Easy and hard to start saws?

[oldsaw]

Hmm, the SuperXL will start in a couple of pulls even after a long sit. The 372 is usually pretty pleasant when asked, usually about 3 pulls. 066? Depends on the day. Second pull after sitting for a month last time, sometimes a dozen, depends on her mood. Once she has started, she's a half a pull saw the rest of the day, just nudge her and she's running.

Mark

 

[little possum]

Like smilin possum said, the 350 has a ill temper when it comes to starting. The only other we have that gave trouble was the 028 super but it just needed some adjusting.

 

[WVwoodsman]

My Mac 250 is a hard starter, no choke, no decomp either. My Poulan Pro is the easiest staring saw I own.

 

[Nathan75]

Strange

I have a 2165 and a 372. Almost the same saws, identical mufflers, milage and state of tune. The 372 takes 3 every time but the 2165 takes 8 to 15 to get it to pop. Strange.

 

[TreEmergencyB]

Cold, my 361 takes 3 to fart, followed by 3 to start. After that, 1 pull, even if it sat for an hour or more.

same way here for the 361 and 460 usally only one or 2 after the 'fart' the 200t starts like everyone knows they do and the old homie XL Auto still fires right up too

 

[edisto]

My Huskies start easily cold, coughing on the second or 3rd pull, and running on the next. After that it is one pull for the rest of the day. The 076 surprises me with how easily it starts (thanks Computeruser!), but you'd better be damned serious about pulling the chord!

 

[THALL10326]

Anyone thats been around saws back in the day will tell you the Mac is the orenryest most common low life SOB to start in the world. Ask most any old timer whats the hardest saw to start and 99 out of a 100 will say Mac. Oddly my buddy Hoss has several that seem to start ok.

Back in the late 50's and moving through the 60's Stihl started crushing the the old standards, Mac, Homelite, Pioneer and others for one single reason, they started. Todays saws, all brands, seem to be much better at starting than back in the day..

 

[WVwoodsman]

THALL, could the reason that the older macs were hard starting be because they had points ignition instead of the newer solid state ignitition?

 

[THALL10326]

THALL, could the reason that the older macs were hard staring be because they had points ignition instead of the newer solid state ignitition?

True but the others did too. Getting rid of points in chainsaws was the best thing all the makers did. I get many old 028's with points in them. They leave out the door without points, I refuse to put points in them, it gets a new ignition module. Points and condensors are a pain in the azz, always was always will be..

 

[kkesler]

Back in the late 50's and moving through the 60's Stihl started crushing the the old standards, Mac, Homelite, Pioneer and others for one single reason, they started. Todays saws, all brands, seem to be much better at starting than back in the day..

If it sits for more than a few days my C5 can be an absolute bear to start, then it takes a bit for it to warm up enough to run properly. Once it's warm it will crank right up and run strong, but getting it there can be trying.

 

[edisto]

Points and condensors are a pain in the azz, always was always will be..

Points work great...at least until the engine turns over for the first time. After that it is all downhill until you replace 'em.

 

[THALL10326]

Points work great...at least until the engine turns over for the first time. After that it is all downhill until you replace 'em.

Welp I replace points to never be replaced again. Got into a scrap one day with a customer over a 028 with burnt points. He wanted the points replaced, I told him tant gonna happen here. He got alittle huffy and took his saw to as he told me, HIS MECHANIC. About 4 months later guess who's having issues again. He brings it to me and this time he agrees to have the points removed and a ignition module put in. Its been a few years and the other day he comes by and says something about that old 028. I go is that thing still running, he goes hell yeah, runs good. I said well thats good to hear. I didn't say what I was really thinking,LOL

They got another way around the points with a thing called the Atom. I don't think Stihl recomends it on their saws that can take a complete ignition module in place of the points. Ole Hoss has used those Atom things on alot of his older Macs. Maybe thats why his Macs start ok....

 

[scotclayshooter]

LOL yep for storage were you not supposed to check the points were in the closed position to help prevent corrosion.

 

[Ol' Brian]

My Husky 55 always takes 12-15 pulls before it pops after it's been sitting for more than a day... but after that first pop, it ALWAYS starts the next pull.

The 372 and 395 seem to keep fuel in the carbs better, and usually pop after 2-3 pulls.

I found out on the 395, if it pops and you don't reset the decomp, your fingers are gonna pay the price :chainsawguy:

 

[Brushwacker]

My experiance , most saws if they are well tuned with good compression, that start hard is because the choke doesn't seal enough for a good cold start. I've put a little silicone gasket maker around the choke flap and plugged the little hole in the middle and noticed considerable better cold starting on several saws. Sometimes there just a minor lack of pressure on the choke flap and it isn't quite fully closed. A little tension can sometimes be had staightening or bending the choke linkage if its wire.
The bigger saws can just be hard to give a healthy pull. Priming it with several slow pulls with the choke on like explained on AS a good while back will save energy for a faster less stressful start.
My best starting saw is an 044 that feels low on compression but runs excellant. Usually pops 1 to 4 pulls cold then starts and runs 1 or 2. 1 pull warm. The Makita 6401 was about as fast starting without the compression release on, but was harder to pull and took a few more faster pulls start if you used the compression release cold. 1 pull with or without compression release warm. I have an efco 165 I haven't used much but it has started very fast so far.