How many pulls for a normal chainsaw?

[slowp]

OK guys, time to channel your best (or worst) Bob Dylan impression:

"How many pulls should a Jonnn-Ser-Ed take, before it starts to cut wooooood?

And how many trees should the O-P cut, before he decides his saw's good?

And how many verses will the Mods tolerate, before I am for-ever banned?

The answer my friend, is written in the threads, the answer is posted in the threads"

Philbert Zimmerman

One Pull, Two Pulls
Hard pull, Easy pull

This one has a little bar
This one takes a while to far

Gee how many saws there are

 

[SawTroll]

Purchased MS 362 2 weeks ago. 1-2 pulls for cold start with full choke and decompression valve used, then 1 pull after burp. Warm start only takes 1 pull

Did anyone ask for that info?

 

[Dillio187]

good luck cleaning up your mess. I have property east of Sandstone but was a little north of the main damage zone. Still left a lot of busted trees for me to clean up, but nothing like you. I do agree, try to richen up the low side needle just a bit.

 

[nmurph]

They offered to let me trade back but they didnt say if they would go even up with the MS362 or I would have to pay the $100 difference. I already bought 2 extra chains for the Jonsered so I am not sure they would be able to be used on the Stihl as well.

Thanks for all the help everyone. I have to agree that if I bought a brand new saw, I shouldnt have to dink with it. I am going back up this weekend to the place, I will try and run it through its paces and then I guess make a decision. I really like the saw so it is difficult but I dont want to be stuck with a lemon. Alot of people on here say it will start better as time goes on, so I am not sure if I should wait or not.

Thanks again for all the feedback.

I don't think you got a lemon. You just have a saw that needs fine tuning. Saws often need adjustment as they break-in, it's no big deal.

The chains will work if they have the correct number of driver links for the bar. The only place I am aware of a difference bw Husky and Stihl bars is in the 3/8" chain on an 18" bar, though you might have gotten a 359 set-up with .325. Stihls run 66 DL's on an 18" 3/8's bar, the Husky bar is most likely 68DL. There may be other sizes where the DL count may vary, but these are a bar length you might have gotten with either of these saws.

As far as swapping, I would do it sooner rather than later.

 

[shambones]

A piece of advice on your pulling technique:

You gotta stop pulling BEFORE you get to the end of the rope. Give short, brisk tugs on the rope. Don't pull until you get to the end.

Thanks Dennis. It was actually my friend that pulled it out on his 8th pull after I had already pulled it 12 times. I cant say if he stopped before the end but I think he did. It just gave way. Some of it may have been frustration that the dang thing was not starting.

 

[w8ye]

I have a 2008 Husky 357XP and it is usually going from cold in three pulls. Warm is first pull.

I had to remove the needle stops and adjust the needles some. Mine has the Walbro HDA carb. The new ones have a Zama carb.

The bar is from a 460. It was the only one the dealer had that would fit and he took it from a new saw.

 

[nmurph]

I will say this and I will probably get blasted by a few, but saws generally do not start from a cold condition (truely cold....not been run in a day, cold) in two pulls. I have 30+ saws and the only ones that will start in two pulls are those with a primer. I got the Efco out the other day. It hasn't been run in weeks. I primed it and it popped on the second pull. But I believe it took a couple of pulls from there to start. The 346NE's are pretty good, but they usually don't pop until the third pull after priming. I have a 362 and it took about 6 pulls tonight to get it to pop. All of these saws are properly tuned and are running Ultra with stabilizer. Most saws are 4-6 pulls to pop. If they haven't been run in some time, it is not abnormal for it to take more pulls. This happens bc the fuel drains out of the carb when they sit. When you are pulling the starter you are priming the carb through the vacuum created by the piston pumping. Until the fuel gets back into the carb, it won't pop. Some older saws are real bears. My 125, though tuned well, with a good carb, requires priming by squirting mix directly into the carb. Once it is hot, it will start as you would expect. But if it sits more than a couple of hours, it is easier to just get the primer bottle out. It's kind of like starting a top-fueler.

Sham, what is your starting technique? It should be- 1) set the choke and pull until it pops--do not touch the throttle 2) when it pops, push the choke in and continue to pull until it starts---don't touch the throttle until it is running.

 

[shambones]

Alright here is another question to actually show my novice-ness. I just started my Jon 2159c and after 6 pulls it started and ran good. The one thing I noticed when it was idling was it seemed a little rough. When I sat it down on my concrete driveway, it was kind of shimmying across it because of the idle. Is this normal? I was just thinking it should idle real smooth and not move all around but maybe these professional models with their higher engines are tuned to be a little more powerful, hence the little rougher idle.
When I touch the gas it responds right away so that seems to be good.

Thoughts?

 

[nmurph]

Some saws look like they are auditioning for Dancing with the Stars. Your saw may need to be idled up just a touch.

 

[Dillio187]

my 024 won't sit still, so that sounds normal to me.

 

[sunfish]

Sounds like your saw is just fine...:msp_smile:

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Welcome to AS! And another MN member too!

I know a new saw shouldn't start hard...... I'd take the saw back.....and ask for the shop superviser or store owner. Start (or try to)that saw in front of him! If he care one bit about his customers he should help you out! He might find something that you're doing wrong or see the fact that the saw should start easier! To go through one starting rope is a RED FLAG!

Someone beat me to posting the owl! A..... 1 A.....2 A......3! CRUNCH!

 

[jimdad07]

All of mine take a few pulls to get them to pop, my 6400 with decomp might take four or five pulls when cold to make it pop but it is smooth sailing from there on out. As far as it vibrating across the driveway, everyone that I own will do the same. Nothing to worry about there, the saw just wants to cut wood and is anxious to be doing it. Did your dealer take out a tachometer and set the saw up the right way before you left the store? That is very important. Most of the saws you buy need to be tuned properly and a lot of them just don't come that way out of the box.

 

[mountainlake]

I will say this and I will probably get blasted by a few, but saws generally do not start from a cold condition (truely cold....not been run in a day, cold) in two pulls. I have 30+ saws and the only ones that will start in two pulls are those with a primer. I got the Efco out the other day. It hasn't been run in weeks. I primed it and it popped on the second pull. But I believe it took a couple of pulls from there to start. The 346NE's are pretty good, but they usually don't pop until the third pull after priming. I have a 362 and it took about 6 pulls tonight to get it to pop. All of these saws are properly tuned and are running Ultra with stabilizer. Most saws are 4-6 pulls to pop. If they haven't been run in some time, it is not abnormal for it to take more pulls. This happens bc the fuel drains out of the carb when they sit. When you are pulling the starter you are priming the carb through the vacuum created by the piston pumping. Until the fuel gets back into the carb, it won't pop. Some older saws are real bears. My 125, though tuned well, with a good carb, requires priming by squirting mix directly into the carb. Once it is hot, it will start as you would expect. But if it sits more than a couple of hours, it is easier to just get the primer bottle out. It's kind of like starting a top-fueler.

Sham, what is your starting technique? It should be- 1) set the choke and pull until it pops--do not touch the throttle 2) when it pops, push the choke in and continue to pull until it starts---don't touch the throttle until it is running.

I'd have to agree

With a primer one or two pulls even after sitting.
Without a primer, sitting overnite 2 to 4 pulls, sitting a week or so 6 to 8 pulls. Steve

 

[shambones]

Well, for the last week I have been starting my machine when I get home and it seems to start better and a little easier. Maybe 5-6 pulls. Maybe what everyone was saying that it will need to just break in is true. I will have to give it a good run through in the future on a whole bunch of downed logs and then see how it goes. I am hoping it will stay like this because when it works, it seems to really work well.

Thanks for all the comments and help from everyone.

 

[shambones]

I have bit the bullet. This last weekend, when it was 80+ degrees out, I was cutting alot of downed trees. My Jonsered 2159c was cutting through oak like butter and I was really starting to like this saw. After about 1.5 hours of cutting and delimbing, I stopped the saw and removed debris. To make a long story short, It took 12 pulls for the Jonsered to get started and then it bogged down a little. Once it started going, smooth sailing. Stopped it again, 9 pulls and every time I would touch the trigger, it died. Finally, got it going and worked great. Stopped it again, 46 pulls later, I gave up.

The next day I went to Beiswengers and told them I wanted to trade out of the Jonsered to the Stihl MS362. Reluctantly, they did do it. I had to pay the $110 difference, and I lost out on the chains I bought for the saw but I am now an owner of a Stihl. Think I could have got a little better deal with all the problems I had but I now hope I am trouble free. I did get to use the saw for 3 months and when it ran, it was awesome. I think I just got a little bit of a lemon. Alot of these starting problems seemed to happen when the weather was very hot outside so I am not sure if it was vapor locking or what.

Either way, I figured I would update everyone on the saw. Loved the saw, but just cant have one that doesnt start for me when I want it too.

One final question, is there a bar that I could put on the Stihl MS362 that I could still use the chains I bought for the Jonsered CS2159c? I think the difference is the the Stihl is 0.050 gauge and the Jonsered is 0.058 gauge? Thoughts?

 

[Somesawguy]

I don't know about the chains, but my dad has a Jonsered. It starts hard. The choke mechanism doesn't close all the way, so he ended up putting a small screw in one of the holes in the butterfly to help keep the air down. It seems to help.

Jonsered has a big spread at the fair every year with demos. Last year, one of the guys doing demos was out there pulling away on one of their new saws. I told my wife, " It must be a Jonsered, it doesn't start" :yoyo:

I'm sure they are usually fine when made properly, but they do seem to have some issues with the choke.

I hope you like your stihl.

 

[Philbert]

One final question, is there a bar that I could put on the Stihl MS362 that I could still use the chains I bought for the Jonsered CS2159c? I think the difference is the the Stihl is 0.050 gauge and the Jonsered is 0.058 gauge?

It's great that they stood up and took care of you. They are a pretty good store.

You could probably find a bar that would work, but you would always have that issue of running 2 different gauge chains. If it was just a matter of adding or removing drive links, that would be a once and done deal, and I would recommend that.

You don't say how many chains you have, but if they are in good shape, or you can clean them up and sharpen them, I would offer them up on Craig's List for about half their retail price, and use that money to buy more chains or a second bar that are all the same gauge. You will lose a few $ in the deal, but in the long run, the convenience will be worth it IMHO.

Philbert
(Saint Paul)

 

[shambones]

It's great that they stood up and took care of you. They are a pretty good store.

You could probably find a bar that would work, but you would always have that issue of running 2 different gauge chains. If it was just a matter of adding or removing drive links, that would be a once and done deal, and I would recommend that.

You don't say how many chains you have, but if they are in good shape, or you can clean them up and sharpen them, I would offer them up on Craig's List for about half their retail price, and use that money to buy more chains or a second bar that are all the same gauge. You will lose a few $ in the deal, but in the long run, the convenience will be worth it IMHO.

Philbert
(Saint Paul)

One chain was used for about 1 tree (never Sharpened) and the other was used for about 2 sharpenings.
My third chain was on the saw and that was the one that had the most use on it.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[s219]

shambones, I hope you have better luck with the 362. It does take a little bit of trial and error to figure out how a new saw behaves hot and cold, but it sounds like the 2159 had some other issues and just wasn't right. I expect the dealer could have sorted it out with some good troubleshooting, but for an extra $110 you probably saved yourself a lot of aggravation. The MS-362 is a nice saw.

After reading the whole thread, I have to agree that saws (or trimmers, or other small 2-strokes) with purge bulbs are more consistent cold starting in my experience -- generally 2 pulls with choke to fire, then one additional pull choke-off to running. Without a primer, I've seen anywhere from 2 to 6 pulls with choke to fire, then another 1-3 pulls choke-off to run.

As for what happens once a saw is warm, my modern saws are always 1-pull to run, choke-off. Where I get into a gray area is when the saw has been off 30-40 minutes or more, and depending what the weather is like (warm or cold). Let's call them lukewarm saws. I have learned to try starting choke-off, and give it 1-2 pulls. If no dice, flip to choke-on and use the cold start procedure. Definitely don't try beginning with choke on a lukewarm saw, since it could flood too easily (and then everything goes downhill from there of course).

One thing is for sure, when I have had a misbehaving saw and I am pulling away at it, that will wear me out and put me in a foul mood in no time (especially in hot weather). It's not funny to waste all your energy tugging at the saw instead of working. You'd think I was bi-polar by the way it can turn my mood on a dime. It's aggravating.