Do you shake your chainsaw?

[stuckmotor]

If my chainsaw has sat for more than a couple of hours and definitely overnight I shake it or at least rock it 100 times on the theory that the oil and gasoline have begun to separate. I also do this with my fuel can. I don't recall ever seeing directions to do this and don't even know whether two cycle oil and gasoline do separate. Am I wasting my time?

 

[CalG]

Shake the fuel mix ONCE! before it goes into the saw.

Then,....forgiddaboudit!

ritual is for other purposes.

 

[tomplum]

Are you wasting your time? Well that depends. If you were concerned about the oil and fuel separation, think about the amount of vibration once it up and runs mixing the the two should it actually separate- which it shouldn't. Giving the can a few shakes if it has sat for a while isn't unheard of. Ideally set the can down a few minutes as should there be condensation or a touch of debris in the can, it will float back to the bottom.

 

[Doofy]

I've never noticed that the oil settles out or separates. Think it is a wasted effort to shake. But, Hey, can't hurt.

 

[dragoneggs]

I don't shake my saw but I do swirl the mixed gas before refilling. I also do a silent prayer to the Wood Gods prior to pulling the cord. I found this reduces the amount of pulls and my right shoulder appreciates the gesture as well.

 

[Wagtail]

I'll shake the can a few times... then top up the saw. That's it though.

Not the saw. Running vibration will perform any shaking if required.

 

[stuckmotor]

:I have a Husky, a Stihl, and a few Poulans. It's going to be hard to stop myself when I want to shake the Husky.

 

[Spanner]

Shake away. It does no harm.
Shaking the fuel can was common practice in the early days of 2-stroke machinery when the fuel/oil ratio was of the order of 1:16 and the '1' was a portion of standard mineral engine oil.

We grew-up under "Imperial" (UK) measurements so the mix was 1/2 a pint oil in 1 Gallon petrol. (1:16)

That's when 2-strokes worked under a haze of blue smoke and clogged the exhaust ports easily with oily carbon. Spark-plugs grew sooty 'beards'.....etc.

In this era the SAE30 oil would, indeed, seperate and settle to the bottom of the can. Shaking before re-fuelling was essential to restore the 'mix' or you would unwittingly pour a lean mixture into the engine with a resultant seizure.

Once you'd been taught to 'shake' it became natural and once a 'shaker' - Always a 'shaker'.

Modern 1:50 synthetic oil/fuel mixes are a different story.
:2cents:

 

[stuckmotor]

Spanner,
At last you've reminded me why I shake the fuel. When I was a kid in the 60's, Dad got us a go cart with a 2 stroke engine and we had to shake the glass jug he kept it in. A little later he got a boat with 50's era outboard. I guess we shook that fuel too. I'm behind the times. Maybe someone will invent a sticky oil just for the bar and I can quit using motor oil.

 

[oosik]

NO, I don't.