where do you draw the line with saw perfection, and maintenance?

[NORMZILLA44]

In my twenty three years of saw's, and cutting I have spent countless hours, maintaining saw's. Anything from grooming to filing, clean bar groove's rails, air filters. Almost feel like a perfectionist, because if they are not right, or running I loose sleep. None of mine sit on a shelf at least not my runner's, my daily saw's. I definately have a love for my saw's, and get attached to them. I am not afraid to, and do use them but never abuse. Just wondering the fine line of being overboard, or being practical. I almost cant walk away until I get them right, even if it comes down to one cutter tooth on a chain.

 

[TK]

If you use a saw for something other than cookies, it just plain has to work. If you can't go cut cookies, no big deal. If you've got a tree to clean up or firewood to cut, there's nothing worse than a saw that just doesn't run right, can't be counted on as reliable, or is dull. Keeping them clean and in perfect tune is essential for a long life to get your money's worth out of them.

If you break out the q-tips everytime you use the saw, then I'd say it's a tad overboard!

 

[REJ2]

Lets just say, if I was going to buy a used saw, i'd like to buy it from myself! I like mine clean also.

 

[Gologit]

Waxing your saws, applying ArmorAll, using Qtips and tweezers to remove every speck of dirt, and letting them ride in the front seat is obsessive behavior...anything else is just good maintenance.

 

[blsnelling]

When I first get a saw, I like to go through it completely. That way I know what I've got. After that, I blow them off after each use, but not much more. In preparation for a GTG, I'll often give them a better cleaning. No, they don't always look that nice, well, not my work saws anyway. I remember one guy on here takes his apart after each use and cleans it with a toothbrush. That's over the top, IMHO

 

[sachsmo]

As long as they run good, I could give a crap how they look.

But I am guilty of embellishing some of them.

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

My saws get a general wipe down, air filter gets cleaned and the chain gets a good spray of WD40,
I take good care of them, but they are tools.

 

[roostersgt]

I guess I'm one of the "overboard" guys. I clean everything I own all the time. Log splitter, car, fishing equipment, firearms etc.... after each use. One good thing about being a little obsessive is my equipment seldom fails me. I like my old stuff looking like new.

 

[STIHLTHEDEERE]

I would definately fall under the overboard sort of guy. In the winter we do most of our cutting all day sat., and then on sunday i go over everything, pull covers,clutch drum, and anything else that comes off quickly. Everything is blown off and wiped down. I have got several 10+ yr old saws that look like new. If i ever sell one, i have no trouble getting top dollar for it. I have a small fortune wrapped up in saws, so i do take very good care of them.

 

[craig71]

I see nothing obsessive or over the top about wanting to keep ones "tool" clean. It is ok to maintain it and keep it in good working order. It is something to be proud of.

 

[wyk]

Waxing your saws, applying ArmorAll, using Qtips and tweezers to remove every speck of dirt, and letting them ride in the front seat is obsessive behavior...anything else is just good maintenance.

Oftentimes I run my saws all day long and only add oil and fuel and a file. I have gone several 8 hour days cutting in the forest without so much as brushing the dust off, let alone using a q-tip on it. If my filter is clean, my chain is sharp and oiled, and the carb and fuel are cooperating, and it's cutting straight, then I am good to go. It's not a classic car, it's a chainsaw.

 

[mountainlake]

Oftentimes I run my saws all day long and only add oil and fuel and a file. I have gone several 8 hour days cutting in the forest without so much as brushing the dust off, let alone using a q-tip on it. If my filter is clean, my chain is sharp and oiled, and the carb and fuel are cooperating, and it's cutting straight, then I am good to go. It's not a classic car, it's a chainsaw.

I agee, so long as it runs good I'm not going to take the saw half apart to clean, don't have time here. Blow it off when the bar is off and keep the fins mostly clean. Steve

 

[SPDRMNKY]

I want my stuff to work right every time I use it...so I maintain accordingly...

I look at it as saving myself from future frustration...and I'm not one to ride the edge of "just enough" maintenance

I even don't mind q-tips sometimes

 

[lone wolf]

In my twenty three years of saw's, and cutting I have spent countless hours, maintaining saw's. Anything from grooming to filing, clean bar groove's rails, air filters. Almost feel like a perfectionist, because if they are not right, or running I loose sleep. None of mine sit on a shelf at least not my runner's, my daily saw's. I definately have a love for my saw's, and get attached to them. I am not afraid to, and do use them but never abuse. Just wondering the fine line of being overboard, or being practical. I almost cant walk away until I get them right, even if it comes down to one cutter tooth on a chain.

You draw the line when you run out of time energy or money

 

[mikefunaro]

I kind of classify various cleaning as "functional" cleaning and "over the top" cleaning. I do both, but I do functional cleaning more often and try to keep the over the top cleaning to a minimum.

I regard functional cleaning as removing large buildup under the clutch cover, cleaning the oiler area, cleaning the air filter, etc.

A few times a year I really go over board and blast out everything I can with air, start detailing the holes in the starter cover, cleaning with toothbrushes and microfiber towels, etc. But this is really a once in a while treatment. I cant see really cleaning things up if they're going to get dirty again a week later. Normally it will be before I put my saws up for a while that I will clean them up that thoroughly.

Or as brad said, when I buy something used. Most used saws I buy are pretty dirty when I get my hands on them. Even the ones in good shape.

 

[brokenbudget]

if it aint clean enought to bring to bed, it aint clean!:jester:

 

[mingo]

File it every night and check the air cleaner. Ain't a car show it's a logging show.

 

[Photog95]

I usually just blow the crap out of them when I think of it. I have to take them out of my truck. remove the back seat from my jeep so I have room, and then take them to work where I have a compressor. They don't get cleaned as often as they should.:msp_thumbdn:

 

[zogger]

Hollow handle

I was thinking before it would be neat if the front handle was hollow, and you could put some compressed air in there at home, then tap it as you were leaving the field and blow the clutch cover and area out.

This is a variation on the offroader mod of having big tubular steel bumpers with compressed air in them.

 

[lone wolf]

I was thinking before it would be neat if the front handle was hollow, and you could put some compressed air in there at home, then tap it as you were leaving the field and blow the clutch cover and area out.

This is a variation on the offroader mod of having big tubular steel bumpers with compressed air in them.

Tap a hose in to where the compression release is and run the saw for constant air.