How many of you wash your saws regularly?

[Timberhauler]

I've been slammed all summer,and I've slacked off a little in the last month.I noticed that some of my new saws were looking rough.The last new saw I bought was back in march,and it looked the worst of all....So I took every saw that I have in use out,took all the covers off and washed them...I used Simple Green which is what I use on my dirt bikes and it has always done well.I wished I would have taken some before and after pics,but other than a few sctarches,they all looked almost new again..I've never done this before.It seemed pointless as my saws get slammed day after day,but I think I will start doing this a little more just to see if it makes a difference in the long run...Does anyone else do this,and if so what cleaners do you use?

 

[Bowtie]

I mainly just blow off my saws after every days use with compressed air, a little soap if needed, but I am a weekend warrior with my saws, I dont use them on an every day basis.

 

[wood rat]

Never , now that I think about it.

 

[16:1mix]

So far I've used compressed air and a dry cloth on my 350. I think I'll give the Simple Green treatment to my pet antique John Deere tractor that I use on a regular basis to cut lawn grass. Its hard to keep them looking nice when they get used a lot. Course, thats what they are for!

 

[brncreeper]

I’ve always used compressed air which works fine. The power washer is tempting but I think it would do more harm than good.

 

[Timberhauler]

With the muffler and the carb plugged,I only used the hosepipe..Mine get run at least five days a week sometimes six,so yeah they're supposed to get dirty,but seeing as how they cost anywhere from 750 to 1500 bucks to replace...Why not take good care of em?

 

[oldsaw]

I'll wash up the 3120 after a round of milling, but the other saws, not so much. The 3120 just gets filled up with that fine milling dust that gets everywhere...and it's the newest and nicest looking saw I have.

Mark

 

[Timberhauler]

I'll wash up the 3120 after a round of milling, but the other saws, not so much. The 3120 just gets filled up with that fine milling dust that gets everywhere...and it's the newest and nicest looking saw I have.

Mark

Same thing happens when you're cutting big wood or blocking down a tree...Sawdust gets into places that doesn't seem possible

 

[pallis]

What do you guys use to get the crud that builds up on the front of the saw off? I've been thinking about using car wax to see if that will make them easier to clean.

 

[RiverRat2]

I dont have a set time frame for cleaning them but I do clean em

But if Im working them and have several days cutting lined up,,, like we do right now,,, I will wait till things slow down and clean em at least once a week,,, but If I have to service something i'll cleanem good before I start on something like starter pawls, or change a pull rope,,, or brake band/oil pump,,,, Etc. Etc. I'll take the purple cleaner de-greaser cut 3 parts water to one part cleaner soak the inside of the recoil, starter housing and the flywheel ignition compartment let it soak a bit the hit it with the jet nozzle of the water hose then airblast dry and it is amazing how clean that stuff gets them... we have a long hose and if Im gonna be cleaing a few before servicing them Ill lay the hose out in the sun and heat the water up hot water works better!!!!!! try not to blast the igntion coils directly with water,,,, just me though????? :hmm3grin2orange: :help: :hmm3grin2orange:

Come to think of it If I have a bunch of pine which we dont normally get,,,, alot of I will degrease and de pitch every couple of days,, that pitch is some sticky crap especailly if you leave it on there

 

[spacemule]

As Tom Sunday from the Sackets said, "I keep my gun clean, and that's all that matters."

 

[RED-85-Z51]

All my saws are kept "clean enough to be happy"..

But my Tanaka ECS-415 and Poulan wildthing are kept mint.

The Timberbear and PM610 I blow off after every use, but the PM610 I tore down and cleaned it up all inside like new, the timberbear it clean on the outside, but Im sure its dirty under the covers.

The FR4600 is new, only used by the original owner once for a few cuts before the intake boot split..he put it in his shed and bought another new one, and never bothered with the McCulloch, until he gave it to me.

The 08S is like new clean.

The other stuff is clean on the outside, some are kept in like new condition, I really dont have a saw I let remain dirty. Its too easy to pop off the bar and chain, take a stiff paint brush, dip it in some gas and knock all the crud out from around the clutch and oiler hole/chain adjuster.

My CS-520 is cleaned eveery time I run it, even if its just to cut up a limb that fell off a tree in the yard...The saw looks like new except for a scuff or two.

 

[Kiwilogger]

I blow the saw out at the end of every single days work, and once a week pull all the covers off, blow out properly around the fins etc and wash the covers in soapy water. I just use washing powder, it works a treat. Also the clutch drum will come off once per week and washed out all around the clutch/oil pump area. It's a half hour job once per week.

At work we get 20 minutes paid chainsaw maintainance time at the end of every day.

 

[Gologit]

No set schedule but as often as I can. I've seen guys who NEVER clean their saws and they seem to do alright but I like to scrape the crud out whenever I get a chance.

 

[keith c raymond]

I keep mine mostly clean with a compressor and brush.I am able to do this since I dont run mine every day.I always wipe them down with pledge to keep them mint.I would be careful with the water,at work I used to clean our cutoff saws with a hose,and I have fried two coils.I learned to use the blowgun after every hose cleaning.Make not the same mistake twice....

 

[rreidnauer]

What do you guys use to get the crud that builds up on the front of the saw off? I've been thinking about using car wax to see if that will make them easier to clean.

When I got my used 028, it was quite thick with exhaust/sawdust goo on the front, and it also had stains from mix leaking out of the fuel fill. I didn't expect that to come off, but with only straight Castrol Superclean and a paper towel, it came right off!!! Very impressive.

It worked so well, that I decided to try it on my used stihl weedwacker, which was apparent the last owner was using way too much oil in the mix, as the muffler was just coated in black goo. I removed the muffler and disassembled it, and soaked all parts in a bath of straight Superclean. It bubbled and churned, and everything except the thickest deposits were gone. Only a little elbow grease, and it was cleaned up.

Wicked evil stuff if you get it in a cut though. Boy does it sting!

 

[MAG58]

When the saw's are in daily use, I clean them when it's needed whit compressed air,a brush, and cloth whit a drop of bar oil, and sometimes pull all the covers off too. If they are to sit for a while, I take them apart and clean everything real good. And if they are so dirty that I have to wash them, I use car wash soap whit wax.

Cleaned up after a day of cutting

 

[thomas72]

When I am finished cutting firewood, I will take off the clutch cover and bar, then wash the saw down and then but it back together and run it to dry everything off. I will also clean the entire saw either one or twice a year. I just like to run a clean machine.

 

[Tzed250]

The 044 and the 028S are clean enough to eat off of them. The PM700 and the 110 are fairly clean, and the SP125 is clean, but since it will be going through a restoration this winter hopefully, not totally detailed. I like citrus based degreasers because I think they attack the metal a little less.

 

[sILlogger]

I blow the saw out at the end of every single days work, and once a week pull all the covers off, blow out properly around the fins etc and wash the covers in soapy water. I just use washing powder, it works a treat. Also the clutch drum will come off once per week and washed out all around the clutch/oil pump area. It's a half hour job once per week.

At work we get 20 minutes paid chainsaw maintainance time at the end of every day.

at work are u running your own saws or theirs? how about sharpening chains, is that part of the day or part of your 20 mins? just curious we don't have any actual rules on loggin around here, i could go out and cut for 20 hours straight if i wanted, couldn't do it-but there isn't anyone saying i can't.....as for cleaning the saws it is usually my sunday thing, work on them dress the chainsaw bars clean them up yada yada yada. i do know what u mean i bought a new 660 about 2 months ago and it is looking used, granted it has cut more than 500,000 bft. but i still need to give it a good cleaning