Should my new Husky smoke this much???

[WestVirginian]

Hi everyone--

Just got a new Husky 340 (my first chainsaw, so a true newbie). I'm very happy with the saw. But when I first start it, it smokes pretty heavily for a minute or two. Enough to make me wonder if something is wrong.

Is this normal? And if it isn't normal, what can I do about it?

Thanks for any guidance. Ian

 

[Eric Johnson]

Smoke on start-up is not uncommon with 2-cycle engines, since there's oil in the gas. I would expect a new saw to smoke a little more than it will when it is broken in. Hard to know what you consider a lot of smoke. I would say that in general, if it only smokes when cold and runs fine when it heats up, it should be nothing to worry about.

If you bought the saw from a dealer, then the carburator should have been adjusted before you got it. If you're not happy with the way it runs, take it back and ask them to check it out. If you got the saw from a large retail harware chain, on the other hand, then it may need adjustment. Not much you can do in that case except go to a dealer, hat in hand, and pay them to adjust the carb. Just so you know, they won't be thrilled about being asked to fix a saw they didn't sell.

Good luck in any event, with your new saw.

 

[Sandor]

Did you or the dealer add extra oil to the mix for breakin purposes? Are you completely disengaging the choke? If neither one of these, then I agree with Eric J, you need a carb adjustment. The directions to do so should be in your owners manual.

My Stihl and Echo emit virtually no smoke on startup.

 

[CountryBoy]

I just bought the same model Husky and mine doesn't smoke anymore than my earlier saws (jonsered, Mac 1010) did, just on startup. It may need a carb adjustment. I love the saw BTW.

CB
Fellow West Virginian stuck in southern OH

 

[babalu87]

Rich is better than lean

 

[Sandor]

Correct is better than incorrect.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Well, you're both right.

Your carb should always be a little on the rich side for the sake of lubrication.

Don't try to make the adjustment yourself unless you know what you're doing, because screwing up the mix could destroy your engine.

Saw dealers have tachs that tell them exactly how to set the mix. The Big Box stores wouldn't know how to use a tach if they had one, which they don't.

BTW, I shop at Home Depot and Lowe's all the time, but not for chainsaws or saw accessories.

 

[Sandor]

For future reference, Madsens has audio clips with chain saws running wide open and at idle to give you a reference of what it should sound like with a properly adjusted carb. fwiw.

Your right babalu, a lean condition on a two stroke is death.

 

[wingnut]

I have been using the synthetic oil in my Husky for the last 3 years. works great and no smoke. The nice thing about the synthetic oil is you can have just one can with one mix for all of your 2cycles I used to have a can for each tool chain saw, weed wipe blower, and even a lawn mower. now one can does it all.

 

[MALogger]

Great Forum!

Just to add my 2 cents. When you buy a new saw your dealer sets the saw a little richer than normal for the break in period and you are supposed to bring it back after the break in to have it set to max rpm.

As Eric said a Tach is the way to Go!

Craig