Chainsaw storage
- Thread starter Matt Schmitt
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Ethanol free and stihl oil. One of mine sat for over 10 years. I dumped the gas out and put fresh in it and it ran like a champ in 5 pulls. I’ve never had an issue with one sitting for a few months either. Usually my weed whacker cranks right up after sitting all winter.
I don’t like to ever run my stihls out of gas. I’m usually tired of cutting when the tank gets low so I’m always checking it, when there’s about 1/2” of gas in my tank it’s a cord and time for a fresh saw and chain anyway.
I’ve run my ported Poulan 3700 out a few times, I hear that lean rumble when it goes to idle down after a cut and call it quits. Dang thing drinks the gas like it’s Beer, especially if it’s a little rich.
I don’t like to ever run my stihls out of gas. I’m usually tired of cutting when the tank gets low so I’m always checking it, when there’s about 1/2” of gas in my tank it’s a cord and time for a fresh saw and chain anyway.
I’ve run my ported Poulan 3700 out a few times, I hear that lean rumble when it goes to idle down after a cut and call it quits. Dang thing drinks the gas like it’s Beer, especially if it’s a little rich.
Well I bought them off here and I’d hate to find out in the years to come down the road I go to use one and find out it was junk. Then both were fired and have about 1-2 tanks through them they look new to me while technically they are not. But they are back ups to the saws I currently am running until needed.
Huskybill
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My saws have there gas tanks filled. With non ethanol fuel the husky two stroke 50:1 mix in a can says it lasts three years in the can. I start up my saws every so often anyway just to keep the juices flowing.
Some of my saws would sit for 6 months full of gas. When my two stroke mix gas can got low I’d fill the tank in my log splitter. The home built log splitter lasted over 20 years. I kept the oil changed after 8 hours of use. I purchased the cheapest b&s engine with the aluminum cylinder. The shop were I bought it said it wouldn’t last 1 year on a log splitter. It was still running when I sold it.
Some of my saws would sit for 6 months full of gas. When my two stroke mix gas can got low I’d fill the tank in my log splitter. The home built log splitter lasted over 20 years. I kept the oil changed after 8 hours of use. I purchased the cheapest b&s engine with the aluminum cylinder. The shop were I bought it said it wouldn’t last 1 year on a log splitter. It was still running when I sold it.
When I store something I put some fuel preservation into the tank and run it until it dies. Most of the time fill her up with fresh fuel and pull the cord a bunch of times and it usually starts. Never had any problems with seal or carb issues. Thanks
pavel408
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HQ/Echo service guy told me to just pour the tank out, but not run dry. Reason is that - according to him - carb diaphragms would harden much quicker if they are not in contact with gas. (I guess the reason why the tank should be emptied is only that next time it gets fresh mix.)
All this presents areal dilemma for me. For as long as I can remember I was told to “run out” all my gasoline powered equipment before putting it away. Mostly out of concern over ethanol,I think. Everything but the riding mower. They all still work great, but I’m a follower of the argument that rubber used in fuel will dry out if left uncovered. Is a fact in airplane fuel bladders. So now I’m thinking of changing horses. But,I simply can’t imagine filling my saws, running them and then just putting them away. I have the correct fuel but still,Wow.
I’ve owned some of my stuff for 20 years too.
I didn’t get on the e-free bus until I caught CAD, so maybe it was the right thing to do up until then. ???
I’ve owned some of my stuff for 20 years too.
I didn’t get on the e-free bus until I caught CAD, so maybe it was the right thing to do up until then. ???
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You have 20 years (of good) experience, and you read this thread that is completely in conflict with itself and you have a dilemma? Why? Why not just do what you been doing, because it is working for you?
Mowers are a different story, a dry carb will benefit, and also has a much thicker gas line in most cases. Chainsaws and other small engines have diaphragms that can go bad when dry.
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wood4heat
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How are you guys running your saws out of gas in the cut? All of mine bog at wide open throttle when they are running out of fuel. Kind of like a plugged filter. That’s when I know it’s time to shut down and refuel. Do you guys just feather the throttle and power through till it dies or what?? 
Colt Marlington
ArboristSite Guru
This is probably one of those dammed if you do dammed if you don't things.
Old dried up gas can gum up passages.
And I guess that a dry rot could take place in lines if run dry.
Old dried up gas can gum up passages.
And I guess that a dry rot could take place in lines if run dry.
wood4heat
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Are we overthinking this?
Personally I think diaphragm carbs are less prone to varnishing due to a lack of air space. I also think premix acts as some sort of stabilizer. That said if I was gonna put a saw on the shelf for use at an undetermined future date I would idle it dry. If you decide to leave fuel in the saw fill the tank up! The less airspace the better.
I’ve always idled my saws dry st the end of summer and never had a problem. I’ve been doing this with the 361 since 2006. My dad bought a 361 in 2004 and has always left fuel in it. I’m not aware that he’s ever had a problem.
I used to have jet skis that would sit all winter with fuel in them and they never had a problem. (Also diaphragm carbs)
I also have a Honda GX650 generator that has a combo fuel/ignition/choke switch. Not sure how that works but it sat in my father in laws trailer for two+ years with fuel in it and started on the 2nd or 3rd pull. I never drain it and it still starts within a couple pulls no matter how long it sits. Kinda like a Honda lawn mower.
My Trail70 or my daughters TRX70 (4strokes) sit for a month with fuel and I have to clean the carbs. I’ve had 2stroke MX bikes that have sat all winter and fired right up. These are all float carbs but the 2stroke have much larger jets that would presumably take more to plug.
Personally I think diaphragm carbs are less prone to varnishing due to a lack of air space. I also think premix acts as some sort of stabilizer. That said if I was gonna put a saw on the shelf for use at an undetermined future date I would idle it dry. If you decide to leave fuel in the saw fill the tank up! The less airspace the better.
I’ve always idled my saws dry st the end of summer and never had a problem. I’ve been doing this with the 361 since 2006. My dad bought a 361 in 2004 and has always left fuel in it. I’m not aware that he’s ever had a problem.
I used to have jet skis that would sit all winter with fuel in them and they never had a problem. (Also diaphragm carbs)
I also have a Honda GX650 generator that has a combo fuel/ignition/choke switch. Not sure how that works but it sat in my father in laws trailer for two+ years with fuel in it and started on the 2nd or 3rd pull. I never drain it and it still starts within a couple pulls no matter how long it sits. Kinda like a Honda lawn mower.
My Trail70 or my daughters TRX70 (4strokes) sit for a month with fuel and I have to clean the carbs. I’ve had 2stroke MX bikes that have sat all winter and fired right up. These are all float carbs but the 2stroke have much larger jets that would presumably take more to plug.
be sure,,to listen to the infiltrator of truth...hes adept at it...
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Before ethonol I used to run mine out sometimes and leave fuel in sometimes, didn't seem to make any difference. But anytime I have left ethonol fuel in for any length of time it has messed up the carbs. Since no ethonol is available now in my area, that's all I use now and I leave fuel in everything,but I do use Seafoam.
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I use ethanol free and amsoil saber I got to thinking I believe it has an additive in it I’ll have to look in the morning maybe it’ll be better with some gas in these.
You should be fine either way with no ethonol fuel. I use Stihl ultra oil and it has a stabilizer in it but it does nothing for ethonol fuel. Since I switched to no ethonol, I put .9 gallon gas, small bottle of Stihl ultra, and 1 oz Seafoam. Haven't had any trouble with storage yet.
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Interesting discussion! I just finished reviving an old homelite EZ chainsaw that had been run dry and put on a shelf for something like 20 years. I pulled the carb apart and it looked like brand new on the inside...no gas in it. Re-assembled it with the original parts. Pulled and pulled...no joy! Poured a gulp or two of gas down the carb throat and it fired up. Once running it was able to pull gas into the carb. From what I can tell the metering and pump diaphragms were fine except that the check valve flaps on the pump diaphram were a bit dry and not letting it pump fuel very well. After gasoline finally hit that fuel pump diaphram and softened it up, it ran just fine...easy to start...etc. So, just from this one example, I see both sides of this argument. For me...based on this experience....I will probably continue to idle dry any saw that I plan to store for more than a year. Otherwise I will trust the stabilizer in the mix oil to keep my e-free gasoline from going bad in the carb.
YOU, are full retard..youd know.just like the rest of the lefturds in this forum...….Don't go Full Retard. Believe me, from you just a little bit is more then enough.
