Stihl won't start

[gbsk]

I have a Stihl MS290 chainsaw that a friend gave me. I am having a lot of trouble starting it. 3 chainsaw mechanics said it was fine. I live in Alaska and it does not get very hot here. Now the highs might be in the 50s. Otherwise I tried to start it this way.

What I do is grab the handle, be sure to depress the safety switch on the top of the handle. Then I grab the trigger and push the vertical selector switch(stihl calls this the master control switch) on the saw, down to the bottom (fully choked) if it is cold. If it is warm move the selector switch up one position. Put the saw on the ground with your foot in the trigger handle. Put your left hand on the wrap handle and your right hand on the starter rope. Pull the starter rope slowly until you feel it engage. Then once you hear a pop, if you had a full choke move the selector switch up one notch. And keep cranking until the saw starts.

Why and how can I get this to start?

Maybe it is just me. My son had a friend over who said he did lots of chainsaw work. I asked about mine. We went outside and I started it on 2 tries so the guy could not comment on it. I have tried to start it every day for at least the next 3 days and can't start it. It does seem to pull hard. I am not that big at 140 lbs. but don't think I am that weak. Yesterday, I tried and it farted on the choke so I put it up a notch and pulled at least 20 times and nothing. At the end, it got much harder to pull and it was the saw and not that I was tired. I tried it again today. It started pretty easy. However, a bout 5 min. it, it conked out and would not start even though it "puttered". I did not choke it either. Am I pulling it wrong or not choking it right?

Thanks

 

[zrock]

fully choked until it farts or tries to start, move switch up 1 position and start, once it gets started as soon as you pull the trigger is will pop the switch up to choke off. Keep your finger or foot off the throttle until you get it started. Sounds like you are flooding it out.. My sthil always starts within 5 pulls usually 2 or 3...
If you flood it let it sit for a bit or pull the plug and give it a few pulls to clear out the fuel.

 

[DodgyNomad]

Sounds like the correct procedure. Some saws are hard starters, and some flood easily. If it's pulling hard, might have too much fuel in the motor.(flooded) If it doesn't start right away, pull the spark plug and tip the saw upside if you can and pull it a bunch of times with the saw off to clear the fuel. Blow off the spark plug as well if you can with air, and try again. My little Stihl was finicky about flooding. If I choked it, and it didn't pop by the 3rd or 4th pull, it was in jeopardy of flooding. For me, usually pulling the plug and blowing it off as well as pulling the motor over a handful of times usually would clear it out.

Another technique I like is wedging the saw between my thighs to start it instead of on the ground. Apply the brake, hold the saw top handle in your left hand at the curved area, and put the back of the saw handle between your things below your crotch, and pull start it from there. I find that position a lot easier for me than leaning over to the ground and pulling. Called the leg lock start. Good luck.

 

[salecker]

Where in Alaska are you?

 

[DodgyNomad]

and put the back of the saw handle between your THIGHS below your crotch.... NOT THINGS....LOL

 

[zrock]

Well that a good way to loose something important if it binds up on a compression stroke and you pull the whole saw up.. Sure your brake is functioning properly? Out of the 2 saws i have owned and the one i use at work i have never been ever to start with the brake on.

 

[DodgyNomad]

Well that a good way to loose something important if it binds up on a compression stroke and you pull the whole saw up.. Sure your brake is functioning properly? Out of the 2 saws i have owned and the one i use at work i have never been ever to start with the brake on.

I'm 6'4", and the bending over on larger saws is a pain for me. I always start my saws using a leg lock with the brake on. Just be quick on blipping the throttle off of high speed to idle when it fires. Much easier for me this way.

 

[Dataman]

I'm 6'4", and the bending over on larger saws is a pain for me. I always start my saws using a leg lock with the brake on. Just be quick on blipping the throttle off of high speed to idle when it fires. Much easier for me this way.

My Husky starts on 3rd pull everytime. 2 with Choke and third one without. Rocking and Rolling after that. Shame it's so much heaver than my Echo saw. That one is workout. I hope you can get it starting lots easier. Can it be brought inside to warm up without DANGER. Fumes and such?

 

[DodgyNomad]

My next suggestion would be putting a tune on his Stihl. If he confirms it's flooding out, might have the low adjustment set too high. If it's not flooding, and is lean, then you might have it turned too low. Next time you get it running, look online how to tune a chainsaw. Easy to do, just make tiny adjustments, and pay attention and note your starting positions.

 

[blacktail]

I'm 6'4", and the bending over on larger saws is a pain for me. I always start my saws using a leg lock with the brake on. Just be quick on blipping the throttle off of high speed to idle when it fires. Much easier for me this way.

Me too. I always start my saw with the rear handle between my knees.

Sent from my moto e5 plus using Tapatalk

 

[zrock]

I'm 6.2 and never bend over to start. Hold the cross bar and pull... bigger saw depending oh how long of a day it is I'll rest the chain on a log until it farts then just hold the handle after that

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

 

[dougand3]

After you've pulled rope 20x or saw runs runs for 5 mins and conks out - pull plug. Real Wet? - flooding. Real Dry? - lack of fuel delivery.
May need carb tune, clean carb, replace diaphragms, fuel line may be kinked or have hole, fuel pickup partially clogged.

While plug is out, re-insert in boot and ground on cyl fins. Pull rope and look for good spark.

Also, with any marginally running saw, compression needs a look. Pull muffler and examine piston & ring for scoring.

 

[Zack R]

Here's what I'd try:

1. Fresh fuel mix, drain out the old stuff, go with ethanol free gasoline if available.
2. New spark plug, I was amazed how well the E3 spark plug worked in my previously hard to start saw.
3. Check/replace the fuel filter.
4. Check/replace air filter.
5. Clean out spark arrestor with propane torch (after removing from the saw).
6. Once running and warmed up check/adjust carburetor (idle, high and low screws - whole separate topic).


Whenever my saws were hard to start it was because something was wrong, not just because it was a "hard to start" saw. As others have said within a few pulls it should "pop" while choked. Click the choke a notch up to half then try again, it should start running after a pull or two but will rev up and run rich. Sometimes I lift up the saw off the ground, click off the chain brake and let it run like that for a few seconds then hit the throttle a bit which will fully open the choke and let it go back to idle.

Not sure what others do but I let the saw warm up a minute or so by holding it at a medium RPM before cutting begins. During this time the rich running goes away and the exhaust is a lot less smoky. Always engage the chain brake when walking around or setting it back on the ground.

Good luck!

 

[cjgoode]

When you say its warm you do not use the choke. Are you talking about the outside air or the chainsaw. If the chainsaw was not running recenty and the engine warned up, you need to choke it for the first pull or two till it sputters. Even if its 90 degrees outside you need to choke it first.

When it does run, how does it run? You can pull the exhaust off the front and look at the piston and cylinder walls and see if they are scored, and also check the compression. If it has low compression it will be hard to start. Mine has always started on two pulls. 1 pull while fully chocked and it sputters, then second pull with no choke and it starts. I had a fuel line go bad and suck air and caused it to run lean and my son burned up the motor in a few minutes. Hence how I know about looking in the exhaust port now to see if its ruined. Got a new after market cylinder head and piston for $90 installed that and now it runs better then ever. Its odd you cannot start it easily if its truly in good shape, that is one of the things Stihl is known for, easy starting.