How do you (or do you) clean up your chainsaw before working on it?

[derekc]

How do you (or do you) clean up your chainsaw before working on it?
Pressure wash? compressed air? Just loosen up the dirt by hand/towel and not touch the part you are not working on? Or using a part cleaner sink with circulating degreaser?

No dirt should ever go into carb or cylinder/crankcase, right? What I do is remove all covers, carb, and muffler, plug the holes with some cloth, and pressure wash (my 2400 PSI strong enough yet not breaking anything) everything and blow dry all the pieces or put them under the sun for a while. I hate all the splashes on me when pressure washing thou and I am making a mess up my backyard.

Is there a better way?

 

[2dogs]

I use Oil Eater, available at Costco, and hot water.

 

[Texas Traveler]

How do you (or do you) clean up your chainsaw before working on it?
Pressure wash? compressed air? Just loosen up the dirt by hand/towel and not touch the part you are not working on? Or using a part cleaner sink with circulating degreaser?

No dirt should ever go into carb or cylinder/crankcase, right? What I do is remove all covers, carb, and muffler, plug the holes with some cloth, and pressure wash (my 2400 PSI strong enough yet not breaking anything) everything and blow dry all the pieces or put them under the sun for a while. I hate all the splashes on me when pressure washing thou and I am making a mess up my backyard.

Is there a better way?

Avoid all & any thing near the air intake & carb.
I pick up a liquid stove cleaner at Sam's club in a squirt bottle & just rinse off works like a charm.

 

[magbarn]

Simple green/brush/rag and my Dewalt air compressor set at 50 psi is what I use. I take care to keep air pressure and simple green away from the bearings though.

 

[16:1mix]

How do you (or do you) clean up your chainsaw before working on it?
Pressure wash? compressed air?

It depends on the saw. My working saws never gets real messy so air and a good wipe down are all it needs. My Mall was in basket case condition when I got it so it got the hot, high-pressure power washer treatment before I worked on it.

 

[stihl025]

How do you (or do you) clean up your chainsaw before working on it?
Pressure wash? compressed air? Just loosen up the dirt by hand/towel and not touch the part you are not working on? Or using a part cleaner sink with circulating degreaser?

No dirt should ever go into carb or cylinder/crankcase, right? What I do is remove all covers, carb, and muffler, plug the holes with some cloth, and pressure wash (my 2400 PSI strong enough yet not breaking anything) everything and blow dry all the pieces or put them under the sun for a while. I hate all the splashes on me when pressure washing thou and I am making a mess up my backyard.

Is there a better way?

I usually take off the carb and use rubber stoppers (rubber corks) to plug the intake boot. I use roofing nails (with the tips cut off to avaid sharp edges) to plug the impulse and fuel lines. And then some duct tape or rubber stoppers in the muffler (depends on the shape of the hole). Purple cleaner and electric pressure wash, spray down with WD-40 after it is dry.

 

[andrethegiant70]

It kinda depends what bit I'm going to work on, but generally I clean each item as I remove it. If I'm pulling a jug, I clean pretty rigorously so that stuff doesn't go into the crankcase. My method may be slower than other folks'.... I use a bucket of hot water with a weak solution of Purple Cleaner (great overall wash), a spray bottle of 1/1 Purple Cleaner (atom bomb), a small brush, a toothbrush (not mine), a rag, and believe it or not, a shish-kabob skewer. I'm not nuts about the high pressure hose thing, I just go slow and keep water away from openings.

I know the skewer thing is weird, but they are perfect for nooks and crannies where nothing else will reach or a brush is not firm enough... they have one dowel-shaped end and one sharp end, and they are bamboo so they don't get waterlogged and fall apart. They are also hard enough to dig out the stubborn stuff but they are soft enough that they don't mar paint of scratch plastic.

And they are dirt cheap!! One bag will last you forever. I've used the same skewer on the last three saws.

 

[wood4heat]

What I do is remove all covers, carb, and muffler, plug the holes with some cloth, and pressure wash (my 2400 PSI strong enough yet not breaking anything) everything and blow dry all the pieces or put them under the sun for a while.

I would be REAL careful how you use that pressure washer. At that pressure you could blow water right past the seals.

I use Simple Green or S100 and a garden hose. They both work but will discolor aluminum if not rinsed off thoroughly. If you saw is really bad you may need to spend some time with a plastic bristle bush and of course take care to plug the muffler, cover the carb etc... I also blow it off with an air gun before I start any work to get any loose dust dirt etc. left behind.

 

[Austin1]

I normally use compressed air to give them a quick cleaning after use. But I find if I want them to sparkle I use the garden hose pull the clutch cover and some dish soap and they are clean enough to eat off of. I do this once a year give them a really good cleaning with the hose,start em up let them run for a few minutes then put in the hot sun for a hour and they are just like new. They even have that new saw smell!

 

[boltonranger]

This worked well..

Haven't had time lately, but when I did, I used a dry paintbrush for the loose stuff.
And then sprayed the saw down with Murphy's Oil Soap. Really nice results.
-br

 

[woodheater]

I have a 20 gal parts tank filled with simple green. I put a parts brush on the end of the hose and it works great. Quick rinse with water when your done and everything sparkles.

 

[blsnelling]

Disassemble everything and throw the whole mess in the dishwasher:greenchainsaw:

 

[derekc]

Disassemble everything and throw the whole mess in the dishwasher:greenchainsaw:

Here you go. That is the solution! I will go get a $200 dish washer from Home Depot and install in my workshop right now.

 

[blsnelling]

Here you go. That is the solution! I will go get a $200 dish washer from Home Depot and install in my workshop right now.

Hey, you already have on in the kitchen! I see you're new here, so you probably think I'm kidding Yes, I'm married and have been for 20 years in December.

Don't forget about the oven when you need to bake some paint on!

 

[16:1mix]

Disassemble everything and throw the whole mess in the dishwasher:greenchainsaw:

Reminds me of this quote from bobbyb13 in a thread here:

Quote from wife after seeing dishwashers being used to clean up saws. "You ever put a chainsaw in my dishwasher, The cadiver dogs won't even be able to find you body"

:jawdrop:

 

[huskykid141]

i usually use compressed air and a paint brush. But i suppose a dish washer always does the job even though i've never tried it.
:greenchainsaw:

 

[Austin1]

Disassemble everything and throw the whole mess in the dishwasher:greenchainsaw:

I have seen your work posted on here many a time, I think you are the only one to do that!!!! lol I will admit this much I prefer Cascade to others in dish washer soap

 

[Austin1]

Hey, you already have on in the kitchen! I see you're new here, so you probably think I'm kidding Yes, I'm married and have been for 20 years in December.

Don't forget about the oven when you need to bake some paint on!

Key point that 20years, if you had done this in the first year would the outcome be the same? lol!

 

[blsnelling]

I gots me a goood woman, that's all!

 

[allboy]

I have had good luck with engine degreaser in the spray can (the foamy stuff), and a good rinse with water. It seems to be safe on the plastics too. I have had some trashed looking saws turn out very nice.