Wireless Chainsaw Tach?

[Turbo89]

Does anyone use a wireless chainsaw tach to tune their chainsaw? There’s a bunch on Amazon that say “wireless” but actually have a wire you wrap around the plug wire.

Does anyone have experience with those type or other types that are better? Looking for a low cost option that folks here have experience with.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Does anyone use a wireless chainsaw tach to tune their chainsaw? There’s a bunch on Amazon that say “wireless” but actually have a wire you wrap around the plug wire.

Does anyone have experience with those type or other types that are better? Looking for a low cost option that folks here have experience with.

https://www.amazon.ca/AGPtek%C2%AE-Professional-Digital-Tachometer-Contact/dp/B004Q8L894/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2POTG0KU0I7WS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TnPMnhErDZzSZaxYtcl86LSyq8mghkpikhhMMPa0Fon1eI9dMel23NWyuKwqYwxpRtuOM8IUHqz19pRqd8__fwuKHXgL6tk2y6ZlLiPR04ibodowQf_czKtU2d5eQKX7t_Fh4l-pbQ5p2rSORjIqUDYF24apcTCzyrHau0ghyEArRMEjPkaMh0RcYr2MBGwWVHLuDxQz6eUk3Go6G9mhkAb6swSLaqzRqAwjwIIJ5-FMpU0U8tqQMx_aiHs5BDpmTs56E_x47qA8IQhnyvy4-vOckDpM4x_WNUdHOJRoSJo.TL7h73MnKnx-yS-9pmmPIJ0lASCXQm_TdbCDGW6jyz0&dib_tag=se&keywords=non%2Bcontact%2Bdigital%2Btachometer%2Bsmall%2Bengine&qid=1745873386&sprefix=small%2Bengine%2Bta%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

AGPtek® Professional Digital Laser Photo Tachometer Non Contact RPM Tach​

Based on Amazon this one looks good. I guess you point it at the clutch? I've never done any serious tuning. We used to go by ear. Now all the carbs are made for EPA, or something, and you need "special" tools as you are "not allowed" to modify the emissions.

 

[Highbeam]

Does anyone use a wireless chainsaw tach to tune their chainsaw? There’s a bunch on Amazon that say “wireless” but actually have a wire you wrap around the plug wire.

Does anyone have experience with those type or other types that are better? Looking for a low cost option that folks here have experience with.

So here's the thing, even though the tachs have a wire that can be wrapped around the spark plug wire you don't have to do it. The pulse from the wire is enough for the tach to read without doing that so long as your kinda close to the spark plug. On a chainsaw you can hold it really close and get a solid read.

Yes, I use a "wired" cheap tach wirelessly to tune my saw. Just to set the no load max RPM and tune the high jet.

 

[John Mc]

First thing to note: many saws require special screwdrivers with unusually shaped blades to adjust the mixture, and there are several different designs used by different manufacturers. (The idea here is that the EPA doesn't want "Joe chainsaw owner" adjusting his own saw.) A lot of chainsaw dealers will not sell these drivers (they may not be allowed to either by the saw manufacturer or due to EPA regs?) You can find them on eBay and probably on Amazon as well.

There are two things you need in a tach used on chainsaws: one with a fast response time and which also will read high enough RPMs to cover the speed of a chainsaw. (Some of the cheaper ones intended for lawnmower or log splitter engines max out WELL below the speed of a chainsaw.)

Here is the tach I bought years ago which works well with chainsaws. It's recommended by a lot of the chainsaw repair guys I know. It's not cheap, but it does have a quick response time and handles the high RPMs. IT does have a wire you can plug in and wrap around a spark plug wire, but it also works without that if you can get it close to the spark plug (which is simple to do on a chainsaw).

Hand Held TT-20K Small Engine Tachometer

Wireless Tachometer perfect for small equipment. The TT20K Tach has proven to be a reliable tach but we include a one year Warranty for your confidence that you are purchasing a quality product.

www.amickssuperstore.com

There are other brands with a similar 1/2 second response time and ability to measure the high RPMs, but I've seen too many bad reviews on many of them to recommend them.

I would not use one that requires painting reflective marks such as the one recommended by Whiteknuckler, since that would involve running the saw at speed with the clutch cover removed. Since on many saws the clutch cover also holds the bar and chain in place, this causes a real problem. (Bar nuts on some designs might hold the bar without the cover, but still not something I'd want to mess with.)

Note that many modern chainsaws have rev-limited ignition coils, so the saw wont go above a certain RPM regardless of how you tune it. This can fool the unwary into thinking they have it set right, when in fact they are too lean.
It's also quite possible to tune a chainsaw by ear. Once you develop the ear for it, a lot of saw pros prefer it to using a tach. When I was first learning, I would try it by ear, and then verify what I got with the tach.

Here is one of the better YouTube videos I've found describing the process of tuning by ear:

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[Turbo89]

Thanks for all the tips! I’m running clone saws (Wemar, Farmac), so I’d be surprised if they had any EPA anti-tamper devices.

Thanks for the tuning video, I’ll watch that too. I’m reasonably convinced the saw I want to tune is running rich, but I haven’t pulled the plug the check.