Did I overheat or damage my new Stihl?

[Jimbo45]

Hello All, Great Forum Here, And Lots Of Great Info. This Forum Was Very Helpful In Helping Me Pick My New Saw.

I Bought A New Ms290 20" Stihl, To Replace My 16 Year Old Poulan.

I Picked it Up Monday, Inspected And Adjusted The Chain, And Filled It With Stihl Hp Premix, And Stihl Bar Oil. I Started It Up, And Ran It For A Few Minutes, And It Ran And Idled Great.

Then Tuesday, I Had A 32" Oak Trunk I Need To Cut Up And Move. It Was A Humid 97 Degree Sunny Aftetnoon. I Knew I Should Have Waited Until It Cooled Off, But I Really Wanted To Get This Tree Moved, So Away I Went.

I Cut The Trunk Four Times, In About 25 Minutes, With Short Breaks, To Move The Pieces. I Burned One Tank Of Fuel And Stopped.

While Cutting, The Saw Seemed Pretty Hot. It Ran Good, But Seemed To Be A Little Low On Power, For What I Expected From This 290. It Did Die A Time Or Two, While Idling, But Was Easily Restarted.

MAybe My Perceived Lack Of Power Was Due To The 20" Bar, And The Super Hard Oak. This Is Also My First Experience With A Saw This Size.

But, I Have To Wonder, If I Damaged My Saw, Subjecting It To Such Heat, When Brand New. I Plan To Take Care Of This Saw, And Keep It For Many Years. I Hope I Didnt Shorten Its Lifespan.

So, What Do You Guys Think, Did I Screw Up, Pushing It So Hard On A 97 Degree Day, When New? Is There Anything I Can Check Or Inspect To Ensure Its Ok?? I Would Like Some Piece Of Mind To Know I Didnt Ruin It. Thanks In Advance.

 

[o8f150]

20" bar on a 290 buried in oak will work but you have to take it slow,, let the saw do the work,,, you are asking a lot of that saw doing that big of wood,, that size of wood is better suited for a 70+cc saw,,, cutting in 97 degree weather is not real good on one either

 

[stihl sawing]

Nah, you didn't hurt it from the outside temp. I cut in the heat all the time. A lot of days over 100. Last year used it all day in 108. Now you might have the wrong mixture. I dunno but the outside temp didn't hurt it. Shoot mine wouldn't know what to think if they were used in the winter.lol

 

[stihl sawing]

20" bar on a 290 buried in oak will work but you have to take it slow,, let the saw do the work,,, you are asking a lot of that saw doing that big of wood,, that size of wood is better suited for a 70+cc saw,,, cutting in 97 degree weather is not real good on one either

That's cause them eathquakes got plastic cylinders.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[broman78]

the saw is fine. Just make sure you let the saw idle a minute or two to warm up before cutting and afterwards to let it cool down. Do a muffler mod when warranty goes out or when you want more power.

 

[o8f150]

That's cause them eathquakes got plastic cylinders.:hmm3grin2orange:

plastic??? :bang: that bast*** told me it was ceramic

glad you cut in the heat SS,,, that is a nono for me,, against my religion,,, has to be down to at least 70 before I do any cutting,,, guess I am just getting old:biggrin::biggrin:

 

[stihl sawing]

plastic??? :bang: that bast*** told me it was ceramic

glad you cut in the heat SS,,, that is a nono for me,, against my religion,,, has to be down to at least 70 before I do any cutting,,, guess I am just getting old:biggrin::biggrin:

You're younger than me.

 

[computeruser]

Should be fine. If you're really concerned, pop the muffler off and take a peek. Everything look good and smooth, a bit oily? Great. Look scored or scorched or dry? Not great. But odds are you're fine.

And while you're at it and have the muffler off, open that muffler up a bit and retune the saw (plenty of instructions on the site here on how to do that stuff).

That size bar in that sort of wood is a lot for a 290, no doubt. But if you do your part - sharp chain, a bit of patience - you and your saw will be A-OK. I cut tons of stuff with my 290 when I first started down the path of accumulating saws. That particular 290 is still out there, cutting wood at the in-laws, all these years later.

Welcome to the site, and the world of saws!! Hold on to your wallet!!!!

 

[Jimbo45]

Thanks For The Help So Far, Guys!

Are Any Of You Guys Running No Ethanol Gas? I Sure Wish I Could Find A Source....I Bet My Old Poulan's Fuel Lines Would Still Be Intact If It Weren't For The Ethanol!

 

[stihl sawing]

Thanks For The Help So Far, Guys!

Are Any Of You Guys Running No Ethanol Gas? I Sure Wish I Could Find A Source....I Bet My Old Poulan's Fuel Lines Would Still Be Intact If It Weren't For The Ethanol!

A Sinclair station right up the road from me sells it, It's all I buy.

 

[Adirondackstihl]

So, What Do You Guys Think, Did I Screw Up.

Question is, did your dealer screw up and not tune the saw properly before letting you take it home!


opcorn:

 

[Jimbo45]

Should be fine. If you're really concerned, pop the muffler off and take a peek. Everything look good and smooth, a bit oily? Great. Look scored or scorched or dry? Not great. But odds are you're fine.

And while you're at it and have the muffler off, open that muffler up a bit and retune the saw (plenty of instructions on the site here on how to do that stuff).

That size bar in that sort of wood is a lot for a 290, no doubt. But if you do your part - sharp chain, a bit of patience - you and your saw will be A-OK. I cut tons of stuff with my 290 when I first started down the path of accumulating saws. That particular 290 is still out there, cutting wood at the in-laws, all these years later.

Welcome to the site, and the world of saws!! Hold on to your wallet!!!!

Yeah, Poor Wallet. I Know, The Last Thing I Need Is Another Hobby! But, I Do See More Saws In The Future, Once I Get My Wood Burner In Action.

I Do Love Tinkering, And Maintaining My Stuff. I Also Have Experience With Engines, And Some Two Stroke Tuning In The Past.

I Plan To Fine Tune The Carb, And I Will Pull The Muffler This Weekend, To Check It Out.

Thanks!

 

[Jimbo45]

Question is, did your dealer screw up and not tune the saw properly before letting take it home!


opcorn:

Bought From A Farm Supply Store. It Wasnt Even Started To My Knowledge. And From My Experience, I Am Better Off NOT Having The Kid At The Counter Fiddle With My Saw. I Think He Was Only Shown How To Fill Out The Warranty Card.

 

[computeruser]

Are Any Of You Guys Running No Ethanol Gas? I Sure Wish I Could Find A Source....I Bet My Old Poulan's Fuel Lines Would Still Be Intact If It Weren't For The Ethanol!

I run the premix stuff on the saws/trimmers/hedger that I don't use often, since it seems safe insurance given that they sit a lot and get put up wet. The saws that see regular use run whatever comes out of the 93 octane pump, with Mobil MX2T oil.

I noticed a HUGE HUGE HUGE difference in how my Echo trimmer and Echo stick edger run after switching to premix. Start on first pull and accelerate better, especially when they're still a bit cold. It wasn't like I was running bad gas/oil before, but having stuff that is low/zero ethanol has been good for these machines.

 

[CTYank]

Thanks For The Help So Far, Guys!

Are Any Of You Guys Running No Ethanol Gas? I Sure Wish I Could Find A Source....I Bet My Old Poulan's Fuel Lines Would Still Be Intact If It Weren't For The Ethanol!

I really doubt it. Biggest factor there is the crappy (vinyl?) fuel lines. So they save a dime/saw. I've been down that road a few times with "greenie" saws.

Lots of paranoia around on ethanol. Not saying we need to make Iowa corn growers rich, either. As long as it's in the fuel, we need to take appropriate action, like as follows:
1. keep mix fresh; store in cool dry space; after a few months, toss it in the truck.
2. use good stuff- pure synthetic mix oil in 89-octane from "busy" pump.
3. cheat; add a soupcon of sta-bil or B&S fuel treatment
4. shake it often
5. run engines dry before storing them

The above, ethanol countermeasures, have little to do with the crappy fuel lines; water absorption, 'nother story.

 

[bcaarms]

Ported saws a safety consideration in hot weather

It Was A Humid 97 Degree Sunny Aftetnoon. I Knew I Should Have Waited Until It Cooled Off,

I take it y'all Yankees haven't heard about global warming. If we waited till it cools off we only get to cut 2 Months a year. We just had a break last week of high 80s and humidity down in the mid 60s. What a relief. Drinking plenty of water helps, but the best thing to do is learn to pace yourself in the heat. I try to break it down into 2 hour or less tasks. Some of them don't cooperate and run into 3 to 3 and a half. Thats when it becomes important to take a break and get some liquids somewhere in the middle. I do this for a hobby and I know you guys working dont get that luxury. But a smart foreman will keep breaks throughout the day.)

If I have a big tree to cut up I do not have to worry about any of my saws overheating before I do. All of them are ported and I have plenty of sharp chains. (If I can remember to put them on right. Actually the other night I put one on the grinder backwards and it crossed my mind to go ahead and sharpen both ends just in case. :msp_smile

When a log is matched to the right saw/bar combination the cutting part is pretty quick work. The hard part of dragging brush is a lot easier with a tractor with grapple. Even then it is easy to go beyond when we should have taken a break for water.

Never thought of it before, but having a selection of ported saws to match to the task can be a huge safety consideration. And the neat part is my wife agrees.:cool2:

Peace

 

[Joe Kidd]

I take it y'all Yankees haven't heard about global warming.

And Al Gore invented the internet!

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Thanks For The Help So Far, Guys!

Are Any Of You Guys Running No Ethanol Gas? I Sure Wish I Could Find A Source....I Bet My Old Poulan's Fuel Lines Would Still Be Intact If It Weren't For The Ethanol!

We have non-ethanol gas at two stations near me. If you have a Country Mark station you might check with them.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I take it y'all Yankees haven't heard about global warming. If we waited till it cools off we only get to cut 2 Months a year. We just had a break last week of high 80s and humidity down in the mid 60s. What a relief. Drinking plenty of water helps, but the best thing to do is learn to pace yourself in the heat. I try to break it down into 2 hour or less tasks. Some of them don't cooperate and run into 3 to 3 and a half. Thats when it becomes important to take a break and get some liquids somewhere in the middle. I do this for a hobby and I know you guys working dont get that luxury. But a smart foreman will keep breaks throughout the day.)

If I have a big tree to cut up I do not have to worry about any of my saws overheating before I do. All of them are ported and I have plenty of sharp chains. (If I can remember to put them on right. Actually the other night I put one on the grinder backwards and it crossed my mind to go ahead and sharpen both ends just in case. :msp_smile

When a log is matched to the right saw/bar combination the cutting part is pretty quick work. The hard part of dragging brush is a lot easier with a tractor with grapple. Even then it is easy to go beyond when we should have taken a break for water.

Never thought of it before, but having a selection of ported saws to match to the task can be a huge safety consideration. And the neat part is my wife agrees.:cool2:

Peace

Where's Al Gore in the winter time when we're freezing our butts off?

 

[Joe Kidd]

Stuck in record snowfall!