Stihl MS290 Problems

[HickoryNick]

I purchased a MS290 w/ 16" bar & .325 chain back in January to replace an old Sears Craftsman (Roper) 3.6cu 18" saw we'd been using since the 70's. As soon as I went sideways to fell a tree, it bogged and wouldn't cut. Three trips to the dealer, all say the power plant is okay, and adjusted the carb. Still same problem.

Swallowing my pride on my troubleshooting skills, I finally figured out that the chain is binding against the bar and cooking it. Oiler works fine, etc. I wish I could say it is from lack of skill in using a chainsaw, but I've used one enough and so has my father (who also had trouble) to eliminate that possibility. We've been using the same Oregon bar on his Craftsman for 10 years and haven't burnt it or bent it up yet.

We noticed when making a sideways cut, the cut would start to turn up, despite trying to keep it level and straight, eventually getting it to where the chain is binding in the cut against the bar. I also noticed burring on one side of the bar rails (wearing more on one side than the other). Its the right rail on the top that's burred and the left on the bottom.

So, here I am, first new chain saw in 23 years, go with a Stihl and can't keep it out of the shop. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,
HickoryNick

 

[West Texas]

Recommend two things, one, dress the bar rails with a good file until they look the same, as one is obviously wearing different than the other. Two, rotate the bar often to reduce this type of wear. Finally, take a look at your chain, if the teeth on one side are filed differently than the other side, then the saw will cut crooked. My guess is its a combination of bar and chain. If you want to eliminate one or the other, dress the bar and put on a new chain. See if it still cuts crooked. If not, then put the old chain back on and see if it cuts crooked. Its got to be one or both of these. Good luck. I just keep trying till I eliminate whatever is causing the problem. Dealer should have been more help if he saw the saw. Yukko!

One final idea, start the saw, after it warms up, rotate it on to one side and see if it still runs the same, then the other side, etc. If the saw speed changes when you turn it on one of its sides, that's a good indication of a leaky seal???? Try it and eliminate that problem too. Cause a leaky seal will rob you of power.

 

[HickoryNick]

Thanks for the advice. I've been babying it the best I can, flipping the bar over everytime I sharpen the chain, which has been three times so far. I've only ran 6 tanks of gas through it so far.

What causes one side of the rail to wear down more than the other? I've heard of it happening, but can't seem to figure out what causes it.

 

[sugarbush]

Thanks for the advice. I've been babying it the best I can, flipping the bar over everytime I sharpen the chain, which has been three times so far. I've only ran 6 tanks of gas through it so far.

What causes one side of the rail to wear down more than the other? I've heard of it happening, but can't seem to figure out what causes it.

is your bar .063? and maybe a .050 chain.

 

[daemon2525]

It sounds like the chain is a problem. Have you tried a new chain?

It's hard to sharpen a chain the same on both sides? everyone is left handed or right handed. You said you sharpened... HOW?


It also sounds like you are in big hard wood. please let us know.

A dull chain WILL curve one way or the other.

 

[daemon2525]

I have actually used similar saws to both of these. (are you sure it's not a 3.7 roper?)

Is it technique? They both should weigh about the same (read heavy).

just a thought.

 

[THALL10326]

is your bar .063? and maybe a .050 chain.

Samething I was thinking................

 

[Marco]

I'd say chain gauge problem too. Seen it on an MS250

 

[HickoryNick]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

Chain gage is correct 1.6mm aka #6 on the link of the chain and the bar is .63. It was one of the first things I checked when I saw the bar heating up.

daemon2525: I sharpen the chain using the sharpening kit w/ file guide. Not the bar mount version, just the regular round file in the guide. I keep it level and and at the appropriate 30 degree angle. It sharpens pretty well and throws large chips. I haven't had to file down the depth guage or drag link, whichever you want to call it.

Technique could be part of it, but I've done a lot of sawing in my day and I'm not treating it any different. You are right, it was a Craftsman 3.7cu Model# 917.353774. Either saw I let it feed into the wood, trying to not to force it. I've tried changing my technique with the Stihl. No matter how straight on I try to keep it, it still cocks off at an angle through the cut, enough to bind the chain.

We do have a lot hard woods, but I've sawed a poplar tree and it was throwing more shavings than chips (by shavings I mean curled shavings like whittling with a good sharp pocket knife) I had also fell a dead stand red oak as well, both had problems, of course thats back when I was thinking it was the power plant. The heat wasn't showing on the bar yet.

 

[Lakeside53]

I'd say you are back to the bar...

 

[Rspike]

I'd say you are back to the bar...

Now Lakeside , You know drinking is not going to fix the problem , ha.

 

[Diesel JD]

You say it's binding do you? Any chance the sprocket at the bar tip is getting plugged with wood chips and then binding, causing the bar to heat up? Just a WAG.

 

[Lakeside53]

Now Lakeside , You know drinking is not going to fix the problem , ha.

It's worked so far

 

[HickoryNick]

The bar sounds pretty good right now

Diesel JD, the bar stays pretty clean at the tip. It's the bar all the way down the length that's getting pretty hot. The paint is nice and brown up and down both sides of the bar, top and bottom. I'm thinking it's the bar and chain, but I was just wanting to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong or to see if anyone else has heard of a problem with Stihl bars and chains from the factory?

 

[Lakeside53]

The bar sounds pretty good right now

Diesel JD, the bar stays pretty clean at the tip. It's the bar all the way down the length that's getting pretty hot. The paint is nice and brown up and down both sides of the bar, top and bottom. I'm thinking it's the bar and chain, but I was just wanting to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong or to see if anyone else has heard of a problem with Stihl bars and chains from the factory?

I haven't heard of any problems... take it back to your dealer - it's under warranty...

 

[Fish]

This thread smells "fishy".

Are you saying that you bought a saw "new" in Jan. and the very first
cut into a standing tree it stopped cutting?
Did the chain stop and the saw bog down, or did the chain keep turning
and no progress in cutting?
When did the chain wandering come into the picture?
If this saw acted up the first time, why did you not take it back to the dealer then?
The darkening of the Stihl's white bar rails is normal.

Warranty does not cover chain/bar problems, especially if they hit a rock or
nail, and the resharpening is not any good.

Start over, and detail the events with some more preciseness, maybe we
can give you a decent answer. I am guessing you hit simething early on
with your rm2 safety chain, and your resharpening technique is not up to snuff. Try a new chain, and see if the problem is not resolved.

 

[HickoryNick]

The dealer says his regional sales rep is going to take a look at it. I can't wait for him say it's abuse.

Thanks everyone for the tips!

 

[TimberPig]

Any chance you got a mislabelled bar? If you are only going by the bar's stampings, it could possibly be an 0.50" gauge bar, that got misstamped as 0.063". Just a thought on something else to check.

 

[HickoryNick]

Fish,

Okay, here's how it played out....

First started bucking an oak on the ground, and it seemed to do fine. Later that week I decided to fell an 18" oak. The chain would stop and I'd have to back it out of the cut, rev it back up and give it another go. This was on both the felling notch and the felling cut. I thought it just didn't have the muscle yet because it was still breaking in. Chain was factory sharp. I hadn't hit any rocks or nails and it was throwing some big chips.

Bucking went just fine, ran a couple o tanks of gas though it doing that and it seemed to do pretty well.

I really started having problems when I tried to fell a poplar tree. The chain kept seizing up constantly. It was oiling good, etc. Chain was still sharp and it was throwing curly shavings. My dad had a wack at it and he got so frustrated with it he just about threw it (I luckily stepped in)

My dad cut into one of the plastic wedges causing me to have to sharpen the chain the first time. It sharpened up nicely, and I made sure to keep it level with the top of the chain and at the right angle, both sides.

I decided to take it to the dealer. He adjusted the carb by ear which helped it a little. I took it to the same poplar stump and it kept binding. Threw good chips, but was binding.

I took it to another more experience dealer. He set the carb with a tach. It still had the same problem on the same stump.

I took it back to the first dealer (who I purchased it from) and contacted Stihl. Stihl contacted them and told them to tach it up to 1350. It ran like a scalded dog but the chain kept binding. I figured out it was the chain binding in the wood and figured I just wasn't used to the saw and must've been torqing it on accident.

We did some more work with it sawing down some autumn olives that were about 8" in diameter at the base and my dad used it. He was having the same problems. So we started paying closer attention and that's when we started noticing the chain cutting upwards rather than straight.Took it to the test stump, sank one of the bumper spikes in to keep it straight and it kept cutting upwards.

 

[TimberPig]

Keep going back to your dealer until it is right. You paid good money for it, and it has a warranty for a reason. It sounds like he is standing behind it, but hasn't quite been able to figure out the cause yet.

See if he can try the bar and chain on a different saw. If its binding the chain, adjusting the carb won't do any good. One of the chain, bar or sprocket isn't working correctly. Something is mismatched. If your dealer can try a different chain on your bar, or a different bar with your chain, you should be able to determine where the cause lies. Double check (measure) the pitch and gauge of the drive and nose sprockets, and the gauge of the chain and the bar. Look for unusual or uneven wear. Keep at it, the problem isn't the saw, its the cutting attachment.