chainsaw storage

If its not going to be used for awhile I will empty the gas and fill the oil tank.

I put seafoam in all my stuff. If you look at the can on stabil it does not mix well with the new gas...seafoam is an oil base stabilizer and does better. I have even used it to turn back old gas that was already in a tractor...

The directions on my stihl say to drain the tank and idle the engine until it stalls before storage. I always use sta-bil and the premix appears to have some stabilizer as well but I'm not worried about spoiled gas I'm worried about the ethanol rotting the fuel lines.

What's this about sta-bil not mixing with new gas? Never read that. Though sta-bil did come out with an ethanol stabilizer that costs several times what the regular costs.

My 290 farm boss was bought new in 1999 and gets put away sometimes for 4 months...still doing ok... Not sure if its the exception or the norm but I am running with it! :lol:

burntime said:

My 290 farm boss was bought new in 1999 and gets put away sometimes for 4 months...still doing ok... Not sure if its the exception or the norm but I am running with it! :lol:

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11 years no new hoses.....knock on wood man knock on wood! lol

Honestly I really never did much of anything . If I think they been sitting to long before I use them I may dump out the old gas and put in fresh stuff . My 026 is probably better than 25 years old and has yet to have a carb rebuild .

I didn't plan to reply to something like this, but based on past problems;

I now run the saw dry, if possible, or pour out the tank if necessary, then run dry.
How to run-r-dry? Finish up on smaller and smaller limbs, and then when out of fuel, I can just use a hand saw for the last few cuts. I admit, it doesn't always work out, but you'd be surprised.

The original problem was that I left fuel in the tank for months, and she finally refused to start/run until I had cleaned the filter and carb, (disassembled) with carb cleaner. Very annoying.
I also started using some Seafoam based on comments here. Have always used Stabil too.

Bottom line answer to your question: Yes, store empty. From a voice of bitter experience.

Oh...the saw is a Husky 345.

Just think how much more "fun" we get to have when the EPA ramps up the ethanol from 10% to 15%. :roll:

I've been running ethanol through my saw now for the past year or so . . . no issues . . . then again it's less than 10 years old . . . and it would be rare for it to sit idle without being run for a stretch longer than 3 months or so.

I do however use some stabilizer in my sled . . . and might start adding some stabilizer in my saw come winter . . . I forget the name of the stuff I bought though . . . light blue stuff . . . pretty pricey.

I have had my 029 since '96. I have never done anything to it before storage. Before I bought the house in '03 it was not uncommon for it to sit for months, maybe even over a year. For the last few years I have probably not let it sit more than a month at a time. It starts and runs the same whether it has been on the shelf for 24 hours or 24 days. I ad Stabil to the 60 gallon tank in the boat over the winter.

I usually run my saw dry, I have never really used any stabalizers. I have had my Husqvarna 50 for 20 years and never really had a problem. The only problem I had was that sometimes there was too much compression and I learned I had to remove the spark plug, pull the cord a few times, then replace it. Sometimes I did not use it for years. My Stihl is only a year old so I am stihl learning. But it has not sat for even a month so far.

Skier76 said:

Just think how much more "fun" we get to have when the EPA ramps up the ethanol from 10% to 15%. :roll:

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I live in Iowa and ethanol is (was?) a big deal here and they still have not crammed it down our throat and hope they do not as it is not the best product for all applications. I would not store a chain saw with any of the ethanol in it for any length of time as it absorbs moisture from what I have read.

I understand that Stihl mix has fuel stabilizer in it. I have had no problems so far , I never drain anything. I put 2 stroke fuel in everything at the end of the season. Saws , stump grinders, lawn mowers , motor cycle etc. No problems yet. I always use Sthil mix. It works for me. I might be ignorant and lucky. ymmv

I have never preped a saw for storage. It could effect my responce time on a scrounging manouver.
I have been lucky so far.

I don't think my saw sits for more than a month without running. I did, however, have to whack some weeds the other day. I haven't run my trimmer at all since 08. I dumped the NASTY old gas out, put some fresh mix in, choked and primed, and crossed my fingers. Fired on the fourth pull, ran like new on the sixth pull. Musta been the Klotz.

I run my Crafsman 42cc dry and let it cool before I put it back in the carrying case. Thats it. I've had this saw for 16 years now and it still starts on the third pull or better...on the original plug.

I drain all my saws and run them dry at the end of the cutting season.

I mix sta-bil and sea foam in the 5gal tanks when I fill at the gas station so all the small engines get this gas. I have never drained any of the 10 small motors
ever and have no fuel related failures so far .

For access to non ethanol gas go to http://Pure-gas.org. Also, Aviation gas is ethanol free.