Rookie needs help, saw bogs out

[flyingyooper]

New guy here, just found this site today and I love it. I am hoping to get some useful advice on what to do about my saw. I see yous guys are big fans of the ms 361 and not so much the 390. Sorry to say I bought a 390 on ebay a year ago thinking it would be a lot more powerful than my former 250. to my dismay it does not seem to be up to the job. I just cut firewood here in wyoming,lodgepole pine and aspen. fairly soft right? this saw seems to bogg out if i lean on it at all. It was a couple yrs old when i bought it, could it be cooked already? I was thinking about maybe a piston/cylinder rebuild? is there anything I can or should do to beef it up? I have tried different chains but still cuts slower than I would have thought it should. I've cut hardwood in michigan with seemingly smaller jonsereds that seemed a lot faster. Any advice is appreciated. sorry so long.

 

[mountainlake]

Check the muffler screen if its still in it, next do a compression test.
Does it bog right away or after you cut a while? That 390 should smoke a 250. Steve

 

[Lakeside53]

yes.. a 390 should rock in the stuff your cutting. It could be worn out in 2 minutes if run on bad gas.. so age of a saw isn't a good indicator of condition. Do check the compression etc as suggested above.

You can get aftemarket pistons fair cheaply for the saw.

 

[flyingyooper]

It starts right up an seems to run good for a while, but starts to bog down after it has warmed up real good. It cuts with the weight of of saw but as soon as I apply the slightest pressure it loses all power.

 

[Big Neb]

What bar/chain are you using? Chain sharp?

 

[DGG]

Did you add fresh gas, change the fuel filter, air filter, sharpen the chain, and adjust the carb?

 

[newguy18]

Did you add fresh gas, change the fuel filter, air filter, sharpen the chain, and adjust the carb?

just my 2 cents while you change those things and compression test it change your plug espicially if it is a champion use bosch.

 

[flyingyooper]

It has a 20" bar and new chain (I've tried diff chains) I have always run it on clean gas and stihl mix oil, though I can't say how it was treated before I got it. I have never changed the fuel filter, that's probably a good place to start and some of the other things you mentioned too. thanks guys

 

[pgg]

Saw dies on you when cutting

- choked muffler screen
- tired fuel-filter
- pinholes in fuel-hose
- grunged up tank-breather
- tiny fuel-screen inside carb blocked
- carb jets out of adjustment

 

[GASoline71]

chain on backwards?

Gary

 

[flyingyooper]

chain on backwards?

Gary

Hardy har har!:jester:

 

[RiverRat2]

c'mon Gary

chain on backwards?

Gary

Welcome to AS Yooper!!!!!

10,000 comedians out of work and your cracking jokes about the mans saw????

It was pretty funny though!!!!! :bang:

 

[rbtree]

Welcome to AS Yooper!!!!!

10,000 comedians out of work and your cracking jokes about the mans saw????

It was pretty funny though!!!!! :bang:

Hey, you stole my line, ya plagiarist you!!....

Is that in Webster's? :jester:

opcorn:

 

[Fish]

Keep in mind the 390 is a large 290, 029, etc.
So looking at the piston will be the first thing.
If it still is ok, then look carefully at the fuel line, especially between the tank and carb, it might have a 1,000 cracks in it, if it does, then replace it.
The carb screen will also be clogged with dirt as well, so going through the
carb is needed.

 

[RiverRat2]

Hey, you stole my line, ya plagiarist you!!....

Is that in Webster's? :jester:

opcorn:

Heathenism,,,, Plagiarism,,, I suppose I kyped it yeah,,, Hey it's a good line @ that ehhh?????

Boy thats a mouth full!!!!!!

Webster's it is!!!!!!!!