Stihl 039

[luvbug1977]

Hey fellas,

I'm new to wood cutting, so I'm on a quest for knowledge. My grandpa has an 039 that can't hardly cut thru butter. The saw seems to not want to cut straight. What could cause this? The bar looks old and I don't think he ever turns it, and the chain is about two-thirds dull. What should we do to get this saw back into working order?

My dad and I went out cutting yesterday and he got so fed-up with the 039 that he put it away and we shared my Husky 350 for the rest of the day when the other got tired.

 

[stihltech]

039

You have the right idea. get the chain sharpened and the bar dressed on a bar machine. I would also clean the air filter, good bet is is plugged from the fine sawdust the chain has been making.

 

[Lawn Masters]

I advise a sharp chain and have the bar rails ground square by a professional shop, Chainbar in Oregon has a very affordable price tag for havine the bar laser checked for straightness, squaring up the bar rails, and all that. I know that a dull chain is only part of the problem, the other one could be a bar that is bent, uneven bar rails, the chain could also be sharper on one side than the other, plust about 4 dozen other possible causes. Chainbar has the most affordable services you could ask for, the email address is [email protected] send them an email and ask what they can do for you.

 

[Sapwood]

The 039 is a powerful homeowner saw. It puts off 4.3 hp, so it should do most jobs in quick fashion. It's a little heavy, so it can be fatiging, but I have owned two of them and believe that it's a good saw for the money. Get a new bar and chain combo from Jeff http://www.snssawshop.com/ and go try it again, you'll be amazed what sharp chain and new bar will do for you. You might need a new sprocket too! These are standard maintenace items that need to be kept in good shape if you want to enjoy your saw instead of fighting with it!

Oh by the way. If your chain has been ground way back you might need to lower your rakers. If they are two high you won't pull a decent sized chip (if it cuts at all!)

Sap

 

[luvbug1977]

Thanks fellas for the tips. . .very helpful!

 

[MasterBlaster]

My favorite saw is the one I just sharpened.

 

[JimL]

check the sprocket.
im amazed at how many people ruin chains cause they don't change a sprocket.

 

[stihltech]

sprocket

Also amazing are the amount of people that think a sprocket is OK until it wears through. But, you do get to sell a new bar and chain then!

 

[luvbug1977]

Stihl 039 - Sprocket

What should I be looking for when inspecting a sprocket? What does a worn sprocket look like?

 

[redpowerd]

there will be excessive channels in it where the drivelinks on the chain hit the sprocket teeth. unless its a rim, and that will be wore right thru.

 

[glens]

If the sprocket is a spur (one-piece) type and needs replacement I'd suggest going with a rim (two-piece) type.&nbsp; It costs a pittance more but works better and is cheaper in the long run.&nbsp; If you can get the Oregon <a href="http://www.oregonchain.com/sprockets.htm#PMSYS">unit</a> (part # 34162X), Russ says you'll have more and cheaper choices for replacement rims.

Glen

 

[luvbug1977]

Very cool. . .thanks for the information!

 

[jokers]

Originally posted by glens
If the sprocket is a spur (one-piece) type and needs replacement I'd suggest going with a rim (two-piece) type.&nbsp; It costs a pittance more but works better and is cheaper in the long run.&nbsp; If you can get the Oregon <a href="http://www.oregonchain.com/sprockets.htm#PMSYS">unit</a> (part # 34162X), Russ says you'll have more and cheaper choices for replacement rims.

Glen

Righto Glen! Thanks for taking up the slack for me in my brief absence.

luvbug, if you see wear deeper than the thickness of a business card, about .015", your sprocket or rim should be replaced. Not long after you first notice dimples starting to form on a rim. Another advantage to the rim and drum system is that you can turn the rim around and get more life out of it if you do it before a full dimple is evident. This is a good time to grease the clutch bearing anyway.

Russ

 

[jokers]

luvbug,

I just noticed that noone told you the reason that keeping a good sprocket on your saw is so important other than to say that you will ruin your chain and sprocket.

Here`s why and it`s very obvious if you give it a second`s consideration. As the sprocket wears, it`s diameter and effective pitch decrease. Meanwhile you are getting some stretch in your chain and it`s effective pitch is increasing. All of a sudden you end up running something like .404 chain on a .325 sprocket. This also sucks power.

Russ

 

[Lawn Masters]

.404 chain on a .325 sprocket? I never knew one could do that. but of course the sprocket is the one hting besides the engine that you could NOT do without taking good care of on your saw. I had to replace the old spur sprocket on my Homelite 330 and I prefer the rim to spur for lower cost and longevity of the rim style, If I work well enough I can get 3-4 chains from one rim as opposed to 1.5-2 chains from a spur.

After converting to rim sprockets the only way I'll ever go back to spurs is if the rim is not made for a specific saw.

 

[geofore]

sprocket/ learning curve

How long has it been since you run a sprocket till it flew apart? Way early in the learning curve, I can remember only once having this happen when one of the guys was complaining his saw was running bad. I tune in the carb and sharpen the chain, tighten up the chain, didn't think to check the sprocket. First time I put the saw to wood to test it, the sprocket flew apart. If you see signs of poor maintanance check to see if the sprocket needs replaced. Needless to say the saw got a new bar, chain and sprocket to shut the guy up, "What the H*$$ did you do to my $aw???". He was standing there when it flew apart. It was what he wasn't doing to the saw, a little maintanance now and then. If the saw has been around for a few years and gone through a few chains inbetween the spell on the shelf in the garage, check it.
Joker's trying to tell you a worn sprocket will stretch a new chain excessively and you'll go for bigger and bigger chain with the strength to resist the stretch and it will fit as the bar wears out but you didn't fix the underlying problem, the worn sprocket. Rather than use that kind of work around just check the sprocket for wear and replace it as needed.
Important on the new saws is to clean the chain brake of sawdust and debris and run a tool down the groove of the bar to do the same to maintain good oil flow to the chain. Do this when you flip the bar over after a day of hard cutting. Learn to sharpen your own chains and rock on.

 

[luvbug1977]

This is awesome information fellas! Thank you very much.

My dad finally "broke down", as he puts it, and took the saw in to a Stihl mechanic.

Here was another problem. . .after starting the saw, the chain didn't stop after releasing the throttle. Come to find out, the clutch bearings need some TLC. Amazing. . .

The air filter was NASTY. Some parts must have been 1/8" thick with saw "dust".

I took a look at the sprocket, but from what you guys have told me, it looks perfectly fine.

I can't believe how long my grandpa and dad let this saw go without some basic maintenance. What a shame. . .

 

[Sapwood]

After you get it going again let us know what you think of it!

Sap

 

[luvbug1977]

Oh man, after the maintenance it's probably been needing for two years, I expect it to teach 350 a lesson. LOL