What are ideal maintenance practices for preserving and maintaining a good working saw.

[LuDookie]

Keep the air filter, fins and fuel filter clean, the carburetor well tuned and a sharp chain. Grease the clutch drum bearing occasionally and leave everything else well alone. The more you clean the more damage you cause. A layer of oil is good.

I agree for the most part. I keep all the breathing and cooling parts clean. I also blow out the carb box but I rarely clean much out of the clutch cover unless I’m working on it or replacing something. I also don’t like disassembling things all the time.

 

[purellbear37]

All great information folks.
For clarification, after reading the replies...

My verdict for long term storage:
- Get canned gas, if not then run the tank and the carb dry.
- Clean everything.
- Maintain a sharp chain, loose bar tension and tighten fasteners.
- Ideally in a temperature controlled climate.

My verdict for maintenance practices.
- Clean and lube parts to keep airflow and parts moving freely = regularly.
- Use a good quality oil for the gas mix = regularly
- Tension chain properly = always
- Sharp chain = always.
- Allow 30 seconds idle for warm up and cool down = always
- Sprocket = replace when worn (buy extras to keep on hand).

Chime in with a point or two to add or revise.

Thank you all. What a great platform!

 

[Evan]

Just put non e fuel in it and run it lije you hate it. Maybe clean the filter everyounce in awhile

 

[Chucksta]

When I want to "detail" a saw, ( or anything else for that matter), I use a "water pic", that I got at a garage sale for $5.00. Load the hopper with anything.. Dawn dish soap, Varsol, or, whatever is cleaning solution is of choice.. It'll get that stuff into tight crevices, then just let it sit for a bit. Amazing what comes out, and leaves it squeaky clean. I'm not allowed to have gasoline powered stuff in the house anymore, so this is a garage friendly cleaning solution.
Kinda like a mini pressure washer, but without the mess.
But, then again, that's just me.. A bit of O.C.D. .. I actually toss chains through an ultrasonic bath, for ultimate cleanliness. There's no hope for me.. there are probably support groups for this..

All that and a combination of all the above storage methods is why ( I figure ) , that I have 30 year old stuff that runs like they were purchased yesterday.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Long term storage, fill with non Ethanol fuel with 2 stoke oil in it, run it to get into carb ,then put away The sprocket is replaced when it shows wear. Keep the chain sharp and the bar groove and oiler hole in the bar free of dirt. Blow the air filter off with air as needed. De carbon is rarely needed.

Another alternative for long term storage or saws (any equipment that gets infrequent use) is canned fuel. It keeps for a long time .

The single most important rule is always have fresh fuel with the proper oil mix.

Second is keep your chain sharp and properly tensioned.

Third is to look you equipment over carefully after each use for any signs of damage, loose fasteners, broken/missing pieces, etc. A good cleaning before you put it away will reveal many lurking issues.

Mark

I trust the advice of these 2 fellas and likely much of the advice in the posts from here to the end of the thread, but if it hasn't been said.
Do Not ever LOAN your saws to anyone. Don't let anyone but you add fuel to them, and always make sure to keep an eye on the age and quality of the fuel. Straight Gas and gas that has accumulated water in it from age, are known Saw Killers. Many a saw has been killed when a borrower/ newbie puts straight gas in em.

Also, learn about the effects of air leaks on saws. Do all you can to avoid LEAN running conditions which cause excessive heat and wear in pistons/cylinders. Keep the saw clean, chain sharp always, and bar clean and free of nicks, gunked up grooves etc. Flip bar occasionally too.

Keep a relief saw on hot days especially. Better to use 2-3 saws in shorter spells than to push one all day in the heat.

I'll leave it at that, I am sure more tips have been and will be mentioned.

 

[purellbear37]

Lots of great and continued sound advice.

Thank you chilipeppermaniac for assigning reputable sources for me.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Lots of great and continued sound advice.

Thank you chilipeppermaniac for assigning reputable sources for me.

Welcome,

You are in good company. We have a number of pro mechanics or long time saw builders here.

We also have folks like me who have learned a lot from my fixing saws, trucks/cars/ cycles, mowers and trimmers, etc.
If you get your owner's manuals, service manuals for your model, and use resources here, you should be able to do all the little things to keep your saws in good shape.

 

[James Sawyer]

I also run dry prior to storage. End of season, pull the covers and bar, compress air and clean. I use Stihl degreaser works great for me and rinse clean. clean the bar rail and oil ports. check my sprocket pull the Clutch bell and lube the bearing. Clean or replace the air filter, change the fuel filter as needed. I spray my plastic with silicone spray and wipe dry. Never store you saw on ground (prevents case rot). I sharpen the chain, guy should check the decompression valve for leaks with soap... but seem like this one I don't always do. Fuel more than month oil get used or tossed. I never run stale fuel in my 2-cycle motors. Never just shut off a hot saw... let it idle cool down.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

I also run dry prior to storage. End of season, pull the covers and bar, compress air and clean. I use Stihl degreaser works great for me and rinse clean. clean the bar rail and oil ports. check my sprocket pull the Clutch bell and lube the bearing. Clean or replace the air filter, change the fuel filter as needed. I spray my plastic with silicone spray and wipe dry. Never store you saw on ground (prevents case rot). I sharpen the chain, guy should check the decompression valve for leaks with soap... but seem like this one I don't always do. Fuel more than month oil get used or tossed. I never run stale fuel in my 2-cycle motors. Never just shut off a hot saw... let it idle cool down.

Excellent post, James.

Our new member purellbear37 came to the right place. And for him, don't take too much issue in the OIL recommendation thread you posted where some fellas mentioned a bit of an attitude at yet another " best oil" thread(s). They probably forget that not all members are pro's and maybe not have been here forever. Take things with an easy attitude and you will get your answers. Welcome to the forum.

 

[SteveSr]

All great information folks.
For clarification, after reading the replies...

My verdict for long term storage:
- Get canned gas, if not then run the tank and the carb dry.
- Clean everything.
- Maintain a sharp chain, loose bar tension and tighten fasteners.
- Ideally in a temperature controlled climate.

My verdict for maintenance practices.
- Clean and lube parts to keep airflow and parts moving freely = regularly.
- Use a good quality oil for the gas mix = regularly
- Tension chain properly = always
- Sharp chain = always.
- Allow 30 seconds idle for warm up and cool down = always
- Sprocket = replace when worn (buy extras to keep on hand).

Chime in with a point or two to add or revise.

Thank you all. What a great platform!

I am in the drain and run dry camp. I have stored saws for years, maybe even a decade and they always start right up. I do O P E maintenance and repair for our local trail crew. The only thing that we don't drain is our DR mowers. Here we lower one corner of the fuel tank and use a cheap kerosene pump to remove as much fuel as we can from the tank. We then add half a gallon of tru-fuel or equivalent and run the engine enough to get it into the carb. This also allows the guy storing the mowers the ability to start them in the off season to move them if necessary.

One more point... Do NOT store magnesium case saws on a concrete surface or in a building/shed where you also store fertilizer or drain cleaners. Any of this will cause a bad case of Magnesium Rot.

 

[roadkillinct]

I will add something that hasn't been addressed yet. This doesn't have to be done super often but in my opinion should be done once a season or so depending on how much you cut. Remove the recoil, clutch cover. And muffler and clean the "saw cake" out of everything. Pay close attention to the cooling fins. If it's not bad, a little compressed air will do but if you are someone who tends to overflow the gas and bar oil the stuff gets pretty caked up. I've pulled recoils off of swas where the only thing you could see was the flywheel and the plug wire poking out. here is an example. Stuff was 1/2 inch thick in places. Outside of the saw looked clean.

I've taken a lot of saws apart and most look like your pictures. It's pain to clean them up if I have to break the engine down.

 

[purellbear37]

Excellent post, James.

Our new member purellbear37 came to the right place. And for him, don't take too much issue in the OIL recommendation thread you posted where some fellas mentioned a bit of an attitude at yet another " best oil" thread(s). They probably forget that not all members are pro's and maybe not have been here forever. Take things with an easy attitude and you will get your answers. Welcome to the forum.

Thank you for the support and reassurance! I love chainsaws!!!

 

[paperclips43@]

Apologies for the slightly off topic question but I noticed a few replies here mentioned putting their old 2 stroke mix gas in their truck. That won’t cause any issues I’m guessing as long as it’s added to an almost full tank? I definitely have 2 stroke mix that I end up leaving in the can and have been buying a new can to get fresh stuff for the saws. I’ve been wondering what to do with the older mix so that’s awesome if I can just slowly add it to my 2005 Dodge 5.7.

 

[Jason Pitcher]

Apologies for the slightly off topic question but I noticed a few replies here mentioned putting their old 2 stroke mix gas in their truck. That won’t cause any issues I’m guessing as long as it’s added to an almost full tank? I definitely have 2 stroke mix that I end up leaving in the can and have been buying a new can to get fresh stuff for the saws. I’ve been wondering what to do with the older mix so that’s awesome if I can just slowly add it to my 2005 Dodge 5.7.

Me personally. I wouldn't add it to anything fuel injected.

 

[SteveSr]

Apologies for the slightly off topic question but I noticed a few replies here mentioned putting their old 2 stroke mix gas in their truck. That won’t cause any issues I’m guessing as long as it’s added to an almost full tank? I definitely have 2 stroke mix that I end up leaving in the can and have been buying a new can to get fresh stuff for the saws. I’ve been wondering what to do with the older mix so that’s awesome if I can just slowly add it to my 2005 Dodge 5.7.

Haven't you heard...

"Dilution Is The Solution To Pollution"?

As long as you recycle fuel on a regular basis I wouldn't hesitate just to dump it in the car/truck. It won't notice the minuscule amount of oil. I have even run old pre-mix straight in my Honda lawn mower. Just smoked a bit.

Now if you have fuel that is very old and stored in plastic where it has a chance to pick up water I don't think that I would dump that in my car.

 

[paperclips43@]

Haven't you heard...

"Dilution Is The Solution To Pollution"?

Haha now I have! That’s a good one I like that.

 

[MrDave]

I am an experienced chainsaw operator.

I am inexperienced in maintenance practices. I am as good as an owners manual.

I have 4 saws; I inherited 2 of my grandfathers chainsaws; one is 30 years old and the other 20 and they have been my go to saws. So far they have continued to run solid without any major issues.

I am looking for advice for practices that are beyond our manufacturers owner's manual. Genral tips would be great. I have some specifics below.

- Long term storage? FYI I have not done this as much I use my saws regularly.
...- From various owner's manuals, I've read; empty the gas, keep it filled, remove spark plug and pour two stroke directly into the cylinder and pull rope, disconnect all hose's or electrical connections, and other misc. I would like clarification.

- When to change out a sprocket?

- How to clean carbon out of cylinder, piston, and muffler.

Thank you all.

Hi, there seems to be a chainsaw manual over in the UK that covers all saws. It looks pretty good. Might be worth checking out - chainsaw manual.com

 

[Chucksta]

This year, I let my O.C.D. get the better of me. Sure, a squirt of fogging oil down the plug hole is mandatory, but it doesn't do squat for the crank case internals. I mean, I fog the boat engine till it stalls out, and then fogging oil the cylinders, and drain the carbs through the bowl, but you can't actually do that to a chainsaw. So what I came up with for my saws is...

1) Start and warm up the saw ( after cleaning it first ).

2) Dump all the fuel out.. pump the primer bulb, and drain out another dribble. If no primer bulb, pull the saw over a few times.

3) Add half a tank of "true fuel", or similar canned gas product.

4) Start the saw with the air filter off, and stall it out with fogging oil. ( The crank case is now also protected).

5) Dump out the canned fuel into a glass jar, and pump the primer bulb. If no primer bulb, pull the saw over a few times. Then dump again.

6) Remove plug and fog the cylinder. Pull over a couple of times and re-install plug and air filter.

As far as I can see, this method oils the crank case guts, and the cylinder. It also ensures that whatever little bit of gas mix is still in the system is the stuff that's supposed to be good for two years in the saw. Theoretically better than E-free Premium with stabiliser.

The gas engineered gas that was dumped out into the glass jar, can now be used for the next saw, and the one after that, etc. When all is said and done, the remaining fuel goes into the only saw that I keep fuelled for the Winter, my " tree down across the road" rescue saw, a Echo 355T. So there's no waste of that ridiculously expensive engineered fuel.