'92 026 stihl trouble

[Ihalmiut]

Hello sawyers,

I have an 026, that has been trouble free for 25 years. It has cut well over 100 cords in the first 10 years of its life. The past 14 years it has been used every season, but mostly for storm cleanup and sugaring wood in the spring. We moved to a house this past fall and have two new regency inserts installed and my saw is being put back in to service. The problem is it won't start, and my memory tells me it was troubled during sugaring last spring.
So I replaced the fuel line, filter, spark plug, and air filter, and still no firing. I purchased an OEM carb rebuild kit and am waiting on it to arrive. My questions for you saw people is, do I need to invest in a vacuum tester and the pressure test equipment? We have 20 acres of woods and I hate to buy wood at $300+ per cord. In fact I won't.
I thought of getting a load of slab wood to tie us over, as the cost of dry slab wood is low, but I could get a nice new saw at that price, but we've no wood. So I need to fix this saw. The shop rate for the stihl man is $70/hour. We have a drafty home, so wood cost vs. propane is a no brainer even at 1.19/gallon, wood is a better deal by far.
As I've never had saw trouble before, I've never worked much on them either. I am tempted to get a new saw that could handle being used as a sawmill too, as we need to take down 5 huge white pines and I would cut them up for lumber on site as they are in an awkward place to get at to haul out. Any ideas on a saw that would suffice for that job in terms of cc size? One that could do double duty for firewood use too? Any suggestions are so appreciated!!
Thanks for the help. I hope I'm not too scattered in putting my thoughts into words.
Jay

 

[D8Chumley]

I was going to suggest an Echo 590 at $400 brand new, but that's probably too small for a sawmill application

 

[aerocolors]

I own an 026 and I had trouble getting it started. I did all the same things you are doing then i found out it has an impulse line. It was cheap online and a couple hours of my time to replace. Now the saw starts right up.
When I took it apart I confirmed the line had a crack in it.
I hope this helps, Dave

 

[woodhog73]

I am tempted to get a new saw that could handle being used as a sawmill too, as we need to take down 5 huge white pines and I would cut them up for lumber on site as they are in an awkward place to get at to haul out. Any ideas on a saw that would suffice for that job in terms of cc size? One that could do double duty for firewood use too?

Sounds like your 026 has served you well over the years and has cut a lot of wood. Good luck getting it sorted.

As for milling if you get your 026 up to speed it's really to small for that. I don't mill wood, never have. I do noodle a lot and even that's easier than a rip cut like milling. I would say milling is very hard on saws so bigger is always better. Like I said I don't mill, but know folks who do and they all use big saws.

For milling a few logs here and there I wouldn't go any smaller than a 70cc. And even 70cc is too small to mill on a regular basis. I'd say 80cc and up for regular rip cutting . On the other hand one you step up to a 70cc the saw weights start to get heavy making them less ideal fire wood saws. Even between a 70cc and 80cc you can feel a significant difference in weight if your cutting for any length of time.

But your wanting a saw to do both. Problem is I really don't consider an 80cc saw a firewood saw, but rather a logging saw and big removal saw. Sure it cuts fire wood, but so does an axe and hand saw.

I'd probably get a 70cc in your case since it sounds like your only milling a few logs. It's big for an everyday firewood cutter but lots of people have 70cc as their only saw. Get a couple bars in different lengths if you want. They can pull a 28 inch, will mill your few logs, and you can put an 18 or 20 inch bar on it for firewood cutting if you want.

One last thought , whatever your rip cutting with , I would mix your gas and oil a little richer for that, and make sure the saw is running a little fat, or at the very least it's not running lean.

 

[Ihalmiut]

Thanks for the insight everybody. I'll replace the impulse line and see if it boogies. If you've any pointers on that job Dave, let me know. As for the white pines, perhaps I could rent a bigger saw for a day and see how it goes. My body is going to protest if I go over 12 pounds for a regular firewood saw. I'm getting soft in my not as young as I used to be body. Woodhog, I don't know what noodle means. It sounds like an interesting term though. Please fill me in!

Jay

 

[Ihalmiut]

Replaced the impulse line. Turned out to be no hassle really. Rebuilt the carb and it was a cakewalk. The trouble was the needle valve went flying and I heard it go down the floor vent. I was really bummed. So I took the cover off and it was sitting in a precarious spot where my sausage fingers were going to be a problem. Turned out I was able to fish it out though. Whew!! Anyways, so the moment of truth came, I primed the carb with a couple drops of fuel and off she went!! Now I'm a happy camper, and I'm sitting here with some folks watching secondary burns in the new Regency. Life is good!!

 

[Jags]

Congrats on getting the 026 up and running. They are a great little firewood saw.
If 12 pounds is your limit for a firewood saw there is no "combo" saw that I am aware of that will meet that requirement and be worth a darn for milling. Milling takes HP and for the most part should be left to the larger CC displacement saws.

 

[Jon1270]

Congrats on repairing the 026; I have a bunch of saws, and an 026 is one of my very favorites.

Jags is right about there not being a 12# milling saw, unless your huge white pines are about 16" or less in diameter at the base.

 

[Lake Girl]

No equipment with PTO to hook up hydraulics to a cradle and a cutting blade? The couple of "home" saw mills I've seen locally have gone that route...

 

[Ihalmiut]

Thanks everyone for the reply's. The white pines are 22-28 at breast height. Yea, I was thinking I'd just rent a big saw when I take them down and mill them. I've been watching videos of the Granberg Alaskan Mill. They make it look sweet and simple. They're in a tight place, near the river so it'd be nice to mill them on the spot and take boards out. No PTO equipment Lake Girl. I'm always sneaking around on Craigslist, hoping for a steal on a tractor. My buddy was trying to get me to take his 9N off his hands. He came down on it some but he still wanted a bit too much for my budget.
At any rate, tapped 22 maples yesterday. Didn't look at the thermometer before I went out and it was a bit nippy. Almost 60F on Saturday, 43F on Sunday and 16F yesterday. Funny how it swings so much this time of year.

 

[Ihalmiut]

So I did get to put the 026 to a real test this morning before work. It was about 15 F outsid and the saw was on the front porch. It popped on the 5th pull and started on the 6th. So this place has a lot of wood, particularly oak, laying around from the previous owners. So I decided I would burn a tank up, cutting up the branches up to 5" in diameter. So I turned it on and off a bunch of times and it repeatedly would start right up again with just one pull, just like the olden days when I cut a lot. It was really a good time.

 

[Jon1270]

Was the fuel line in good condition, neither stiff nor soft and gummy? Rubber parts are typically the first thing to go on older saws like this, especially those exposed to fuel or heat. My personal, not-for-sale 026 had hardly been used when I got it, but the fuel, impulse and oil hoses were all shot. The insulation on the kill switch wires sometimes gets crispy and falls off, eventually causing a short. On more heavily used saws you might see a torn AV buffer or two. The plug wire might be worn through if it has been positioned improperly after someone removed and replaced the engine shroud. There's real value in going through a saw and replacing things that have started to degrade, even while they're still working ok. It usually doesn't take much to put a saw into mechanical condition that's very close to new.

 

[Ihalmiut]

Hey Jon. Thanks for the insights. The fuel line was stiff and gummy, but although degraded, I couldn't see any cracks that went through. The impulse line was stiff too, but it didn't have a tear all the way through either. The strange thing is saw dust was on the diaphragm. It clearly got in through the little port opening on the cover. I'm not surprised to see it with the opening right there, but the amount was surprising.
The kill/run/choke switch is going to need some attention too. My thumb kept barely bumping it and killing the engine. It also isn't automatically moving from the choke to run position when I squeeze the handle. I'll have to investigate a bit. Perhaps the linkage or spring in the switch needs a little love and attention.
Man you've a load of saws. Makes a man jealous! Some women I know too!

 

[Jon1270]

Man you've a load of saws. Makes a man jealous! Some women I know too!

I don't think of myself as a collector, but I also can't resist a good deal and they keep cropping up. My wife has gently suggested that I turn off the Craiglsist and eBay searches I have set up, but I... I just... Oh, it's just so hard!

 

[Ihalmiut]

CL has an 038 for 450$. I think it was a magnum, so I think it'd be big enough for some milling at 70cc. I think its a 900$+ saw new. Maybe I'll start a garage full like you Jon!!

 

[Jon1270]

CL has an 038 for 450$. I think it was a magnum, so I think it'd be big enough for some milling at 70cc. I think its a 900$+ saw new. Maybe I'll start a garage full like you Jon!!

$450 is steep for an 038 unless it's nearly pristine. Especially so for a local Craigslist sale.

 

[woodhog73]

$450 is steep for an 038 unless it's nearly pristine. Especially so for a local Craigslist sale.

Completely agree. If it's the 70cc version the price is a little better but for a working saw of that age it's pricey. If it's the smaller cc version it's even more pricey.

See if you can get it for $350 ish then that's a decent deal for that saw. You can mill with a 70cc here and there but it's still small. Run it a tad rich and mix your gas and oil a little richer when milling.

For price reference I've got a Jonsered 2166 turned into a 2172. Identical to a Husky 372xp. I'm the original owner. Saws been worked hard but well maintained and I'm tossing around the idea of selling it. I'd probably ask between $475 and $500 with a used bar in take your pick 20, 24, or 28 and a couple used chains thrown in to justify the price but I'm on the fence. Depends on if I want to replace it or not. Got a 660 stihl offered to me ( work saw owned by a buddy) but I'm not sure I want it. Anyways mine is only a couple years old for not much more money, So that 038 is pricey for it's age .

 

[Ihalmiut]

Yea. I'm hoping for a steel of a stihl.

 

[Jon1270]

Yea. I'm hoping for a steel of a stihl.

If you're watching Craigslist for one, keep in mind that you're not alone. My experience is that you have to be watching the ads closely (preferably using a smartphone app that alerts you within minutes of when an ad is posted), and when one pops up you have to make a very quick assessment. Honestly if you just want one good saw then you're better off buying exactly what you want for an average price from a reputable seller. Bargain hunting is great fun, but the results are unpredictable and the process can suck up a lot of time and brain space.

 

[Ihalmiut]

I hear what you're saying. My son flips cars and he does that stuff . Always has his nose in the smart phone or tablet. I might bite the bullet and just go for new. Then I have one for the really long haul that I know exactly how it has been treated, right out of the gate. Momma wants new floors and countertops in the kitchen, so I might have to wait my turn. Haha.

 

[woodhog73]

When I look for saws on crglist I'm usually looking for cheap stuff to fix up. So those don't sell as quickly. My working saws were bought new but I'm always looking for used things to tinker with.

Best time to buy a used saw is in the middle of July when most people are not thinking about cutting. Too hot and too many bugs and thick brush in the woods in summer. Worse time is in the fall.