Gas mixture for the husqvarna 3120xp

[yarnammurt]

What should I run. I;ve heard 50:1 all the way down to 33:1. What should I run.

[jd_odell]

Is it under warranty?  If so, what does the manual state for the mix? 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I run 50:1. You can also call where you got it and they will know. 

[sealark37]

The professional users of Stihl and Husqvarna saws have been using the various 100:1 mixing oils for thirty years.  Less smoke, less maintenance, more power.   Regards, Clark

[thecfarm]

I will add to it,40:1,husky oil mix I don't care what the book says about 50:1. I burned one saw up at 50:1. Or that's what the dealer said I did.  : I dropped down to 40 and nothing but Happy,Happy,Happy. I do use the highest grade I can buy too,just to stir things up just a little more.  ;D

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Synthetic Oil at 40:1

Yes this is a rich mix as recommended by manufacture technicians.

We have about 8 chainsaws currently, they all get this mix, (as does any machine that takes mix.)  Though we only mill and run capstan winches on a few of them.  The H 3120 might often be run for 3 tanks of gas at full open throttle without a break cutting through 400 mm (~16") wide oak for 9 m (30'), you can't do that with a lean mix or your burn the engine up.  I know we have seen it happen many times by novices trying to chainsaw mill with a leaner mix.  Do we get more smoke, not often.  We use high octane and fuel additives plus the synthetic mix at 40:1

Regards, 

Jay

[mad murdock]

I have milled over 6,000 bd ft with my 372XP, plus cut 7 cds of firewood/year since 2006, and logged about 100mbf of sawlogs with it, all using cheap walmart 2 cycle oil and good gas mixed at 32:1.  No engine issues, no fouled plugs, and no clogged muffler.  I have run 32:1 since I have been running saws, (1977) and have never burn up a saw.  I have logged professionally for umpteen years, and cut many hundreds of cords of firewood, + milling.  You can follow the manufacturers recommendations on 50:1 or 100:1, They will be glad to sell you new parts to fix the saw when it craps out.  I will stick with my 32:1, plus it keeps the bugs away during bug season.  ;D

[Jay C. White Cloud]

I was going to amend my entry but Mad M. beat me to it. If you don't use a synthetic oil go to even a richer mix like 30:1... :D...M.M. mix sound perfect for the none synthetic oils. 

It does keep the buggies away!!!   ;)

I have to agree, I have never seen a saw foul or burn up with this mix ratio, but have seen plenty "bite the dust," on 50:1 or leaner.

[Al_Smith]

Oh goody the oil wars have resumed .100 to 1 Amszoil people line up on the left ,50 to 1 synthetic in the middle and us old coots with 32 to 1 one on the right . Let the games begin . 8)

[martyinmi]

Jeeesh Al,

Now you're making me feel kinda semi-old.
I've been mixing full synthetic at 40:1 with 110 octane all winter.

Guess I'm too old to be considered young and not wise enough to be considered old. :D

I'd be a 'tweener, right? (In betweener) :

[thecfarm]

I wondered where you was Al.  :D  I had to get the high grade in there too. I'm helping out the War effort.  ;D

[mad murdock]

I'm not old, just old fashioned. I R a mechanic for my day job, and definitely the high priced synthetic "bean" oils are good, and you can mix leaner with those, I guess in keeping with Al's credo, I am cheap too, or as I like to think of it "practical". I like to save a buck where I can, if the cheap oil works, I will use it.

[lumberjack48]

Stihl dealer recommended i run 32:1, because of the way i had the carb adjusted, full throttle, peak rpm. I never scrod a cylinder on a Stihl, i can't say that for Husqvarna.

I wounder if these new Stihls are the quality they had 25 yrs ago.

[AdkStihl]

Stihl dealer recommended i run 32:1, because of the way i had the carb adjusted, full throttle, peak rpm. I never scrod a cylinder on a Stihl, i can't say that for Husqvarna.

I wounder if these new Stihls are the quality they had 25 yrs ago.

You might have had it tweakin RPM's, but you werent makin the most power.
Definetly not recommended in my book. But hey.......it worked for you.
Let me guess......an 034 right?

[yarnammurt]

32-1 It will be, dropped it off at the shop to have carb cleaned and tuned up.Will be milling next week 8)

[Al_Smith]

You might have had it tweakin RPM's, but you werent makin the most power.
Definetly not recommended in my book. But hey.......it worked for you.
Let me guess......an 034 right?

I'm not exactly certain but I think that model was the fore runner of the 036 -360-361 .Which was before the EPA stuck their big fat noses into it .

[tlandrum]

ive owned several 3120's that had a sticker on them from the factory that stated 25:1. personally i run 32:1 with a good synthetic blend.

[John Mc]

The professional users of Stihl and Husqvarna saws have been using the various 100:1 mixing oils for thirty years.  Less smoke, less maintenance, more power.   Regards, Clark

I know a few pros who use amsoil, but I don'know of ANY in my area who are running it at 100:1. Mix oil has come a long way since 20 or 30 years ago, but they are just not comfortable pushing things that far.

I run 50:1 with the higher-end Husky or Stihl oil (full or semi-synthetic).  I've had good luck with this, but I'm not doing any chainsaw milling.

[lumberjack48]

Stihl dealer recommended i run 32:1, because of the way i had the carb adjusted, full throttle, peak rpm. I never scrod a cylinder on a Stihl, i can't say that for Husqvarna.

I wounder if these new Stihls are the quality they had 25 yrs ago.

You might have had it tweakin RPM's, but you werent makin the most power.
Definetly not recommended in my book. But hey.......it worked for you.
Let me guess......an 034 right?

In 12 to 16 inch wood i could cut with a 066 set by the book. If the 034 was set by the book, i wouldn't have used it, it was just a everyday saw, no pep. The way i set it, and sharpened the Stihl sales man [ Dale ] was so impressed how fast it was, he asked me to set a saw up for guys to try out at the shop. He gave me a new 034 Super to break in for a demo saw.
I never set any saw i ever owned to run in there power zone [book settings] i was always 3 steps out of the box.

[shinnlinger]

I typed out a much longer response that vaporized for some reason, but here is the cliff notes.  I run amsoil 100:1 and it works good.  Others run amsoil 100:1 and have sawed thousands of cord of wood BUT lots of folks who have never tried it will tell you it is a bad idea.

Well if you have never done it, I'm not sure your in a position to comment.  It works for me and many others.

Dave

[Al_Smith]

It's not a bad idea if you trust it .They brag up Royal Purple too for that matter .

I'm just a cheapskate I guess ,use TSC branded at 32 to 1 ratio .Maybe I'm lucky but since about 1973 I've never managed to cook a top end yet with one exception .That was my fault. Primed a saw  with straight gas from grabbing the wrong squirt bottle .Oops !

Before about '73 we ran them on outboard mix oil at 16 to one and in spite of what some might say about it somehow never managed to cook one .Smoked a bit but it did keep the mosquitoes at bay .

I know a lot of hotsaw jockeys with 5000 plus dollar cookie cutters and have met nary a one that runs Amzoil at 100 to one .Fact I'm not certain if I know anyone that uses it at any mix ratio in anything .

[CTYank]

Quality 50:1 synthetic at 50:1 since the day it was available over the counter (around 1979.)

Mixture adjusted for peak power & 4-stroking on lifting, with regular unleaded.

Never the slightest indication of mechanical "unhappiness," clean chamber, port, muffler.  ;D

Any extra oil reduces octane rating, enables more deposits, ain't good for your lungs.  :

[shinnlinger]

Al,

You have given me ( and many others) great advice, I absolutely respect you and think you are a great asset to this forum and frankly I don't care if folks run amsoil 100:1 or not, but your post is exactly what I am talking about.  People who have never tried it condemn it with such authority that it doesn't get much chance.  Folks can do what they want, but please don't knock it (or anything for that matter) until you have personal experience with it.

If you actually mix it at 100:1 it isn't that expensive and never fouling a plug is a plus!

For the record I do NOT own stock in Amsoil or benefit from it's sales in any way.

Dave

[Al_Smith]

 :D Well I did rattle some cages on this oil wars business so I must have done my job . 8)

Nobody,repeat nobody can agree on the mix ratio ,what brand  , if it fouls plugs and burns up lungs .I don't care if it's outboard boat motors  ,two cycle motorcycles .chainsaws or Lawn Boy mowers .

Some think it makes for a lean fuel mix .Why I never figured out ,fact I quit even trying on that one .

Experts like Gordon Jennings had tests on oil ratios and he recommended 20 to 1 on snowmobiles ,but conversely leading MC gurus recommend 32 to 1 .

You think this oil war is something  get on a MC site or a sled site .Then try an RC site if you really want to see the fur fly .

Just recently a gent who builds hotsaws told about what he uses for the blowout mix after a run on rocket fuel ,WD -40 .Take a pole on that one some time . ;)

[John Mc]

Shinnlinger -

I didn't see Al claiming that Amsoil won't work at 100:1.  I also did not say that it wouldn't work.

I can't speak for Al, but my comment was posted in response to a statement that "The professional users of Stihl and Husqvarna saws have been using the various 100:1 mixing oils for thirty years.  Less smoke, less maintenance, more power." 

I read that to mean that it's generally accepted by pro users to run oils like Amsoil at that mix ratio (or at least by the pros in the poster's area). My comment was not that it doesn't work, it is just that it is NOT generally accepted by the pros in my area, at least not at that ratio.

It may well be the best thing to happen to chainsaws in decades, but the pros around here have just not adopted it at this point. 

I am not knocking Amsoil's claims, and I am not saying I'm right in running my saws at 45 or 50:1 with a good quality mix oil, or that anyone else is wrong for running their saws at whatever ratio they find works for them.