Chainsaw with scored piston. How?

   / Chainsaw with scored piston. How? #31  
4. In the meantime, I am going to go with something a little smaller and cheaper.

Somebody posted an HD link for the Blue Max, but that may have been the single bar model. This is what I got:

Blue Max 2 in 1 - 14"/2" Combination Gasoline Chainsaw - Two Bars, Two Chains 66432819397 | eBay


So far it's handled everything I've thrown at it including Oak, Locust, Hickory and Cherry.

Two things of note:

*It's an all metal case which makes it a bit heavier, but also makes it more solid.
*The chain seems to be unique somehow and aftermarket chains may not be as available, but replacements aren't all that bad.

(This site drops the '0' from links for some reason. That should be 14 and 20" bars and chains)
 
   / Chainsaw with scored piston. How? #32  
Saw died. Brought to dealer and was told it was scored piston. Initially dealer said it must be bad gas, which it isn't. Then he said must have overheated. $500 repair on a $725 saw. I'm pissed as ****, but don't know what to do.

Saw doesn't see a ton of work because I mostly use my smaller saw as I do mostly branch clean up on my property. Don't heat with wood. The big saw is for the occasional big tree down. So the saw is not beat up at all. Doesn't get used a lot, but when I need it, I need it.

Always used premixed gas in a can, chain always oiled and sharpened. Gets about q2 yr service at dealer, but only sees a few hours of work a year. Not only don't I lean into it when cutting, but I probably can't as I weigh 135 lbs. The dealer said cutting smaller trees with it than the blade is long (in other words not having the blade buried) allows it to spin too fast and overheat. Is this true?

Thoughts? I'm unsure about buying another/getting fixed when I don't know what I did wrong in the first place.

Dealer is probably right on one account, it probably did overheat. The question is: Why?

Is this the same dealer that initially adjusted the high and low speed mixture screws on the carb?
I hope not, knowing what we know about the B.S. he told you, no way would I trust him to adjust the carb. There's the chance he could set the high speed too lean and you'd end up burning up your saw.....hmmm, didn't you burn up your saw?
 
   / Chainsaw with scored piston. How? #33  
I get wanting to keep the big dog saw! It makes sense, BUT, I'd hate to see you spend big $ to fix it, if someone else does it or for you to try it yourself and not first find the cause of why the saw is broken.
So, have it looked at by someone who actually knows Stihl saws and has a good reputation; then decide what to do. If they can't find the reason why the saw is broken, then beware of the potential to burn it again.

And I have to disagree with the poster who said anytime a saw goes to the dealer it's the saw owner's fault. I've had brand new Stihl saw(s) not run well from day one, hard to start, harder to restart, and eventually brought to dealer, who found cracked impulse line and IIRC, also a torn fuel line. With those items replaced, the saw now runs like it should have from day one. Sometimes direct from the factory things are wrong- not often, but not never either.

If someone where you bought your big saw adjusted the carb, it's quite possible they did it wrong, especially given the diagnosis you were by them about what need to be done to fix it...
 
   / Chainsaw with scored piston. How? #34  
And I have to disagree with the poster who said anytime a saw goes to the dealer it's the saw owner's fault.

I may have read it wrong, but I saw it as the implication being that some Dealers would try to make it the customer's fault one way or another and try to charge for something that should be under warranty.
 
   / Chainsaw with scored piston. How? #35  
Waaaaayyyy back when I worked at a saw shop, we had plenty of wood out back to test saws on. How can you run a shop and not "test" them other than rev them?
 
   / Chainsaw with scored piston. How? #36  
I may have read it wrong, but I saw it as the implication being that some Dealers would try to make it the customer's fault one way or another and try to charge for something that should be under warranty.

You're right- it is open to interpretation! If so, I was wrong- but try to prove it!:laughing:

Right now, one Stihl/Echo dealer who sold me my 1986 038 50th anniversary edition Stihl saw is holding both the product and $1,800+ of my money on the following: I went to him to buy a self propelled leaf blower, I can't take the shoulder ache from my back blower any more. I went to him to discuss what I needed, and if it would blow the stones off/out of my grass come springtime. I told him and showed him exactly what I wanted. I demoed the product but was not overly impressed, and he didn't have stone/gravel the size of mine on his lot. I went to him for his 'professional' opinion.

I bought the machine, tried it briefly in the fall, then stored it for winter. In spring, it was run for 45 minutes and the 'trans' broke. I took it back, told him I didn't want it, and wanted my money back because it would not do the job I bought it for, for several reasons. We've gone around about this since when I bought it Sept, '17.

I went in a few days ago and stated I wanted a check for price paid by end of week. He was out and one of his employees gave me the usual run around, and was belligerent too. I've previously bought the Stihl, 2 Echo combi tools and Echo hedge trimmer, and pole pruner and weed heads, tiller head, paddle broom, etc. from them, but I guess customer loyalty is only as good as one's last purchase these days!?

He had sold the machine with a new trans from the manufacturer to a pro landscape place, and told me he'd get me my money, LESS taxes, 8% including piss ant VT city tax, and the buyer would write me the check personally and send it to his shop. He sent me a bill for the under warranty trans, AND an hour's labor attached to his email to me. I replied and asked what the invoice was for since the manufacturer warranted the trans and he would have been paid to do the labor to replace it. No answer!

I'm waiting on the check, and I suppose the bookkeeper will have deducted the taxes and probably the trans and labor costs, and possibly charge a fee for keeping my money and having the machine to sell as new, less tax to a new 'customer'. Oh, and a check writing and depositing fee and surcharges for having to keep the money and machine forever, and 'commish' for selling it to the new guy too.

Whatever I retrieve from this will go to different saw/equipment dealers I also work with nearby dealers and in another VT 'city', not far away.

Sorry for the long post, but my point is trust only as far as one can throw, and don't buy into the dealer's BS, especially when they're in sale mode or in, 'we can fix it' for: $$$$$$, AND you used the wrong gas, and ran the saw during daylight hours! Etc.:eek:
 
   / Chainsaw with scored piston. How? #37  
Fix it yourself, pitch it or you can go this route... 47577078_2007715662647853_8121979844763320320_n.jpg

Amish chainsaw.
 
   / Chainsaw with scored piston. How? #38  
Fix it yourself, pitch it or you can go this route...View attachment 581835

Amish chainsaw.

Oh boy a commercial break while we wait to see what saw the OP gets. Is that for $19.99 as seen on TV.............Looks like a 2 person saw, I'll hold the handle, wonder how many blonds it would take to run it.
 
   / Chainsaw with scored piston. How? #39  
I also have a MS 262 saw. It is a stratto-fire saw. The functioning of the STIHL 2-MIX engine - YouTube
They also have a problem with "fines" damaging the engine due to the air cleaner allowing more "fine" through than normal.
Stihl upgraded the later ones with the professional HD-ll filters. I had mine done under warranty. Paid for labor only.
Stihl covered the parts. Contact Stihl USA to see if they will help you out with the rebuild.
I have read on the Arborist.com site if you love the EPA use the 50:1 mix, if you love your saw use the 32:1 mix.
Use a quality full synthetic premix oil. The MS262 is a great saw, very good on fuel, and a great flat torque curve for a 2 stroke.
I have also found Echo as Eddie said. Great equipment. Love them. Wish I had found them sooner.
 
   / Chainsaw with scored piston. How? #40  
I decided to overhaul a couple of 2 strokers, a chain saw and weedeater. Afterwards, I decided that the only reason I was experiencing engine damage was that I wasn't getting enough lubrication. So, in buying new replacements, I still use synthetic oil and rather than 40 or 50:1, per the mfgrs recommendations, I run more like 25-30 to 1 (rather than a bottle to a gallon, I use a bottle and a half per gallon) and being synthetic, smoking is seldom visible. We'll see how that works out as the machines age.
 

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