How to start today's modern chainsaws........

[frugalangler]

I'm not as physically in shape as the video's professional logger, so to conserve strength:
I don't usually bust my gut on the first 2-3 pulls as the fuel line/carb/cylinder primes itself. You always see people "swinging for the fences" on the first pull even if the saw hasn't ran in days/weeks. Why bother? Just a couple slow roll out pulls is all that's needed, then it usually "starts on the '1st' pull" !
Anybody else do the same?

My OLD McCulloch Pro-Mac that's 30+ years old had almost exactly the same 'controls' on it, so not new newfangled by any definition. Yep, it was a bear to start, but slow-rolling it over a few times would get her juices flowing and then a quick tug would fire it.

Yep, slow roll technique works!

I've also found that running it totally dry after use helped, as if it sits even with fuel stabilizer the fuel would seem to degrade enough that it didn't like to start, and that first tank would not run good, after refill it ran great, lessons learned after living with it for 30+ years. It's not my goto saw, because it's HEAVY, but when I need a big bar w/ more power I drag it out. Otherwise, I go to my cheap Poulan Pro that has a primer bulb, it's famously good at starting easy.

I used to cuss those primer bulbs, but whoever designed that system should be rewarded, I've got other B&S, Tecumseh, Honda, etc. engines (My Kohler is the worst) that don't use a primer bulb and after they sit especially after being run dry they can be a real bear to start, even slow roll technique doesn't work well on them (except the electric start ones, they eventually will start).

 

[cqaigy2]

Man, I fell for it, you got me to watch that! :laughing:

 

[David Wayne]

Embarrassed he is a Buckeye

 

[Oldpath05]

I thought the video was hilarious so I watched it twice, ok four times, I started smiling at 1:20 when putting oil in it, really funny at 1:37, I was surprised there wasn't a six pack off to the side.

My first chainsaw was the Husqvarna 65 L, think I bought it back in 78

The chainsaw guy shop talk Husqvarna L 65 Chainsaw 7 15.AVI - YouTube

 

[Industrial Toys]

Not the worst! Not some very fancy (time wasting) beginning I could care less about, and not endless talking.

I never put the saw on the ground to start preferring just to hold it, as I would prefer to avoid crouching whenever possible.

Our first and POS saw was a Pioneer with "Easy Arc" starting around 72. That man would be skinny as a rake if he pulled on that damm thing as often as we did!

 

[oosik]

Ahhhhh - - over the 50+ years of using a chain saw - I've always found the advice in the owners manual works the best - - just saying.

 

[Oldpath05]

Ok I like going down memory lane... "Our first and POS saw was a Pioneer with "Easy Arc" The chainsaw guy shop talk Pioneer P 26 chainsaw 1 4 1.AVI - YouTube

To be a reel Pioneer, you have to remember using one of these brute beast>>OLD PIONEER 61 CHAINSAW - YouTube
I think it was a 50s chainsaw that my father bought it or it was very similar, I remember the glass fuel bulb, big fuel cap, the manual oiler and I remember couldn't use it when I was ten cause it was big.

Then around 65-ish he brought home a small Homelite, at ten years old I took it down back after school, cut a couple trees, thought it was awesome. I think around 1965 chainsaws started getting on the small side with more power, then around 1970 Sweden put North American chainsaw companies on notice, a wake up call that was ignored.

In the mid 70s I tinked on that old Pioneer and got to run, cut a couple trees and thinking how them old loggers ever survived using these things, bulky, heavy, low power, smokie and wasn't no auto oiling either but wish I still had it.

 

[Oldpath05]

Ahhhhh - - over the 50+ years of using a chain saw - I've always found the advice in the owners manual works the best - - just saying.

You mean you still place a chainsaw on the ground with foot in the trigger guard........say it aint so.

 

[rekees4300]

The way to start a modern chainsaw is to explicitly follow the instructions in the owner's manual. DUH :duh:

 

[/pine]

You mean you still place a chainsaw on the ground with foot in the trigger guard........say it aint so.

Without compression release, being able to thrust the weight of my saw downward is the only way I can pull the rope hard enough to start the saw...!