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Are Stihl saws always hard to start?

Started by welderskelter, June 09, 2021, 03:49:25 PM

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donbj

Quote from: Real1shepherd on June 15, 2021, 07:11:32 PM
My definition on a well tuned, no air leaks saw....excessive would be more than 5 pulls to start cold. If you're pulling your saw 10 times to start it cold, that's ridiculous and either a bad design or some problem in the saw itself. I wouldn't tolerate that and I run older saws.

In my mind, the newer saws should start better than older saws.....unless EPA requirements have messed that up.

Kevin
I cycle my saws to keep them from sitting too long without running. After sitting a month and a half the 394 was running in three pulls. Two on choke and one to fire up. If I was quicker I could have had it on two if I got the choke pushed in in time. The two 2100's are the same within a pull or two. 181SE 3-4 tugs, Jonsered 820, 2065, 262XP average 5-6 pulls. I have a late 60's 65 series that fires up on 4-5 pulls.
The only running Stihl I have is an 034 Super that takes about a dozen or more to fire up. But once it fires up it is an awesome cutting saw, just harder to start.
I don't have the experience in this regard as many of you guys but the red ones seem to take off quicker.
I may be skinny but I'm a Husky guy

Woodmizer LT40HDG24. John Deere 5300 4WD with Loader/Forks. Husky 262xp. Jonsered 2065, Husky 65, Husky 44, Husky 181XP, Husky 2100CD, Husky 185CD

welderskelter

Never had a red saw , dont know why. Havent heard that much bad about them. My neighbor liked them. I have a 2004 model 066 stihl, my neighbor just bought one last year, my other neighbor has had one of the old flat top ones for ever and I believe the other one of his is a 754 an old saw. All of these saws takes 8 to 10 pulls no matter how cold. But you gotta luv em they really make sawdust.

Al_Smith

Well again it seems every saw has a personality .I have several large displacement saws that see very little action .As such rather than wear my arm out I give them a little prime on the first start which afterwards  they  fire right up .
Two identical saws Partner P-100 99 cc high compression no decomp .D-handles of course .One 3-4 pulls on choke one after choke off .Putt putt putt .The second same 3-4 with choke on  then set the throttle lock and one or two it's off and running .Both after a warm up one or two .I can live with that .
People complain about having a 3 cuber that won't start .Try that on a 6 cuber with a large bore Tillotson model HS carb that is designed to push a high fuel volume because it takes a lot of fuel for them to operate .As such there's fine line between starting and flooding .You do not want to flood a high displacement saw .


  

Real1shepherd

Quote from: donbj on June 15, 2021, 09:17:48 PM
Quote from: Real1shepherd on June 15, 2021, 07:11:32 PM
My definition on a well tuned, no air leaks saw....excessive would be more than 5 pulls to start cold. If you're pulling your saw 10 times to start it cold, that's ridiculous and either a bad design or some problem in the saw itself. I wouldn't tolerate that and I run older saws.

In my mind, the newer saws should start better than older saws.....unless EPA requirements have messed that up.

Kevin
I cycle my saws to keep them from sitting too long without running. After sitting a month and a half the 394 was running in three pulls. Two on choke and one to fire up. If I was quicker I could have had it on two if I got the choke pushed in in time. The two 2100's are the same within a pull or two. 181SE 3-4 tugs, Jonsered 820, 2065, 262XP average 5-6 pulls. I have a late 60's 65 series that fires up on 4-5 pulls.
The only running Stihl I have is an 034 Super that takes about a dozen or more to fire up. But once it fires up it is an awesome cutting saw, just harder to start.
I don't have the experience in this regard as many of you guys but the red ones seem to take off quicker.
Exactly. All my old J'reds(80,90 910,621) and the Husky 2100 start in three pulls....if I'm quick with the choke when they spit, one less pull. My newer J'red 2094 starts around 3-5 pulls....but I need to run and practice starting with it more. It needs a carb kit too and an USC session. It had some hasty work done before I bought it. Fantastic saw though and I can't say enough good about it....finding parts...forgetaboutit....lol.  

While saws can have individual personalities, the same models are more alike than unlike. That's how I can tell for example, if a 2100 is tuned and running right.

Kevin

donbj

So far the 394 is the quickest start. Got a couple more coming my way.
I may be skinny but I'm a Husky guy

Woodmizer LT40HDG24. John Deere 5300 4WD with Loader/Forks. Husky 262xp. Jonsered 2065, Husky 65, Husky 44, Husky 181XP, Husky 2100CD, Husky 185CD

Al_Smith

If mine become hard to start which they will with some age I find out why .The very first saw I ever bought ,a Poulan S25DA will still start in about 4-5 pulls after sitting  for two years .Fact ,perhaps just luck , I had the saw for 30 plus years before I needed to rebuild the carb .One carb rebuild, one clutch side seal and new fuel lines since 1974 .

Real1shepherd

Quote from: donbj on June 16, 2021, 09:47:00 PM
So far the 394 is the quickest start. Got a couple more coming my way.
Do tell!!

Kevin

ehp

Yep my stihls are hard to start. The 462 started on second pull this morning and the 400 took 3 pulls and that from not running sense yesterday . Have seen lots of times the 462 start on first pull

donbj

Quote from: Real1shepherd on June 17, 2021, 09:23:30 AM
Quote from: donbj on June 16, 2021, 09:47:00 PM
So far the 394 is the quickest start. Got a couple more coming my way.
Do tell!!

Kevin
Still in the works but looks good.
I may be skinny but I'm a Husky guy

Woodmizer LT40HDG24. John Deere 5300 4WD with Loader/Forks. Husky 262xp. Jonsered 2065, Husky 65, Husky 44, Husky 181XP, Husky 2100CD, Husky 185CD

Al_Smith

A little story from a few years back .Two dead ash trees about 30" in diameter ,two saws ,Stihl 038 mag, modified . Stock 700 McCulloch .In the course of the day in 90 plus degree weather bucked nearly 6 cords of wood with a helper .
Alternating between two saws of course the Stihl out gunned the old Mac .Quite frankly it will run straight up with a stock 660 . Even in that heat it always fired up on one pull after a refuel .The Mac with the horizontal cylinder needed a 20 minute cool off after a fuel stop .
I wore my helper to a frazzle ,in his 40's .I was around 62 at the time .He said to my wife RIP ,I can't believe that old man out worked me .She said he's been at it a lot longer than you as I sat on my patio having a cold one ,barley pop you know . ;)

Canuckhunter

Quote from: PoginyHill on June 10, 2021, 08:51:55 AM
I'll have to try Tacotodd's method. Mine start reliably, but it can take 5+ pulls. My newer 261CM starts easier - maybe 3-4pulls most of the time. Ones with traditional carbs, I was told to pull with full choke until you here ANY firing - even a blip. Then partial choke. Otherwise you'll flood it. That seems to work for me.
My Stihl 311 has exactly the same routine to start.
Full choke til it hints at a blip then half choke and away it goes. From start usually 3 pulls once warm I set it to half choke and it starts mostly after one pull. Took me a long while to figure out this routine.
My 025 stihl I had for 20 years would start with no routine after 2 pulls, darn that was an awesome saw. Lost that saw in a divorce, still burns me.
I just bought a 261 pro saw this year to do smaller work around our land and I have to say that is an easy starter as well. With the electronics in it I usually start on the first pull but sometimes it takes two.

sablatnic

No problems with my Stihls, the Husqvarna 180 is worse. And the Lombard is far worse!

CUT N RUN

Quote from: welderskelter on June 09, 2021, 03:49:25 PM
Mine takes 5 pulls to fire on choke, and 5 pulls on high speed then it seems to always start. Its an 066 but my 038s seem to match. Just wondering if anybody has found an easier way. I do know from watching my neighbor that he usually gets his going faster but he is younger and stouter. I was trying to figure out how to put a primer bulb on it. Ha.
congrats on the fact you  own a 066 , and you are 71 y.o.  and can still run it !!  I wish i had one   :-\ - - years ago i went with non ethanol fuel , and pulled carbs for cleaning and diaphragms , = much better starting . oem carb kits are cheap , and i found it was only a 1 or 2 beer job !

Spike60




That right there is a more interesting way to calculate your labor rate.  :)
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WLzM1A

Quote from: welderskelter on June 09, 2021, 03:49:25 PM
Mine takes 5 pulls to fire on choke, and 5 pulls on high speed then it seems to always start. Its an 066 but my 038s seem to match. Just wondering if anybody has found an easier way. I do know from watching my neighbor that he usually gets his going faster but he is younger and stouter. I was trying to figure out how to put a primer bulb on it. Ha.
Stihl trying to start it :D I have a MS250 that will make ya wanna throw it when cold.  My 038 is fine, my 066 is fine.  
Echo CS-310
Stihl 034 AV
Stihl MS250
Stihl 025
Echo CS-8000
Stihl 011 AVT
Stihl 066 Magnum
Dolmar PS-401
McCulloch MAC 160S
McCulloch Power Mac 6
Homelite Super EZ  X2
Homelite 330
Sears H58D
Whitehead 180 wall hanger

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moodnacreek

There is a pile of Stihls up at the sawmill and only one or two start easy. The little 017's are the worst, about 20 pulls if not primed in the morning. I have even tried new oem carbs and that helps for a few weeks. The 262 Husky will start quick and one of the 039's also. If they had prime buttons there would be nothing to it.

Fishnuts2

Quote from: welderskelter on June 12, 2021, 12:30:07 PM
btulloh. Yes they might. Only I have just changed the plug. And the way I start mine is pretty much as everybody else says. I do clean the air filter regularly.  Dont know what else to do. Thanks everybody.
Maybe try opening up the low speed jet a little bit.  That helped some for me it seems.

Al_Smith

Some people make a big deal out of rebuilding a carb which it is  not .Some say they "cleaned " the carb which normally is an exercise in futility  .If it's all stiffened up it just plain will not work correctly, simple as that .Every carb manufacturer has a web site with directions trouble shooting etc .If you can't follow directions just google it on you tube and watch .It doesn't even take me one beer to rebuild a carb ,about 10-15 minutes tops .BTW you don't need to use aviation fuel, marine gasoline or designer fuels like VP .As a rule they will run just fine and dandy on pump gas .It's not about the fuel but rather the fuel delivery . 

421Altered

Sometimes I cheat a little when I know a saw hasn't run in a day or so, and it's a hard one to pull over.  Like my 038 magnum, and my 064, neither one has a decomp button, so, you don't want to pull it any more than you have to.  What I do is remove the air filter cover, splash just a little mix on the air filter, choke it, and turn saw over to compression point, and give it a strong, smart pull. 9 times out of 10 she will fire right up! Sometimes may have to pull it once more.  Don't overdo the splash or you'll flood it.

moodnacreek

Quote from: 421Altered on February 10, 2022, 11:04:15 AM
Sometimes I cheat a little when I know a saw hasn't run in a day or so, and it's a hard one to pull over.  Like my 038 magnum, and my 064, neither one has a decomp button, so, you don't want to pull it any more than you have to.  What I do is remove the air filter cover, splash just a little mix on the air filter, choke it, and turn saw over to compression point, and give it a strong, smart pull. 9 times out of 10 she will fire right up! Sometimes may have to pull it once more.  Don't overdo the splash or you'll flood it.
Thats not cheating here, it's standard procedure.

Dave Shepard

My 020T and 036PRO started well, but both have been on the bench for many years with carb and fuel line problems. Both bought new/low hours. :-\ Every Stihl I've run for other people has been tough to start. My 395XP is one pull choked and one pull unchoked and it's idling, and it doesn't start at full throttle, either. ::)
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Magicman

I only have 3 Stihl saws but I also have 3 Stihl leaf blowers.  Each of them have their own starting peculiarities and sequence but none of them like to be 'over choked'.  Full choke until it hits and then half choke until it starts which usually is not but one more pull. 

I had trouble with the 362 when I first got it but the trouble was me thinking that it needed to be choked during the day on restarts.
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