Echo CS590 odd compression number

[a. palmer jr.]

Working on a CS590 for a friend who says he can't get it started. I checked all the usual culprits, spark, fuel, etc. then, even though it pulled through like a big saw I decided to check the compression anyway. It was all this 80 year old could pull through but when I put the gauge on it it showed only 60 pounds of compression! I don't quite understand what happened since it was so hard to pull and the gauge is the one I use to check all my saws and seems fairly accurate. Any thoughts?
By the way: I pulled the compression release all the way out before testing. It was easy to pull the starter rope before this.

 

[mountainlake]

Pull the muff and look. Steve

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Pull the muff and look. Steve

I pulled the muffler, there are a few scratches on it but nothing real big. I turned the saw over after draining the gas and left it overnight to drain the crankcase of fuel. Next day I gave it another compression test and, although it was a bit easier to pull it checked out at around 130 psi after 2 or 3 pulls. I did a tune up on it and it finally started and ran with a carb adjustment!

 

[grizz55chev]

Check the pull starter mechanism for hard starting , just throwing it out there.

 

[Gord404]

maybe your carb isn't holding pressure and is draining into the crankcase

 

[Wood Doctor]

Going back to post #1, it is possible that the compression tester was not tight as it should have been to the cylinder. The second time you tested for compression (post #3), it was fitted OK. Just MHO.

 

[HumBurner]

Maybe a ring is starting to catch on a port?

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I now believe that the crankcase was full of fuel and it made the saw hard to turn over, especially for this old man and I just couldn't pull it through enough to get the right compression reading. I've since returned the saw to the owner and he seems happy with it. I've repaired two hard starting saws since that one, both Stihl MS250s. I'll probably rest my arm for awhile now.