where do you draw the line with saw perfection, and maintenance?

[ratso]

I do a quick wipe then blow off with air.Then tear down and take apart the plastic clean pitch,dust soak in warm soapy water.I try to get the cooling fins done, dress bar rails grease sprocket bearing blow out clutch.Then check the muffler this is a good time to look at piston, cylinder.I might of forgot something but you get the idea.Then give a final wipe with hondrabrite polish.

My saws get this every 3 months or sooner with hard use.The clutch bearing air filter,bar rails ,chain get service frequently.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

Nothing wrong with that Ben. That's a good plan.

 

[abikerboy]

I go way overboard several times a year. Same with all of my power equipment as well. I always remove the b/c after use, and blow everything out with air. Several times a year, I strip them to the bones and clean everything. I know that it's overkill, but it gives me the chance to look for loose screws, inspect fuel/oil lines and such. I even found a base gasket starting to push out on a grass trimmer this summer and managed to replace it before it let me down. Nothing bothers me more than a breakdown, or an engine that wont start when I need it. 95% of the time, it always turns out to be a simple problem that could have been avoided in the first place.

 

[Eccentric]

all good comment's, I do like to see and hear the different opionions. I have seen some just abused over, by a couple of my timber faller logger friends. They really took some abuse, and kept going. Definately not how I hanlde my stuff. I gotta admit some saws Ive seen polished up look awesome, like an old hot rod car, but usually I am going through 4-5 saw's at a time so by the time I do the general stuff I got some time in. Besides most of my saw's are used, and some may be a little faded or whatever, but mechanicly all very sound. Sometimes I guess I was feeling guilty,a like I should put more time in, and clean em up better, but as long as I get the maintenance side I can live with that.

You need to work on getting those old logger friends to take better care of their saws Norm. That 750 was rode hard and put away wet. Started pulling it apart yesterday. Yet more gunk and dog hair. The intake boot is rotted away. Felt like old chewing gum. I'm amazed it ran. Good news is that the piston/cylinder look good. Still cleaning it up and pulling it farther down so I can change out the boot. Gotta do some more parts searching so I can tell you a $$$ number for John. Probably about $60-$70 in parts and shipping (including a couple screws, a carb kit, impulse line, fuel/oil lines, and gaskets). I'll have a more firm number for him soon.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

Abikerboy that's a good plan dude! Stick with it. Aaron thank's man, and note in my post my buddy's make fun of me for my saw care? Who do you think it it not Parmeter, and my other logger buddy's LOL! That's why I have alway's watched the saws's those guy's run if they live through them, then that's a saw for me! That's good news on the 750.

 

[JRepairsK70e]

When my saw gets dirty i just go out and buy a new one ............. i just never let em get that dirty lol jk

 

[NORMZILLA44]

Lol!

 

[kev1n]

When I first get a saw, I like to go through it completely. That way I know what I've got. After that, I blow them off after each use, but not much more. In preparation for a GTG, I'll often give them a better cleaning. No, they don't always look that nice, well, not my work saws anyway. I remember one guy on here takes his apart after each use and cleans it with a toothbrush. That's over the top, IMHO

I remember that guy that tore the saw down after each use and he caught some flack for thread wear and such, that's way over the top. I go through them with a fine tooth comb when I get them then just blow them off after each use.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

I gotta give myself a reality check once in awhile. I'll admit it.:dunno:

 

[ausneil 1]

My experiance when logfalling for a living is, i could of been found guilty of both sides of the fence.
It all depends on how things are going each month, most of the time however i maintained my gear to a high standard and always carried enough gear to do the job.
When we were behind due to the weather, it was logs on the truck and on their way to the mill.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

That is a good rule of thumb Ausneil. Probably the practice of many, at least when we overmaintain em, when times get busy and we do less it may balance it out.

 

[rob066]

I like my saws. They are renenue makers for me. But I not going overkill to clean them. I keep all of the important stuff clean like air filters, Clean out ecessive build up under clutch covers and keep cylinder fins clean. I keep the chains sharp and flip my bars. Iam not going to worry if there is saw dust on non important parts of my saw. If I did i would spend all my time cleaning saws and nothing else. I basically lift the covers and give them a cleaning with compressed air. other than the air filter.

 

[ausneil 1]

I like my saws. They are renenue makers for me. But I not going overkill to clean them. I keep all of the important stuff clean like air filters, Clean out ecessive build up under clutch covers and keep cylinder fins clean. I keep the chains sharp and flip my bars. Iam not going to worry if there is saw dust on non important parts of my saw. If I did i would spend all my time cleaning saws and nothing else. I basically lift the covers and give them a cleaning with compressed air. other than the air filter.

Thats what i'm talking about. :msp_thumbup:

 

[Myarmistired]

I started fresh when I acquired my first used saw. I torn it apart and cleaned it really good. I couldn’t stand the years worth of crud in every crevice and that compressed air really is not going to have any affect on baked on crud.

It’s now in a state were I would feel a lot better about using compressed air to blow any new crud off. It’s not only about cleanliness as it is about mechanical/cosmetic soundness. I’ve replaced a few parts on my saw that most people would have not bothered with. The most recent example was the handle, which all the handle hose was gone from and it had a nice dent. I’m sure I could have just wrapped some friction tape around it and called it good, but I’m picky and bought another used handle in great shape.

I’m really picky about my car upkeep so it was no surprise that it transferred over to upkeep of equipment. I just bought a Stihl brush cutter used that I’m doing the same thing with although I think this will be less intensive since it’s already in great shape.

 

[edisto]

I'm bipolar about cleaning, and consistent about maintenance. I always check the filter and make sure the oil passages are clear at the end of the day, and touch up the chain every tank or 2, depending on what I'm cutting. When I clean them, which is about 50% of the time these days, I clean them well...but the other 50% of the time...I'll knock the big chunks off.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

Sometimes if they arent right I lose sleep. Im trying to get better, but man they mean alot to me.

 

[oscar4883]

Thought about this thread today as my saws where getting poured on after a stump grinding job today. I am good on sharp chains, clean air filters, and routine bar maintenance. I almost never blow a saw off until the crud starts to actually make it feel heavier. LOL

 

[NORMZILLA44]

LOL! At least you get the major stuff!

 

[Photog95]

Took my saqws to work with me today to give them a good blow job so they are clean when I get them dirty tomorrow. I actually decided to pop off the E clips and take the clutch apart on each one after seeing the melted 250 somewhere on here. I was shocked with my 440. It was all blue from the heat caused by all the crud built up in there. I will now be doing this more often.

What is a good cleaner that won't leave an oily slimy residue? I made the mistake of using brake kleen on my clutch cover once and the lettering started to run so that won't work.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

I use the air alot, and if it is bad use a product called citro blast, a natural cleaner degreaser. I water it down a little, and spary it and wipe it clean with a rag work's real good. Sure ther is other stuff tried brake wash, and yeah that stuff can do some harm. Tried gas, and it fade some of the plastic. Im sure there is some other good stuff.