Squirt some oil in the spark plug hole. fresh gas, keep pullin till starts
Starting up an old chainsaw.....
- Thread starter AdmiralYoda
- Start date
When you do fuel it up use some no Ethanol fuel. It tends to not gunk up fuel system after sitting out a season. I rebuilt the entire fuel system on my Polan. Starts on the first pull everytime.
Big Box chainsaws are never properly set up and are a problem until you set them up yourself. You buy something like a Stihl from a dealer and they are good to go. Now that Stihl is sold at places like Home Depot and Ace Hardware I imagine the same problems.
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2022
- Messages
- 591
Clever. Bet that could rescue some equipment nicely.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2005
- Messages
- 10,252
Home Depot doesn't sell Stihl, and Ace Hardware sets up Stihl chainsaws & other Stihl OPE for their customers prior to the customer leaving the store (with rare exceptions).
I would not trust our Ace to set it up and if they did I would rather do it myself. Probably cheaper at a proper dealer. Wonder if the ones at ace are exactly the same as the ones a dealer sells.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2005
- Messages
- 10,252
ACE is a Stihl dealer, and a Stihl chainsaw is a Stihl chainsaw regardless of the dealer that sells it.
So how did you make out with your saw. No updates?
That's what a lot of people do, not only on here but by default in real life. They ask about something, you advise them with the best you know, and then they never give you any updates on their issue.
Does Ace prepare them at the store location or at a distribution center? If at the store that could be iffy.
That said, I would get one if I needed it for work. Too expensive compared to my Poulan which has given me great service for occasional use one I set it up correctly.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2005
- Messages
- 10,252
I havent purchased one from ACE, and can't give a first hand account. From what I've read online, the local ACE store installs the bar and chain, fills the saw with fuel and bar oil, and does a test start and a demonstration of the saw for the customer. I will admit that unless they were running some great sale on Stihl at ACE, they wouldn't be my first choice for where to buy. I have a Farmer's Co-op and a John Deere dealer in my town that are both authorized Stihl dealers. My town doesn't have an ACE.
OP, a previous coworker gave me the exact same saw about seven years ago because he said he was tired of trying to get it to run. He isn’t known for his ability to properly care for his stuff so I said sure. Come to find out, it wouldn’t start because the fuel line was completely dry rotted. New fuel line and she’s ripping.
Most big box places don't "set-up" a chainsaw, rather, put them together (bar/chain), keep it at factory settings (most often on the rich end for high side) and let it eat. Most home consumers don't even know the benefits of tuning the carb after break-in anyway and manufacturers know this, keeping it simple right out of the box. Most saws are sent out to run well for most customers and not blow up running too lean without adjustment (and probably for the rest of the machine's life). Thats why big box sells so many. It's the service after the sale that makes the biggest difference to those that know and appreciate it.
More often than not, Harry Homeowner will leave E10 premixed fuel in his chainsaw after cutting a few limbs, then put it away for a year without doing anything to it. Then wonder why it doesn't start when he/she grabs it for some more limbs the next spring. Most don't even know what high and low screws are for, much less how to tune a saw to run properly by adjusting them.
More often than not, Harry Homeowner will leave E10 premixed fuel in his chainsaw after cutting a few limbs, then put it away for a year without doing anything to it. Then wonder why it doesn't start when he/she grabs it for some more limbs the next spring. Most don't even know what high and low screws are for, much less how to tune a saw to run properly by adjusting them.
That's not a real set up. The carburetor needs to be fine tuned. That's why the ones from big box are so poor. My Poulan ran poorly until I learned how to tune the carburetor. That takes some fiddling until you get it right. Runs great now. BTW all the brands including Stihl are made with chinese parts and are assembled in 3rd world places.
10 years ago, I bout my Husky 445 from an authorized dealer, they set it up, tuned it and did test cuts. To this day, it still rips great!
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2005
- Messages
- 10,252
I agree. Since I am not 100% certain what all ACE does before handing the saw to the customer, the only way to know for sure would be to visit a local ACE and inquire. I imagine each store is a different experience.
Had a former co-worker go to work for the local ACE. Every saw they sold were put together, started and run til hot. The customer was given a tutorial and shown how to start the saw, then they would have to do it themselves before the saw left the store. Then the customer was instructed to bring it back after 5 tankfuls of gas to have the carb tuned. They were so adamant about doing this they told customers it would void the warranty if they didn't bring it back in. Everyone did. Pretty high level of service that none of the other ACEs around would do. I liked the place and shopped there from time to time.
At least it's not a Poulan chainsaw. You keep pulling and pulling and pulling until it starts. If it doesn't start with all the previous mentioned methods go with a new carb from Amazon or E-bay. Oh shoot this is from September he probably has it running or in the junk pile by now hahaha.
Partial clam shell type saw. plastic case. 42mm piston same as 346xp. they run fine if no vacuum leaks. Tune carb to 4-stroke on top end. Replace fuel line and filter, bet it runs.
Poulan Countervibe 55cc saw, all mag case, manual and auto oiler. slower, torquey, pretty bulletproof. No chainbrake.
