Concrete floors and chainsaws don't mix

[Steve K]

Just wanted to remind people that magnesium chainsaw cases and concrete don't mix well. Below is a picture of a saw that I acquired that had been sitting on a concrete floor for years. The owner didn't know that he was damaging his saw. I didn't see the floor but I would imagine that newer concrete that gets damp would escalate the chemical reaction from concrete to the saw case.

 

[sachsmo]

That is NOT very purty!

 

[billmartin]

Wow had no clue!!! Glad mines in a case. Very good info to share with the newbies like me out there. Thanks
Bill

 

[alderman]

This one has a bit of the cancer.

 

[SawTroll]

:jawdrop: That damage looks like there are more to it than just sitting on a concrete floor.......

....but saws should of course not sit on concrete anyway!

 

[WoodChuck'r]

I wonder if it may have been attacked by a bit of cat urine too. Not only does it stink forever but it's as acidic as hell.

 

[Jacob J.]

:jawdrop: That damage looks like there are more to it than just sitting on a concrete floor.......

Actually, I've seen the bottoms of chainsaw crankcases totally eaten away just from sitting on a concrete floor. That damage is actually minor.

 

[WoodChuck'r]

This one has a bit of the cancer.

Yeah that was definitely an alpha model designed during the great depression.

:greenchainsaw:

 

[wooddog]

Thanks for sharing and never knew that. I always had shelves or rubber mat or 2'x4' plywood down on the floors to set chainsaws,blowers,weed trimmers, etc on.

 

[Echo6 Sierra]

Wow had no clue!!! Glad mines in a case. Very good info to share with the newbies like me out there. Thanks
Bill

Ditto. Mine is sitting on concrete but doesn't look anything like that..I'm going to go move it right now! Thanks.

 

[Jacob J.]

It takes literally years for that damage to occur, so if you have a saw on the floor for a few weeks or a couple months, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[splitpost]

:jawdrop::jawdrop::censored:back in a minute,all good now

 

[leeha]

I would think that the concrete floor would have to be
damp or wet for it to corrode like that. i don't think a good dry concrete floor would do that kind of damage.



Lee

 

[Brmorgan]

So is that a reaction between the carbonate in the concrete and the magnesium, or just the fact that a layer of water will sit between the saw and the floor for a lot longer than if it was on something more porous like wood? I ask because I've seen the same thing happen to saws that were left on a dirt floor in an old barn or shed etc., to the point that the whole bottom of the case was corroded away as mentioned above.

 

[leeha]

I have a Homelite C72 that has a lot of corrosion
on the bottom and my gut feeling it's caused buy
by being stored in damp, humid, wet areas for extended
periods of time.



Lee

 

[J.Walker]

A lot to be said about wood is good! even if you're just storing your saw off the floor.

 

[SawTroll]

It takes literally years for that damage to occur, so if you have a saw on the floor for a few weeks or a couple months, it shouldn't be a problem.

Sure, my ol' 621 sat on concrete for years before I "saved" it (my FIL gave it to me).

It show no such damage at all!

 

[stihl sawing]

Something weird about concrete, I've always heard that it will drain car batteries too.

 

[volks-man]

Something weird about concrete, I've always heard that it will drain car batteries too.

myth.

the old tale of concrete killing batteries really owes it's origins to old timey, glass-cased batteries.

they didn't drain, they cracked or broke..... with the slightest bump in to concrete.

 

[rms61moparman]

So is that a reaction between the carbonate in the concrete and the magnesium, or just the fact that a layer of water will sit between the saw and the floor for a lot longer than if it was on something more porous like wood? I ask because I've seen the same thing happen to saws that were left on a dirt floor in an old barn or shed etc., to the point that the whole bottom of the case was corroded away as mentioned above.

Buddy of mine "discovered" a couple of old homies in a barn on the dirt floor.
When he brought them to me and we started washing the caked on dirt off we washed right on thru to the crank. Th bottom was so corroded that it just ran right off with the dirt.