Starting fluid

[D._Frederick]

I keep seeing that you shouldn't use ether to start  2 cycle engines and was wondering what the problem would  be. What I buy at the the auto parts stores has oil in it.
It sure makes starting any engine that you have to pull a cord much easier.

[Reddog]

Even with the oil in it, ether still washes all the oil off the crank and rod bearings.
Basically making the 2 stroke start on dry bearings.

[Cut4fun]

Take a oil squirt bottle with trigger you use for oiling stuff. Clean it out or buy another one for $6 and put gas oil mix in it and keep it handy like I do for the stubborn saw in the cold weather or after setting for a really long time.

[Polly]

i always draine mixture out of the tank and run the saw till it dies and have to pull the rope close to 10 times week or two later when i want to use it again what do you do pull off ??? ??? the air cleaner and squart directly into carb or what

[Ed]

If your saw is going to sit for a couple of weeks there is no need to drain the tank. Some of my saws will sit for much longer than that with fuel in them, never had any problems.

Ed

[D._Frederick]

On my weed eater and pole saw, there is a primer bulb that is pumped to make starting easier. I wonder why chain saws do not have them?

[tyb525]

My husky 455 has one but my stihl 036 and 026 do not.

[okie]

My husky 460 has a primer bulb.

[Ianab]

On my weed eater and pole saw, there is a primer bulb that is pumped to make starting easier. I wonder why chain saws do not have them?

Many smaller saws do have a primer bulb.

The reason is that a small (under 50cc) engine is short of vacum/displacement to suck fuel into a dry carb quick enough. So the saw may take 10 pulls to get enough gas up to the carb and start. A bigger saw is able to suck up the fuel in the 3 or 4 pulls that people expect a cold saw to take.

Ian

[sharkey]

Next time you have a dry tank, only fill it about half way to begin with then shake the saw up and down a couple of times and the pressure from the expanding fuel will fill the line.  If its totally bone dry wait maybe 20 seconds and it should be aok.   
Best wishes,
Bob

[Mad Professor]

Even with the oil in it, ether still washes all the oil off the crank and rod bearings.
Basically making the 2 stroke start on dry bearings.

It will toast the piston before the bearings, not that it's good for the bearings either.......


Concerning leaving fuel in saws.  The new E10 crap will do bad things to rubber/plastic parts that was not a problem with straight gas.  But then rebuilding a chainsaw carb ain't too bad.......

[Polly]

    thanks  bob   next time i get my o26 out i will do as you suggest that probly will not be to long the electric has been off four days and we have hit our wood pile pretty heavy wont have any trouble finding something to saw up trees are down all over the place  anyway thanks again for the help  ;) ;) 8)