Best way to store saws

[Moosemcnally]

What is the best way to store a saw? I am talking 6 months to a year. I am currently using non-ethanol fuel with stabil, when I do have gas in the saw. I am currently emptying the tank and running the saw till it dies. Thoughts?

 

[Hinerman]

You are already storing them as you should. Keep doing what you are doing.

 

[Adirondackstihl]

VP SEF

 

[Moosemcnally]

VP SEF?

 

[Moosemcnally]

I live in AZ = Meaning a crazy hot garage ...some say leave fuel in the carb....and just empty tank?

 

[rmh3481]

Other than storing dry is to keep the saw up off the concrete. Magnesium can interact with moisture and cement to form an acid that will eat the magnesium. If the saw is sitting on the floor, put a piece of wood under it. Otherwise, up on a shelf is good.

Ive noticed on a couple of fire rescue saws that acids had formed on the inside of the crankcase. I will find holes at the bottom where the acid pooled and sometimes the holes from the acid are through the case. These engines were powder coasted on the inside of the case, so whatever chemical is forming is pretty strong. It may have been the environment the the saws were used or stored in, or their exposure to water. Ive seen this more than once so keeping everything dry and up is important.

 

[Philbert]

+1 on running it dry and keeping them off the floor.

I like to clean the saws, to remove any sawdust, etc., that could be holding moisture against the metal parts; inspect it and sharpen the chain, etc.; so that it is ready to go when needed. Worst thing is to pick up the saw when you need it and 'remember' some repair you were going to make.

Philbert

 

[bcaarms]

I agree with the advice given here. However, the Army considers 6 months to a year as temporary storage. Beyond that is considered non-temp storage. Temp storage would be full of fuel as condensation occurs with partially filled tanks. The problems with all the storage programs that had worked for decades occured with the introduction of ethonol in fuel.
I personally keep my saws full of 92 non-ethonol fuel mixed 32-40:1 with Bel Ray HR-1. I start them over the winter from time to time. But Alabama is a little different than a lot of other locations in that its not as cold as other locations, and when it does get abnormally cold it doesn't last for more than a week.

 

[Adirondackstihl]

VP SEF?

Google it

 

[miller1]

I cut year around whenever wood is available, so a month or so without use is a long time for me.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk

 

[Hinerman]

VP SEF?

Non-ethanol, high octane (94-97) pre-mix. Is it good stuff? YES... Is it worth the price ($28/gal)? Not to me. It may be worth it to you since you store your saws for long periods of time.

 

[CTYank]

I've found that, on fueling & running some saws that have been stored with no mix for more than a month or so, it can take a bit for the carb's metering to stabilize. For the first bit of runtime, it runs lean unless I crank both mixture screws out quite a bit.
Before long, it wants both back in. Might well be diaphragm(s) needing to loosen up. No, these are recent manufacture.

 

[nomad_archer]

I like to loosen the chain tension as well before long term storage.

 

[Philbert]

Old school storage for OPE was to run it dry, pull the plug, squirt in some 30 weight motor oil, then pull the rope a few times to keep the cylinder from rusting. I used to get memos on that every year!

Philbert

 

[audible fart]

Well, yesterday i fired up my echo 370 for the first time in a year& a half. My storage consisted of leaving 92 octane ethanol gas mixed with stihl ultra and about an ounce of this lucas fuel treatment, which is more than the recommended amount needed. They claim overtreatment isn't harmful so what the hell. An ounce isn't much anyway. All i did was dump the old gas out, pour new mix in and it fired up like i'd used it yesterday.

Another thing i've done for the last 5 years or so with all my 2 strokes& kombis is for every gallon of 50-1 stihl ultra mix i make, i splash roughly a half ounce of marvel mystery oil in the mix too. My pistons and plugs always look carbon free and i attribute this to the mmo.

 

[Stormy]

My father swears by Seafoam, says he's always winterized his OPE with it, but my last visit to him showed his entire fuel line had dissolved. The gas that came out of it looked black. Dunno what part ethanol had in it, but beyond worryin about stabilizin the gas, I'm putting my saws up dry for the sake of the lines, tho I'll probably do a lite Seafoam smoke-out end of season first.

 

[hotshot]

Old school storage for OPE was to run it dry, pull the plug, squirt in some 30 weight motor oil, then pull the rope a few times to keep the cylinder from rusting. I used to get memos on that every year!
Philbert

Same as the Lawn Boy mower manual recommends, but you probably meant to protect the piston rings inside the
cylinder?, as a modern day saw cylinder won't rust but the rings sure do. Also supposed to bring the piston up
close to TDC, I guess that covers the three exhaust ports.

 

[7sleeper]

Old school storage for OPE was to run it dry, pull the plug, squirt in some 30 weight motor oil, then pull the rope a few times to keep the cylinder from rusting. I used to get memos on that every year!

Philbert

Same here Philbert, but I don't have 30SAE and won't buy it extra for this situation so I just use what I have on hand (15W40, 10W40 or 5W40). And I put the oil into the spark plug hole when the piston is all the way up and then wooble around to be sure that all sides get some oil and then pull through.

7

 

[hogwood]

I pour out the ethanol mix and put in just enough of the stihl pre mixed ethanol free gas to purge out the old gas
then run it about 2 min and put it up.

 

[SS Sniper]

VP SEF?

VP Small Engine Fuel. Non-Ethanol. $75 a gallon. Cha-Ching!!