M
moody
Guest
Oh the wonderful world of a Stihl Clam shell. You'll love the plastic bearing cages. Just a heads up a parts cleaner will be your friend.
MS290 vs 2" knot
- Thread starter Timber Jim
- Start date
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McCulloch1-52
ArboristSite Guru
I don't understand how the chain can move when the brake is on 
the ones I have when there on you can't move the chain.
the ones I have when there on you can't move the chain.
I don't understand how the chain can move when the brake is on
With enough throttle, it can go. It's been done a million times. Ask any saw shop.
phillipmc
ArboristSite Operative
Just a shot in the dark here, Maybe the Needle bearing failed for the drum? I know when I got my 290, Before i cut with it, I took it pretty well down and checked everything. Good thing I did because the needle bearing was dry as a bone. I put a tab of marine grade grease on it and worked it in and put back together. I do this about every 5 - 10 tanks.
Timber Jim
ArboristSite Lurker
Thanks everyone! After reading everyone's take on the matter, I examined the log that the incident ocurred on. No foreign matter ( nail metal etc) was found in the log. Nor was there any residue of fuel and oil. Which there shouldn't be any. The log did have a decent size, burn pattern on it. Now before the incident, I had been cutting for at least 10 minutes. When I started the saw she cranked up after second pull and I released the brake like I always do and move the switch to idle, and started cutting. Had about five logs , 1' in diameter about 4'high I was cutting like butter. Never stopped or idled the saw because I had them lined up leaning against a stump. The log in question had a knot in it. She started the log smooth and boged for a five second period, then returned to normal, finished the log and died. The knot is a mother... I took my MS 250 to it on its branch side and was bogging her. Got the branch off ( branch fell apart in layers) and saw is fine . Not buying break theory for two reasons A)no such thing as being almost pregnant with these things ( four logs later the break mysteriously engages with me not hearing a click... right) and my recollection of clutch, break and break band condition, the clutch was burnt more then the other items so heat started there. So what happen? I dont really know i hope it doesnt happen again. If it does I gonna buy an ECHO. lol
Sorry but I've been around long enough now to know how things often go down. Seems that the stories most people tell about what happened to their equipment is incomplete, or sugar coated, sometimes simply untrue.
Jim sorry but after reading your story it is very clear you did what most do. Saw won't cut, push harder. The burn pattern is from the friction a dull as hell chain creates. Not only will this heat burn the wood, but like you now know it will also overheat the saws metal components and melt the plastic ones. Take this as a learning experience and an opportunity to learn how to sharpen a chain. Remember the chain should throw chips not dust, the saw should self feed through the log, no pushing please.
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cmetalbend
ArboristSite Operative
Agreed, I could'a fixed it in less time then it took to read this whole thread.
opcorn:
HuskStihl
Chairin'em for the sound
This is exactly why you need an MS441!:msp_confused:
Chris-PA
Where the Wild Things Are
I agree with that analysis - a dull chain would put the heat into the clutch. Most people just don't realize just how sharp a chain really should be. Heck my Dad still doesn't get it and he showed me how to use a saw. Think of each cutter as a good wood chisel, that's how it should be sharpened.
But you might want to re-consider your your wording on the first bit as it might not have come off the way you wanted it to.
Natty Bumppo
ArboristSite Operative
So it's not good to idle with the break on? Frequently, when I'm not cutting, I engage the break as I walk through the woods or set the saw down for a minute. I guess I don't normally let it sit idling for long. If it won't be doing anything for a few minutes, I shut if off.
He means fast idle, normal idle is fine
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GrassGuerilla
Olympic Piss-reving wanna be.
In light of new evidence...
Burned wood is the dead giveaway. If the chain was dull enough to burn its way through, imagine how hot it was on the drive end. The cardinal rules of chainsaw use are:
1) keep the chain SHARP, lubed, and properly tensioned.
2) use fresh, top quality fuel mix (preferably ethanol free).
3) clean saw (especially air filter) after use.
Sorry if this comes a bit too late. Many here will advise you to pick up several loops of fresh chain. I say get one fresh one, and a set of files. Pay attention to the angles on the new chain, and attempt to recreate them on your dull chain. Personally, every time I refuel I touch up the chain. Anytime your throwing "dust" instead of "chips", stop and check your chain. And any burning... Ain't good.
Do a search for chain sharpening here. Plenty of good advice and help. As others have said, only takes a second to dull a chain.
As bad as it seems, plenty of folks have done worse. Nobody was hurt, should be easy enough to fix. And I think we know what happened, and how to avoid it again.
Burned wood is the dead giveaway. If the chain was dull enough to burn its way through, imagine how hot it was on the drive end. The cardinal rules of chainsaw use are:
1) keep the chain SHARP, lubed, and properly tensioned.
2) use fresh, top quality fuel mix (preferably ethanol free).
3) clean saw (especially air filter) after use.
Sorry if this comes a bit too late. Many here will advise you to pick up several loops of fresh chain. I say get one fresh one, and a set of files. Pay attention to the angles on the new chain, and attempt to recreate them on your dull chain. Personally, every time I refuel I touch up the chain. Anytime your throwing "dust" instead of "chips", stop and check your chain. And any burning... Ain't good.
Do a search for chain sharpening here. Plenty of good advice and help. As others have said, only takes a second to dull a chain.
As bad as it seems, plenty of folks have done worse. Nobody was hurt, should be easy enough to fix. And I think we know what happened, and how to avoid it again.
c5rulz
Addicted to ArboristSite
Applying the chain brake while walking, particularly in brush is a good safety technique. At idle, the chain shouldn't turn anyway on a proper running saw. Appy the brake will not harm anything. Most of the "incidents" here with chain brakes occur when starting and the saw is on the starting position high idle. That RPM is way above the engagement limit and quickly leads to the clutches demise.
c5rulz
Addicted to ArboristSite
Well I don't intend to be flippant,:msp_unsure:, strike that maybe I do; but knots in logs are not exactly the a rare thing in the world of logging. If they were, I am sure the show, "Ax men" would have had an episode about the "insidious knot hidden in the log".:msp_tongue:
A sharp chain will easily cut through knots, albeit every so slightly slower but of no consequence.
I am also calling a BS on a 5 second episode causing this damage.
Fish
Tree Freak
You talking about the sprocket bearing? It is the same bearing as found on the other smaller saws up to 036, and rarely fails.
dswensen
ArboristSite Guru
OK, now TWO posters on this thread are doing it.
When you are writing about a device designed to slow or stop mechanincal movement, it is a "brake". When you are taking a rest period at work, that is a "break". A day "breaks", as does a window or a water glass. You might "break" your saw if you abuse it, but if you click forward the safety handle in front of the handle bar on your saw, you have applied the chain "brake".
Before half of you jump to the defense of someone who wants to spell wrong (they can't help it, what difference does it make, this isn't school, blah blah blah) - I'm not criticizing anyone, but wrong is wrong. If you look closely, several other posters have tried to correct this too. :bang:
Feel better now?
I'd like to see the words break and brake used properly but if they're not I can usually muddle through.
If we made proper word usage, grammar, spelling and punctuation absolutely mandatory here we'd lose a lot of members. Not everyone has the ability to write and spell perfectly but they usually have valid questions and answers and they come here for help...not English lessons.
Lighten up.
dswensen
ArboristSite Guru
I will try to lighten up, your points are well taken.
However, "Johnny can't read" coming out of high school because so many are willing to give him a pass when it comes to spelling and grammar (and math and science and history and personal finance, especially personal finance, and ... the list goes on and on).
My wife teaches at the college level. She finds more and more that many of these so-called "graduates" can't even function as literate adults. Their lack of knowledge about the basics of what's going on in the world around them is truly stunning. Don't get me started on the patently ridiculous and ignorant stuff I heard before the elections. I'm not talking about political views, I'm talking about a failure to understand the basics of how a presidential election works!!!!
When are we going to stop worrying about hurting a school child's self-esteem, and start acknowledging individual failure? Failure or, perphaps more imporatantly, a sense of failure can bring about great changes in an individual.
I realize this is a chainsaw forum and I am WAAAYYY off topic (my apologies to the OP for that), but I believe that proper writing is ALWAYS worthy of the effort - even here.
Rant mode off.
Blaze away at me if you want. Find some grammatical or spelling error in my post and go after me with it - whatever. Just be sure to spell and use the words correctly. Otherwise, you are proving my point.
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Saw Dr.
Junk Collector
I always ask them to clarify when they speak of the chain break. So you mean the chain snaps in half when you activate the lever? My jest is often misunderstood. You would be surprised how many airline pilots write up tires showing "chord." I call them
musical tires.
Good post. Well said. I agree with your point. Feel free to start a thread in Off Topic if you want...it needs to be said.
But, for now, in this thread....LIGHTEN UP! :msp_biggrin:
