The chainsaw thread...

I admit that I use one of these to get the angle and depth right.
Attachment 426530

I use this kind of gauge for the rakers, maybe twice a year, always at home.
Attachment 426531

I’ve bought fancier guides and such, but in the field I just use that first file holder. Only takes a few minutes. It takes longer to drink my refreshments.

Same with the Stihl 2 in 1. Takes a few minutes and I don’t have to carry multiple tools/guides.


Sent from my iPad using TGR Forums

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper

I admit that I use one of these to get the angle and depth right.
Attachment 426530

I use this kind of gauge for the rakers, maybe twice a year, always at home.
Attachment 426531

I’ve bought fancier guides and such, but in the field I just use that first file holder. Only takes a few minutes. It takes longer to drink my refreshments.

---

using a jig ?

well there goes your manhood rating,

you are dead to us in the chainsaw thread

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XXX-er

using a jig ?

well there goes your manhood rating,

you are dead to us in the chainsaw thread

---

Says the guy(s) who rides ebikes [emoji1787]

yeah but i never ride it wearing socks n sandals

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XXX-er

yeah but i never ride it wearing socks n sandals

---

That’s just the shoegoo talking

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XXX-er

yeah but i never ride it wearing socks n sandals

---

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...eee1d7945e.jpg

Doing some snag falling, brushing and glading at Hudson Bay Mountain today and I figured I would shoot a little video. I always enjoy skiing stuff I have cut.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVdLNQ41Kwg

Brought the saw out today to cut some firewood. Felled the tree fine but started bogging down so badly after limbing that I gave up.

Saw is a Stihl 291, only two seasons on it (maybe four cords). I am careful to treat fuel and to store properly.

Thoughts? Air filter and muffler? Thing is, I’m up at our cabin and parts are not available, so looking for a basic checklist before hauling it back to the shop.

Thanks!

have you ever cleaned the airfilter ?

I think a plugged filter will make it run rich ?

After every day of cutting I sharpen which ever chains got run/ clean the sawdust out of the engine/ clean the bar groove/ flip the bar/ swap the air filter out

wash the filter and dry from the heat on top of the espresso M/C

edit: or you could just say fuck all that shit and roll a doobie, takes 11 min

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

Brought the saw out today to cut some firewood. Felled the tree fine but started bogging down so badly after limbing that I gave up.

Saw is a Stihl 291, only two seasons on it (maybe four cords). I am careful to treat fuel and to store properly.

Thoughts? Air filter and muffler? Thing is, I’m up at our cabin and parts are not available, so looking for a basic checklist before hauling it back to the shop.

Thanks!

---

Clean the air filter, clean the plug or new plug, sharpen chain, clean the bar, clean the clutch drum, new gas.

Clean the spark arrestor too. Classic cause of Runs Like Shit symptoms.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Beaver

No way is it worth fucking around swapping a chain instead of sharpening it. It takes about 11 minutes to sharpen a saw - 2 to roll a doobie, 5 to smoke it and 4 to file the saw.

If you're cutting standing or freshly dropped wood you should be able to cut a truckload without sharpening. If you're cutting skidded wood you'll probably need to sharpen often (once per log?). If you're driving your tip into the dirt or dont know how to file a saw you'll need a new chain every cord.

I learned to freehand sharpen about 30 years ago slashing runs at the ski hill for 4 summers. Then I heated my house with wood for 25 years and sold firewood for extra cash too many times so i got pretty fucking good at keeping my saw sharp. Typically I need 3 strokes per tooth and its razor sharp. If I tagged a rock, next sharpening one or 2 teeth might get 4 strokes and left a little gnarly. It's important to file them all the same. Same angle, same number of strokes, same pressure. I usually only hit the rakers once in a chain's lifetime.

I was walking up the road last week listening to someone cutting with his chainsaw and thinking it sounded dull, there was no chain bite causing the engine to actually work. Turned out to be an aquaintence, i was chatting and looking at the dust he had made and commented that it looked like his saw was dull. He pulled out a little grinder thing, proceeded to take off way too much metal and only half ass sharpen his chain. He didn't have a flat file and his rakers were too high. I shrugged.

---

I haven’t been cutting for as long as you. 10 years cutting 4-6cords for home heating. 6 Years fire fighting/falling. This is all really good tips. However I only sharpen each tooth till sharp and adjust each raker with a gauge. Saves a lot of time filing, instead of sharpening each tooth the same amount (which means taking off the same amount of metal on every tooth to match the worst one on the chain.) also you get way more life out of a chain. has worked fine for me. But I most likely hit rocks more than you. Cutting a fuel free around fires in the Rocky Mountains is a great rock finding exercise.

Also new Stihl 500i is a pretty amazing saw. Not perfect but really nice to run all day. I would like to get one as my next personal saw.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by skisurfmirth

Also new Stihl 500i is a pretty amazing saw. Not perfect but really nice to run all day. I would like to get one as my next personal saw.

---

You must be buckin' that Big Wood down in Fennario to need a saw like that?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx1LqnIJLj8

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by oldnew_guy

Clean the air filter, clean the plug or new plug, sharpen chain, clean the bar, clean the clutch drum, new gas.

---

Did all of these today + arrestor and she runs great. Don’t know which one it was but something gave!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

Did all of these today + arrestor and she runs great. Don’t know which one it was but something gave!

---

Nice. Have fun cutting!

We pretty much ran through that cleaning sequence daily when I ran saws a lot. I have seen many saw issues fixed with a new air filter and a new plug. (Recommend you add both to your mobile saw kit if you have one.)

It’s almost like clockwork unless someone gets to the carb settings before they do all of that and then you are really screwed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by oldnew_guy

Nice. Have fun cutting!

We pretty much ran through that cleaning sequence daily when I ran saws a lot. I have seen many saw issues fixed with a new air filter and a new plug. (Recommend you add both to your mobile saw kit if you have one.)

It’s almost like clockwork unless someone gets to the carb settings before they do all of that and then you are really screwed.

---

If you haven’t already, find out your factory carb settings and remember it or engrave them into the shroud. It isn’t hard to tune a carb from factory unless you’ve got a slug’n’jug installed but knowing the factory settings is pretty much key to start.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BCMtnHound

If you haven’t already, find out your factory carb settings and remember it or engrave them into the shroud. It isn’t hard to tune a carb from factory unless you’ve got a slug’n’jug installed but knowing the factory settings is pretty much key to start.

---

Is this Google thing or something one has to determine?

Manual usually has it. All else fails, read the tech directions.
https://www.stihlusa.com/manuals/

For mine:
Attachment 428728

Your 291?
Attachment 428738

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BCMtnHound

Manual usually has it. All else fails, read the tech directions.
https://www.stihlusa.com/manuals/

For mine:
Attachment 428728

Your 291?
Attachment 428738

---

Thank you. Going to do the etch approach

I thought the video was really helpful for tuning a carb

https://youtu.be/2j9JyA49cv8

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

Did all of these today + arrestor and she runs great. Don’t know which one it was but something gave!

---

Cuz i didnt want to be walking a dead saw up or down a ski run I had a maintenance regimen I would do after every 6 hr shift and the 261 never missed a beat due to deffered maintenance, from reading on-line forums it doesnt sound like anybody does maintenance

The air flter was cheap item so i bought a spare just swap & clean, the cleaning procedure was to vaccum/ wash it in the kitchen sink with the dish sprayer and leave to dry

As BCMH suggested I actualy read the manual cover to cover when i first started using a saw

not sure how one would clean the arrestor and I have never heard of that

I bumped up the idle stop but I never screwed with the carb mixture screws eva, i assume if one never does maintenance they will eventualy be wanking about with the screws to compensate ?

How would you cut this one? The fat end is up high. Standing on the boulder at the V its about 6-7'. I was going to start where it's on the ground and work my way up. I just don't want it to cantilever and be sticking straight up in the air as it may still interfere with the line or just be a hanger that will potentially fall on someone. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8b61b47095.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6a1b037e86.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...35f2c36afc.jpg

I would cut the side laying on the ground up to the point where it balances like a teeter totter and put a handle and seat on each end.

Cut down the smaller of the two trees that it's hung up on and turn it into a skinny.

Otherwise, make some cuts and use a chain and a come along to maneuver the thing into a workable position (or just drag it out with the come along if it'll slide through those trees).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XXX-er

Cuz i didnt want to be walking a dead saw up or down a ski run I had a maintenance regimen I would do after every 6 hr shift and the 261 never missed a beat due to deffered maintenance, from reading on-line forums it doesnt sound like anybody does maintenance

The air flter was cheap item so i bought a spare just swap & clean, the cleaning procedure was to vaccum/ wash it in the kitchen sink with the dish sprayer and leave to dry

As BCMH suggested I actualy read the manual cover to cover when i first started using a saw

not sure how one would clean the arrestor and I have never heard of that

I bumped up the idle stop but I never screwed with the carb mixture screws eva, i assume if one never does maintenance they will eventualy be wanking about with the screws to compensate ?

---

That’s a pretty good maintenance program. The spark arrestor has a small metal screen that can be wire brushed clean if clogged up. You might need to adjust your carb settings if you are changing altitudes a bunch from work site to work site eh?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Timberridge

I would cut the side laying on the ground up to the point where it balances like a teeter totter and put a handle and seat on each end.

---

Ha! I made a teeter a long time ago and little kids did actually play on it. About two weeks into hunting season it disappeared. F'n redneck morans.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by toast2266

Cut down the smaller of the two trees that it's hung up on and turn it into a skinny.

Otherwise, make some cuts and use a chain and a come along to maneuver the thing into a workable position (or just drag it out with the come along if it'll slide through those trees).

---

Yeah, I was thinking a come along, but trying to avoid more tools. I do have an arborist friend who's also a mtn biker, but he's been so busy he hasn't been able to get out there. I think I can do it, but it's right on the edge of my comfort level. And I do have a pole chain saw, so if it came down to it I could get that thing out there too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by skisurfmirth

That’s a pretty good maintenance program. The spark arrestor has a small metal screen that can be wire brushed clean if clogged up. You might need to adjust your carb settings if you are changing altitudes a bunch from work site to work site eh?

---

I duno if it has anything to do with it but my sense is that our gas is pretty good up here ( from husky in PG ) so I never hear of cleaning the spark arrestor screen

edit: and i only use premium

Its really only the back of the coast mountians so IMO we aren't getting that high so i don't fuck with the mixture screws, the dealer might have initialy made an adj before giving it to me but I have purposely just never touched those screws and it runs fine

Just chiming in to say non ethanol premium is best for chainsaws.

Spoke to the dude at the shop. He said as that as long as a saw doesn’t see bad fuel, the spark arrestor should never be an issue. Apparently weed whackers are a different animal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXR3ZOPlRys

^ Kind of a strange video, but I’d like to get my 3 minutes back.

yeah me too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a-v-RvEspg&t=370s

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XXX-er

I duno if it has anything to do with it but my sense is that our gas is pretty good up here ( from husky in PG ) so I never hear of cleaning the spark arrestor screen

edit: and i only use premium

Its really only the back of the coast mountians so IMO we aren't getting that high so i don't fuck with the mixture screws, the dealer might have initialy made an adj before giving it to me but I have purposely just never touched those screws and it runs fine

---

Over oiled fuel is the culprit for clogged screens. Like If you use you MarkIII fuel in your saw. Or run a really rich mix cause your boss says so. Does not take long to clog a spark arrestor that way. I have not had to touch the carb adjustment screws often but can go from valley bottom Columbia to tree line Alberta Rockies the next day at work, so the saws can see pretty big elevation changes.

But ! But ! they can't really mean 50-1 cuz its not enough oil ... can't be !

Heh. It’s hard to break the 16:1 habit. Glad for store-bought premix these days.

Finally got back at it with the newly tuned Stihl.

Sweet baby jeebus, those things are tits when they’re happy. Made very short work of a cord this morning. Now to sharpen her back up!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

Finally got back at it with the newly tuned Stihl.

Sweet baby jeebus, those things are tits when they’re happy. Made very short work of a cord this morning. Now to sharpen her back up!

---

I only run saw for camping or helping dad on the property a couple times a year now. But when the old 38 warms up, it’s so satisfying to hear its bark and jump of torque on the tip of the bar. It ate last month’s larch like it was starving. I might take down my rakers a bit more aggressively than recommended, but our softwoods are forgiving enough.

I’m sure it’s been mentioned in here many times but what say yee all about the 462? I have a small husqy but need a work horse and was told to get one of these.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums