I am brand new to this forum. Just bought a Husky 288XP. It ran well, and I could start it back when I bought it with modestly increased effort, when compared to my 272XP. The saw had a dead chain-oil pump so I started taking the saw apart to deal with that. One thing lead to another and by the time I got the saw back together today, I had replaced many other components, including the compression ring. The old ring was right at 1mm gap, the listed service limit. Well, now, the saw is so hard to turn over that I am lucky to get past TDC once! The saw has no decompression valve and I am sure tempted to explore fitting one. The cylinder has a boss for it but it is not drilled or tapped. So, is this level of compression expected for this saw? I can rule out some expected and potential issues with good confidence. The ring is installed correctly. The cylinder is in fine shape. The brake is not an issue. The starter functions properly. When the spark-plug is out the turnover is easy and smooth. When I fitted the piston back into the piston I put a couple drops of 2-stroke oil in the plug hole and wonder if that has sealed up the compression too much. With thorough enough instructions I'd be capable of doing the machining / drilling / tapping for a decompression valve. It baffles me that I have read posts on here that some members have absolutely no trouble starting their 288s without a valve. Either their compression is low or I'm a wimp.