I broke down and bought a new chainsaw

[TonyM]

If you insist on making it work, then you are going to have to do some simple trouble shooting. If an engine won't start, there are only so many thing to go wrong. Next time it quits while you are cutting, and wont restart, pull the spark plug and ground it on the cylinder while cranking the saw over with the ignition switch on and verify that you have spark.

If you have spark, find a way to introduce about a teaspoon worth of fuel directly into the cylinder through the sparkplug hole. Reinstall the sparkplug. If it fires or starts, it may be an indication of a fuel delivery problem. That could lead down several paths.

If you have spark, and have fuel, then check the compression when the saw is hot. You should be able to lift the entire saw using the pull start, and not have the engine readily turn over. It takes a little experience to tell using this method, so if you have access to a compression tester, that would be better. If you suspect the compression is low, it is fairly easy to remove the muffler and look through the exhaust port at the back side of the cylinder wall and the exhaust side of the piston. If you see anything other than smooth and shiny surfaces, it is possible the cylinder/piston has been damaged.

A word of warning. Once you start messing with it yourself, I'm sure you will void the warranty.

 

[Lawn Masters]

I say take it back. if its something that doesnt work right out of the box, it needs something, and will drive you insane trying to fix it. then again, I've got so many saws that if one fails, I've got a backup for the backup for the backup. lol.

 

[TonyM]

When you hear the click and the saw stops, does the engine stop, or just the chain?

If the engine is stopping, when you go to start it, does it crank over, or is it locked up?

If it does crank over, does it seem to crank over very easy?

Are you trying to choke it when starting it hot?

Are you using the fast idle when trying to start it hot?

When it is running, will the saw idle on it's own for as long as you want?

Has the saw ever quit running like it seized up.

My money right now is on low compression. When they have low compression, they start really hard, and can be impossible to start hot.

Extra pumping of the primer should not flood the saw. The primer only circulates fuel from the tank to the carb, and the overflow goes right back to the tank. It is just a means of priming the diaphragm pump in the carb with fuel, so that you don't have to crank and crank to get fuel to the carb. The fuel doesn't actually squirt into the engine. Usually just pump the primer until the bulb is full of fuel, and your good to go.

 

[GASoline71]

TrogL, I hope you are still reading this thread, because the guys on this board are like sharks to a drop of blood in water. They will exhaust every last resource and detail to get you hooked up. There might be a little sarcasm invloved, but that is just the nature of the beast.

Good luck,

Gary

 

[TonyM]

One last thought. Don't take this as an insult, but I'm guessing you are a novice at saws, and this has been done more than once. You did mix two cycle oil with the gas, and not just dump gas in the gas tank and oil in the oil tank. Please say yes.

 

[lesorubcheek]

Its nice to see TonyM is helping out. Answers to his questions will help troubleshooting in a big way. My thoughts are that it may be as simple as a carb adjustment issue, and hopefully no long term damage has been done so far. If is appears to flood easily when trying to start, it may be too rich on the idle jet. If it cuts out after running for a bit, it may be lean on the hi side.

When I have a saw that gets flooded, I take out the plug and spin it over (with the choke off) to get the excess out of the engine. Then put the plug back and try again. If its flooded, you can tell there's excess gas. While the plug's out, you can check the spark to make sure its hot also, but be careful not to ignite any of the gas! The plug may be soaked as well, so it may need to be wiped. Just make sure the base of the plug is touching metal on the saw and spin it over (with the ignition switch on of course) and look for a spark.

As for it dying after running for a while, without more details, my initial suspicion is that its on the lean side and is getting too hot. Again, just a guess. Since its new, I'd doubt there's a air leak. Do you know how to adjust the carb? Not sure if the saw even has a lo and hi adjustment on it as it seems lots of newer homeowner motors don't.

After you answer TonyM's questions I bet somebody will be able to figure what's going on. Hope you're not insulted with the Poulan bashing comments. I respect your attitude of wanting to fix it.

Best of luck,
Dan

 

[CNYCountry]

Well, he had a Homelite before, that would have taken mix but it's worth asking anyway.

There is nothing wrong with trying to fix something that is older, is a decent machine to start out with, and worked well at one point. But why bother spending the money on something new if it doesn't work right at least for a little while? Because you can take it back and get another one or get this fixed. I hate fooling around taking things back, especially vehicles, many times I can fix it faster myself, but you bet if I buy something brand new it's going back if it doesn't work right away.

And not everyone needs or even wants a pro grade Stihl/Husky/Jonsereds/Dolmar, etc but no matter what it is it needs to run well new.

The chain brake on my Stihl not only activates from a push forward on the brake handle but from inertia if it kicks (supposedly) but then the chain stops, not the motor. If your motor is stopping at 10 minutes especially with a click or snap there is something seriously wrong, take it back, don't waste your money..

 

[stihl 028]

I have a similar saw, a poulan 2050 that would run for 10-15 minutes and then die. No way in hell it would start until it cooled down. I fixed the problem by removing the baffle inside the muffler and removing the caps on top of the air/fuel mixture screws and riching the idle and high speed mixture. I think the extra heat due to the lean running condition and baffle inside the muffler was vaporlocking the saw. No problem with it this weekend and it was 90 degrees outside.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

And not everyone needs or even wants a pro grade Stihl/Husky/Jonsereds/Dolmar, etc but no matter what it is it needs to run well new.

Agreed, but I think a homeowner model Stihl, Husky, etc is still a better investment than a saw from Wal-Mart or a tire store.

Jeff

 

[Lawn Masters]

Agreed, but I think a homeowner model Stihl, Husky, etc is still a better investment than a saw from Wal-Mart or a tire store.

Jeff

Better service if it breaks at least. not necessarily the better saw, but definately better service from someone who at least has used a screwdriver before.

 

[Elmore]

One last thought. Don't take this as an insult, but I'm guessing you are a novice at saws, and this has been done more than once. You did mix two cycle oil with the gas, and not just dump gas in the gas tank and oil in the oil tank. Please say yes.

You mean that you need to add something extra to the gas???

 

[TrogL]

Yes. It takes 40:1

One last thought. Don't take this as an insult, but I'm guessing you are a novice at saws, and this has been done more than once. You did mix two cycle oil with the gas, and not just dump gas in the gas tank and oil in the oil tank. Please say yes.

They even provided a cute little can of oil (but I've also got my own). They said one can of oil to 4 litres of gasoline so I mixed it up in a 4-litre gas can that I've got marked "chainsaw" so it doesn't end up in the lawnmower. I shake the can well each time I fill it up.

When it runs, it runs clean and fast with no hesitation (until it quits) with no smoke so I don't think it's that.

But thanks for asking.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

But thanks for asking.

When you hear the click and the saw stops, does the engine stop, or just the chain?

If the engine is stopping, when you go to start it, does it crank over, or is it locked up?

If it does crank over, does it seem to crank over very easy?

Are you trying to choke it when starting it hot?

Are you using the fast idle when trying to start it hot?

When it is running, will the saw idle on it's own for as long as you want?

Has the saw ever quit running like it seized up.

What about these questions? Any info you can give will help us help you.

Jeff

 

[TrogL]

I think we're starting to get somewhere

TrogL, I hope you are still reading this thread, because the guys on this board are like sharks to a drop of blood in water. They will exhaust every last resource and detail to get you hooked up. There might be a little sarcasm invloved, but that is just the nature of the beast.

I appreciate the help.

II think the extra heat due to the lean running condition and baffle inside the muffler was vaporlocking the saw.

If is appears to flood easily when trying to start, it may be too rich on the idle jet. If it cuts out after running for a bit, it may be lean on the hi side.

Last time I ran it, I was careful not to really overload it (I was cutting up some pretty big logs earlier) or over-rev it and it ran until I ran out of things to cut up (I was eyeing the picnic table).

The chain brake on my Stihl not only activates from a push forward on the brake handle but from inertia if it kicks (supposedly) but then the chain stops, not the motor.

It does have an "inertial chain brake" that kicks in under certain circumstances. You have to pull back on the chain brake lever to clear it.

...check the compression when the saw is hot..

Lots of compression (my aching arm!).

I'm gonna be taking both chainsaws the road this weekend. Where I'm going, there's at least one other person who knows their way around a chainsaw. Hopefully he can tell me what I'm doing wrong (if anything).

To summary, it sounds like I'm over-priming, over-choking, letting it get too hot and possibly kicking in the inertial chain lock and not realizing it.


...and I bought a crap saw and probably got what I paid for.

 

[GASoline71]

Gary

 

[ross_scott]

Mate the only way the inertia chainbrake will kick in is if you get a very severe kickback,

Last time I ran it, I was careful not to really overload it (I was cutting up some pretty big logs earlier) or over-rev it and it ran until I ran out of things to cut up (I was eyeing the picnic table).

there is something fishy right there maybe the carb needs resetting by a service technician or someone who knows about setting up a carburettor . You should be able to run it full throttle without it crapping out

 

[CNYCountry]

...and I bought a crap saw and probably got what I paid for.

Crap saw or not, it's brand new and it should not stop on you, and I'm assuming you went out and spent the money for a new one so it would not quit on you...

 

[CNYCountry]

Mate the only way the inertia chainbrake will kick in is if you get a very severe kickback,



there is something fishy right there maybe the carb needs resetting by a service technician or someone who knows about setting up a carburettor . You should be able to run it full throttle without it crapping out

For sure the only way the brake *should* kick in is if you get severe kickback, but maybe they put them on a hair trigger on those saws?

When it shuts down after 15 minutes it's the motor, not just the chain, correct?

In fact the only way you should really run in the cut is at full throttle anyway, from what folks have said here. Especially during break-in, you don't want it to get too hot but you don't baby it either, run it hard so the rings seat.

 

[TrogL]

Answers

What about these questions? Any info you can give will help us help you.Jeff

When you hear the click and the saw stops, does the engine stop, or just the chain?

The engine (and the chain, obviously). It's a very deliberate "clank" like it's stopping on purpose. Overheat sensor?? I was pushing it pretty hard.

If the engine is stopping, when you go to start it, does it crank over, or is it locked up?

It cranks over. Occasionally it even coughs like it wants to start.

If it does crank over, does it seem to crank over very easy?

It doesn't feel any different than starting it cold ie. no loss in compression.

Are you trying to choke it when starting it hot?

Well, yeah, after I tried not choking it. It didn't help.

Are you using the fast idle when trying to start it hot?

As noted above, I'm not 100% sure how to do "fast idle". I'm assuming that's the middle position on the blue choke switch. Again, yes, after I've tried not doing "fast idle". I've also tried priming. One time it seemed to help.

When it is running, will the saw idle on it's own for as long as you want?

One time it died while idling. I tend to "rev" it every few seconds as I've seen others do. Not sure if that helps or if it's just part of the culture.

Has the saw ever quit running like it seized up.

No. It's quit like it's decided "that's it - I'm taking a break". By seizing up I assume you mean it would be hard/impossible to crank.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Thanks TrogL, now we're getting somewhere. If the engine is stopping, and not just the chain, it's not a chainbrake issue. And if you have to keep reving it to keep it running, that's indicative of it being out of tune somewhere. Generally, as long as the saw turns over, and cranks easily enough, (but not too easy) the saw can be fixed or tuned so it will run. When the saw is locked up, or cranks or ratchets hard when you pull on it, you've got internal component issues, which is sounds like you don't have.

TonyM, what do you have for us here?

Jeff