Chainsaw won't cut straight. Need advice.

[Neil_B]

Something no one mentioned was the oil going to the chain. No oil makes a hot chain and it will cut all crookedy. Had a Stihl that the pump kept wearing out on. Everytime the pump quit pumping, saw cut crooked.

Traded it in for a Husqvarna  ;D

[SwampDonkey]

@ Neil_B

 ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D Good Man !  ;D  ;D  ;D

another still bites the sawdust pile

Actually I run a stihl 450 clearing saw, works great after I modified the air filter. Wasn't gettin enough air, cleaned it all the time too. Cursed thing. Now I gots to figure out a way to drive the hornets away while I try to unhook the harness ;)


ekkkk where's the bug dope!!!

[Ron Scott]

Neil,
I had a 034 Stihl that had the same problem; the plastic geared oil pump kept wearing out, thus it wouldn't cut straight until replaced.

[Neil_B]

Own a 365 and a 372. Haven't had any problems until I dropped a log on the 372 and cracked the tank assembly  :.

Ron, I replaced the pump once after a year of running it part time. Lasted another year and was time to change the pump again. Traded it in towards the Husky 365. Didn't bother telling them about the pump either as they didn't want to bother checking it out the first time. They would rather sell me a $70 part every year.  >:(. If I remember right, mine was the 038.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, it was an expensive part, $65.00 for the dealer to replace it here, and it only lasted about a year with seasonal firewood cutting, just as you experienced. I talked to a Stihl Rep. about the oiler problem since it was always dealer serviced, but without any satisfaction I also traded to a Husky.

[SwampDonkey]

HI Ron:

Yeah most dealers are like that around here too. Take what ya get and buyer beware. Dealers and manufacturers are just too far detached since their on different continents in our case.
I use my Husky 55 for hardwood bucking only. Not heavy or fast enough for production work out on a cuting contract.

cheers

[OneWithWood]

Ron and Neil, I have experienced the same problem on my old 038.  Never had the problem until this last year.  The repair guy at the dealer said the problem was caused by idling the saw with the brake on.  He said heat builds up and melts the nylon gear driving the pump.  At first I thought he was just making up an excuse but then I got to thinking about it.  I began letting the saw idle with the brake on instead of shutting it down after reading a book that suggested it.  That was about a year and a half ago.  So now I shut the saw off before setting it down.  It starts so easy it is not really an issue.  I have not experienced any similar problems with my realtively new MS 440.  I wonder if there may have been a design change.  I engage the brake on the 440 a lot as it is my primary felling saw and I move around with it running more often.  The 038 is my bucking saw, primarily for firewood, so I am more stationary when using it.

[Neil_B]

Can I shorten your name to OWW?  :D

I don't know that that would make sense or not. if the  brake is on then nothing is turning, shaft or pump so where would the heat come from. If from the engine itself then it would make sense that it's much hotter while running full speed.  ???

[SwampDonkey]

Onewithwood

It may be regulation in some areas to engage the break before starting , idling or from walking from tree to tree in the bush. I see it mentioned by different folk lecturing on chainsaw safety, also see it in alot of leaflets. May there was a design change in your model.

cheers

[wood_bucker]

the most comon mistake when sharpening the chain is to make the exact same amount of passes with your file on all the teeth.I have seen people sharpen their saw and skip some of the teeth or make more passes on some teeth that were bad causeing the teeth to become all different sizes which causes iregular cutting of each tooth...also the bar should be flipped over after each major sharpening to get equall bar wear..I have had the same problem in the past cuz..cuzz. i was the guy sharpenig some teeth more and skipping the sharp ones and let me tell ya ..nothing is worse than cutting curves...unless your carving a statue of pam anderson... :D :D :D

[AtLast]

I know this has been said but....sounds to me like 1 side is sharper than the other. Just some noise from the peanut gallery ;D

[vince]

always have the same problem with my sawing and believe all thats been said prior. i'm working on a theory that it all starts from those teeth that you plant into the side of the tree and pivot the saw on. the majority of the bar wear is close to this area at the bottom of the  bar. while i can cut clockwise circles when using the bucking teeth, i can cut relitivy straight further out on the bar. i think i always pivoted to much on the teeth with a near dull chain and started all the badness happening. the teeth on three of my saws are only to the left side of the bar and they all do this. just got me a husky 2101 and its got teeth on both sides so i'm interested to see if theres a difference, but i don't have the nerve to start it, yet.

gotta go to work

vince