Throttle for cutting?

gman98 · July 16, 2016, 10:56:46 PM

How much throttle do you guys use for average felling, bucking, and limbing?

Thanks

Ada Shaker · July 17, 2016, 01:19:07 AM

My chainsaw only has two speeds, if one doesn't work, I'll try the other. ;D

thecfarm · July 17, 2016, 06:18:20 AM

Chainsaws have 2 speeds,idle and full thottle. Full thottle always when felling and bucking. I go a little bit easier on thottle if limbing small ones. Like 1-2 inch limbs. They are designed to be run hard, I feel easy on the thottle in big wood,does more more harm than good. Now running full thottle cutting 1-2 inch limbs might not do it much good either. Been running my saw like this for a good 10 years and I use mine alot and it has worked for me.
Someone telling you diffeant?

Al_Smith · July 17, 2016, 06:39:33 AM

Very rarely anything other than wide open.

celliott · July 17, 2016, 08:12:30 AM

They are designed to be run full throttle, under load. So felling cuts, bucking, WOT. Limbing is a little different, you give bursts of RPM for small limbs. Big hardwood limbs WOT.

The carb isn't designed for a mid range speed. It's idle or WOT.
Also if using less than full throttle in a bucking cut, it's possible (although it could take awhile) to overheat the saw. They are designed so the flywheel fan provides enough air moving around the cylinder fins to cool the engine properly, when at WOT under working load. If you're loading the saw down with less than full throttle, the fan might not be moving enough air to cool the saw.

Good practice to run full throttle most all of the time. There may be some instances where you want to feather the throttle for a fine cut or finishing a bucking cut to not hit the dirt or what have you. That's fine just don't make anything less than full throttle the norm.

gman98 · July 17, 2016, 08:52:00 AM

Well then I guess I should change my techniques. I've been running my saw now for about 4 months not really using full throttle. Could this have caused any damage? I haven't even ran a gallon of gas through it. It's a stihl 362 c-m.

sablatnic · July 17, 2016, 08:58:48 AM

I have been told that the Husqvarna computer saws can be damaged from being run at anything but full throttle when sawing, haven't heard Stihls having the same problem. Maybe you have just confused the computer.
But the only correct throttle setting when sawing is full throttle.

celliott · July 17, 2016, 09:18:29 AM

Quote from: gman98 on July 17, 2016, 08:52:00 AM
Well then I guess I should change my techniques. I've been running my saw now for about 4 months not really using full throttle. Could this have caused any damage? I haven't even ran a gallon of gas through it. It's a stihl 362 c-m.

A gallon isn't that much. If it's still running fine, it likely is fine. But yes, a change in technique should occur.
You won't damage the saw running full throttle under load. Just keep the wide open revving with no load to a minumum.

gman98 · July 17, 2016, 09:26:42 AM

Thanks. How could I check for damage?

Al_Smith · July 17, 2016, 10:32:14 AM

Unless it runs badly which is highly unlikely ,there is no damage.

gman98 · July 17, 2016, 11:10:24 AM

Alright thanks guys. It has never really been run for over an hour straight. A lot of starting and stopping so it has time to cool down.

celliott · July 17, 2016, 02:21:04 PM

You've put such little time on it, the saw is still being broken in, it will be just fine.
Make sure to run it full throttle from now on out though ;)

gman98 · July 17, 2016, 03:20:45 PM

Alright thanks a bunch guys

gman98 · July 17, 2016, 04:49:56 PM

Quote from: celliott on July 17, 2016, 02:21:04 PM
You've put such little time on it, the saw is still being broken in, it will be just fine.
Make sure to run it full throttle from now on out though ;)

I figured it would be okay because it has around/less than 20 hours on it and has really only cut popple, birch, and softwoods.

Texas-Jim · July 17, 2016, 07:08:58 PM

All saws should be ran WOT, theres always a reason to slow one down like limbing. Saws cant develope horse power until they reach a set RPM. You probably heard of power band on dirt bikes, its same principle. If a saw as an example has 3 HP it only develops that HP at its designed cutting speed. At half throttle it may only have 1 or two HP.

And if your saw has the M chip in it it can flat damage them, the carb adjusts it self and running partial throttle confuses that chip. If they do go to 15% ethanol all saws will have a chip.

gman98 · July 17, 2016, 07:15:38 PM

Quote from: Texas-Jim on July 17, 2016, 07:08:58 PM
All saws should be ran WOT, theres always a reason to slow one down like limbing. Saws cant develope horse power until they reach a set RPM. You probably heard of power band on dirt bikes, its same principle. If a saw as an example has 3 HP it only develops that HP at its designed cutting speed. At half throttle it may only have 1 or two HP.

And if your saw has the M chip in it it can flat damage them, the carb adjusts it self and running partial throttle confuses that chip. If they do go to 15% ethanol all saws will have a chip.

With the m chip how will I be able to tell if the saw has been damaged?

Thanks

ZeroJunk · July 17, 2016, 07:18:28 PM

If you can't tell, it's not.

Ada Shaker · July 18, 2016, 06:47:31 AM

Quote from: gman98 on July 17, 2016, 07:15:38 PM
Quote from: Texas-Jim on July 17, 2016, 07:08:58 PM
All saws should be ran WOT, theres always a reason to slow one down like limbing. Saws cant develope horse power until they reach a set RPM. You probably heard of power band on dirt bikes, its same principle. If a saw as an example has 3 HP it only develops that HP at its designed cutting speed. At half throttle it may only have 1 or two HP.

And if your saw has the M chip in it it can flat damage them, the carb adjusts it self and running partial throttle confuses that chip. If they do go to 15% ethanol all saws will have a chip.
With the m chip how will I be able to tell if the saw has been damaged?

Thanks

When it stops running or runs very poor. About the best your can do is an rpm test at idle and full rpm, and check them against the specs. Pretty difficult to tell if any damage has occured. Being electronic one would assume that the saw would generate its own power to run its electronic circuits. The more rpms, the more power it can produce to run the circuits. It is very unlikely that avoltage drop would damage the circuit unlike a voltage spike, but then again, magnetic power generation has been known to do some strange things.

Walt · July 18, 2016, 10:03:35 AM

When cutting up rounds I usually come on and off the throttle a bit as the saw unloads at the bottom of a cut. Felling and cutting is 100% full bore. It depends how much of a load is on the saw. I won't full bore any of my saws with no load on it unless I'm clearing its throat or tinkering with a carb.

Gary_C · July 18, 2016, 11:06:13 AM

Yes, you could have damaged the saw. Please send it to me and I will check it out for you. It could take a while to run all the tests so be prepared to be with out it for some time. ;D

Carson-saws · July 18, 2016, 01:42:38 PM

With the type of cuts mentioned, be it bucking, felling and the like, full throttle. IF chainsawing is new to you, you will learn by the feel and the sound of the saw as you cut. Under powering the saw on previously mentioned cuts, can be dangerous and may enhance the possibility of a kick back. Personally, ANY new saw purchased, the "anti kick back" chain is removed and "PRO-chains" are applied. Make sure your mix is correct and as "new" as the saw is..keep an eye on the chain tension. As far as "breaking in"..it is my opinion and lessoned experience that there is no "breaking in" you run the saw like it owes you money and what it was/is built to do. Fill out your warranty card and mail it in or register it on-line. IF it should "blow up" take it back to where you purchased it after calling the manufacturer.

CTYank · July 18, 2016, 02:56:07 PM

It's all about the fuel/air mixture under load. Diaphragm carbs we see on chainsaws don't have air-correction. That would keep mixture stable over a wide range of flow-rates. Rather, the higher the flow-rate (higher throttle opening) the richer they run.

Gasoline engines need air-fuel ratio down around 12.5:1 @WOT under load to prevent detonation & piston-melting. If you're getting that AFR @WOT, when you close the throttle some, it'll be leaner. Obviously not good.

In the case of Auto-Tune & M-Tronic, you also want to give them every opportunity to square away.

gman98 · July 18, 2016, 06:21:09 PM

When you guys say WOT, do you mean high revs or putting the throttle trigger right to the handle?

DelawhereJoe · July 18, 2016, 06:37:37 PM

W.ide O.pen T.hrottle...full rpm...

ZeroJunk · July 18, 2016, 06:56:10 PM

What you don't want to do is make long cuts at 1/2 throttle or 3/4 throttle thinking that it is easier on the saw. And, it may not be the case with all saws and all carburetors. But, wide open is the safe bet.