rta01
ArboristSite Lurker
This is quite a long post, but figured I'd give you all the details up front.
Backstory:
Homeowner with ~6.5 acres. Clearing overgrown areas - mainly sweetgum and privet, but some are quite large. Had my father's MS 250 and bought a MS 192. (Love the 192 for its light weight for trimming up and found it to be incredibly capable for its size.) Neither of these saws were big enough to handle the size of some of the trees I was dealing with.
Ended up buying a used Home Depot rental, Makita DCS6421 - 20", several years ago. Needed some initial love, but has worked well. Put 24" bar on for some of the bigger trees. Recently started leaking (really pouring out) fuel. Found it to be the flywheel side seal. Replaced the seal and the leak stopped for a very short while, but started again same place. New seal was destroyed. Found crankshaft to be wobbly. Bearing shot. Plan to completely rebuild with big bore. Do I really need this big of a saw? No, but, ..... well, you know. But still need a bigger saw than the Stihls to keep working on property now.
Started looking at HD rentals again. Bought a Makita EA6100 - 20", manufacture date June 2018. Was a little surprised they had changed models and a little disappointed that the size was down a little, but figured it would still be a good saw. Got it home and attempted to put the 24' bar on it, but found the adjustment pin did not line up, so ordered a new 24" bar that was correct for the saw. Went back to the "stock" Makita 20" bar and took it out for a test drive. Cut some pretty sizable stumps off - none bigger than the 20" bar, though. After cutting off about 3, noticed the chain was bone dry. Thought I had a saw that the oiling setup was messed up. I had filled it with oil before I started. Checked the oil reservoir and it was down by half, so the oil was going somewhere. Ran it to check for slinging oil, and it was not, but oil was running down the side of the bar, so it was obviously pumping oil. Put it up at that point figuring I would clean and check the bar out later. Other than the oiling, very impressed with the "new" saw. Started easy. Ran good. Cut good.
In the mean time the new 24' bar arrived. Decided just to change over to it. Just for fun, compared the new bar to the "stock" bar. Found the "stock" bar oil hole was about 3/4" up from the mounting slot and the new bar was about 3/8". Explains why the bar wasn't getting oil. Looked at the "stock" bar part number. Found that the rental maintenance experts had put a 6421 bar on the 6100. Compared it to my old 20" and 24" bars I had for my 6421 and sure enough, they matched. So, ordered a new, correct, 20" bar. Decided I should look a little closer to see if anything else was amiss. Wasn't too concerned since the saw ran so well. Found the chain catch at the bottom was missing. Found one screw missing from the chain brake cover. Also found summer/winter insert was set to block airflow. Not sure how necessary that was for Georgia summers. I flipped it around.
Now for the problem:
I put the 24" bar on and took it to work on some of the bigger stumps. Worked good until the full bar length was in the stump. Then it the chain would bog down and quit turning. I could back the saw of the cut a little and it would start back up, but as soon as fully back in the chain would stop. Sometimes the saw would stall, but most of the time the chain just quit turning. Tried just cutting logs and limbs and that seemed to do fine. So, a little disappointed and concerned that saw won't fully perform with a 24" bar.
What I've checked/done:
Spark plug looks OK, not great - will be getting new.
With plug out, top of cylinder looked pretty carboned up. Light treatment with Seafoam. Have not checked again.
Spark arrestor - dirty but not clogged, cleaned anyway.
Cleaned air filter
Pulled muffler to check piston/cylinder - they were pristine.
What I have not done:
checked/changed fuel filter - will do as soon as I get one
adjusted carb - running pretty good, not sure it needs it, don't necessarily want to mess with a good thing. Smokes a little
checked compression
My questions for those that know a lot more about this than me - especially EA6100 users:
Do I really have a problem - carb, clutch, or something else?
Will the 6100 handle a 24" bar/chain?
Would switching to a skip chain allow using 24"?
Any/all help or ideas appreciated.
Backstory:
Homeowner with ~6.5 acres. Clearing overgrown areas - mainly sweetgum and privet, but some are quite large. Had my father's MS 250 and bought a MS 192. (Love the 192 for its light weight for trimming up and found it to be incredibly capable for its size.) Neither of these saws were big enough to handle the size of some of the trees I was dealing with.
Ended up buying a used Home Depot rental, Makita DCS6421 - 20", several years ago. Needed some initial love, but has worked well. Put 24" bar on for some of the bigger trees. Recently started leaking (really pouring out) fuel. Found it to be the flywheel side seal. Replaced the seal and the leak stopped for a very short while, but started again same place. New seal was destroyed. Found crankshaft to be wobbly. Bearing shot. Plan to completely rebuild with big bore. Do I really need this big of a saw? No, but, ..... well, you know. But still need a bigger saw than the Stihls to keep working on property now.
Started looking at HD rentals again. Bought a Makita EA6100 - 20", manufacture date June 2018. Was a little surprised they had changed models and a little disappointed that the size was down a little, but figured it would still be a good saw. Got it home and attempted to put the 24' bar on it, but found the adjustment pin did not line up, so ordered a new 24" bar that was correct for the saw. Went back to the "stock" Makita 20" bar and took it out for a test drive. Cut some pretty sizable stumps off - none bigger than the 20" bar, though. After cutting off about 3, noticed the chain was bone dry. Thought I had a saw that the oiling setup was messed up. I had filled it with oil before I started. Checked the oil reservoir and it was down by half, so the oil was going somewhere. Ran it to check for slinging oil, and it was not, but oil was running down the side of the bar, so it was obviously pumping oil. Put it up at that point figuring I would clean and check the bar out later. Other than the oiling, very impressed with the "new" saw. Started easy. Ran good. Cut good.
In the mean time the new 24' bar arrived. Decided just to change over to it. Just for fun, compared the new bar to the "stock" bar. Found the "stock" bar oil hole was about 3/4" up from the mounting slot and the new bar was about 3/8". Explains why the bar wasn't getting oil. Looked at the "stock" bar part number. Found that the rental maintenance experts had put a 6421 bar on the 6100. Compared it to my old 20" and 24" bars I had for my 6421 and sure enough, they matched. So, ordered a new, correct, 20" bar. Decided I should look a little closer to see if anything else was amiss. Wasn't too concerned since the saw ran so well. Found the chain catch at the bottom was missing. Found one screw missing from the chain brake cover. Also found summer/winter insert was set to block airflow. Not sure how necessary that was for Georgia summers. I flipped it around.
Now for the problem:
I put the 24" bar on and took it to work on some of the bigger stumps. Worked good until the full bar length was in the stump. Then it the chain would bog down and quit turning. I could back the saw of the cut a little and it would start back up, but as soon as fully back in the chain would stop. Sometimes the saw would stall, but most of the time the chain just quit turning. Tried just cutting logs and limbs and that seemed to do fine. So, a little disappointed and concerned that saw won't fully perform with a 24" bar.
What I've checked/done:
Spark plug looks OK, not great - will be getting new.
With plug out, top of cylinder looked pretty carboned up. Light treatment with Seafoam. Have not checked again.
Spark arrestor - dirty but not clogged, cleaned anyway.
Cleaned air filter
Pulled muffler to check piston/cylinder - they were pristine.
What I have not done:
checked/changed fuel filter - will do as soon as I get one
adjusted carb - running pretty good, not sure it needs it, don't necessarily want to mess with a good thing. Smokes a little
checked compression
My questions for those that know a lot more about this than me - especially EA6100 users:
Do I really have a problem - carb, clutch, or something else?
Will the 6100 handle a 24" bar/chain?
Would switching to a skip chain allow using 24"?
Any/all help or ideas appreciated.
