Chainsaw bar too hot to touch! Normal?

[SuburbanFarmer]

My 5 year old Echo CS400 ? is on its second bar, after pinching it, I noticed it was running hot and took it to a shop. I instructed then to not just replace the bar and chain, because I could do that, they did exactly that, said they cleaned the oiler, charged me $150, threw out my old bar and chain. After 2 tankfuls of gas, I noticed it still wasn't cutting as well as it should and still running hot, so I returned to the shop. They said running hot is normal, but noticed that it 'didn't shave his fingernail' so needed sharpening. I did hit one rock...

Should a bar be too hot to touch? Yes, it oils - visible streak, although now uses a tank of oil for a tank of gas. It used to be a tank of oil for two tanks of gas.

Why didn't they say it was normal at the shop when I dropped it off? I said it worked ok but bar ran hot.

I liked it oiling a tank of oil for 2 of gas. Now it is easy to run out of oil. What is a normal guideline?

 

[Sodbuster]

If it was throwing oil, off the chain, your oiler is fine; bars do get hot! They really should have kept, and depending on state law, may be required to keep your old parts to show you they were bad. Lesson learned, do your own maintenance.

 

[Dairyman]

A little less than a tank of oil to a tank of mix is perfect if your running close to the max recommended bar length. Yes they do get hot more so when the full length of the bar is being used. Over tightening the chain and dull cutters will make it worse.

When you hit a something stop & sharpen or switch chains. Or whenever it starts making sawdust instead of throwing chips.

 

[SuburbanFarmer]

Thanks for the replies. Normally I do my own maintenance, have for years, guess I never noticed it getting so hot. I'm pist they didn't originally tell me 'bars get hot', suspected I might need a bar regrind, which they have done before. 18 inch bar BTW, same as it came with. Worst case I would have put the 'old bar' in my box in case I had to cut out a pinched situation where I had to cut myself out. This in NH, not sure the law for returning old parts, but since I specifically said 'don't just replace the bar and chain' I'm telling them to give me my (perfectly good) used parts back. Lesson learned!

If it was throwing oil, off the chain, your oiler is fine; bars do get hot! They really should have kept, and depending on state law, may be required to keep your old parts to show you they were bad. Lesson learned, do your own maintenance.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Thanks for the replies. Normally I do my own maintenance, have for years, guess I never noticed it getting so hot. I'm pist they didn't originally tell me 'bars get hot', suspected I might need a bar regrind, which they have done before. 18 inch bar BTW, same as it came with. Worst case I would have put the 'old bar' in my box in case I had to cut out a pinched situation where I had to cut myself out. This in NH, not sure the law for returning old parts, but since I specifically said 'don't just replace the bar and chain' I'm telling them to give me my (perfectly good) used parts back. Lesson learned!

SF- Go get "em. $150 for what they did, and ignored your instructions! That's flat out stealing from you on both counts.

I've learned my lesson about paying someone else for stuff that is less work than driving to and from the shop. Sounds like you're lesson cost $150 + your old bar and chain.

I think you can probably adjust the rate of oiling, and it sounds like the shop adjusted the rate much higher. Do a little research in the manual and adjust it back if you'd like.

 

[VirginiaIron]

... but since I specifically said 'don't just replace the bar and chain' I'm telling them to give me my (perfectly good) used parts back. Lesson learned!

Please read this post knowing that it is written in the gentlest of tone , thank you. I do not think you communicated your desires correctly. Unspoken desires or wants or needs always creates relational problems, hard feelings, disappointments, and fights. At least according to your post they did exactly what you asked them. They went ahead and did something additional, which was necessary, to your saw, they cleaned your oil pump. You never said to return your old parts. If your bar was pinched or bent in some way or w o r n incorrectly in another way, they thought it wasn't worth the labor to repair or could not repair it, so they just replaced it. Imo, you gave them the go ahead to do anything the saw needed, or management wanted, including clutch, crank bearing, piston, etc. Now, depending on your past relationship with the shop they would know whether you typically wanted your old parts returned or if it was alright to throw them out. If it was your first or second time there they should have asked you if you wanted the part returned.

 

[VirginiaIron]

People usually get what they ask for, but many times, due to unspoken desires, they do not get what they want.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Please read this post knowing that it is written in the gentlest of tone , thank you. I do not think you communicated your desires correctly. Unspoken desires or wants or needs always creates relational problems, hard feelings, disappointments, and fights. At least according to your post they did exactly what you asked them. They went ahead and did something additional, which was necessary, to your saw, they cleaned your oil pump. You never said to return your old parts. If your bar was pinched or bent in some way or w o r n incorrectly in another way, they thought it wasn't worth the labor to repair or could not repair it, so they just replaced it. Imo, you gave them the go ahead to do anything the saw needed, or management wanted, including clutch, crank bearing, piston, etc. Now, depending on your past relationship with the shop they would know whether you typically wanted your old parts returned or if it was alright to throw them out. If it was your first or second time there they should have asked you if you wanted the part returned.

Yep, now that I read the op, I see this. They heard clearly, replace the bar and chain, and also do additional stuff. Unfortunate miscommunication. $150 still seems awfully high for a 10 minute job.

 

[BlankBlankBlank]

When I read the OP's post, I think he told them that he has a potential problem with overheating but "not just replace the bar and chain, because...[he]...could do that." In other words, what else is causing the problem other than the bar/chain?

The best thing to do in my opinion is to get very knowledgable and skilled with repairing and maintaining the equipment. Doing so puts one in better touch with how to use the equipment, as well as, it's cheaper.

 

[Sodbuster]

Hell, for $150 he could have replaced the bar, chain, oiler assembly, cleaned the oil system, and still been money ahead. Do your own work, only bring it in if you, and all your friends are truly stumped. My daughter works for a Stihl dealer, and it's a crap shoot regarding the quality of the tech you get working on your saw. I could be a tech if the answer was to throw parts at the problem.

 

[Woody5506]

I had this issue over summer, bar was getting so hot it would start smoking. For me it was a combination of a semi plugged oiler (I use a file tip cleaner to unplug it) worn out bar (would NOT make a straight cut no matter what way the bar was flipped) and probably too tight of a chain. New bar & chain run looser solved the problem.

 

[Ashful]

Check p.27 of the linked manual. Oiler adjustment. Sounds like they cranked yours up, which is fine, as long as you never run out of oil before fuel. Rule of thumb, you should go thru nearly a full tank of bar oil per tank of fuel for maximum rated bar size, less if you’re running a smaller bar.

https://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/2b/2b1b10f1-efbe-4b10-a707-2d2d1c98395a.pdf

 

[Sodbuster]

Check p.27 of the linked manual. Oiler adjustment. Sounds like they cranked yours up, which is fine, as long as you never run out of oil before fuel. Rule of thumb, you should go thru nearly a full tank of bar oil per tank of fuel for maximum rated bar size, less if you’re running a smaller bar.

https://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/2b/2b1b10f1-efbe-4b10-a707-2d2d1c98395a.pdf

Was in Rural King today, (not my normal Stihl dealer) and the kid tried to sell me on Stihl's new silver jug synthetic bar oil, at the tune of 15.99 per gallon. . No thanks, I think I'll stick with the regular cold weather stuff.

 

[BlankBlankBlank]

Was in Rural King today, (not my normal Stihl dealer) and the kid tried to sell me on Stihl's new silver jug synthetic bar oil, at the tune of 15.99 per gallon. . No thanks, I think I'll stick with the regular cold weather stuff.

How come it's so easy for them sales folk to spend your money?

 

[Sodbuster]

Very true, I can appreciate using the biodegradable oil especially when I'm cutting on a fairly concentrated area of my land, but I can buy cooking oil cheaper than that. Daughter tells me that they sell the heck of of the stuff mostly to commercial cutters who don't have to worry about a dollar here or there, or may be required to use it on certain jobs or for certain companies.