Part Throttle Operation Of A Chainsaw

[SCHallenger]

The manual for my (Poulan) hedge trimmer says to open the throttle only enough to cut what you're cutting.

Quotes:
"It is recommended that the engine not be operated for longer than 30 seconds at full throttle...Use the minimum throttle speed necessary to effectively cut hedges..."

I suspect this is because it has some kind of clutch or rubber baby buggy bumper arrangement that allows the engine to continue running, even if the blades don't reciprocate for the full stroke (for example when you're chewing through a thick branch)...

But yeah: Definitely always run a chainsaw at full throttle when cutting, not just for engine longevity but also for safety (less chance of "grabbing" and resultant kickback when the chain is moving fast...the main reason kickbacks happen is because the chain stops, and that energy goes either into bending the branch into a spring, or throwing the saw backward and up...and there's less chance of the chain stopping if it has a lot of speed and burning gasoline behind it...)

This is really important if you are cutting small stuff (little limbs) with the top of the bar!! If you don't give it enough energy, the small twiggy stuff will get caught in between the teeth & will give you a nasty pull forward if using the underside of the bar, or a very dangerous kickback if using the top of the bar!

 

[bwalker]

Warming up the saw is more important. So is so for cars tractors motorcycles........

Warming up is more important for a liquid cooled motor.
An air cooled two stroke warms up very fast.
I give it a few blips of the throttle unloaded to clean it out, make a few cuts without leaning on it. Then give it hell.

 

[MowerMilitia]

Would a fuel injected saw, like the 500i be immune to mid-throttle issues?

 

[bwalker]

I am not sure if part throttle running for extended periods of time is detrimental. I also can't think of a single reason to not use full throttle in the cut.

 

[sean donato]

Pretty sure about a year ago we had a guy that built log cabins comment on his saws not lasting long, and he was running prolonged periods of part throttle, I believe it was m-tronic/ auto tune carbs as well. I don't think it physically damaged the saw though

 

[Piotr Pakuła]

Overloading the engine too long guide, a blunt chain, contamination of the saw and finally high ambient temperature, tuning the carburettor, premix. If you have a powerful engine and small guides, you can cut half the gas all day

 

[Husky77]

Professional using a saw to trim off shall we say small trunk branches that are in the way, is going to blip the throttle and cut fast. Then they are cutting full throttle.... nothing like the uneducated home owner/gardener firewood cutter. I have seen so many using a saw half or even lower throttle and are struggling pushing the saw. To start with the chain is probably less (far less) than sharp but they think it cuts so must be sharp. And the saw is used infrequently, not set up right and never takes the time to warm up. Is it they dont like the noise or afraid of the saw? But they just dont like running it as it was made ro be run...... full throttle.
Good luck with educating them that dont listen, as far as I know all manuals say cut at full throttle or is that just mine (pro saws)