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[NashvilleTJ]

Hate to say it, but if you don't use the chainsaw regularly, it will probably fight you every time you go to use it. I got rid of my gas one and got a 60v Dewalt several years ago. Works great with no hassle.

A tip for our millennial frIends:

The key to a reliable chain saw - or any gas powered tool which may sit unused - is maintenance. The main thing being to drain the fuel and then run it until it completely burns all the fuel remaining in the carb and hoses - every time it is used. This is a pain to do correctly, and requires starting and nursing the thing several times to completely burn all the remaining fuel. But it works. For me, it also works better than using something like Stabil fuel conditioner.

Leaving raw fuel in a small engine for any extended length of time will gum up the works in short order as it varnishes out. That is what causes 90% of the running problems.

I have a big-ass 70cc saw with a 3 foot blade, and a few gas powered trimmers which I use maybe once or twice a year. I’ve never had a problem getting them to run reliably when needed.

 

[lBasket]

A tip for our millennial frIends:

The key to a reliable chain saw - or any gas powered tool which may sit unused - is maintenance. The main thing being to drain the fuel and then run it until it completely burns all the fuel remaining in the carb and hoses - every time it is used. This is a pain to do correctly, and requires starting and nursing the thing several times to completely burn all the remaining fuel. But it works. For me, it also works better than using something like Stabil fuel conditioner.

Leaving raw fuel in a small engine for any extended length of time will gum up the works in short order as it varnishes out. That is what causes 90% of the running problems.

I have a big-ass 70cc saw with a 3 foot blade, and a few gas powered trimmers which I use maybe once or twice a year. I’ve never had a problem getting them to run reliably when needed.

Thanks for the advice, Jeff. I did put the canned fuel in it (and my mower) thinking that would be enough. But knowing how well you take care of your stuff.... I think I will take your advice. I will find something to mow and cut up this weekend to burn up my remaining fuel.

Also... 70cc and a 3' bar? What an absolute monster, what do you use that for?

 

[NashvilleTJ]

…

Also... 70cc and a 3' bar? What an absolute monster, what do you use that for?

Bragging, mostly….

 

[sab]

A tip for our millennial frIends:

The key to a reliable chain saw - or any gas powered tool which may sit unused - is maintenance. The main thing being to drain the fuel and then run it until it completely burns all the fuel remaining in the carb and hoses - every time it is used. This is a pain to do correctly, and requires starting and nursing the thing several times to completely burn all the remaining fuel. But it works. For me, it also works better than using something like Stabil fuel conditioner.

Leaving raw fuel in a small engine for any extended length of time will gum up the works in short order as it varnishes out. That is what causes 90% of the running problems.

I have a big-ass 70cc saw with a 3 foot blade, and a few gas powered trimmers which I use maybe once or twice a year. I’ve never had a problem getting them to run reliably when needed.

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I do this with the four pro-line Stihl saws in my garage (the pro-line saws are flat-out durable and powerful - worth the investment.) I also have a Craftsman power washer that is about 25 years old. It starts on the first pull every time, and I go months between uses, probably over a year at least once since I've owned it. My secret is the same as NashvilleTJ's (with a twist) - since it's not as easy to empty the fuel when done as with a chainsaw, I only pour in a splash of gas (adding more as needed), and then I run it until it stops when done. It's a pain in the butt, but it works. Sometimes I just water the ground around trees while waiting for it to run out of gas (it needs a load on the engine to burn fuel and water running through it to keep the pump cool.)

The only small engines with which I don't do this are on equipment with starter motors, but then, those really are not small engines (my zero turn is a commercial Scag with a 1000cc V-twin on it. I just keep a charger on the battery, and it fires up everytime, too.)

As reddvltj said, a battery-powered chain saw wouldn't work for me when cutting firewood. Too much screwing around with batteries long distances from power sources.

 

[lBasket]

Bragging, mostly….

Well it's working

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I do this with the four pro-line Stihl saws in my garage (the pro-line saws are flat-out durable and powerful - worth the investment.) I also have a Craftsman power washer that is about 25 years old. It starts on the first pull every time, and I go months between uses, probably over a year at least once since I've owned it. My secret is the same as NashvilleTJ's (with a twist) - since it's not as easy to empty the fuel when done as with a chainsaw, I only pour in a splash of gas (adding more as needed), and then I run it until it stops when done. It's a pain in the butt, but it works. Sometimes I just water the ground around trees while waiting for it to run out of gas (it needs a load on the engine to burn fuel and water running through it to keep the pump cool.)

Yeah this is also a good idea. I'm trying to cook up ways to pour fuel out of a mower without dumping it all over the ground

The only small engines with which I don't do this are on equipment with starter motors, but then, those really are not small engines (my zero turn is a commercial Scag with a 1000cc V-twin on it. I just keep a charger on the battery, and it fires up everytime, too.)

As reddvltj said, a battery-powered chain saw wouldn't work for me when cutting firewood. Too much screwing around with batteries long distances from power sources.

This is what I think too because I will do the majority of my cutting in the national Forest..
But also, with the way batteries are going, it seems like it could be feasible to have 2-3 good batteries on roto and an inverter in your truck? Don't know for sure though.

Plus the dang government doesn't have a remote killswitch to my non-EV saw, that's a concern isn't it

 

[sab]

Well it's working

Yeah this is also a good idea. I'm trying to cook up ways to pour fuel out of a mower without dumping it all over the ground

There's likely a fuel line from the tank to the carb. You might could put a tee in it (if it's long enough), with a petcock and piece of fuel hose off the free end of the tee. Then when done mowing, place the end of that free hose into your gas can and open the petcock. Then start the mower up and run the carb out of fuel.

Or just put the petcock in the fuel line so you can shut the fuel off and run the carb dry (or drain the float bowl, if it has that feature).

The main thing with lawn mowers, generators, pressure washers is to keep the carb from gumming up. There's usually nothing in the fuel tank to worry about - unless you want the old gas out to put fresh gas in later. With chain saws and other hand-held IC engine-powered tools, there's a rubber hose and weighted pick-up inside the tank so that it continues to pick up fuel when at odd angles. That hose rots over time sitting in the fuel (especially with today's ethanol). That's why, with those, it's important to remove the fuel completely. The only reason I run my power washer out of fuel is that it doesn't have a petcock on the fuel line or a way to drain the carb's float bowl (assuming it actually has a float bowl - I don't know.) It's just been easy to add a little gas at a time and then run it out.

 

[JMT]

I have a cheap HF battery powered pump to suck the gas or gas/oil out. Then run it till it dies.

Always use real gas in small engines too. None of that ethanol crap.

 

[lBasket]

I have a cheap HF battery powered pump to suck the gas or gas/oil out. Then run it till it dies.

Always use real gas in small engines too. None of that ethanol crap.

Luckily there is one gas station out by me that I have seen has a non ethanol option. My dad gave me a bunch of the canned premix gas with the saw. I believe that is ethanol free with stabilizer in it to be shelf stable? I probably won't buy it though it's expensive.

 

[lBasket]

Or I could get one of these and forget all this carburator crap

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/professional-saws/ms500i/

 

[sab]

Or I could get one of these and forget all this carburator crap

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/professional-saws/ms500i/

I considered buying one of those when they first released them a few years ago. Then I came to my senses and realized that my carbureted 660 Magnum lacks nothing that that saw has. It's reliable and works.

 

[Woodrow]

Bragging, mostly….

Good brag! I had a Husky 359 (59cc, 3.6hp with a 24” bar) for about 20 yrs. I used it regularly, but seasonally. It was a beast and I never maintained it except the chains and stabil in the gas. When it finally seized up, I decided to step down to a 20” bar Husky which is lighter and way easier to use but not near as cool

 

[Woodrow]

Always use real gas in small engines too. None of that ethanol crap.

I think that and stabil helps me be otherwise successfully neglectful of my small engines.

 

[sab]

I have a cheap HF battery powered pump to suck the gas or gas/oil out. Then run it till it dies.

I have one of those pumps, but I hesitate to use a Chinese-made electric pump with gasoline. Just a gallon of gas igniting could be a life-changing (even life-ending) incident. I've not been brave enough to use it to pump gas.

 

[Wildman]

As everyone else has already suggested I wouldn't want a battery powered say for cutting firewood. I was only suggesting it for a possible trail saw and I'm still now sold on that idea yet either. But my sis has the little pruner saw & a 8" HF saw that we use to limb trees with while the BIL & others use the gas saws to cut up the logs.

As others said have at least one spare chain and a good sharpener. I had both a battery powered sharpener & a hand sharpener. That way I was covered.
I'm not as meticulous as those who empty their tanks, I've just always used Stabil in my stuff. I use it in my snow blower & weed wacker & motorcycles. It seems to have worked so far.

 

[reddvltj]

A tip for our millennial frIends:

The key to a reliable chain saw - or any gas powered tool which may sit unused - is maintenance. The main thing being to drain the fuel and then run it until it completely burns all the fuel remaining in the carb and hoses - every time it is used. This is a pain to do correctly, and requires starting and nursing the thing several times to completely burn all the remaining fuel. But it works. For me, it also works better than using something like Stabil fuel conditioner.

Leaving raw fuel in a small engine for any extended length of time will gum up the works in short order as it varnishes out. That is what causes 90% of the running problems.

I have a big-ass 70cc saw with a 3 foot blade, and a few gas powered trimmers which I use maybe once or twice a year. I’ve never had a problem getting them to run reliably when needed.

We have had carb issues on the snowmobiles in the past so we just got used to firing them up at least once a month throughout the off season. We always run non-E 91 octane fuel in all of our small engines and power sports engines. So there's less chance of fuel fowling but we always add a fuel stabilizer to any fuel we store in bulk so it's always mixed in no matter when things get shut down.

One other step for the over acheivers out there on 2 stroke engines would be to adda fogger to your routine.
Polaris and other power sports manufacturers recommend fogging any 2 stroke when it will be sitting for an extended periond of time.

 

[sab]

One other step for the over acheivers out there on 2 stroke engines would be to adda fogger to your routine.
Polaris and other power sports manufacturers recommend fogging any 2 stroke when it will be sitting for an extended periond of time.

When I lived in the north, I fogged my motorcycle engines for winter storage, too. It's good practice to keep things coated for the winter...

 

[reddvltj]

When I lived in the north, I fogged my motorcycle engines for winter storage, too. It's good practice to keep things coated for the winter...

My son works for a Polaris stealership in the parts department. He told me we should use the fogger too but when I told him we start and run the sleds once a month he said never mind.

Although now we have to also get Polaris's new "anti static" additive for 1 of our sleds... Freaking engineers...
Not going down that rabbit hole here though...

 

[Farmergreg]

While we are on chainsaws, I've got an outdoor woodburner and 35 acres of woods that I'm clearing of ash borer killed trees as I need them.
Call it vertical firewood.
I run a 14 year old Stihl 260 with a 20" bar on dreaded and maligned ethanol gas all season but do switch it over to the premix E-free for the last tank. Also found better gas stabilization with Sea Foam over stabil. Original carb and fuel lines.

The greatest revelation.... carbide tipped chain. (Stihl branded). Amazingly have cut three years worth of wood on one chain. Even knocked 9 teeth off hitting metal and it still cut decent.

 

[lBasket]

While we are on chainsaws, I've got an outdoor woodburner and 35 acres of woods that I'm clearing of ash borer killed trees as I need them.
Call it vertical firewood.

Outdoor woodburner? For heating a carport or something?

I run a 14 year old Stihl 260 with a 20" bar on dreaded and maligned ethanol gas all season but do switch it over to the premix E-free for the last tank. Also found better gas stabilization with Sea Foam over stabil. Original carb and fuel lines.

The greatest revelation.... carbide tipped chain. (Stihl branded). Amazingly have cut three years worth of wood on one chain. Even knocked 9 teeth off hitting metal and it still cut decent.

Twice the cost, 4x the life? Seems like a good deal I'll have to try to remember to grab one of those next time.

 

[Farmergreg]

Outdoor woodburner? For heating a carport or something?


Twice the cost, 4x the life? Seems like a good deal I'll have to try to remember to grab one of those next time.

It heats the floors in the house. We have a back up water source heat pump.

I bought the saw chains off an eBay seller somewhere around $60 each a couple years ago. It’s like a running a freshly sharpened chain all day. Works good on the dry dead ash trees.