My hard to start but does start STIHL 211

axeman2021 · September 20, 2024, 02:57:47 PM

My dear little STIHL 211 has always been a really mean to start chainsaw, after maybe an hour of going through no choke to half choke then full choke, then i sit down about five minuets and give it a try again with nothing happening except me getting tired.

I am pretty sure i am flooding it as i can remove the plug clean it and sometimes it fires right up, but again many times it won't start like today i pulled the plug three times cleaning it and pulling the cord to clear any excess gas out.

Then after the last plug cleaning and clearing it fired up, any ideas what i am doing or not doing with my 211?

My 211 does not have a compression release and is really hard to pull cord.

axeman2021 · September 20, 2024, 04:13:01 PM

50 views and not one comment as to what might help it in starting.

beenthere · September 20, 2024, 04:58:38 PM

Tell us what your procedure is. Might help to know just how you approach this hard-starting saw.

But on a cold Stihl saw, I would put on full choke and pull just twice. Then take the choke off and pull again to start the saw.

axeman2021 · September 20, 2024, 06:02:37 PM

Quote from: beenthere on September 20, 2024, 04:58:38 PMTell us what your procedure is. Might help to know just how you approach this hard-starting saw.

But on a cold Stihl saw, I would put on full choke and pull just twice. Then take the choke off and pull again to start the saw.

That is just what i do but it always seems to flood it when i bought it the guy at the dealer flooded it had to pull the spark plug give it a few pulls to clear the cylinder.

DHansen · September 20, 2024, 09:12:52 PM

Once running, does it run and cut well? Does the saw have a primmer bulb? How does it start on a hot restart?

axeman2021 · September 21, 2024, 11:15:48 AM

My 211 does not have the priming bulb when you pull starting cord it draws fuel to the Carb. and yes as soon as it fires up it will cut great.

I was put on the right path about my problem in another forum by a person who has a 211, i was not doing as the STIHL 211 manual says for setting the choke a start, i was using full choke and thus flooding the saw you musy use 1/2 choke in warm weather am sure this has a lot to do with my starting problem.

axeman2021 · September 22, 2024, 10:16:27 AM

There is nothing wrong with my saws fuel no water it's good to go and i understand now what has to be done.
Since there is no small fuel bulb to prime my saw you "MUST" get the fuel to the carb, STIHL has you pull the cord to draw fuel to carb but pull it all day without having the saw on "FULL" choke and your not going to get any fuel , you "MUST" use "FULL" choke and pull the starting cord until you smell gas.
Then the saw will start. Forget the STIHL manual use full choke smell gas saw starts it's that simple.
Even when the saw has been running you shut it off i find if you do not again use full choke saw will again resist your attemps at starting.
I again even as saw is warm i use full choke saw starts, problem is it was still not getting gas without using the full choke.

Al_Smith · September 22, 2024, 12:50:08 PM

Rebuild the carb .Don't so called just "clean "it .You can spend more time trying to make love to it than just addresing problem .

Al_Smith · September 22, 2024, 12:57:48 PM

I just looked it up because I've never seen or heard of one .That little thing is only a shade over 2 cubic inches .So if it pulls over hard it's , a defective carb .

axeman2021 · September 22, 2024, 01:35:56 PM

Quote from: Al_Smith on September 22, 2024, 12:50:08 PMRebuild the carb .Don't so called just "clean "it .You can spend more time trying to make love to it than just addresing problem .

There is nothing wrong with my saws fuel syst em or the Carb. no water in fuel it's good to go and i understand now what has to be done.

Since there is no small fuel bulb to prime my saw you "MUST" get the fuel to the carb, STIHL has you pull the cord to draw fuel to carb but pull it all day without having the saw on "FULL" choke and your not going to get any fuel , you "MUST" use "FULL" choke and pull the starting cord until you smell gas.
Then the saw will start. Forget the STIHL manual use full choke smell gas saw starts it's that simple.
Even when the saw has been running you shut it off i find if you do not again use full choke saw will again resist your attemps at starting.
I again even as saw is warm i use full choke saw starts, problem is it was still not getting gas without using the full choke.

Hilltop366 · September 22, 2024, 02:09:11 PM

Chainsaw carbs have a fuel pump on one side and fuel chamber (Same only different than a float bowl) on the other.

The fuel pump uses the engine base pulse to move the fuel so adding the choke should not increase its ability to pump fuel only its ability to get fuel from the fuel chamber to the carb venturi.

I think Stihl had issues with fuel lines too, I had a saw that from new started hard and acted like it would change its carb settings sometimes. After changing the fuel line its problems went away. I believe it always had very fine cracks in the fuel line from new and was less affected at high speed than idle due to more pulse at high speed.

beenthere · September 22, 2024, 03:20:49 PM

Glad that axeman2021 has his saw problem all figured out.

Al_Smith · September 23, 2024, 07:32:56 AM

Yep got it all figured out .

Al_Smith · September 23, 2024, 07:47:53 AM

A best kept secret hiding in plain view .Everybody on the this forum obviously has a computer .Every one of those computers has the ability to access Google .Google in turn can access things like chainsaw carb information .Every manufacturer of same has a web site full of information such as trouble shooting why the saw isn't working correctly related to problems with said carb .It's so easy to find even I can do it .How ever saying that not one has information of what to do if a saw has gremlins .Nasty little things that will drive you bonkers .

axeman2021 · September 26, 2024, 08:13:42 AM

I have just parked it for now i can get it started if i keep working at it so until it's really needed it will stay parked.

axeman2021 · September 29, 2024, 08:39:58 AM

the fix is in how you get the 211 ready and not flood it, i give it three pulls of cord on full choke, this pulls fuel up to the cab then i let saw sit about five minuets.

Than i set choke at the run set point, and start pulling the cord and ZOOM the 211 starts going and it ready to get at cutting.

This process seems to work better then any other thing i have tried.

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This morning i tested my starting process again just three pulls of starting cord with a full choke, wait around five minuets set choke to the run set and pull cord and again on first pull my 211 started.