precaud
ArboristSite Operative
Maybe there's no simple answer to this question... but what's the life expectancy (in running hours) of a modern, well-maintained chainsaw engine?
Lifespan of a saw engine
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TRYON
ArboristSite Lurker
a really long time if well cared for......
Tree Sling'r
Addicted to ArboristSite
The ones I build or the "normal" ones?
Lakeside53
Stihl Wrenching
Pro saws... Couple of thousand hours, or more...
derbyguy_78
ArboristSite Member
good question
good question arborsitman,i own a husky 359xp that stays maintaned on regular basis....would it still be good up to 1000hours?
good question arborsitman,i own a husky 359xp that stays maintaned on regular basis....would it still be good up to 1000hours?
huskydave
Addicted to ArboristSite
it will depend on who runs it how often the air filter is cleaned if the fuel is always properly mixed with good oil if the saw gets some cooldown time or its run hard all day if it is run with dull chains if the saw is not running too lean if covers are cleanned out with air periodically if the fuel filter is changed regularly etc....... i dont think you can put an hour mark on how long a saw will last their are too many variables.
windthrown
361 Junkie
Saw life
Our MS290 is 5 years old and shows very light wear. Been through 2 bars and several sprockets on it now. It still has that German zing. Take care of them and they will last a long time. I expect my MS361 to outlast me, actually.
As several others here have said, a lot depends on how they are used/abused, and how they are taken care of. If you use use mid-grade to premium gas (as most saw makers call for), use a good rated air-cooled 2-stroke oil, keep the carb adjusted (they can float around with a lot of use), keep the air cleaners clean, run with sharp chains, run real bar oil, do not bog it down a lot, do not break it, set them down instead of throwing them down, start them on the ground or in your hands and do not drop start them, change the spark plug once a year, yadda yadda.
The flip side is this: with a 2 stroke saw, it is only one tank of non-2-stroke oil treated gas away from being completely smoked. As my brother who was once a shrink at the Soledad prison in California told me of an interview with an inmate once, the guy got his kicks behind bars coming up with ways to destroy lawn mowers. The most common was to drain the oil and see how long they lasted before they blew up. Your tax dollars at work!
Our MS290 is 5 years old and shows very light wear. Been through 2 bars and several sprockets on it now. It still has that German zing. Take care of them and they will last a long time. I expect my MS361 to outlast me, actually.
As several others here have said, a lot depends on how they are used/abused, and how they are taken care of. If you use use mid-grade to premium gas (as most saw makers call for), use a good rated air-cooled 2-stroke oil, keep the carb adjusted (they can float around with a lot of use), keep the air cleaners clean, run with sharp chains, run real bar oil, do not bog it down a lot, do not break it, set them down instead of throwing them down, start them on the ground or in your hands and do not drop start them, change the spark plug once a year, yadda yadda.
The flip side is this: with a 2 stroke saw, it is only one tank of non-2-stroke oil treated gas away from being completely smoked. As my brother who was once a shrink at the Soledad prison in California told me of an interview with an inmate once, the guy got his kicks behind bars coming up with ways to destroy lawn mowers. The most common was to drain the oil and see how long they lasted before they blew up.
Your tax dollars at work!
Timberhauler
Addicted to ArboristSite
I've never really counted the actual hours,but it has to be in the thousands......I get about a two years out of a MS200T which is the smallest we use.I get 18 months to two years out of a 440,that is what does the bulk of our cutting.I get two and a half to three years out of a new 660.I haven't had the 395 long enough to know yet...But I've had my 385's for just over three years,and they run better now than when new.
I'm guessing about two years before a major rebuild if it is a commercial grade saw that is used daily and has the proper maintenance. That would be in the 4,000 hour range.
A casual use saw, if properly maintained according to the instruction manual could probably last a lifetime. There really isn't much to corrode and rust out.
A casual use saw, if properly maintained according to the instruction manual could probably last a lifetime. There really isn't much to corrode and rust out.
IndyIan
ArboristSite Operative
There is an EPA sticker on my husky 141 that basically says that for emmisions purposes this saw is rated for 50 hrs! It is considered a light duty engine. I do expect it will last more than 50hrs as it gets the same premium fuel fresh mix as my 372 gets and I do keep the chain sharp and clean it often.
Right now I'm cutting 6-10" dbh cedar for fence posts so I'm putting a few hours on it and its holding up just fine. The 372 is overkill and stretches my arms too much
Ian
Right now I'm cutting 6-10" dbh cedar for fence posts so I'm putting a few hours on it and its holding up just fine. The 372 is overkill and stretches my arms too much
Ian
Lakeside53
Stihl Wrenching
That is just a rating as to how long the emissions are supposed to stay within spec... I'm not sure the MAC3200 I "had" with the same sticker made it to 50 hours though!
racereric
ArboristSite Lurker
Ahh.. good ol EPA. They probably mean that after 50 hour of use the tolerances have changed enough that it no longer meets their emission requirements ie. CARB and all that b.s. I suspect that saw will run fine much longer than that.
racereric
ArboristSite Lurker
You're too fast for me Andy!
Timberhauler
Addicted to ArboristSite
There is an EPA sticker on my husky 141 that basically says that for emmisions purposes this saw is rated for 50 hrs! It is considered a light duty engine. I do expect it will last more than 50hrs as it gets the same premium fuel fresh mix as my 372 gets and I do keep the chain sharp and clean it often.
Right now I'm cutting 6-10" dbh cedar for fence posts so I'm putting a few hours on it and its holding up just fine. The 372 is overkill and stretches my arms too much
Ian
I had a 141 that I used for three years..Nearly every day.I used it as a climbing saw.With a little tweaking it can be made to blow the doors off of a MS200T.This saw never failed,never tore up and never refused to start in three years.I thought that was pretty good for a "homeowner saw".When it gave up the ghost,it was my fault.It was still running strong,but I had unclipped it from my saddle as I was about to fall a huge top.I always unhook the saw when doing this because of the possibility of the saw getting caught as the top falls...And for the first time in 15 years,my saw hung that day and there was nothing I could do but let it go and ride that top 60 feet to the ground.The saw was busted into three peices.It kinda broke my heart,because I had gotten attatched to that saw....So 50 hours is BS...the 141 is a good saw.
ben14826
ArboristSite Operative
Spoken in true AS style. I always feel a bit sad and empathetic whenever I break a saw. As if the saw could feel it and it hurt. I think this might be common around here?
stihl 440
Addicted to ArboristSite
logging
I would say that a average saw would last 3-4,000 hours if properly maintained. Which includes, good 89 octane and up fuel mixed at the proper mix, sharp chains(no dull ones), very clean air filters, regularly maitenced every 6 months to a year, no excessive no load rpm, good bar oil. That is logging 8 hrs a day 5 days a week, pretty much all year long. Of course I know guys that buy saws and trade them in when the warranty is up and get a new one.:jawdrop: Of course those guys don't clean the air filter at all, and run under 89 octane octane fuel.
They run them very hard also, beat on them.
I would say that a average saw would last 3-4,000 hours if properly maintained. Which includes, good 89 octane and up fuel mixed at the proper mix, sharp chains(no dull ones), very clean air filters, regularly maitenced every 6 months to a year, no excessive no load rpm, good bar oil. That is logging 8 hrs a day 5 days a week, pretty much all year long. Of course I know guys that buy saws and trade them in when the warranty is up and get a new one.:jawdrop: Of course those guys don't clean the air filter at all, and run under 89 octane octane fuel.
They run them very hard also, beat on them. Diesel JD
ArboristSite Guru
The 50 hrs EPA sticker is just like your car which must meet emissions standards for 100,000 miles in most cases. In my family all our vehicles have 100K plus miles and all but one runs! So as you see, as with many things dealing with EPA and CARB it has little to no relationship to reality.
life
The life of a chainsaw is directly proportional to the amount of foreign material ingested.
Maybe Steven Hawkings can figure that one out.
Actually, my sentence down below still says it all.
The life of a chainsaw is directly proportional to the amount of foreign material ingested.
Maybe Steven Hawkings can figure that one out.
Actually, my sentence down below still says it all.
Marvinlee
ArboristSite Member
I would be favorably impressed by any documented total of 2000 hours or more. The EPA ratings for emissions compliance time are partly scientific, partly political, and partly based on expected intensity of engine use. Engines expected to be used a high percentage of the time have higher emissions durability requirements imposed by EPA. For an example of EPA error, consider the gas mileage stickers posted on new cars. EPA revamped the criteria once and will do so again, soon.
