Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[MustangMike]

I find the handling of a saw is often dictated by the bar that is on it (more than any other factor).

Heft a 362 V II with a standard 20" ES bar, than compare it to one with a 20" E bar on it and you will notice a huge difference.

My 261 V II is ported and runs a 18" E bar. My 462 (w/20") uses a ES Light bar. They both handle very well. The standard ES bars are much heavier.

 

[mountainguyed67]

compare it to one with a 20" E bar on it and you will notice a huge difference.

Which is better?

 

[svk]

I forgot to say in my other post, as it was where I was going when I got lost on the 460 compression , check the compression on the 461 to get a baseline for the gauge. Another thing is what @Duce said, just run it and see if it goes up a bit, it's amazing what running a saw on a good mix will do for it. Another thing I like to do on saws that stick around here long is to run a few tanks of conventional 2 stroke mix in them now and then.

Reason for running dino oil occasionally?

Can saws be safely stored long term with synthetic mix in the bearings? I heard motorcycle racers used to have problems with this?

 

[sean donato]

I call bull on that. I cant see a reason why synthetic oil wouldnt protect bearing just the same, if not better then dino oil.

 

[chipper1]

Reason for running dino oil occasionally?

Can saws be safely stored long term with synthetic mix in the bearings? I heard motorcycle racers used to have problems with this?

Because I have seen compression go up. I think some compression can be lost when running full synthetic on a saw that isn't ran hard, similar to when you wash out a cylinder with excessive fuel.

No idea, but some additives may cause issues in certain circumstances, there always seems to be exceptions to the rule.
Iirc you are not supposed to use Seafoam in certain engines and I know many use it in 2-strokes, I would think that similarly if you use an additive of any sort that there could be adverse effects, but I do not know of any myself.
Maybe someone was running synthetic with ethanol and had an issue because of moisture being drawn in from the ethanol?

 

[LondonNeil]

Over the years i have encountered an odd link that the file seemed to glide across. Always on Stihl chain.

I've had rakers that i could NOT touch at all, they wer ehard as glass, yet the cutter sharpened fine. weird.

FYI, I am NOT a fan of Stihl 2 cycle oil.

All stihl or just the red? I've always used the green which meets a much higher spec. Then when i got the 365 and realised husky insist on their XP or run 30:1, ad I didn't want to run that oily, I bought some XP, mix it with the green and run 40:1. I searched but couldn't find the spec for XP...I doubt its higher than green if its not published. I think they are both good oils....but I also like to feel a bit belt and braces and run at 40:1

 

[muad]

I'll take the 241, I'm sending the $5 via PayPal and I'll pick it up soon. Just not sure how soon I'll be over your way, could be yrs, so just hold onto it for me until then... .

You sir, are a genius!

 

[muad]

I've had rakers that i could NOT touch at all, they wer ehard as glass, yet the cutter sharpened fine. weird.




All stihl or just the red? I've always used the green which meets a much higher spec. Then when i got the 365 and realised husky insist on their XP or run 30:1, ad I didn't want to run that oily, I bought some XP, mix it with the green and run 40:1. I searched but couldn't find the spec for XP...I doubt its higher than green if its not published. I think they are both good oils....but I also like to feel a bit belt and braces and run at 40:1

When you say red and green, are you talking the color of the oil or can?

The Stihl oil I ran was in an orange jug, but was green in color.

 

[farmer steve]

I've had rakers that i could NOT touch at all, they wer ehard as glass, yet the cutter sharpened fine. weird.

I've had that happen too. I flip the file over and the it seems to work fine. Not sure if it's the way the file is cut or not.

 

[LondonNeil]

@H-Ranch will be happy. I scrounged up another wheelbarrow! a nice condition one too. You may remember I scrounged one up a couple of years ago, but I my not have mentioned it got stolen. yes really. scrap iron guys I'm sure, stole it out the garden. well it was in state and needed a new tyre anyway. Then i meant to scrounge up dad's old one, but never managed to grab it before mum moved. Today I got one from across the street, in good condition. It was p***ing with rain so no photo yet but wheels well. I'll keep this one at the back of the house and hopefully safe

 

[LondonNeil]

When you say red and green, are you talking the color of the oil or can?

The Stihl oil I ran was in an orange jug, but was green in color.

I mean the oil. the standard stihl stuff is red, then the better stuff, err..Ultra? is green. then husky XP is blue,

 

[MustangMike]

I believe in FULL SYNTHETIC oils, engine, tranny and diff life are so much longer than they used to be as a result.

Someone did an in depth analysis of the oils a while ago and IIRC the Saber had a viscosity rating of about 12 compared to 8 for Stihl full synthetic. That is why I use it, and I have had builders comment on how well my saws were "oiled".

 

[MustangMike]

Which is better?

Define "better". The regular ES bar is supposed to be very durable, but the E bar and ES light will balance much better. If you keep your chains sharp, and use good bar oil (I like the TS stuff), you will not have any problems.

The standard ES bars (w/replaceable tips) usually result in a very nose heavy saw. E bars do not have replaceable tips, but I have never replaced a tip! Tried to once (for the 24" ES bar that came on my 044) But Stihl changed the tip shape w/o changing the #s and no one could find one for me. Ruined the tip by using used motor oil … I don't do that any more!

(Recently stocked up on bar oil at TS when it was on sale for $6/gallon). I buy cases of it when it goes on sale.

 

[muad]

I mean the oil. the standard stihl stuff is red, then the better stuff, err..Ultra? is green. then husky XP is blue,

Gotcha.

Makes me feel a little better about my using it all these years. I just recently switched to Husky's XP+ (I think). I have yet to run it, I just mixed my last batch with the Stihl stuff. I still have about a half quart left of it, but filled my little 1 gallon mixer jug with the Husky stuff this weekend.

 

[chipper1]

@H-Ranch will be happy. I scrounged up another wheelbarrow! a nice condition one too. You may remember I scrounged one up a couple of years ago, but I my not have mentioned it got stolen. yes really. scrap iron guys I'm sure, stole it out the garden. well it was in state and needed a new tyre anyway. Then i meant to scrounge up dad's old one, but never managed to grab it before mum moved. Today I got one from across the street, in good condition. It was p***ing with rain so no photo yet but wheels well. I'll keep this one at the back of the house and hopefully safe

You just reminded me I want to buy another 2 wheeled wheelbarrow myself, need to start the hunt, I like that part .
We need Neil.

Define "better". The regular ES bar is supposed to be very durable, but the E bar and ES light will balance much better. If you keep your chains sharp, and use good bar oil (I like the TS stuff), you will not have any problems.

The standard ES bars (w/replaceable tips) usually result in a very nose heavy saw. E bars do not have replaceable tips, but I have never replaced a tip! Tried to once (for the 24" ES bar that came on my 044) But Stihl changed the tip shape w/o changing the #s and no one could find one for me. Ruined the tip by using used motor oil … I don't do that any more!

(Recently stocked up on bar oil at TS when it was on sale for $6/gallon). I buy cases of it when it goes on sale.

That's what I find too, but the tips are a bit more fragile if you have a chain that is too aggressive you can blow them out, but I've had that happen more on Oregon bars than the stihl e bars . To be fair I've done a lot more cutting with the Oregon bars than the e bars, I have a bunch of es bars, a cannon, and a couple es lightweight so I primarily run them on my smaller saws these days.
You reminded me I need bar oil too, and I need more e-free as I just dumped the last into my backpack blower.

 

[chipper1]

Gotcha.

Makes me feel a little better about my using it all these years. I just recently switched to Husky's XP+ (I think). I have yet to run it, I just mixed my last batch with the Stihl stuff. I still have about a half quart left of it, but filled my little 1 gallon mixer jug with the Husky stuff this weekend.

The husky oil smells much better than the stihl .
Where's @James Miller , he always says the stihl ultra smells like the plastic army men burning .

 

[chipper1]

I've had that happen too. I flip the file over and the it seems to work fine. Not sure if it's the way the file is cut or not.

Maybe turn the saw around lol.
They do file better from the inside out just as with the cutters.
I will also angle the file a little to stop the chattering, probably won't help an old school filer like yourself, but it may help someone.

 

[chipper1]

You sir, are a genius!

PM sent .

 

[H-Ranch]

@H-Ranch will be happy. I scrounged up another wheelbarrow!

You just reminded me I want to buy another 2 wheeled wheelbarrow myself, need to start the hunt, I like that part

I've been meaning to get another one also (and I enjoy the hunt too.) I figured that would make me twice as fast at collecting firewood.

OK, maybe that wouldn't, but this might:

A trailer for my wheelbarrow!

 

[svk]

The husky oil smells much better than the stihl .
Where's @James Miller , he always says the stihl ultra smells like the plastic army men burning .

James hasn’t been on since spring. Hopefully he’ll be back.