Hey guys! I'm new here, but have done a lot of reading over the last couple of years. I have some questions I couldn't quite find consistent answers for.
I bought a Stihl MS 362 C-M about a year and a half ago used (it was made Oct 14th of 2015). They said they cut down one tree with it and then it sat, and I believe it. The chain was a slightly dull, but the bar was almost perfect and everything else looked perfect as far as scratches etc. It started right up when I bought it. I checked the compression and only got about 125psi. I took the muffler off and the piston and cylinder looked like new. I figured it might still need to be broke in. Or maybe they didn't something while cutting that one tree that made the rings not seat well? A bad break in? I asked what mix the previous owner used and he said 50:1.
So now that I've run a few gallons of gas through it (only premium non-ethanol gas with Stihl HP Ultra oil at 50:1), what compression numbers should I be seeing on this saw? Everything I try, I can't get a reading over 140psi cold. That's with 10 hard and fast pulls. I checked multiple times and it's always between 135 and 140psi. I've tried taping the throttle open and it didn't change. I also tried pulling the decomp and cleaning it. I checked my compression tester with my air compressor and the gauge is accurate. Other saws I've owned are 150 or 160psi. The gauge is the type with the schrader valve at the bottom of the hose.
Everything I've read people say compression on a new Stihl should be over 150psi. When I called Stihl they said anything over 110 is fine, and they don't have specs other that that. That's where the confusion is. Is my saw fine?
I guess reason I even bother is I feel the saw should have more power. I don't have a ton of experience with chainsaws, and none with anything over 50cc until this saw, but have owned two Stihl 031 AVs, a Husqvarna 345, and a craftsman something.
Am I just expecting too much? I can press quite hard on the saw when cutting oak before it'll slow the chain down too much, but when I lever off the dogs it doesn't take much to bog it down. I have 3 different chains and it doesn't change whether one is sharp or dull or the rakers are cut more or less, etc.
Thanks in advance!
I bought a Stihl MS 362 C-M about a year and a half ago used (it was made Oct 14th of 2015). They said they cut down one tree with it and then it sat, and I believe it. The chain was a slightly dull, but the bar was almost perfect and everything else looked perfect as far as scratches etc. It started right up when I bought it. I checked the compression and only got about 125psi. I took the muffler off and the piston and cylinder looked like new. I figured it might still need to be broke in. Or maybe they didn't something while cutting that one tree that made the rings not seat well? A bad break in? I asked what mix the previous owner used and he said 50:1.
So now that I've run a few gallons of gas through it (only premium non-ethanol gas with Stihl HP Ultra oil at 50:1), what compression numbers should I be seeing on this saw? Everything I try, I can't get a reading over 140psi cold. That's with 10 hard and fast pulls. I checked multiple times and it's always between 135 and 140psi. I've tried taping the throttle open and it didn't change. I also tried pulling the decomp and cleaning it. I checked my compression tester with my air compressor and the gauge is accurate. Other saws I've owned are 150 or 160psi. The gauge is the type with the schrader valve at the bottom of the hose.
Everything I've read people say compression on a new Stihl should be over 150psi. When I called Stihl they said anything over 110 is fine, and they don't have specs other that that. That's where the confusion is. Is my saw fine?
I guess reason I even bother is I feel the saw should have more power. I don't have a ton of experience with chainsaws, and none with anything over 50cc until this saw, but have owned two Stihl 031 AVs, a Husqvarna 345, and a craftsman something.
Am I just expecting too much? I can press quite hard on the saw when cutting oak before it'll slow the chain down too much, but when I lever off the dogs it doesn't take much to bog it down. I have 3 different chains and it doesn't change whether one is sharp or dull or the rakers are cut more or less, etc.
Thanks in advance!
I don't really need the saw to be any stronger/faster because it does what I need it to do. I keep thinking this saw has twice the power as my Husqvara 345, but I looked that up and it's rated at 2.2kW vs the 362's 3.5 kW. So that's 60% more power, but with a bigger bar and bigger chain with bigger teeth to pull. I guess I should have bought a 461!
