Poulan Pro 4218 Problems

[BooUrns!]

Hi, I use my chainsaw when framing houses to cut heating holes out of wall at the end of a job. I bought a Poulan Pro 4218 for this task as I had used them before I started my business. This saw ran well for most of the summer (other than it would stop if you were not revving it) but now that winter is here, i can't get it to run for any useful amount of time.
The saw is difficult to start. After repeating the starting procedure a few times, i can get it to run. But after a minute or so of cutting, the saw loses power and dies. After this I cannot get it to run w/o repeated attempts to restart (upwards of 15 mins at times).
When the saw is running, it lacks power and can stall easily. I put a new chain on it but this has not helped keep it from stalling. Is this an indication of service needed or something that warrants replacement?

I'm not very familiar with 2 cycle engines so I'm not sure why it does this. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[scottr]

Screen & Air Filter

Have you cleaned the spark arrestor screen and the air filter ?

 

[Fish]

First thing to do is remove the muffler and look at the piston, as trying to run
a saw like this will cause piston damage.
If that looks ok, you need to look at the carb area, this model has a
problem in this area. The plastic block that the carb bolts onto gets loose
and the gasket is usually torn, and air leaks there, and the saw runs
worse, the looser it becomes.