into a clear plastic large container and look for crud, clarity and water settling out. We've seen straight gas, wonder what that gas is, diesel and even one contaminated by refueling from a used Roundup container. That was nasty.
Purge or primer bulb if equipped. Cracked bulbs no worky. R&R. Note which line goes where on the purge fittings and the entire fuel system.
Fuel lines. These age out, crack, deteriorate and do anything other than transfer gas from A-B. A long pair of needle nose or those hemostats really help.
Fuel line grommets. These are the seal between tank and lines used on some models. Same as fuel line aging etc. Fuel filters while you're in there.
Carbs. sometimes its just economical to use an OE part number carb, sometimes not so. When we take a carb apart and check it we pay real attn to the metering diaphragm. It has the button on it that pushes against the fuel needle lever. When these age out they get "crunchy" yup they will make noise or snap as you flex them should be supple and really freely moving.
Carb kits. Yes you might get lucky with a kit. Walbro and Zama have them and sometimes a good shop can ID the kit by eyeballing the old carb sometimes by the numbers on the carb. I just did a Homelite for a family member and it was a Zama C1Q H45 as I remember. That can get you to the kit.
Carb gasket and diaphragm stacking order. Lay it out on the bench so you can easily see what went where and in which direction. It matters.
Recoil rope fraying, replace it!
Lots of the rest are basics.

OK now for some oh crap, its dead!
Any screeching noise as you pull the recoil with the plug out, pull the recoil and look at the flywheel magnets. See any scratch marks? Now CAREFULLY inspect the crank bearings for play. Crank movements from bad bearings that have allowed the magnet to scratch against the coil CAN be fatal if you're paying to have it fixed if any other conditions exist.
Cyl and piston scarred Evidence of oil weeping behind the flywheel or deep behind the clutch and a saw that can run on full choke but dies when the choke comes off. Likely the crank seals are leaking and allowing false air to enter and mess stuff up big time.
Vacuum leaks on the carb to cyl. Many have a rubber boot intake coupling, inspect for splitting or holes, again false air.
Back firing. Yup we had one that jumped timing due to a sheared off key in the FW. That one was repairable.

May more exist but that's a start.

 

[endoscott]

Thanks for posting this.

 

[Walker111]

I’m a Stihl fan, for saws I have:

029
290
461 ported
661

18-36” bars
40:1 is the least you want to for anything 2-stroke

 

[GCroyle]

Ok just some more diversions and for a few, saw eye candy.

Customer dropped of a Stihl MS192 top handle for recoil TLC and a pair of for our area these big bad boys. I had no clue what the metallic beast was the 2101XP wearing a 28" bar. Looks like the pull handle, fill caps, covers and air filter frame are most of the plastic content. The rest is some version of metal. when that bad boy fired up it was holy crap time! I was told its about 30 ish yrs old.

Then it's stable mate wanted to get into the frame. Its sporting a 30" bar. But it has some non metallic parts. Still a handful.

Enjoy

 

[Walker111]

What’s the cc’s on that husq? Weight? Can’t find any info on the 210xp. Don’t have a lot of experience with Husqvarna stuff.

 

[GCroyle]

Look for 2101XP. I can get cc’s tomorrow.

 

[Dl5treez]

The little cheater hint on Husky saws is the model number, which, like other brands do sometimes--lookin' at you John Deere--don't really follow any sort of size identifier, but more of a series. Sort of.

The last two or three numbers in the model name is, roughly, the CC of the powerhead. Like a 288xp is a 2 series, 88cc, but it's actually a 87cc and "2 series" saws from the early days share essentially nothing other than orange paint with the newer "2 series" saws that are basically homeowner pieces of trash.

So that 2101 I think, is a 101cc 2 series from the older days, but it's actually a 99cc powerhead. Marketing. Good old saws, if it doesn't have a compression release on it, just rest the bar on a log, hopefully the recoil rope is on your good hand side, drive the saw away from you with your other arm as you yank back towards you on the rope. Wear a glove and expect it to yard out of your fingers at least once.

The big saw at the bottom I *think* is an older 395XP, based on the shape of the tall air cleaner tower. Lots of XP saws have that "tower of power" but the position of the black clamps in relation to the angle of the cover's cut gives it away. Again, big falling saw, 95cc makes a tad over 7hp stock. Beast of a chainsaw. it should pull full comp chain on that bar without slowing down.

All the metallic bits on both of them are die cast magnesium. It looks like the side cover on what I think is the 395 is cracked; something in the world's history happened, if only it could talk.

Both have those meaty fat falling dogs on them; somebody was cutting some big timber back in the day and got their money's worth outta them sistas.

 

[Walker111]

Thanks for the history lesson, @Dl5treez good info. Big saws for sure, I know throwing my 661 around all day isn’t much fun, I’m betting those guys are 20+ lbs.

 

[GCroyle]

I don't think I can add any info beyond what Dl5streetz already said. I'll get the model of the newer one Monday.

But from Friday's bench.

A simple hand held blower, yeah right. Only used on fall days on the 5th saturday's each leap year. Blah blah. Doesn't run. Just cause my spidey senses kicked in I pulled the plug and it was as new as new gets. Started a compression test but what did my wandering eyes see! A cross threaded plug hole and stripped threads. Yikes! Boss says, heli coil time next week.

I dispatched the air lift home shop tool retrieval team to confiscate the offending owners spark plug wrench and everything else that fits in the chopper.

Now for the next ok what's wrong with you? A local Fire Dept. It appears they flooded this Dolmar rescue saw. Typical un-flooding drill and badda boom It's Alive!

But why didn't one of you know - it - alls forgot to tell me to glove up before grabbing the machined aluminum pull grip?

Gary

 

[GCroyle]

Time for an update.

The hand held blower with the stripped spark plug survived a heli coil repair. No, I watched this time. Yeah it was interesting. It's now an invoiceable unit.

Then a Husq 455 hit the bench for a stuck ring. We actually had two of this series and I followed the shop boss on procedure. I've never seen this but that ring was frozen in the groove with carbon as a bonding agent. We both broke rings during surgery. Cleaned out the ring groove and a new ring and both saws survived surgery. Even my saw.

But not all was joy in mudville we lost a Husq back back blower to ring/piston/bore messed up. WE tore it down to totally confirm its condition as we couldn't see the damage clearly but we felt it in the pull cord. See pic.

And I held a memorial service at my bench for this unfortunate MS290.

What stinks is we don't get the "rest of the story" from the owner regarding blah blah blah that's what we/it did.

Reporting from the bench, that's all for today.

Gary