Makita dsc540 .. first run

[DonE911]

Well gave my new makita its first workout yesterday... this is my first dolmar saw.

Cut a pickup truck full of dead hemlock to get it out of a guys front yard.

I ran into a few problems with it out of the box. I don't know how I got to the job without my screwdriver for adjusting the saw, but I did (kind of). The factory carb setting not the greatest. The stock makita bar reminds my of a springboard.

I had a heck of a time getting it started after it warmed up, and it would not idle until it warmed up,ofcourse if I shut it down I would pull on it until my arm fell off before I got it running again. Why did I forget the screwdriver

I searched high and low for that screwer, that I know I put in the truck... I knew everything would be fine with some adjustments, but no screwdriver to be found... so now I'm mad at the saw and myself. I ended up finishing the job with my little echo 305 which was not the right tool for the job, but I really love the little guy.

I finally loaded the last piece in the truck, put the saw, fuel and lube in the truck and closed the tailgate...... and there it was ( the screw driver ) on the bumper under the open tailgate...

Next time I'll get it running right, then the muffler gets opened up and the caps come off. What bar should I replace the stocker with?

 

[sedanman]

Oregon Power Match Plus. This saw uses the small husky mount so bars should be real aesy to find.

 

[ray benson]

What size bar did it come with? My 6000i has a 21" .050 bar that seems fine.

 

[Molecule]

I bought a 540, and it starts just great (from cold, two pulls choke on, and two choke off, with throttle at idle.) The factory settings of the carb were definitely on the lean side for my liking anyway, so you might want to check that. You can easily "trim" back the plastic nibbs on the carb adjustments with a hot Xacto knife. Don't forget to open up both, as I'm told that about 1/3 of the gas comes from the three low-speed jets.

 

[TonyM]

If they come set like the Dolmar PS540, the adjustments are full out against the stops, and the saw will almost die when given throttle. It will get better, but really needs to have the limiters moved a little. I've never had starting problems like you describe, though. I would recommend moving the limiters 1/4 turn clockwise to gain a little more adjustment in the rich direction. That exhaust is really restrictive. There's some power lurking in there.

 

[DonE911]

My saw came with an 18" bar. 3/8's safety chain... I have nothing against the factory supplied bars (usually) so maybe its just this length thats not up to par... I'm gonna give the limiters a snip next time I get the chance...

Tony you hit the nail on the head, saw dies when given throttle... when it starts that is. I'll add to this post in few days once I get a chance to properly tune it.

 

[TonyM]

If you take the carb off the saw, you can pry the plastic limiters off the screws, and then push them back on in a new location. They allow a 1/2 turn adjustment total.

Like I said, it will get better after several tanks of gas.

 

[premix]

IMHO You should not accept this saw as is. Take it back to the dealer and have them take a look at it. Before you take a chance on voiding the warranty. I would not be very satisfied with a new saw running that way. It might just need a carb adjustment but there is always a chance it has an air leak that could cause you some big troubles down the road.

 

[Elmore]

Could be foreign ...

substance in carb. I have heard of some gunk plugging up a screen on a new 520i and also spoke with a Dolmar rep about it and he mentioned some powdery substance on the tip of some adjustment needles (made in Mexico). You might try contacting eric 271 and/or Dolmar_Tech_Mgr about this. Return it to Makita service to ensure that your warranty is not void. Man, I can't wait to finally crank up my new 520i.
It's a beauty
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v186/Elmore/Des%20Moines%20County%20Supervisor/MakitaDCS520i1-6-05.jpg">