Chainsaws

[quilbilly]

I have been hearing that many of the newer Stihl chainsaws are harder to start than the older ones. I recently replaced my old reliable Stihl with a new Farmboss model and it is a real PITA to get running (once going it has been great). Has anyone else experienced this?

[NY_Treeguy]

Most of our saws are Stihl. (I'm a professional arborist) I haven't seen a difference. Does the saw have a compression release?

Saws also loose compression over time. Could be the old saw had lower compression = easier pulling to start.

What model Farmboss did you get?

[garym1a2]

I do not know about the news ones, but my old ms310 and 390 are bears to start.

[horsesoldier]

My 362c and my 461 are super easy to start

[5Shot]

If anything is to blame, it would be the EPA...too much **** add ons to meet their requirements.

[Houndog]

I've got a 360 and a 445 Stihl and I don't find either one of them particulary hard to start. The old 55 Husky Rancher I also own is a BEAR to start!

[FergusonTO35]

Alot of saws come with carbs set too lean from the factory to meet smog regs. Most of them can be adjusted with a little ingenuity. I think the electronic carbs such as Husqvarna's Autotune are the way to go, hopefully they will start trickling down to the cheaper models soon.

[quilbilly]

Mine is the 290. Like my previous saw, once the engine starts, you have to flip a switch from start mode to run mode. My old reliable gave me a few seconds to flip the switch and activate the throttle. With the new model, I have to be greased lightening to get that switch flipped before the engine floods. If there is a second person is there with his (her) hand on the switch as soon as I pull the cord, no problem. By myself it is an exercise in frustration.

[AK Caster]

Recently picked up one of the big Stihls with a 25 inch bar. They advertised it had some type of different ignition or almost like fuel injection. All I know is it always starts by the second pull even if it sits for 6 weeks. No choke on it, just push a lever down and the compression release and pull. Even my wife can start it.

[C. Latch]

I don't really know how to answer that. I think my Stihl 290 is a 2012 model, and it rode in the back seat of my truck for several months this winter in case I needed it at work. When the day came that I had to have it, she was running on the third pull.

[DLCTEX]

A friend has a new Stihl that you pull the start rope with little resistance then when the rope is released and rewinds the motor is turned by a spring. He was trying to demonstrate it for me and it wouldn't start. Not much spin on the engine. I'll keep my old one.

[Greg S]

The biggest thing with these types of tool is alcohol free (blended) fuel. Check your area on the interweb for alcohol free fuels and keep some on hand for blending fresh batches of fuel. The alcohol has alot of water in it which causes corrosion ect in the aluminum engines and rots fuel lines.

[1989toddm]

Mine is the 290. Like my previous saw, once the engine starts, you have to flip a switch from start mode to run mode. My old reliable gave me a few seconds to flip the switch and activate the throttle. With the new model, I have to be greased lightening to get that switch flipped before the engine floods. If there is a second person is there with his (her) hand on the switch as soon as I pull the cord, no problem. By myself it is an exercise in frustration.

I have a 290, and it starts like every other Stihl I've ever used. 3-ish pulls on full choke (all the way at the bottom) until it fires, flip it to the next notch up(which is full throttle) yank the cord one more time and off she runs!

[quilbilly]

The biggest thing with these types of tool is alcohol free (blended) fuel. Check your area on the interweb for alcohol free fuels and keep some on hand for blending fresh batches of fuel. The alcohol has alot of water in it which causes corrosion ect in the aluminum engines and rots fuel lines. All of my gas yard implements alcohol free fuel since our local station has separate pumps for it.

[quilbilly]

I have a 290, and it starts like every other Stihl I've ever used. 3-ish pulls on full choke (all the way at the bottom) until it fires, flip it to the next notch up(which is full throttle) yank the cord one more time and off she runs! That is what my old one did every time. I miss it.

[southpaw]

We have an old O64 that is a pain to start (9-12 pulls). But, to be fair, the newer 576 that we have isn't much easier. Most of the smaller Stihls we have tend to argue a bit to get started but aren't as bad as the ones with higher compression.

Once the bigger saws are running watch out cause the chips gonna be flying!

Jerry Jr.

[1989toddm]

I'm not familiar with the new style then. Seems like everything new is "better" and actually worse.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Husky here, but that said. From what I hearing all the newer style saws are rough to keep running. They are all have junk carburetors.

385's huskies , plus few older 55 that I need to go over turn and setup.

[NY_Treeguy]

Don't know what to say. We run two 290's and both start about the same as the others. 2-3 pulls. I will admit that once they are broken in, the mufflers get opened up a bit.

The old husky 3120 and 395 take a bit to get going.

[Lloyd Smale]

Make sure your not using ethanol fuel in it because that will make it harder to start as will premium grade fuel. Octane is a burn retardant, and if you insist on using alcohol fuels they will also cause you to run lean if you don't adjust for it. Also many saws are jetted to lean at idle and to rich at high speeds. about all of them could stand a good carb tuning right out of the box. I bought a new small saw last summer and have two other stihls and the new one is the easiest one to start.

[KAF]

"Octane is a burn retardant." WOW somebody else knows that. Hope your ankle is doing well.

[starmac]

Chainsaws can and will be finicky at times. I have one husky that is not a pro model. I used it around the sawmill last summer and since it was living in the back of the pickup I used it instead of a more expensive saw. It rained off and on for a couple of weeks, so just rode around, them my daughter needed a saw, so I figured I would give them it instead of a pro model. It would start first pull, but not stay running. I changed the plug, fuel filter and fuel line and no go, start immediately but no just idle. Finally I gave them one of my 346's and put it away for a few days, finally decided to adjust the carb before I pulled it and for some reason riding around it had gotten way out of adjustment, tweaked the carb and it purred once again. It had never done this before or since.

[FergusonTO35]

Having owned, used, and repaired dozens of 2 cycle machines over the years the number one piece of advice I can give (other than don't straight gas it) is to use fuel stabilizer year round. Ethanol is actually a very good engine fuel, the problem is that it breaks down faster than dino gas and can combine with moisture to form acids and sludge. Quality fuel stabilizer (I like Star Tron, 1 ounce per gallon of gas for two strokes, 1/2 ounce for fours) will prevent this from happening. I also like to add 1/2 ounce of Marvel Mystery Oil to each gallon to add a little lubricity to the fuel.

I don't bother to run the gas out of any of my gas engines at the end of the season. I just add fuel stabilizer to my fuel year round and leave it in there. At the beginning of a new season I just give each machine a routine maintenance check and change oil, spark plugs, and filters if needed. Then start up and go to work as usual. The other day I was giving the property it's first mowing of the year. The 1955 Harry Ferguson TO-35 tractor came to life with a turn of the key and just a little choke, the push mower with Briggs & Stratton engine started on the first pull, the Echo weedeater fired on the second pull and ran on the third pull. My Echo and Poulan chainsaws see very intermittent use but nearly always start and run on three pulls.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup used to laugh at the snowmobilers filling up with premium thinking they were making there sled run better when in fact all they did was make it hard to start and the colder it got the worse they were. Ankles doing well. I'm starting to walk a bit on it.
"Octane is a burn retardant." WOW somebody else knows that. Hope your ankle is doing well.

[Lance Boyle]

This thread caught my eye.

I have two saws about 1.5 years old now. A Husq 435 I use for small stuff and limbing and a 455 rancher. The little one used to give me fits but finally broke in and doesn't conk out all the time. The 455 used to be the smooth runner but all of a sudden started running too good and fast at idle. Started the trouble on new fuel, 1 gallon ethanol free gas to one of the little husqy oil containers. I first suspected fuel, like maybe the little [premeasured] oil bottle was under filled for the 50:1 but the same fuel runs the little saw perfectly.

I will break out the manual and reset the carb settings and see if they walked on me.

[Lloyd Smale]

running to fast at idle is a sign of going lean. that's why saws will run fast just as there running out of gas. might need to pull your carb and take it apart and clean it. Its also possible that your ethanol free gas wasn't ethanol free.

[FatherAbraham]

When I 1st got my Stihl had a lot of trouble starting it (2yrs ago) flooded it all the time. Now I choke it til it fires once, open it up, pull it again, it starts and I'm off and running. After it warms up no more choking, runs all day starts second pull. When finished drain fuel, and run her until she quits, blow it off with air nozzle & store.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

snip...
When finished drain fuel, and run her until she quits, blow it off with air nozzle & store.
I do the same with my 10+ year old Stihl MS360 PRO.
I had a fuel issue about 2 years after I got the saw, so after I cleaned the carb, I said never again will I store a saw with fuel in the tank, I just don't trust today's gas ...and I haven't had a problem since...I cut about 4 cords a year, at random times (when opportunity knocks), so I never know how long the saw will sit.

[w5pv]

The biggest thing with these types of tool is alcohol free (blended) fuel. Check your area on the interweb for alcohol free fuels and keep some on hand for blending fresh batches of fuel. The alcohol has alot of water in it which causes corrosion ect in the aluminum engines and rots fuel lines.
We use Conoco here it is the only brand that I know of that doesn't have alcohol in their fuel,eve though I am told that some Conoco stations here does have alcohol in their blends.The ones I use don't so be careful and look on the pump and it should have a sticker that says if alcohol is added.

[funnyjim014]

I have a 250 and 290 aka farmboss. The 250 will flood if looked at funny, 2 pulls on full choke and the rest on half and keep pulling . The 290 pull on full choke till it putters then half choke. I beleve in ethonalfree 91 and using stiel oil

[Rio]

I tried to replace my husk varna 049 with a sthil ms350, I run the husquvarna more than the stihl if I had to give a reason other than weight I would say RPM the stihl just runs much slower. But it starts fine.

[quilbilly]

When I 1st got my Stihl had a lot of trouble starting it (2yrs ago) flooded it all the time. Now I choke it til it fires once, open it up, pull it again, it starts and I'm off and running. After it warms up no more choking, runs all day starts second pull. When finished drain fuel, and run her until she quits, blow it off with air nozzle & store.
I will be trying again tomorrow with your method between rain squalls if someone else hasn't finished off that big down fir. I only need about ten more of the big rounds (26-28") to be ready for next winter.

[Rio]

I follow basically the same procedure as squidbilly. Same on all my 2 stroke stuff.

[Screwbolts]

Make sure your not using ethanol fuel in it because that will make it harder to start as will premium grade fuel. Octane is a burn retardant, and if you insist on using alcohol fuels they will also cause you to run lean if you don't adjust for it. Also many saws are jetted to lean at idle and to rich at high speeds. about all of them could stand a good carb tuning right out of the box. I bought a new small saw last summer and have two other stihls and the new one is the easiest one to start.

IMHO, All the above info in every post is very good, I am really impressed with Lloyd's post.

Lloyd makes reference to E10 type fuel causing/making a lean mixture, that folks is right on and more important than most realize. Here in CNY it has only been about 2 years that the Elite Rulling Class has allowed it's Surfs to have the privilege of Buying/Spending their hard earned money on non ethanol "ENHANCED" fuel. That the largest profit maker in the form of "Taxation" is the "GUVURMENT", That Elite ruling Class of people.

With that being said, ethanol or any alcohol it can be methanol requires at least 3 times the fluid amount to equal or create a proper combustible mixture. proper combustible mixtures are very important for all engine running and IMHO critical for start up being there is no cylinder heat available to aid in the combustion of an off mixture that consists of a worthless enhance fuel that its sale is lining the pockets of the ruling elite class of people threw the forced sale to its Surfs. If you have a saw that was made tuned in an environment were their is less elite control of the surfs, it was set up to run on a very persice mixture without Ethonal. Now being there is no standard from one gas load to the next by the elite ruling class as to how much pocket lineing ethonal is in that gas all engines running on this variable enhanced fuel have to have a "Controlling" computer to adjust the mixture for proper operation and that is critical IMHO for start up.

Yes, Lloyd is apsolutly correct that adding as little as the 10% ethonal, reduces the heat energy of the metered Volume of fuel greatly because at best that 10% has only a 33% energy factor.

I know I haven't explained this perfectly but I do hope it makes some sense. In a nut shell it is simple, the "ruling Elite are lining their pockets and messing up their Surfs lifes, and that folks makes them happy.

I will not buy my non-ethanol premium fuel from any pump that only has one (1) dispensing hose/nozzle. You see this farm boy knows that the hose/pipe from the electronically controlled valve is full of what ever the last SURF bought and paid for. There fore when you pay for none ethanol fuel and pump it into your container if there is 10' or more of 3/4" and 1" hose/pipe from that container back to that valve, you "SURF" are getting or can be excepting a gallon or more of enhanced, pocket lining fuel. ONLY, and I mean ONLY buy, donate your money for your Non enhanced fuel from a dispensing pump that has a dedicated hose nozzle, and a dedicated pump is the way to go.

Ken

PS: I read the rest of the thread from the Quoted post and Lloyd is accurate in all regards. Lloyd,I hope your ankle is doing well also.

[quilbilly]

Luckily where I get our non-ethanol fuel comes from a separate pump away from the others. "Squidibilly" ?? Rio, How did you know we jig for squid around here to have our own fresh calamari? Good eats!

[Rio]

Lol diddnt was just reading that on my tiny phone!!! I like squid!!!

[MtGun44]

EPA is wrecking all small engines with stupid, pointless regs.

[quilbilly]

Thank you all for your help and tips with my Stihl. Got it going today and now I have enough fir to go with my alder to keep the house toasty next winter. You guys are the best.