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Chainsaws: An addict's perspective


Steve Foss

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Nice stories guys!

I just bought a Stihl last night. (MS 290) What are some things you do for good maintenence? I don't think mine will see a ton of use, but want it around for a long time.

Do you empty it of gas or use a stabilizer? Use any fogging solution in the cylinder?

Maybe yours are never idle for very long.... LOL!

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Two ways to think about it sitting, IMO.

1. Between uses, run the fuel out of it so it's empty. If it will sit for months at a time, I'd shoot in a bit of fogging oil, too.

2. Even if you don't have wood to cut, you'll want to run it every few months to keep the carb diaphram and gaskets in good shape, so use non-ethanol premium gas (luckily, easy to get in MN, as alcohol degrades chainsaw fuel lines and such) and fire it up and run it now and then. Premium takes about 3 months to start breaking down, whereas regular with ethonal takes about a month.

If I have a can of 2-stroke mix gas that sits for three months (rare), I just dump it in the truck gas tank and get fresh gas for the saws.

As for routine maintenance, keep your chain sharp and your bar dressed (filed flat when the edges of the bar start to mushroom slightly from use). If you haven't sharpened a chain by hand before, get a couple round files from your dealer and have him show you how. If you know how, you're good to go. I touch up my chains in the field after every couple tanks of gas. Only takes a few minutes, and then you're razor sharp and have had a little break from cutting. Another way is to get two chains and if your dealer sharpens them inexpensively and has a light touch on the grinder (it only costs $5 here), you can rotate them and have the dealer sharpen for you on the grinder.

Keep the air filter clean. The 290 has a good filtration system that's easy to remove. In a full day's cutting I'll pull it two or three times and brush off the dust, and will hit it with light air pressure from the compressor when I get home. On some of my saws you can't really wash them, but on others you can. On the 290, you can bring it in the house and wash it in the sink with soapy water, rinse and dry. It may sound anal, but I do that once a year. You can wear a saw out pretty easily if you don't keep the filter clean.

If your dealer didn't tune the saw before you walked out the door with it, I'd bring it back and make sure it's running rich enough. Many of the modern saw models come already tuned lean enough that you can fry a piston and cylinder pretty quickly. The 290 has limiter tabs on the fuel mixture screws that only allow it to be tuned to a certain level of richness (EPA emission requirements are responsible for this), and when I had my 290, the H screw (high rpm mix screw) was richened all the way to the stop (counterclockwise until it stops).

I use Amsoil Saber Pro mix oil at 40:1 or 50:1 in all my saws and recommend it highly. But Stihl also makes a synthetic mix oil that's excellent.

Properly tuned, well maintained and used appropriately, there's no reason a 290 shouldn't last you years and years and years.

What size bar do you have on it?

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Thanks Steve! It has an 18" bar on it.

This is my first saw and I feel I have a lot to learn. I bought it from a reputable place, they assembled it, filled it gas and bar lube and brought me outside to show me a few things. At first I was holding it wrong, with my thumb out (not tucked under my fist) and the guy said that was rule #1 to have your thumb tucked. Apparently this helps if you get a kickback to have a better grip. He said rule #2 was to hold it with the saw facing backward while walking (except walking downhill). He also went on to reference rules #3 and #4 which had to do with different grips while making felling cuts I believe.

Makes me wonder where I can get more safety type information like this. I went on Stihls site and they have a DVD I could order for $5. Guess I'll start with the manual and go from there.

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Lindy, keeping our thumb tucked is a great tip. Its not a motorcycle or bike handle. By having your thumb tucked you are putting your wrist in a position that when or if the saw kicks back that you will have more control over the saw and you are more likely to activate the chain brake.

Having the bar facing the rear while walking is an easy one because its not uncommon to trip and fall while you're walking. With the bar to the rear you are less likely to fall on the sharp teeth of the chain.

The number one rule of cutting with a chainsaw is to avoid the "kickback zone" of the bar. This is the top of the bar in the first 10-20% of the bar near the tip. This small 90 degree area of the saw is responsible for most of the kickback injuries that take place.

I think I'm going to put together a sharpening demo for those who are interested. Look for that soon.

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Great idea on the sharpening demo, Andy. It'll be well received and valuable info.

Lindy rig, the owner's manual is chock full of safety and how-to-cut info. That's mostly what it's for these days. You literally can learn all the safety basics you need to know by reading it and applying the principles. smile

I strongly recommend the helmet/mesh shield/ear protection you can get from your dealer for about $50. Kevlar chaps run around $80. One can look at the extra $130 as cheap insurance to lower risk of injury, or a lot of cash to lay out for something that should never be necessary. I'm not the guy who scolds people for not using personal protection equipment, but I AM the guy who always recommends it. If you're married or have a significant other, they will thank you for wearing it. smile

An 18-inch bar is perfect for that saw in hardwood.

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I've had an 029 for about 15 years cut about 15-20 cord of firewood a year

still runs great only work done on it is bar and chain replacement and normal maintenance. I bought an ms 290 a year and a half ago as a birhtday present for myself because my son was old enough to run one also. both saws are great

mossy

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Another reason for loosening the chain tensioner is because as you use the saw, the chain will heat up and especially if its not as sharp (hint hint) then it will stretch. If you realize this and tighten your chain to maintain proper chain tension then it may shrink back as it cools and become too tight on the saw creating stress on the sprocket, bar nose and the crankshaft.

I really take notice of this when I remove a well worn chain and I have to adjust the bar in a ways to make it fit a brand new chain.

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Another reason for loosening the chain tensioner is because as you use the saw, the chain will heat up and especially if its not as sharp (hint hint) then it will stretch. If you realize this and tighten your chain to maintain proper chain tension then it may shrink back as it cools and become too tight on the saw creating stress on the sprocket, bar nose and the crankshaft.

I really take notice of this when I remove a well worn chain and I have to adjust the bar in a ways to make it fit a brand new chain.

Good to know.

My father has always loosened the blade (the bolts) after he is done using the saw and sets it again when he goes to use the saw for this reason. I do this out of habit now, just from the years of watching and working with him.

Around 30 years of service out of his Stihl 032 av....and still going strong.

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Hey inthehollow, did you ever get out with that new 170 yet? smile

Mixxedbagg, did you run into any more wire or nails embedded in that bad boy? In the pic, I reckon I'm looking at an older generation Stihl (round butt filter cover the giveaway). Maybe a version of the 028 or 038? Good to see you wearing PPE.

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man, i miss chainsawing. i guess i'll have to get my fix cutting up a 30" DBH oak tree on my advisor's land in payment for deer hunting privileges... although I think he has an 028 with a 14 or 16 inch bar so should be interesting

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man, i miss chainsawing. i guess i'll have to get my fix cutting up a 30" DBH oak tree on my advisor's land in payment for deer hunting privileges... although I think he has an 028 with a 14 or 16 inch bar so should be interesting

Yeah that'll be an interesting job. smile

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Oh boy I have ran six tanks of fuel through that thing it is awsome pleanty of power. The dealer I bought it from said it would cut faster than my 028. I thought to my self ya what ever. He said the 170 has a thiner chain does not have to move as much wood. 35 to 40 years as a dealer I should not of second guessed that guy. It has my vote.

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