Chainsaw with scored piston. How?

[ArlyA]

I'd be surprised to hear, that many people ever change there fuel setting. Who here has??

The correct carb adjustment changes with the ambient temperature. Set it when it's hot and it'll be too lean when it'd cold. Set it when it's cold and it'll be too rich when it's hot. Changes in altitude also affect the carb. I adjust my carb saws at least a couple times a year. The M-tronic ones just work.

 

[RandyT]

I'd be surprised to hear, that many people ever change there fuel setting. Who here has??

A lot of the new small engines don't have the adjustments on the carb to adjust it. Anything from limiter caps, to special tool required, to epoxy filled adjustment cavity, to fixed internal jets, to new electronic carbs with auto tune.

 

[Jstpssng]

The correct carb adjustment changes with the ambient temperature. Set it when it's hot and it'll be too lean when it'd cold. Set it when it's cold and it'll be too rich when it's hot. Changes in altitude also affect the carb.

I adjust my carb saws at least a couple times a year. The M-tronic ones just work.

Except when they don't. My 545 Husky has never run properly; instead it constantly stalls at idle. It's had the carb, piston and jug replaced and still runs like crap. I only put 8 hours on it in the first year that I had it because my Poulan runs better. There's always one machine in a hundred or a thousand which wasn't made quite right; apparently this is one of them.

It's also a safety hazard as the only way to start it after it died is to set the brake, hold the throttle open and drop start it. I haven't decided if I am going to trade it for a Stihl, or upgrade to a 550.

 

[bullockcm]

I'd be surprised to hear, that many people ever change there fuel setting. Who here has??

I have on my chainsaw and certain other 2 strokes, but I am probably not what would be considered a normal 2 stroke owner...

 

[CMV]

I agree with dealer sales over the big box stores. My other saws I bought at dealers.

The dealer that I bought mine from is also a Stihl dealer, along with a few brands of lawn mowers. On the wall to the right is all Stihl, and the wall to the left, it's all Echo. He really likes the Echo, but will sell you what you want. He is the one that talked me into trying Echo, and I'm really happy that he did. I don't know about the Home Depot models, the price difference wasn't big enough to take a chance on what they have in their store over the dealer that services them for me.

I thought this too....Went to local Kubota dealer who also carries Echo, Shindawa. Was looking for weed whacker & chainsaw. Asked him what was different about his Echo vs the ones Home Depot has. He went on about how those are "consumer models", shorter warranty, nobody would work on them, NOT the same as what he carried. His were all "professional models" built for commercial use, much better overall.

So I wrote down a few of the model #s of ones I was interested in so I could do more research, read reviews, etc. Models on Home Depot website were exact matches. Nothing different in any way. Same warranty, same price, same everything. And not a case where almost same model # but last character is different or there's an extra letter/number on one vs the other.

Now I'm sure there is the added benefit of having their service guys do initial startup & check it over, somewhere to take it if it has issues later on. But this is why I went to HD instead (other than being lied to), & thought it was kind of big.....If I bought it & it had issues I could just take it back to HD and exchange for another or get my $ back. Dealer, nope, just repair it (and be minus a machine for as long as that took). What if I just didn't like it? Too big, too small, too heavy, awkward to use, not powerful enough, whatever - just there could be something I found once I started using it I really disliked. From HD, just return it. From dealer, stuck with it.

Now for Stihl, some Husq, Shindawa, Red Max, etc, dealer is only option, and would have been fine with that if those were model I chose. But since I decided on Echo anyway, to me it didn't make any sense to get from dealer instead of HD. Price same either way. I don't run a landscape business, make my living from these machines, or maintain huge acreage. I could see wanting the dealer if I was wearing out bump heads every few months or something from putting 60 hrs a week on the machines..... But wouldn't have buying the models I did in that case anyway probably. I'm not saying HD or dealer is better/worse for anyone else if they want an Echo. Just in my case it was better to go the HD route because I wanted the option to simply take it back & make it their problem if for any reason I disliked it.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Reading this whole thread just made me happy that I bought an electric chain saw! Every time I pull the trigger it starts. I don't have to mix gas or pull a rope! If I need it somewhere more remote I can take my generator along. It quite nicely straps onto the back of my quad. For me the idea works quite well!

 

[ArlyA]

This may surprise you but some of use go into the field and saw or cut brush for hours and hours. Last summer we used over 20 gallons of 2 stroke fuel and no batteries. I've got nothing against battery powered yard equipment but they do not work for everyone....

Reading this whole thread just made me happy that I bought an electric chain saw! Every time I pull the trigger it starts. I don't have to mix gas or pull a rope! If I need it somewhere more remote I can take my generator along. It quite nicely straps onto the back of my quad. For me the idea works quite well!

 

[Citydude]

I thought this too....Went to local Kubota dealer who also carries Echo, Shindawa. Was looking for weed whacker & chainsaw. Asked him what was different about his Echo vs the ones Home Depot has. He went on about how those are "consumer models", shorter warranty, nobody would work on them, NOT the same as what he carried. His were all "professional models" built for commercial use, much better overall.

So I wrote down a few of the model #s of ones I was interested in so I could do more research, read reviews, etc. Models on Home Depot website were exact matches. Nothing different in any way. Same warranty, same price, same everything. And not a case where almost same model # but last character is different or there's an extra letter/number on one vs the other.

Now I'm sure there is the added benefit of having their service guys do initial startup & check it over, somewhere to take it if it has issues later on. But this is why I went to HD instead (other than being lied to), & thought it was kind of big.....If I bought it & it had issues I could just take it back to HD and exchange for another or get my $ back. Dealer, nope, just repair it (and be minus a machine for as long as that took). What if I just didn't like it? Too big, too small, too heavy, awkward to use, not powerful enough, whatever - just there could be something I found once I started using it I really disliked. From HD, just return it. From dealer, stuck with it.

Now for Stihl, some Husq, Shindawa, Red Max, etc, dealer is only option, and would have been fine with that if those were model I chose. But since I decided on Echo anyway, to me it didn't make any sense to get from dealer instead of HD. Price same either way. I don't run a landscape business, make my living from these machines, or maintain huge acreage. I could see wanting the dealer if I was wearing out bump heads every few months or something from putting 60 hrs a week on the machines..... But wouldn't have buying the models I did in that case anyway probably. I'm not saying HD or dealer is better/worse for anyone else if they want an Echo. Just in my case it was better to go the HD route because I wanted the option to simply take it back & make it their problem if for any reason I disliked it.

Bummer that a dealer tried to get you to believe that his is better. Good idea on comparing model numbers of his and HD's.
My Husky 435 that I bought at a dealer started running rough and hard starting so I took it back to him. I ran the snot out of it for 2 summers and it looked rough. He charged me $3.00 for a new spark plug. I picked it back up after he called me an hour later.
I'm not sure how HD handles issues like this. Do they just hand over a new saw?

 

[PILOON]

Here is some theory, (from experience)
Fine tune a small 2 stroke (chain saw, etc) at sea level and then try it again at 1500 ft elev.
It will run like cr-p. and need re adjusting of the carburetor.
Now run it too rich and you'll build up carbon.
Then get it real hot and the carbon will flake off and you'll have a scored cylinder as carbon is very abrasive.

Also air leaks will also make the saw run very lean and lean running equals HOT running.

OK, I'm fairly mechanical so I always have the suitable screwdriver to do those minor tune ups any time in the field, that and my files for a 'touch up' on my chain every 2nd tank full of gas.

AND, I have owned about 12 or more chain saws and only serious problem was when my crank shaft separated just behind the clutch while cutting an 8 inch cedar log. (not hard work)
Upon disassembly I discovered that the crank had not been machined with a radius at a step down in diameter, eg just before the clutch.
I pointed this fabrication flaw to the dealer/distributor and they graciously replaced the crankshaft and associated parts even tho my saw was almost 5 years past any warranty.
That saw was a Jonsered which I still own and use as my main 'go to' saw.

Since they were gracious enough to fess up on the crankshaft I also bought all the seals and a set of rings thereby ending up with a 'good as new' top choice work horse.

Jonsered and Husqverna are the same company, Kinda like Pontiac/Chevrolet.

To this day I don't know if their service was simply 'goodwill' or did they actually acknowledge a production defect but either way I was a very satisfied client.

 

[CMV]

Bummer that a dealer tried to get you to believe that his is better. Good idea on comparing model numbers of his and HD's.
My Husky 435 that I bought at a dealer started running rough and hard starting so I took it back to him. I ran the snot out of it for 2 summers and it looked rough. He charged me $3.00 for a new spark plug. I picked it back up after he called me an hour later.
I'm not sure how HD handles issues like this. Do they just hand over a new saw?

Outside of the 30 day return period, probably just send you to a service center most likely. Service center would most likely charge a LOT more than $3 for something like that since warranty would not cover spark plug, so dealer wins there. Of course dealer could charge a standard diagnostic fee or minimum labor rate and be more than $3 too.

I figured I would know within 30 days if the models I chose were good choices. But had to get some time on them to know for sure. That was worth it in my case since I had been struggling with dubious (but not the cheapest) trimmers and chainsaws.

On the electric vs gas.... yeah, the no small engine to maintain is huge. But as others pointed out, you have more than a little backyard homeowner stuff to do, it might not run long enough. I don稚 use mine often, but when I do, it is probably something like most recently...,cut down 2 trees, limb them, log them, then get the largest pieces in half so the splitter can handle. I would still be waiting on the battery 3 weeks later.... the other drawback is the battery is going to fail to take a charge at some point. Just like the gas engine will fail at some point. But greater chance of that very costly repair being much farther in future with the gas. I am starting to discard 5-7 y/o li-ion Bosch batteries. Lasted much longer than the ni-cad, but I am bumping up on their useful life. And they are so much to replace almost cheaper to catch a cordless drill combo kit on sale that has 2 batteries....

I think my Lowes kobalt cordless hedge trimmer is good example. While I like it, the 40v 2.5ah battery takes a long time to charge and never got close to the advertised 50 min run time. I would guess a chainsaw would deplete a much larger battery even faster working much harder than a hedge trimmer. Replacement battery (or spare to extend run time) is $81. And no guarantee they will even still sell that replacement battery when this one fails since they have 80volt stuff out now.....

Edit to add....forgot that HD gave me 10% off military discount. So they were cheaper than dealer who offered no type of discount even for buying both pieces at once. So $70 there and could theoretically pay $50 for a bad spark plug diagnosis and still be ahead