Two dead mills!

[Daninvan]

I have a couple Husky 2100's that I have been using for a while for milling. Both of them gave up the ghost after an intense three days of milling. (See post here )

According to the shop I have damaged the pistons and the cylinders with lack of oil in the mix. I suppose it could be true, I have been using Opti-2 oil and mixing it according to the instructions on the oil container.

Anyways, I am looking for a couple new ones, but 2100's don't exactly grow on trees! I am thinking it may be time to buy a 3120, and to learn to mix in the right amount of oil!

I am wondering if I switched to a Stihl saw, could I get an adapter to allow me to mount my bars from my Huskies?

dan

 

[Timberframed]

Sorry to hear that man. Those cylinder/piston kits don't grow on trees either. I'm not sure about running anything other than the mix ratio stated in the manual for my saws. I stick with the book and play it safe.

 

[mtngun]

I am wondering if I switched to a Stihl saw, could I get an adapter to allow me to mount my bars from my Huskies?

Dunno about the bar swap.

Providing you were using at least a 50:1 mix, I doubt if your fuel was to blame.

More likely an air leak, or poor carb tuning, or sucking sawdust.

 

[albert]

I would use 40:1 mix with a good oil and a good, fresh premium fuel for milling. Make sure you set your saw rich on the H side. 10,500 rpm would be a good starting point for the 2100 saws. Shame about your saws. I think you would be best served with Stihl ultra on husqvarna low smoke in the oil departrment. You could probally get yours going again.

 

[albert]

Your husky bars have a smaller stud slot than stihls. I know you can adapt stihl bars to husky with an adapter, but not the other way. You may be able to have your slots milled out to fit stihl.

 

[DRB]

Before you go with a change to Stihl. I think that Huskys may have a better air filtration system for milling. At least my 365 is way better than my 088. I run the 088 one tank of fuel and the air filter is already dirty. The 365 never seems to need cleaning.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[kimosawboy]

I have never been a Stihl guy but I picked up a 090 for a stupid price. Then I grabbed a 84" cannon bar set up for a husky. Solution, marks studs in place top and bottom, remove and mill the top/bottom flat to the ''husky" stud size.
I think the Stihl studs are 13mm and the Husky's are 9mm.(something like that)
Anyways I hope you get the idea.
Good Luck

G Vavra

 

[Karl Robbers]

When working a saw hard I would not contemplate anything other than 25:1 mix. In fact that is what Husky recommends for their pro saws , (or at least in the manual for the youngest saw I have 1997 model)
Nothing ever died from over lubrication.
I would however be more inclined to look at a lean running condition.
No need to join the dark side, stay with husky.

 

[betterbuilt]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck.

I bought one of these. I save a lot of money because I can get mix by the gallon. I keep it in a paint can along with a funnel and a clean rag.

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=17090&catID=

 

[rarefish383]

Sorry to hear about those saws, always hate to loose a good one, Joe.

 

[BobL]

Sorry to hear that Dan.

What exactly were the instructions on the oil bottle?

When working a saw hard I would not contemplate anything other than 25:1 mix. In fact that is what Husky recommends for their pro saws , (or at least in the manual for the youngest saw I have 1997 model)

The latest Husky manual has 50:1 for saws below 80 cc and 33:1 for over 80 cc.
Interestingly they recommend a minimum of 90 RON - Stihl recommend a minimum 94 RON

Nothing ever died from over lubrication.

Dropping the mix ratio without retuning leans the air/gas mix. In most cases a well tuned saw can manage going from 50:1 to 25:1, but if the saw is already on the lean side it can burn up a saw. Going the other way is far less likely to cause problems.

I would however be more inclined to look at a lean running condition.

I agree.

No need to join the dark side, stay with husky.

Feeeel the Forrrce!

 

[Timberframed]

With the stihlth there is always two. Looks like another has taken the path towards the dark side. My sabre runs on 25:1

 

[gemniii]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck.

I bought one of these. I save a lot of money because I can get mix by the gallon. I keep it in a paint can along with a funnel and a clean rag.

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=17090&catID=

I use a measuring cup off a bottle of medicine (Nyquil I think) and mix a 2L soda bottle w/ 50ml of oil, or about 40:1.

I find it interesting in your product link the use of "rich" and "lean".

The information molded into this cup is all you'll need to know how to mix ratios as lean as 16:1 to as rich as 70:1

I must have been mistaken, I thought 16:1 was rich.

 

[huskyhank]

I guess you don't need anyone to tell you about mixing oil and gas now, but yeah - its important to do it right and to keep your saws tuned.

You're in big saw country up there. I bet you can get those saws fixed for a lot less than buying a new saw. Maybe not, but I'd check around. Nothing wrong with a 3120 for milling though.....

 

[greg176]

Looking for a 3120 thy this for a smoking deal:
http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/Faller-selling-out---Husky-saws_13966324
Hope the link works .He just dropped his price from $3000.That's $2300 for 4 390's and two 3120's.If you buy them send me those piece of junk 2100's for a finder's fee.

 

[BobL]

I use a measuring cup off a bottle of medicine (Nyquil I think) and mix a 2L soda bottle w/ 50ml of oil, or about 40:1.

I find it interesting in your product link the use of "rich" and "lean".

I must have been mistaken, I thought 16:1 was rich.

You are;

16:1 just means the fuel or mix has 16 parts gas and one part lube. This is determined when the mix is made.

Lean/rich refers to the "gas in the mix" to air ratio,
A simple way to look at it is that Lean has a lot more air than is desirable and rich has less air than is desirable. This is determined by how the saw is tuned or the size main carby jet used.

If your saw is tuned for 50:1 and you switch to 16:1 without retuning the amount of gas in the mix is slightly less, thus the amount drawn in by the carby is reduced or the gas/air ratio drops - this means it's lean.

 

[Daninvan]

Sorry to hear that Dan.

What exactly were the instructions on the oil bottle?

Well I think I see the problem now. Now that I have read the instructions for the first time. It says "proper mix 50 ml per 5 L of fuel".

That's 100:1 according to my math. Why would anyone recommend such a low mix ratio, and why would my local chainsaw shop recommend this oil with that printed on the label I wonder?

I guess I have survived this long because I always put in a "dollop" more oil than that, and I never mix exactly 5 L of fuel, usually it's a smaller amount that I have to eyeball in the jerrycan and I try to be conservative.

Just so it's clear I am only a partial moron (not a total one), the other side of the bottle has a mark that I have been using as a guide for filling.

View attachment 172581



View attachment 172580View attachment 172580

 

[greg176]

Was just reading their website (Opti-2) and they claim that their oil only uses one ratio for all 2-cycle engines.Guess they were wrong.

 

[BobL]

I guess it's easy for me to say that I thought this was going to be the case (I've seen this once before - operator using 80:1 instead of 40:1) so I won't claim this one. Just how long have you been running like this?

Technically, 50 ml mixed into 5L is 101:1 but either way that is definitely not enough oil for 2 strokes under constant heavy loads. That mix ratio is meant for 2 strokes under very occasional heavy loads and the other time on light loads.

BTW - the difference in richness (gas/air ratio) between 50:1 and 100:1 is only 1% which is well within the range of normal carby operation ie air pressure differs by more than this (3%). But the difference in the amount of lube is 100% ie twice as much oil.

Anyway, thank you for doing the experiment that I have always wanted to try with a cheap saw.

 

[Daninvan]

Anyway, thank you for doing the experiment that I have always wanted to try with a cheap saw.

You are NOT welcome!

(And good catch on the math!)

The funny thing is, I have been running like this for years. This is at least my second bottle of the Opti-2, if not my third. But I have lost one saw prior to this to the same problem.

Dan