Saw Cleaning

[Bills Oak]

How often do all of you in general clean your saws?--I'm asking this because in the past month or so I have worked on approximately 20 saws that were brought to me because either they would not start, rev up, or just had no power. 15 of these saws just needed a good cleaning, air filter, chain brake area, cylinder head area packed with chips, etc. 1/2 hour later & $20.00 they were running like new---3 OF THESE WERE FROM PROFESSIONALS!--Just hard to believe that these guys would spend big bucks on a nice saw & not try to take care of it!!!--OK I've vented now --I feel better...

 

[weimedog]

I'm a bit fanatical so I over clean. I "Air clean" (with compressed air) the air filter, air box, the entire out side and around the clutch/sprocket area everytime they are used. After a few (when I see stuff building up inside the ignition side cover (pull start); I pull the cover and clean out the cylinder fins and area around the flywheel. My Husky almost never gets junk in the fins ..but I clean it anyway. The Homelites ALWAYS do and the McCulloch is in the middle somewhere with its needs to have the cylinder fins cleaned out. My XL-12 ans Super XL will boil the gas if I don't keep the cylinder fins clean.

A MOTORCYCLE hygene trick also works with my saws.....PLEDGE helps keep things cleaner on the motorcycle fenders & stuff. I put that stuff all over the places that pick up dirt on my bikes and its way easier to clean them after a nasty ride. I use pledge on the saws and they also clean up nice for cosmetic purposes...it doesn't help where bar oil is everywhere but around the top & covers it does. Don't waste your time with pledge if your a pro..this is for the vintage stuff where I want to keep them looking nice with a wipe of a towel after using a little bit. I also keep the Husky pledged...but thats overkill and probably a sign of a troubled mind.

 

[John Ellison]

After two or three hrs. I check and clean the air filter while fueling. Four to six hrs. then clean bar, side cover, clutch area and oil outlet. Will do this sooner if I have to change chains. Dont know why but I very seldom have to clean chips out of the cyl. fins.

John

 

[geofore]

Bill, you're not charging enough but your average of saws that come in that need cleaned is about right at 75%-90%. Check the (just need cleaned) saws for signs of them being used to do a little ditch work or used to reduce the rocks in his yard to dust. About 1/2 should need the chains worked over heavy and 1/4 should need a new sprocket. You have been getting the, run em till they quit saws, and for $20 you're too cheap to pass on. Sears charges $65/hr for a maintanence check plus parts around here to give you some idea on the price of looking over a homeowner saw if you take it to Sears. You know they're over heating the brake and chain/bar. Ask yourself, "What does this guy make/save an hour cutting trees?" Now you know why he brings it to you to clean it, you're cheaper than him doing it himself.

 

[geofore]

Oops, forgot to answer the question. If you flip the bar over every day, you already have the cover off the side to check if it needs cleaned before it goes back out to work tomorrow. Maybe you should raise your prices and open up a detail shop for saws. I know there are enough dirty (run hard put away wet) saws out there that need the detailing. $20 is not enough to get the owners to take better care of their saws.

 

[Ny finest]

I clean my saws twice a week-bars,cylinders,filters,everything

 

[Kennesm]

Is hot water and degreaser safe to use? I have always just used air but I read that someone else using the water and degreaser with good results.

 

[JimL]

Every night I just blow it out good and clean the air filter. blow out sidecover.
once every couple weeks ill take sprocket cover off and blow out whats in it.


I get pro saws at work every day, had a ms200t and a ms460 today, 460 had so much crap in the killswitch it quit working, the ms200 was filthy and it had other problems other than dirt.

I blow out and clean off every saw i bring in the shop. I dont want to work in that ???? dirt all day.

 

[Lobo]

Every couple of tank fill-ups I tap the air filters clean and blow the carburetor area with a compressed air can you purchase to clean the dust inside a computer.

Second or third tank I change the chains, therefore as the side cover is already removed, i remove bar & chain, brush the area off with a medium-soft small wisk broom, clean the clutch area as well as clean the oil oulet, flip the bar over, clean the inside of the cover with the wisk broom reinstall it and adjust the chain. When home i use my air compressor to properly clean every thing from top cover down.

 

[bigair]

A MOTORCYCLE hygene trick also works with my saws.....PLEDGE helps keep things cleaner on the motorcycle fenders & stuff. I put that stuff all over the places that pick up dirt on my bikes and its way easier to clean them after a nasty ride. I use pledge on the saws and they also clean up nice for cosmetic purposes...it doesn't help where bar oil is everywhere but around the top & covers it does. Don't waste your time with pledge if your a pro..this is for the vintage stuff where I want to keep them looking nice with a wipe of a towel after using a little bit. I also keep the Husky pledged...but thats overkill and probably a sign of a troubled mind.

And everything smells lemony fresh. Sorry, I couldn't resist. I will have to try that on my bike.

 

[TonyM]

I have washed many saws using water, some with the garden hose! I wouldn't do this to an older saw with points and condensor, but the electronic ignitions are fairly impervious to water. You just have to make sure to dry off anything you don't want to rust. I usually start the saws afterward an let them warm up enough to evaporate any moisture. This is usually for when I have to work on saws that are filthy, just to get them clean enough to work on, or to pretty up an older saw. Make sure you plug the intake and exhaust, or be very careful what your doing. I like to use the shop vac for routine cleaning. I keeps the mess in the vac instead of all over the shop like an airhose does.

 

[mryb]

The dishwasher workz fine for me...Rick/Saw ****

 

[TonyM]

Dishwasher. Hmmm? No, my wife would kill me.

 

[jimbo1490]

I've observed over the years that saws that are left with chips and saw dust on them for prolonged periods always seem to lose their paint early. It is probably from the tannins in the wood. The mag parts on the saw need to stay painted or you will get corrosion. Corrosion on mag is a big deal.

Jimbo

 

[Dwayne Ferguson]

For me its a quick wipe of each night after work and a really good strip down clean on the weekends.
I wash my air filter in hot soap and water.

 

[mryb]

Dishwasher. Hmmm? No, my wife would kill me.

Doesn't she ever go to Wal-mart for extended periods of time?Rick/Saw ****

 

[Michael B]

wow
why wouldn't you want to keep the tools that put food on the table clean and in working order?
I don't buy into the argument that it is not worth the time to clean one's own equipment. What about the cost of down time and travel time to the shop for drop off and pick up?
What about when the saw dies in the middle of a job?
I suppose it is like waiting to sharpen the chain until it is smoking. Sure, you [/U]can wait, until then, but that is just making the housekeeping job that much worse.
Take the time and do it right the first time.

 

[Lawn Masters]

EXACTLY. do it before it bcomes a problem and you can avoid the problem altogether. I call it failure prevention.

Rather than pay $400 for another saw, I'll just take care of the ones I have.

 

[Michael B]

Rather than pay $400 for another saw, I'll just take care of the ones I have.

I am with you on that 100%. I've been called frugal, thrifty and a cheap bastid, but I just consider myself as judicious with my money. :Monkey:

 

[clearance]

Every so often I empty the oil tank, half fill it with gas, swill it and dump it. Old trick from the bush. Lots of good ideas here.