I bought a 261 CM to clear a large lot and slab some of the nicer pine trees into beams to make some floating stair treads. I know the 261 isn't an ideal saw for an Alaskan mill, but there wasn't much to do (4 cuts per log), it's pine, and I don't mind going slowly and keeping a ripping chain extra sharp.
The saw ran great for felling and bucking. No issues, loved it, starting by the third pull every time. It actually cuts pretty well with the Alaskan mill too, though through some testing, grinding every other pair of teeth into scoring cutters made a huge difference in keeping the RPMs up and the saw moving smoothly.
The issue is, when using it with the Alaskan mill, it develops a hot start issue after about half a tank of gas. Sometimes it seems like it won't start because it's flooded, sometimes it seems like it's not getting enough gas, in which case putting it in choke seems to help, sorta, sometimes.
I took it in to the dealer, they cleaned out the "flooded carb" and said it was fine. Dealer said to never start it in choke when it's warm, and also to flip it to run after 4 pulls even if it's cold. I followed that, but the issue's still there, and I'm starting to lose my patience with a saw that is really, really starting to slow me down.
If I leave it idling after making a cut, it will run (rough -ish) for about 1-2 minutes then die and refuse to restart for about 45 minutes. If I turn it off immediately after making a cut, it will refuse to restart for about 45 minutes. Sometimes it starts, runs for a second or two, then dies. Sometimes it starts, but dies when I put any throttle on it.
Someone in this thread suggested a problem with the gas tank. Sure enough, sometimes when I open the tank when it's hot, I get a splash of gas and a steady stream of bubbles rising in the gas. But only sometimes. Opening the tank to relieve the pressure does not help it restart.
I've tried all manner of combinations of starting it in choke, starting it in run, chain brake on, chain brake off, etc. Chain brake off of course helps, but even then it has to sit for a while before it'll come close to starting again.
I've done the "carburetor reset" procedures (90 sec in choke, off, then 90 sec in idle, off, then start and make a few cuts). Doesn't seem to do anything differently after.
I tried switching to 93 octane ethanol free gas over the usual 89. Seemed to help a little, but not entirely sure.
At this point, I've got wood on the ground that's been on the ground for so long, it may or may not be useable if or when I can get it slabed and stickered. My best guess is that something is causing the computer to make wrong carb adjustments. Maybe my ripping chain (carlton) is the issue? I plan to try a different one soon. Is it possible the computer just doesn't understand or adjust correctly in slabbing cuts? It's going back to the dealer on Monday for repair round 2.
Any ideas?
