saw maintenance...

[par0thead151]

so my sthil saw is going to be 2 seasons old after this year is done.
i would like my investment in this saw to last as long as possible. what are some things i can do to promote a longer life for the saw?
i keep it clean, and always have oil for the bar/chain and even add a little extra to the gas, as i figure it is the only source of oil for the engine, so i add a 1 of the sthil oil treatment for 2 gallons of gas + 20% of another one.
i only use sthil products, be it chain lube or oil to mix with the gas.

what else can i do?

 

[bogydave]

You probably already do this :
Flip the bar over every now & then.
Check for burrs on the bar, file down if needed.

Should last many years

 

[par0thead151]

You probably already do this :
Flip the bar over every now & then.
Check for burrs on the bar, file down if needed.

Should last many years

well i dont file it down, but i have not noticed any burs (just hcecked)
i will check more often now though.

I did notice that the bar looks ot have a heat treat mark on it or discoloration around the area where the chain spins. i have never noticed the chain to get excessively hot though.
is this normal?

 

[ddug]

You probably already do this too, but keep the filter clean and replace when necessary. I think keeping the saw clean is good practice as well as it minimizes abrasive wear. Keep your chain sharp and the saw will not work as hard.

Not sure about over mixing the oil but it probably would do no harm.

 

[par0thead151]

You probably already do this too, but keep the filter clean and replace when necessary. I think keeping the saw clean is good practice as well as it minimizes abrasive wear. Keep your chain sharp and the saw will not work as hard.

Not sure about over mixing the oil but it probably would do no harm.

i make sure dust is off of my filter whenever i have the cover off.
how do i know when it needs replacing?

 

[ddug]

i make sure dust is off of my filter whenever i have the cover off.
how do i know when it needs replacing?

not really sure, probably depends on how dirty the wood you're cutting is. Better safe than sorry though, I'm no expert but it seems that contaminates entering the cylinder would be the # 1 cause of engine wear.

Mine comes apart so you can clean the inside, I hit it real good with compressed air.

 

[JustWood]

#1 way to make your chainsaw last forever!
Tap out your air filter EVERY HALF CORD of firewood! No exceptions.
Think of your chainsaw as YOU having a cold and a stuffed nose. No energy without oxygen.

 

[Naandme]

The best thing you can do to ensure the life of the motor is keep the air filter clean and replace it when its not possible to clean or any small holes appear in it. As far as over mixing the oil it will make the saw run rich and one side effect is fouled plugs and even some power loss, 50:1 is the recommened amount for safe operation and proper lubicration.

 

[CTYank]

The best thing you can do to ensure the life of the motor is keep the air filter clean and replace it when its not possible to clean or any small holes appear in it. As far as over mixing the oil it will make the saw run rich and one side effect is fouled plugs and even some power loss, 50:1 is the recommened amount for safe operation and proper lubicration.

What he said about the filter and the oil ratio. This is a case of "less is more." Re the filter, it doesn't take much sawdust getting in to have effect on piston.

And, maybe once or twice a season, remove all covers and use compressed air to blow off all the fins, and remove loose crud sitting on engine parts. A/r brush off the fins and blow again. (You may need to find a friend with a compressor. Use goggles, with all the crap that'll fly.)

 

[TreePointer]

I also agree with the 50:1 ratio for modern 2-cycle oils.

If you want to take the guess work out of it, use a full synthetic 2-cycle oil from a chainsaw maker (Stihl, Husqvarna, at al.) with quality higher octane gasoline, and your saws will run great for a long time.

 

[Dingeryote]

CTyank pretty much nailed it.

Not bashing on Stihl saws, as I have owned several over the years, but it is a good practice to stay ahead of the filter clogging.Especially with the flocked filters.

Every time you stop cutting to refuel, just pop the filter and tap the bigger chunks off. Takes about 30 seconds.
While you're doing that, eyeball the carby intake and look for fine dust. If there is fine dust getting past the filter, you're gonna chew a piston.
I the shop and when you're cleaning up, hold the filter up to daylight and see how bad it's clogged. If you have any doubts, replace it. The fines clog up flocked filters, and at a certain point there is no cleaning 'em any more.Resist blasting with the air hose and high pressure, as you don't wish to create an unseen tear. Hold the nozzle back about a foot.

There is no advantage to running richer than 50:1 with quality 2-cycle oil in modern Stihl saws, and especially if you are running the Stihl Ultra synthetic.
There is however an increased likelyhood of excess carbon build up on the piston crown flaking loose and scoring a cylinder or catching a ring...plus the issue of spark screens getting clogged.
It feels better adding a smidge more, but it's false comfort. 50:1 is what the Lab coat wearing engineers came up with to support the Warranty, if more oil made the likelyhood of failure more remote, they would have reccomended it.

One thing nobody has mentioned. Clutch bearings need love now and then. Just a peas sized blob of grease worked into them every dozen hours or so and a look over will do.
They do go bad now and then, but only when you forget about them. Keep an eye on them now and then, and they never go bad.LOL!!

Keep the bar groove and oil passage clean, and run sharp chain and the thing will last forever...or untill a back leaner spits a wedge and chomps it.
That blue on the bar you're seeing is from the heat treating done to harden the rails. It's normal on Stihl Bars.

 

[HittinSteel]

Dinger, what do you think about adding a little extra oil, like 45:1 when running seperate fuel stabilizer like seafoam? I usually mix .9 gallon of 93 gas (with ethanol) to the one gallon mix of stihl synthetic and add a capful of seafoam. No carbon buildup whatsoever after about 25 tanks through the 260.

Only other thing I'd mention is be careful when cleaning the air filter as others have said. I prefer to hit the saw with compressed air all around the filter area BEFORE removing the filter, otherwise you risk letting some sawdust into the carb venturi area.

Also, if you have only gas with ethanol available, I don't use mix that's older than 60 days.

 

[par0thead151]

I also agree with the 50:1 ratio for with modern 2-cycle oils.

If you want to take the guess work out of it, use a full synthetic 2-cycle oil from a chainsaw maker (Stihl, Husqvarna, at al.) with quality higher octane gasoline, and your saws will run great for a long time.

i have access to 100 octane aviation fuel. would this be a good choice to run in the saw? it is leaded gas though.
i just bought the stihl synthetic oil when i went to get my chain sharpened today.

 

[smokinj]

#1 way to make your chainsaw last forever!
Tap out your air filter EVERY HALF CORD of firewood! No exceptions.
Think of your chainsaw as YOU having a cold and a stuffed nose. No energy without oxygen.

+100 You show up with a dirty saw and your a dirty_ _ _!

 

[TreePointer]

i have access to 100 octane aviation fuel. would this be a good choice to run in the saw? it is leaded gas though.
i just bought the stihl synthetic oil when i went to get my chain sharpened today.

Aviation fuel is not necessary. If you do use it, you'll need to re-tune your carb.

I just use the highest octane available (93) in my area and Stihl Ultra at 50:1. No problems.

 

[charly]

MY Stihl MS360 is 9 years old and zero problems. Cut over 100+ cords. I run amsoil synthetic 50-1 mix, a little seafoam in the fuel mix and zero problems. Premium fuel. Has all the original carb parts and fuel lines. Also have a small parts washer brush or paint brush , I quick brush both fuel and bar oil caps before filling each time, keeps the crap out. As said with the oil mix, less is more. Too much oil creates carbon build up and stuck piston ring or rings. And the main thing.....use the saw :lol:

 

[Dingeryote]

Dinger, what do you think about adding a little extra oil, like 45:1 when running seperate fuel stabilizer like seafoam? I usually mix .9 gallon of 93 gas (with ethanol) to the one gallon mix of stihl synthetic and add a capful of seafoam. No carbon buildup whatsoever after about 25 tanks through the 260.

Only other thing I'd mention is be careful when cleaning the air filter as others have said. I prefer to hit the saw with compressed air all around the filter area BEFORE removing the filter, otherwise you risk letting some sawdust into the carb venturi area.

Also, if you have only gas with ethanol available, I don't use mix that's older than 60 days.

LOL!!
Good ta see ya here.

I dunno about sea foam in a saw. The detergents in good gas, and the stabilizers in good 2 cycle seem to work just fine in keeping the Carbon down, as long as the saw is tuned Correctly and the filter is kept clean. Then again after 2-3 weeks I dump the 2 cycle fuel in the can used for the Splitter/snow thrower and drainage pumps because I don't trust the Ethanol, and no additive will correct the crap or keep it from sucking water.

What, if any, effect the sea foam will have on the 2 cycle oil is beyond me and would be a good question for the folks at Stihl.

 

[charly]

Dinger, what do you think about adding a little extra oil, like 45:1 when running seperate fuel stabilizer like seafoam? I usually mix .9 gallon of 93 gas (with ethanol) to the one gallon mix of stihl synthetic and add a capful of seafoam. No carbon buildup whatsoever after about 25 tanks through the 260.

Only other thing I'd mention is be careful when cleaning the air filter as others have said. I prefer to hit the saw with compressed air all around the filter area BEFORE removing the filter, otherwise you risk letting some sawdust into the carb venturi area.

Also, if you have only gas with ethanol available, I don't use mix that's older than 60 days.

LOL!!
Good ta see ya here.

I dunno about sea foam in a saw. The detergents in good gas, and the stabilizers in good 2 cycle seem to work just fine in keeping the Carbon down, as long as the saw is tuned Correctly and the filter is kept clean. Then again after 2-3 weeks I dump the 2 cycle fuel in the can used for the Splitter/snow thrower and drainage pumps because I don't trust the Ethanol, and no additive will correct the crap or keep it from sucking water.

What, if any, effect the sea foam will have on the 2 cycle oil is beyond me and would be a good question for the folks at Stihl.

I can say after four years of running seafoam and amsoil 2 stroke oil, I took the muffler cover off and could see right thru the spark arrestor screen, and also pulled the motor over to see clean rings and no carbon build up. Seafoam will keep gas good for a year. StarTron is for ethanol fuel problems and states it gives gas or diesel a 2 year plus shelf life right on the bottle. I've never tossed any fuel and never had any fuel related problems. I was cutting 10 cords of wood every year.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I am now also a believer in Sea Foam, it fixed one of my saws. Another littler trick is to get a metal can to hold your gas. I have a 5 gallon and a 1 gallon. I was told that gas that sits in plastic for a long time will have some ill effects on the gas as it can break down the plastic. It is getting tough to find metal gas cans and they are not cheap. I bought a couple of used ones on Ebay. Keep the chain sharp and do not mix at the wrong ratio, probably doing more harm than good.