What does it take to keep a saw running?

[cnl390]

As a weekend warrior I have used the vast amount of knowledge in this forum for years.  I bought my first saw on you alls recommendation.
My question is one that plagues most of us "every once in a while" saw users.
What do I need to do to assure that my saw starts everytime, and runs to its maximum performance?  I hate pulling, pulling & pulling on the starter until I am too tired to work even if it did start.  I have a Husky 353 and yesterday I took the saw out (several days ago I took it out and drained the gas tank) filled it with gas and it wouldn't start.  I checked the air cleaner, put a new plug and it still wouldn't start.  It didn't even sound like it wanted to.
My brother has a Husky 455 Rancher and while his started on the second or third pull as time went on (only about an hour) it became harder and harder to start until it just wouldn't.  We both take very good care of our saws, clean after using, sharpen and adjust chain, etc.
We just want to what we are doing wrong and what we need to do to keep our saws starting on the first pull and running all day.
Thanks
Charles
San Antonio TX

[beenthere]

Someone will have some ideas what is wrong. I don't, but would be frustrated if that happened to me. On my two saws that I've had since 1975 (one of them) and since 2004 for the other, they have required about 5-10 pulls on full choke to first burble (fire). Then move off choke and either one more pull on the old saw or two on the newer one will have them running WOT. That has been regardless how long they set between running.
For less than 1/2 hour setting since previous running, they start on slow idle on the first pull.

One time the old saw I felt was letting me down. I pulled and pulled and pulled - , then finally realized I was out of fuel so quit blaming the saw at that point.  ;D

[Raider Bill]

As a weekend warrior I have used the vast amount of knowledge in this forum for years.  I bought my first saw on you alls recommendation.
My question is one that plagues most of us "every once in a while" saw users.
What do I need to do to assure that my saw starts everytime, and runs to its maximum performance?  I hate pulling, pulling & pulling on the starter until I am too tired to work even if it did start.  I have a Husky 353 and yesterday I took the saw out (several days ago I took it out and drained the gas tank) filled it with gas and it wouldn't start.  I checked the air cleaner, put a new plug and it still wouldn't start.  It didn't even sound like it wanted to.
My brother has a Husky 455 Rancher and while his started on the second or third pull as time went on (only about an hour) it became harder and harder to start until it just wouldn't.  We both take very good care of our saws, clean after using, sharpen and adjust chain, etc.
We just want to what we are doing wrong and what we need to do to keep our saws starting on the first pull and running all day.
Thanks
Charles
San Antonio TX

I'm in the same boat as you. 3saw's 2 Stihls and a Husky that wear me out I think because I don't use them much. Actually the same for my [lawn] edger and the big Genny. I try no gas, Stabil in the gas no stabil. still have to pull and pull. Weed wacker and leaf blower which gets used every week fire right up.

[fuzzybear]

 Since you already said you are a weekend warrior, my first bit of advice is drain the fuel out of the tank if there is even a small possibility you are going to leave it sit for an extended period of time. I would drain the tank and then fire the saw up to remove the fuel from the carb and fuel line.
  Just about every time someone brings a saw to me it was not stored properly. Todays fuels are hard on carbs and gaskets. If not drained properly the fuel will evaporate and leave behind the oil that will gum up a carb but good.
  After it's been stored properly, apon reusing it you need to fill the tank and try to start the saw with the choke set on full. It will take a couple of pulls to get the fuel to draw back up to the carb. The choke should be on full to create the vacuum needed to pull the fuel up. After that it should start fine as long as it is adjusted properly.
FB

[zopi]

Put a oittle seafoam gas treatment through it every so often helps....drain fuel as mentionrd and run what fuel is in the carb out after draining....keep a little sta bil in the fuel if you don't use alot....

[Raider Bill]

Is the Seafoam better than sta bil? I sta-bil every can of gas I buy right at the pump.

When I run it out I full choke it in the end to get everything I can out.

[SwampDonkey]

Use good mix oil and the stabilizer is already there. I just use a Stihl 550 brush saw mostly, but I run the gas out if it and use fresh in the spring. I also don't use ethanol mixed gas either. The saw I use now is 5 years old, but I've cut a lot of ground to and the saw sits all winter in an insulated shed. Starts on second or third pull every time. I have a primer button and choke and a decompression valve. For those that use crap mix oil, hard starting is partly the result of it. ;D I work with some fella's that can destroy a saw in one season. They swing it like an axe and run dull blades. That being said, took out the front end drive today, but I got 2 years off the old one, which is twice as much as most fella's. :D Had a spare in the car, not long and was swinging again. ;)

My Husky chain saw, a 55, starts fairly decent for a saw that might run an hour once a year to trim limbs. Never changed a spark plug in 10 years on it. Never any trouble restarting after running a tank through either, starts right off with a couple pulls. ;)

Doesn't help explain things much maybe, don't know what else to say that hasn't been said.

[shelbycharger400]

its one of those things, dont abuse it, and it will last for awhile.  my 2 saws that i have here, i know somethings up when they are not at their prime, i notice when the power begins to sag ect., One of my saws i run sags in power when the baro drops, then i have to adjust it. (the deere 50v, it makes blue clouds sometimes, it likes a little rich most of the time )  Its not uncommon to see me in the woods  or whatnot,  adjust the carbs right away,   in the afternoon, and again twards the evening, Minnesota their is major temp and air changes during the day.

[cnl390]

Thanks for all of the words of wisdom.  I guess my next questions are, is it easy to remove the carb and clean it up & how do I go about adjusting the mixture, etc?

[Ianab]

The only time I have problems with any of my saws starting is when they have been sitting for maybe 10min. Still "lukewarm', but not hot enough to start in the "warm start"

Cold start is fine, choke and a couple of pulls until it pops, then choke in and a couple more pulls and it's going.

Warm start is also fine, 1 to 3 pulls and they fire up.

It's when you aren't sure... Choke when it doesn't need it, and you end up flooding it. No choke when it does need it, and you are pulling the cord all day....

Ian

[Al_Smith]

They're all different,you just have to figure them out .

To name a few ,I have an 038 Mag which is souped that takes ten on a cold start but then usually only one the rest of the day .An old S-25 Poulan that will fire on four no matter if it sits a day or 6 months .Souped up 200T that takes about a half dozen while a stocker takes less .Hard to figure they have a mind of their own .

[WDH]

On my MS361, 8 pulls to burble.  You could bet on it and win 95% of the time.  I have a Husky 61 that cranks easily, but once you run a tank of gas through it or shut it off hot, it will not restart for an hour or more.  I suspect that it is the ignition coil. 

[Al_Smith]

I had an old PM 610 Mac that did that .I figured out that about a 30 second "cool down " period fixed that problem .

[WDH]

On my Husky 61, I ran over it with the tractor and busted up the case and busted up the chain brake.  I duct taped and wired it (as in wire stitches) back together.  Then my brother was using it and trashed the chain brake.  Then the ignition coil does not work when hot.  After all that, I figured it would cost too much to fix all those problems, hence the MS361.  Sometimes a man just has to think his way through problems  : :D.

[SwampDonkey]

I have a Husky 61 that cranks easily, but once you run a tank of gas through it or shut it off hot, it will not restart for an hour or more.  I suspect that it is the ignition coil. 

We had a 55 cc Sacs-Dalmor to limb on the yard and when the first tank of gas ran through it and you shut it off forget about starting it for at least an hour. It did that from day one, brand new.

[cnl390]

This is a follow up to my question about keeping a saw running.

I am pretty mechanical and can build or fix anything as long as I have the proper instructions & tools.
So, what maintenance could I/should I be doing on my Husky 353.  i.e. carb cleaning/rebuilding, setting the mixture, removing gunk from fuel line, etc.

[fuzzybear]

my first sugestion is get a service manual for your saw. If you post the model number chances are some one here has an e copy of it. The manual is always the best starting point. It will give you a break down of everything along with a mantainance schedule.
FB

[Al_Smith]

They're all pretty much the same with few exceptions .As far as the carbs just go to whomever made the things web site .Therein contains all the info you need as to rebuilding or tuning .

[SwampDonkey]

Just today the brush saw started acting funny, no power and would only run high on half choke. Figured it out, was some dirt in the line somehow. There is a brand new filter in the fuel tank I think from this spring. I took out the filter and unhooked the lines and tapped them a good bit and reassembled and it works like new. ;)

[shelbycharger400]

i have had the craftsman 917, would run hard for less than a minute, then just die, then would fire up first pull.   I had pulled the carb , and found fine sawdust in the fuel filter screen in the carb.  put it back together, with old gaskets and runs fine .