I cooked my Husky 359

Sprucegum · August 31, 2005, 02:06:09 AM

I was working it , but not real hard- 18" bar, sharp chain, ripping 10' of 8" aspen. When I let off the trigger she died and stayed dead.
Took it in for warranty(5 months old) and was told
"Your piston is scored from lack of lube and your gas looks like there is not enough oil in it."

I put 3 ounces in a gallon and call it 50/1, right?
This batch was mixed about a month ago and I could have sworn it looked normal (blue-green) then but now it is kind of orange. Could sunshine on the can have faded the color? And wrecked the gas? And wrecked the warranty?

My brushcutter and my little Homelite also ran on this mix with no apparent harm BUT...cross my fingers and run a richer mix?

Don_N6CRV · August 31, 2005, 08:32:29 AM

Hello, you are not the only one that seems to be having this trouble. My friend just went thru this. He used the Husky mix for 2.5 gal and mixed it into 2 gals. So it should of been closer to 40:1. It was used in a Rancher 55 and it did the same as yours and he was told the same thing, the oil did not stay mixed in the gas. Wonder if Husky has some bad oil mix. Only thing driffrent is his still looked green. He is now really shaking the can before filling. I have been using the Stihl oil and it seems to stay mixed but i do shake the can and the saw if any gas was left in it. If you sill have the gas that was mxed. I would not let them off so easy and get the mix tested. If it shows that you mix it right then they should replace the saw as you did everything correct. Good Luck
Don

Kevin · September 01, 2005, 07:36:06 AM

Quoteget the mix tested

Who does this and how is it done?

Don_N6CRV · September 01, 2005, 08:48:36 AM

Hello Kevin, I'm not sure who could do the testing but there must be a way to do it. Guess you can always think that you now have a parts saw. Hope someone does know were or how you could get the gas tested.
Don

SawTroll · September 01, 2005, 09:30:24 AM

:( Sad story, but I thought it was common knowledge that regular gas mixed with oil should be used in a few days and given a good shake before usage.

That is one of the reasons that I exclusively use Aspen 1:50 premixed alkylate fuel on my saws.
It can be stored for a long time without decline in quality, and it stays mixed...

IndyIan · September 01, 2005, 09:56:43 AM

Sprucegum,
Their explanation doesn't seem very good, "gas looks like the there is not enough oil in it"
You followed thier instructions to the letter using their oil so how can it "look like" there isn't enough oil in it? How can anyone tell by looking anyways?

Also I'm pretty sure it doesn't say anywhere on the bottle that you shouldn't use your mix if its older than a certain date... It may be "common knowledge" but its not common to everyone unless they wrote it on the bottle...

Also when I got my 372 the carb needed rebuilding almost immediately, it started to run lean and I'm glad I trusted my gut and took it instead of just running it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you may have had a lean siezure while using not ideal gas, therefore they are blaming the gas and you, get a second opinion and hopefully they will come through for you.
Good luck,
Ian

Sprucegum · September 01, 2005, 12:21:46 PM

Thanks for the advice and support.

The dealer has sent the scored piston to Husky to get his opinion confirmed.
My can of gas is up in the bush so I won't have time to get it till the weekend. Then I will see if it "looks like" the right mix and try to get my opinion confirmed.

I am thinking at this stage of the learning curve, with my mechanical skills, I should have stuck to the cheaper "throw-away" saws.

SawTroll · September 01, 2005, 01:48:42 PM

Quote from: IndyIan on September 01, 2005, 09:56:43 AM
......
Also I'm pretty sure it doesn't say anywhere on the bottle that you shouldn't use your mix if its older than a certain date... It may be "common knowledge" but its not common to everyone unless they wrote it on the bottle...

I have no problem agreeing to that, in spite of what I said in my last post!

What is "common knowledge" is not an excact science, and of course not relevant in a warrancy issue.

Good luck, Sprucegum!

SawTroll · September 02, 2005, 05:26:53 AM

Quote from: Sprucegum on August 31, 2005, 02:06:09 AM
...... This batch was mixed about a month ago.......

:P Just in case you are not aware of it, the Husky 357xp/359 operators manuals says:

"Do not mix gas for more than one months use at a time" (or something like that).

floyd · September 02, 2005, 08:54:43 AM

Bingo , saw troll. Mix is only good for bout a month. Ethanol cuts new hind end in chainsaws too. Read fine print n see you should use "super" gas instead of regular.

barbender · September 02, 2005, 10:33:44 AM

I made a post a few months ago about my husky 346xp that I melted down. Fresh gas, Premium non-ethanol, 40:1 mix. That was the dealers immediate explanation, "you used ethanol gas and it broke down your oil". I said "no, this saw has had a lean bog from day one and you told me you couldn't do anything about it." I'm pretty sure it had an air leak,it wouldn't respond to the air screws being adjusted. I knew it was a serious problem but what can you do if the dealer thinks you're imagining things? anyhow, I was pretty irate, they ended up covering it under warranty and rebuilding it. Since then I have only got to run it for about 5 minutes, can't tell if it is cured or not yet. Good luck, don't be afraid to get tough with the dealer and let them know how mad you are about the situation and you expect them to make it right if they ever want any more of your business.

Chris J · September 02, 2005, 01:07:40 PM

Barbender, I was just about mention your thread; you're dealer got quite a few folks here really riled up. Sprucegum, sounds as though you might be able to make a case to get your saw repaired under warranty. Best of luck!

chainsaw_louie · September 05, 2005, 11:01:57 PM

I bought a Husky 3120 xp and it was covered for 2 years non-commercial use. For this reason alone, I bought Husky over Stihl.

After 18 months I took it to the dealer (not where I bought it but an autherized Husky dealer) to fix the following:

1. chipped stop/start switch from recoil handle snapping back
2. blown out exhaust manifold gasket
3. broken chain brake band

I figured they may not cover the switch but guessed they would cover the other items. I was very wrong. First of all the dealer was questioning why I had such a big saw ( non issue), said I had miss used it because the decal on the clutch cover was burned. He said I had run it with the chain brake on (yeah right!). Finally they pointed to the owners manual where it says that the owner should periodically check for loose fasteners and if I had done that I would have prevented the exhaust manifold gasket from blowing out.

End of story is: the repairs cost $100 and warrantee paid $00.

If I had not bought the saw at a discount through Canada I would feel ripped off . As it is, I lost a lot of respect for Husqvarna and will try Stihl the next time. My guess is that they will find a way to NOT pay for your saw repairs. But let us know the outcome.

Tim
in NYS

hydro2 · September 06, 2005, 06:53:59 AM

That is what I think also. They will get out of paying!

pallis · September 06, 2005, 11:34:20 AM

You should e-mail this thread, along with the dealer's ID to Husqvarna.

jokers · September 06, 2005, 02:58:19 PM

Quote from: chainsaw_louie on September 05, 2005, 11:01:57 PM
I bought a Husky 3120 xp and it was covered for 2 years non-commercial use. For this reason alone, I bought Husky over Stihl.

After 18 months I took it to the dealer (not where I bought it but an autherized Husky dealer) to fix the following:

1. chipped stop/start switch from recoil handle snapping back
2. blown out exhaust manifold gasket
3. broken chain brake band

I figured they may not cover the switch but guessed they would cover the other items. I was very wrong. First of all the dealer was questioning why I had such a big saw ( non issue), said I had miss used it because the decal on the clutch cover was burned. He said I had run it with the chain brake on (yeah right!). Finally they pointed to the owners manual where it says that the owner should periodically check for loose fasteners and if I had done that I would have prevented the exhaust manifold gasket from blowing out.

End of story is: the repairs cost $100 and warrantee paid $00.

If I had not bought the saw at a discount through Canada I would feel ripped off . As it is, I lost a lot of respect for Husqvarna and will try Stihl the next time. My guess is that they will find a way to NOT pay for your saw repairs. But let us know the outcome.

Tim
in NYS

Tim, you offer a few interesting perspectives.

First, if you knew that the stop switch was chipped from the recoil handle snapping back, why would you expect that to be covered under warranty?

Second, are you saying that it isn`t the end users responsibility to check all fasteners for tightness on a regular basis? Would the exhaust gasket have blown out if the screws were adequately tight?

Third, how did the decal on the clutch cover get burned if the saw wasn`t run extensively with the brake engaged?

My fourth and final question. Assuming that the dealer whom you took the saw to for repair did actually wrong you, how does that reflect on Husqvarna as a company, Husqvarna`s quality, or justify buying a Stihl next time?

Russ

chainsaw_louie · September 06, 2005, 09:51:57 PM

I'll apologize in advance to SG for taking your thread off onto the topic of Husky vs. Stihl because I know that was not what your posting was about. But what is important here is how manufacturers in general and in my case Husqvarna specifically manage to tout excellent warrantee coverage at marketing and sales time but be very reluctant to live up to those promises if a claim is actually filed, let me explain.

Chipped on/off switch
This happened under normal use. It happened when the pull cord handle slipped out of my hand snapped back. I am sure this has happened to every saw that has a pull cord starter. As such it does appear to be a design flaw that the switch is exposed to the path of the returning pull cord handle. This is a well known situation. The product design team is supposed to anticipate and correct these problems in the evolution of the saw. Part of the price of the 'best of class' is to pay for R&D that designs around such occurances. That switch when its in the 'ON' position is hanging out there at the edge just waiting to be hit. Replacing it under warantee is a judgement call and Husqvarna (or their parent company Electrolux) chose to say No to a $18 switch.

Blown Out Exhaust manifold gasket
My thought on this one was that in order to maintain the warrantee, I should not be getting under the shrouding and doing things. Actually the muffler was not loose so I didn't know what it was at first. If I followed the manual to the letter and checked and tightened all the screws on the saw would I have prevented this ? Perhaps, but I may have caused other problems by opening up and accessing all those fasteners to begin with. Its a subtle point and its not really clear from the manual which "nuts and screws" the operator is supposed to check. The manual doesn't say and its a subtle point that lets Husqvarna off the hook for a lot of damage claims because they can always counter the customer and say the screws and nuts were not checked on a daily basis. Who can argue with that? This was another judgement call and again Husqvarna chose to reject paying $4.95 (retail) for an exhaust manifold gasket.

Broken chain brake band
The dealer claimed that this must have happened due to the saw being run with the brake on. Let me point out that in the process of milling the 3120 is generating a lot of heat for 10 minutes straight. This is what this saw was made for - heavy cutting. I also can't imagine the chain even moving if the brake was on let alone pulling the ripping chain through 30" of wood. The clutch is working hard and heating up, in addition, there is a lack of ventilation when the cutting gets near the ground and its very possible that the decal heated up from this. I have used this saw to mill 30" red oak and that takes a lot of power and makes a lot of heat. The decal situation is a symptom of heat thats for sure but its a guess as to what it came from. As appears to be the pattern, Husqvarna decided it was once again a case of operator error. Cost of new band $14.

What ticks me off about the situation is that Husqvarna would not, in any of the above cases give the customer the benefit of the doubt and kick in any of the parts. Even though I had bought their top-of-the-line saw and was in for my first and probably only warrantee claim (since 18 mos had passed), they refused to compensate me for a exhaust manifold gasket that probably cost them 50 cents. This treatment from the Authorized dealer and Husqvarna Customer Support strikes me as arrogant. Their treatment sent me the message that they don't really care if they get my repeat business. For this reason, they wont. As they are not the only game in town, I am more than willing to give Stihl a try, they couldn't do much worse.

The bottom line is that if Husqvarna is going to be so careful and reluctant about compensating customers for warrnatee claims, then they have no business offering a 2 year warrantee to begin with. Its misleading and dissappointing to those of us who bought their products thinking that the warrantee had some substance.

Sprucegum · September 06, 2005, 10:45:14 PM

Partial update:

I checked my oil and it is not "Husqvarna oil", I had grabed the outboard oil instead so end of warranty :-[ :'(

Meanwhile the dealer's head mechanic has quit and then his partsman quit, its a small outfit, just him and a salesman left. I may not see my saw for a while unless I can go in and put it together myself.

Just another high-priced lesson in life :D

Furby · September 06, 2005, 11:07:42 PM

Tim,
Did the brake band "break" or "wear" through?
The dealer that had my 3120 didn't get the band on right and it wore through one of the two halfs before I caught it.
When I put it back together, I learned how hard it was to get it on right and you REALLY have to look for it.

Lobo · September 07, 2005, 07:58:31 AM

Warranties on tools and small power equipment are really there to protect the manufacturer not the customer.

Warranty lengths mean nothing. When you look at the dealers warranty administration manual it is more important to look at what is not covered versus what it is, that will tell the true story as you will find lots more not covered than really is covered.

The dealer does have the option of talking to the manufacturer and obtaining policy coverage for his customer.

IndyIan · September 07, 2005, 11:51:49 AM

Sprucegum,
Did you use outboard injection oil? It probably isn't dyed blue. I'm still having a hard time believing your saw was killed due to old gas and oil.
I guess if you did the worst case scenario, outboard injection oil, 87 octane gas, let it settle for a month, and then didn't shake the can before you poured it, that might kill your saw...

So next time its new 91 or 93 octane gas, husky oil or better, mixed less than a week, shaken the first time mixed and every time you gas up your saw.

Its abit late for this saw but madsens has a tuning guide that will help you in the future so you'll know if your saw is running too rich or lean just by listening. The only thing you have to check is if your saw has a rev limiter, some new ones do, if yours does then you shouldn't use this method. http://www.madsens1.com/sawtune.htm

Ian

chainsaw_louie · September 07, 2005, 09:47:40 PM

Quote from: Furby on September 06, 2005, 11:07:42 PM
Tim,
Did the brake band "break" or "wear" through?
The dealer that had my 3120 didn't get the band on right and it wore through one of the two halfs before I caught it.
When I put it back together, I learned how hard it was to get it on right and you REALLY have to look for it.

Thanks for you suggestion about the brake band being properly installed, I'll watch for it.
I seem to recall that the break in the Brake was in both bands and that it was not worn through to thin metal. Are you saying that its not easy to get the new brake band mounted correctly OR are you saying that its hard to get the brake band properly slipped over the clutch. I had always assummed that if the chain/clutch cover goes on properly then the band is in place. In any case, the first band was put on at the factory and the second one was put on by the dealer.

Sprucegum · September 07, 2005, 09:51:11 PM

Yes :-[ I did the worst case senario :-[

The dealer gave me the final blow today - absolutely no warranty and he wanted $385 to repair the saw. It was only $600 new!
I said "no way" and took it home in pieces. A good book, some jobber parts, a cold winter night and I bet I can get it working.

I saw a chainsaw repair manual featuring Stihl, how much of that info could be applied to Huskies? Or would you recommend a different book?

I haven't said it before but I really appreciate your interest and advice, Thanks to all

Furby · September 07, 2005, 11:09:51 PM

Quote from: chainsaw_louie on September 07, 2005, 09:47:40 PM
OR are you saying that its hard to get the brake band properly slipped over the clutch. I had always assummed that if the chain/clutch cover goes on properly then the band is in place.

That's what I was saying.
Mine sure looked like it was on, so I had no reason to check it.
The clutch cut through one of the two bands and would have cut the second.
I now take a light and flat screwdriver and double check. Kinda a pain though.

pantherlakecutter · September 30, 2005, 02:22:00 PM

What I can gather from this thread is that Huskies aren't what they used to be and Husky dealers are pretty much a bunch of shysters. If you have to baby these saws get something that can handle real use. My old Stihl will run great on year old mix and has never had a serious problem in thousands of hours of hard use..including "chipped" parts and switches breaking. *DanG..doesn't any company make a decent product and then back it up anymore?