# Need Help Tuning, Husky 435 Refurb



## MtnHermit (Mar 6, 2012)

On my 2nd 435 refurb, 1st had a leaking gas tank, but ran great. This one barely runs, won't cut worth a damm, but starts easily if I set the high idle.

I watched this *video* and made a poor man's carb tool ( red butt splice crimped to a wire). I didn't hear the peaking when I tried to adjust the idle. Do not have a tach, makes no sense to buy a $100 wireless tach for a $142 saw.

Here's a short video of the 435R cutting a small pine log. Please look and listen, tell me what I'm doing wrong.

Husky 435 in need of Tuning on Vimeo

Engine doesn't sound right and the chain stalls, clutch is slipping.

Here's my carb tool: I can feel it on the stud, not sure it's turning anything.







Thanks for looking.


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## TK (Mar 6, 2012)

MtnHermit said:


> On my 2nd 435 refurb, 1st had a leaking gas tank, but ran great. This one barely runs, won't cut worth a damm, but starts easily if I set the high idle.
> 
> I watched this *video* and made a poor man's carb tool ( red butt splice crimped to a wire). I didn't hear the peaking when I tried to adjust the idle. Do not have a tach, makes no sense to buy a $100 wireless tach for a $142 saw.
> 
> ...



I think you'd be better off with a snug piece of fuel line on a screwdriver rather than that setup there. I haven't watched the vid yet but the best thing to do first is make sure your tool is going to work when you use it before you try to do too much.


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## rmh3481 (Mar 6, 2012)

Use your tool to remove the jets one at a time. Once you have them out, notch them with a cut off wheel and reinstall. Set them both at 1 1/2 turns out each counterclockwise after lightly seated. Start the engine and allow it to warm up. Use a small screwdriver for adjustment. Set the low side, which is always the closest to the cylinder, for the highest idle plus 1/8 turn for good transition. If the engine bogs off idle, adjust the low side richer until the bog goes away. Adjust the idle speed with the phillips screw.

Once the idle and transition are set its now time for the high side, start a cut and then lift the saw slightly out of the cut, listen for the burble or four stroke when the load falls off the engine. The high side is set when the engine cleans up in the cut but will four stroke out of the cut. Keep it rich enough on the high side to stay off the limiter if the ignition uses one.


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## MtnHermit (Mar 11, 2012)

rmh3481,

Thank you so much, never successfully tuned a chainsaw before, your directions made it understandable. I printed a cheat sheet and took it a step at a time, see below.

I purchased a Poulan carb tool on eBay, so this went pretty smooth. The H & L & idle screws were about 4 turns out, no way it was going to run. Especially given I'm at 8500 feet.



rmh3481 said:


> Adjust the idle speed with the phillips screw.


Turns out on the Husky, the scwrench will adjust the idle, big slotted screw in the "T" hole above the H & L.

Once I got the idle set, had to keep lowering the idle so I could adjust L per your directions. Then a little more so it didn't bog off idle. Starts warm at idle, before it would only start a high idle (set and release the choke).

I started a cut with H 1-1/2 turns out, it cut so well that I'll wait until tomorrow when I'm into a big log and see if I can hear the 4-stroke burble you mentioned.

As it stands, couldn't be more pleased. 

Thanks for taking the time to teach the unteachable.



> Tuning cheat sheet:
> 
> Set them both at 1 1/2 turns out each counterclockwise after lightly seated.
> 
> ...


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## mhddist3 (Mar 16, 2012)

According to Husqvarna, initial carb settings are 1-1/2 turns out for the High and 2-1/2 turns out for the Low. The high setting was OK on mine but I'm 3-1/4 turns out on the Low. It cuts like a fiend and is almost half the weight of my old 031's. I'm getting long in the tooth and appreciate the lighter weight.


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## mecreature (Mar 20, 2012)

So how did the tune go?
curious..


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## MtnHermit (Mar 20, 2012)

*Hot Knife Through Butter!!!*



mecreature said:


> So how did the tune go?








Forty-five minutes later:






Most of that time was spent pitching limbs and rocks.

On the way home cut and picked up a half-load of firewood. Sore body, good day.

More details here: http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/195489.htm#post3538636


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## mecreature (Mar 20, 2012)

like groundhog day


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## Denis Gionet (Apr 23, 2012)

*Here's one for comparison....*

I had my saw blow up due to the ultra-lean condition it was shipped in. Once rebuilt I believe the shop adjusted it correctly, it's night and day from before. Notice I start mine when warm without the fast idle, first pull. I had just cut this tamarack down 20 minutes before, so it's very green, and partly frozen. 16" bar, so about a 12" log.....

Apr 22, 2012 3:16pm | Facebook

I'm amazed that yours would even run without fouling the plug, at first I thought your choke was stuck closed !


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## poovs (Apr 11, 2013)

So I snagged a 435 refurb last fall and am just now getting around to using it.
Very unhappy with the first day of cutting. Trying to cut some pretty big maple logs (20" or so with a 16" bar).
I really hope that the problem is tuning, I don't have time for this thing to "break-in".

I'm going to try to give this a shot before giving up and upgrading to a bigger saw.

MtnHermit, is your saw still working well?


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## Itsme7 (Apr 12, 2013)

That would be your issue.... youre overloading the saw. If youre cutting stuff like that, you'll have to use extremely light pressure and ease the saw through, cant dog it in at all. My 435 is happy in the stuff smaller that 8-10", the small limbs (less than 3-4") is where it shines, because its so light its nimble and easy to throw around. Thats the main reason i bought it, for a light, cheap, limbing saw. Its only a 40cc saw, cant be expecting it to cut through 20" dia logs well. For that id recommend something in the high 50 to 60cc range, or higher if budget allows.


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## poovs (Apr 13, 2013)

Okay, I'll agree that the saw is too small to tackle the job I was describing...
I went ahead and splurged on a Stihl 290. Went through the 20"s like butter. Love the saw.

The mom & pop sales shop that I got the new saw from quickly looked at my Husky and his opinion is that I got a shotty saw. Appears there is little to no compression (held the saw by the starter rope and the saw just dropped after a few minor resitive bumps). The chain also engages and moves as he does this.

Sucks as I never used the 435 during the 90 day warranty; I think I got screwed by the reseller/Husky.


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## 2lumbarleft (Jun 12, 2013)

*Husqvarna 435 Carburetor Tuning*



mhddist3 said:


> According to Husqvarna, initial carb settings are 1-1/2 turns out for the High and 2-1/2 turns out for the Low. The high setting was OK on mine but I'm 3-1/4 turns out on the Low. It cuts like a fiend and is almost half the weight of my old 031's. I'm getting long in the tooth and appreciate the lighter weight.



I realize that this thread is quite old, but I wish to reinforce the good advice that was offered here, especially if any new viewers check out this posting. I wanted to verify that your advice on initial carb settings was correct, so I called Husqvarna. Their technical staff had no information. I then called the factory hot line for dealers. The factory representatives refused to divulge what the intial factory settings were, and would offer no advice, much as if it were a state secret, or perhaps in fear of being prosecuted by EPA Nazis. 

Because I had randomly discovered that 2 5/8 out for the low speed jet was perfect for my saw, I decided to lean it up a bit from the 2 3/4 out for the high speed jet. I reduced it to the 1 1/2 out that was suggested as a factory setting in your thread. Saw performance definitely improved, but I probably will slightly enrich the high speed jet. The saw is responding like a tornado, and I am worried that this thing is going to come apart. I made test cuts on a 14" maple log and sliced it like a tomato. I buried the blade into an 18" round, and quickly halved that as well.

Thank you for your advice. It was solid gold. The only side effect that I have noticed, is that the saw is a little harder to restart, even when warm while using these enriched settings. Still, three pulls vs. one means very little when the saw actually gets started and starts doing some work. I am going to pull a plug and check for color. If it is medium coffee brown, I will be very happy.


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## Sean O'Leary (Jun 30, 2015)

I just want to echo 2lumbarleft's comments. This thread is excellent and was very helpful for me to move from total chainsaw tuning newbie to someone who was able to understand their 435 refurb and get it starting, running and cutting smoothly. My saw had the idle and both jets way off and it took some doing, but with this good advice I was able to get it tuned in.

The one thing I would add, being a total newbie, is that you turn the T screw out (counter-clockwise) to slow the idle down, turn it in (clockwise) to speed it up. That and you may need to spend a good bit of time going back and forth between the low jet and the throttle screw to get the idle at the right speed and smooth. Investing in either a contact tachometer or a sirometer may help too.

Briggs and Stratton Sirometer
https://www.rcpw.com/briggs-stratton-parts/genuine/19200.html

I know a lot more about saws now that I found this site, and this thread in particular was great. I've seen several bad comments about the Husqvarna 435 and all I can say is it's a little finicky, but once you get it tuned in it seems to cut great for me.


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## 2lumbarleft (Jul 1, 2015)

poovs said:


> So I snagged a 435 refurb last fall and am just now getting around to using it.
> Very unhappy with the first day of cutting. Trying to cut some pretty big maple logs (20" or so with a 16" bar).
> I really hope that the problem is tuning, I don't have time for this thing to "break-in".
> 
> ...



Regarding the topic of overloading a saw, IE: 20" maple, sometimes it helps if things are explained in a slightly different manner. Think of the battle between your saw and the wood like a contest. Really, its nothing more than a tug of war. Your saw has one side of the rope, and the log the other. The chain goes over the top of the bar and pulls back toward the powerhead. The log is grabbing the other end of the rope. From the logs side, the equivalent of how strong and powerful the opponent becomes 1.) How much channel diameter is there to cut 2.) how hard is the wood you are cutting. This is the grabbing or resistance factor of your opponent. Naturally, there are saw components that include sharpness of the chain, how many cutters on the chain, chain width (narrow kerf vs the big stuff), and how hard you are pushing down on the bar. These factors all add to the logs ability to pull back against your powerhead. Your saws ability to pull is largely a function of its torque ability or grunt. When it comes to grunt, there is no replacement for displacement, and the second factor is compression. Expect too much out of a little saw, and it reduces the service life and disappoints the operator. Not to mention the old adage that time is money. Get the right saw for the right job and you will save time, make more money, and keep your equipment running longer.


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