Winterizing an 028

[1Alpha1]

I have never cut for a living. That's not to say though, that I haven't made money cutting.

I don't cut anywhere near as much as some of you do. I can see why some don't need to drain the fuel tanks as often. Obviously, their saws are used on a much more frequent basis.

But, when some ask about draining the fuel tanks, they often don't say how often their saw(s) gets used. Or......look at it this way. Those that use their saws often, never ask about leaving fuel in the tanks. It's a non-issue for them.

For those that do ask, I see them as more like me. Occasional users, who have concerns.

 

[Skeans]

the lawnmowers and slowblowers say nothing. a huge number of them spend the winter outdoors and are owned by dummies who don't know nothing about taking care of them so of course your gonna see many every year. way more lawnmowers and snow blowers then saws too. i get them every year too and they are never ones that sat since last season. they are always one that missed a season and sat to rot. people can do what they want but a saw indoors does not need it unless your gonna let them sit forever. i'm not saying it hurts, just that it's not needed for most saw hacks.

Just to add on to what you're saying I'd never run a saw dry you're running it lean plus have some of these guys ever looked in the bottom of their gas can after a month of so of sitting? If not you get this really sweet varnish that's hard as a rock. Personally I never winterize my saws and sometimes they can sit for a year or more from job to job I keep them indoors filled up without carb issues.

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[Mustang71]

Just to add on to what you're saying I'd never run a saw dry you're running it lean plus have some of these guys ever looked in the bottom of their gas can after a month of so of sitting? If not you get this really sweet varnish that's hard as a rock. Personally I never winterize my saws and sometimes they can sit for a year or more from job to job I keep them indoors filled up without carb issues.

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Agreed. They say to run your lawn mower out of gas before winter so it doesn't go bad. Last time my mother in law ran her mower out of gas she complained it started running really bad. Guess what now I have to tear it all apart and clean the carb due to sediment in the tank or her gas can. I leave gas in my mower all winter and start it up and use it in the spring. That's regular 87. I use 91 ethanol free and premium echo oil in my saws, that claims to stabilize gas for 2 years.

 

[LoveStihlQuality]

I've seen some of the fuel cans my friends use to keep fuel in. Some look like they are old as the hills and just as cruddy. Where you store your fuel cans can be just as bad as how dirty they are inside.

I keep telling one of my friends that it wouldn't hurt to clean the pour spout off once in a while. It's as dirty as can be. His reply is, that's what the fuel filters in his machines are for.

After I rebuilt fuel system on brother in laws (soon to be ex) MS 310 for the second time, I investigated, found his mix can sitting out in rain with open spout. Put several cans of Trufuel next to case with label to ONLY USE TRUFUEL.

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[HarleyT]

All the stihls I have take about 80 pulls to get started if they are run out of fuel. I wouldn't empty the fuel, I'd stabilize it.

Wow, it must kill the guy at the Stihl dealership that starts up the new ones!!!

 

[Mustang71]

Wow, it must kill the guy at the Stihl dealership that starts up the new ones!!!

That guy is probably in fantastic shape by now. I'm always out of breath by the time it starts lol. They all start fine normally. The 290 is a but of a pain sometimes but I have the starting procedure down. Either way I don't own any new ones mine are 20 and 30 years old. I'm sure they have made some positive changes since the 028 came out.

 

[HarleyT]

The guy looks like an old crawdad, with a huge right claw!!!!

 

[Wyatt183728]

My 028 will start and run on choke for a little while. You would think you were on idle! My 271 starts in 3-5 pulls easy. It has come a long way


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[Big_Wood]

Agreed. They say to run your lawn mower out of gas before winter so it doesn't go bad. Last time my mother in law ran her mower out of gas she complained it started running really bad. Guess what now I have to tear it all apart and clean the carb due to sediment in the tank or her gas can. I leave gas in my mower all winter and start it up and use it in the spring. That's regular 87. I use 91 ethanol free and premium echo oil in my saws, that claims to stabilize gas for 2 years.

Generally when a bowl carb is run dry. What's left in the bowl is a small puddle which dries really fast compared to a full bowl. When dried it will varnish although not bad cause there not being much fuel. The problem is it does it in the bottom of the carb where the fuel is picked up which to be honest usually doesn't normally cause any issues, do it a few seasons though. My lawnmower is a Honda I picked up end of driveway spring cleanup back in like 2007. I replaced the insulator, air filter, and cleaned carb back then. It's a mower that sits outdoors year round and burns all my **** gas. Anything I won't burn in something else goes through that mower and sits in the tank til the next time I need it. Might mow the lawn 8-10 times a year and that's all with no winterizing. Sure it sits under a truck canopy but it's still outdoors on the wet coast. I have to unseize the throttle and kill switch cable every year lol. Fires right up.

 

[Big_Wood]

Wow, it must kill the guy at the Stihl dealership that starts up the new ones!!!

I swear I could probably do it in 40 without choke lol never tried it though.

 

[1Alpha1]

Stihl Inc. recommends that you dump the fuel and then start the machine back up and let it run til it dies, after each use.

I saw that with my very own eyes on one of their videos. Although, I am quite sure that information was more-or-less intended for occasional users.

 

[Big_Wood]

Stihl Inc. recommends that you dump the fuel and then start the machine back up and let it run til it dies, after each use.

I saw that with my very own eyes on one of their videos. Although, I am quite sure that information was more-or-less intended for occasional users.

makes it dummy proof for them. get rid of the fuel after each use and the dummy won't be able to run said fuel next time he goes to use it. problem with that is dummies are dummies and many will go use the fuel in their Jerry can. the fuel they mixed the year before. ya know, the **** that was in the tank. lol i have a few friends who get took every other year by bad gas no matter how often i tell them.

 

[Mustang71]

My 028 will start and run on choke for a little while. You would think you were on idle! My 271 starts in 3-5 pulls easy. It has come a long way


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My husky 450 starts usually second pull no matter what temp outside or if it was run out of gas. I used to always run the saw till it ran out of gas then refuel then I got the ms290...i did that once had a hell of a time restarting it looked it up on here and determined I'd never do that again. Lol

 

[HarleyT]

 

[Big_Wood]

View attachment 599501

yer rights quite a bit stronger then your left there Harley. you might want to switch once in a while lol

 

[1Alpha1]

yer rights quite a bit stronger then your left there Harley. you might want to switch once in a while lol

Or......get a girlfriend.

 

[OTAlucard]

I'll try to tackle this one.

I have more generators and gas powered crap that I'll ever need. It frustrates the hell out of me to keep it all running. From the diaphragms in the carb getting hard and not working right. To carb clogging. And fuel contamination from water not being suspended in the fuel anymore and the carburetor turns to dust after awhile. I've experienced it all.


I've found the best thing to do for generators and other things of that sort is run sunoco standard 110 leaded or 100 av gas until I smell lead and shut it off just enough to coat the bottom of the tank if its a metal tank . And I'll let it sit in the bowl and evaporate because the lead seems to coat the inside of the bowl and tank after its evaporated. On some equipment the av gas is thinner than regular gas it likes to leak out of my dirtbikes when they sit.

For chainsaws. I'll do something similar but empty it back into the gas can. And run it out of the fuel lines after I smell lead.

And if I know something with a metal tank is going to sit for along time. Ill put diesel in it and plug it up. Then go shake it every once in awhile.


Also. If it doesn't start in the first 8 pulls at the most theres something wrong with it.

 

[Rockjock]

the lawnmowers and slowblowers say nothing. a huge number of them spend the winter outdoors and are owned by dummies who don't know nothing about taking care of them so of course your gonna see many every year. way more lawnmowers and snow blowers then saws too. i get them every year too and they are never ones that sat since last season. they are always one that missed a season and sat to rot. people can do what they want but a saw indoors does not need it unless your gonna let them sit forever. i'm not saying it hurts, just that it's not needed for most saw hacks.

Perhaps in your part of Canuckistan they leave the mowers and blowers outdoors but the vast marjory I see are in a garage The fuel will degrade and give you issues. I figure it like this why take the chance? Better safe than sorry.

 

[Rockjock]

That guy is probably in fantastic shape by now. I'm always out of breath by the time it starts lol. They all start fine normally. The 290 is a but of a pain sometimes but I have the starting procedure down. Either way I don't own any new ones mine are 20 and 30 years old. I'm sure they have made some positive changes since the 028 came out.

7 pulls on average a workout does not make. 4 MS 170's 2 MS250s and a MS 290 all were sold today and I personally started them all. I use the run dry method and have no issues with my OP E, I tell my customers the same thing because no doing so would be a disservice to them. No one has ever come in and told me that taking that advise failed. Funny that huh.

 

[1Alpha1]

I'll try to tackle this one.

I have more generators and gas powered crap that I'll ever need. It frustrates the hell out of me to keep it all running. From the diaphragms in the carb getting hard and not working right. To carb clogging. And fuel contamination from water not being suspended in the fuel anymore and the carburetor turns to dust after awhile. I've experienced it all.


I've found the best thing to do for generators and other things of that sort is run sunoco standard 110 leaded or 100 av gas until I smell lead and shut it off just enough to coat the bottom of the tank if its a metal tank . And I'll let it sit in the bowl and evaporate because the lead seems to coat the inside of the bowl and tank after its evaporated. On some equipment the av gas is thinner than regular gas it likes to leak out of my dirtbikes when they sit.

For chainsaws. I'll do something similar but empty it back into the gas can. And run it out of the fuel lines after I smell lead.

And if I know something with a metal tank is going to sit for along time. Ill put diesel in it and plug it up. Then go shake it every once in awhile.


Also. If it doesn't start in the first 8 pulls at the most theres something wrong with it.

It takes at least 8 pulls for most of my Stihl O P E to start, if I'm lucky. And, there's nothing wrong with any of it.