Newbie with some questions

[Sheriff420]

I've been reading through a lot of threads lately and see that you guys have just a little more experience with chain saws than I do, so I'm hoping y'all can give me some advice.

I found this web site a while back when I was looking for a new saw and I finally broke down and bought a Stihl MS290. I was torn between Husqvarna and Stihl but there were a few comments that made me lean toward Stihl along with the fact that I bought a Husqvarna 346 a couple years ago and it was a pain to start once hot then after a couple days of cutting it started leaking gas so it was back to Lowes with it.

My first saw was a Poulan 2500 that I got for 20$ and it is a pretty good saw even though it's a little underpowered but the fuel line that goes from the tank to the carb rotted out the other day and that was when I decided to buy a good saw that shouldn't give me any grief.

The Poulan 2775 and the Poulan pro 4218 won't start easily and they both need to run for a good 5-10 minutes before they'll accelerate smoothly without bogging down (gotta feather the gas to get them running wide open).
So I believe they're in need of new fuel filters and probably a carb cleaning/adjustment which I'm not exactly sure of how to do properly.

The 2500 won't keep the chain tight for more than a couple minutes also.

I got the Timber Bear from a friend for 70$ and it has been sitting for 10+ years with gas in the tank so the gas was like honey when I poured it out.
He bought it new then ran it for a month or two clearing trees that were blown down from a hurricane then tossed it in the shed.
I got it running but it will only run for a minute before it just shuts down and has to cool off. I'm thinking it needs a fuel filter and probably a carb cleaning/adjustment also.

So what do y'all think about the old saws as far as one being a pain to start, one not keeping the chain tight, one needing the gas to be feathered to keep from bogging it down until it gets hot and the last one shutting down after it gets hot?

 

[derwoodii]

Welcome to AS 420. I say Junk your old saws you got the 29 all you need now start saving for 46 or good tree limba 26.

 

[Sheriff420]

Thanks.

Right now I'm in the process of clearing the trees and vines and crap off the back of my parents property so I can put a house back there. I occasionally help a friend cut up some firewood too since he heats his house with a wood stove, that's where everything bigger than 4" in diameter is going from what I'm cutting on my property.

I wouldn't mind a bigger saw but the biggest trees I have to cut are less than 18".
So I don't do near as much cutting as most people on this forum do. But I do like a good running saw that doesn't bog down as soon as I get it 1/3 the way through a tree like my new 290.

The main reason I want to get the old saws running is because I've got them and they just need a little TLC to get them going again. Plus I could use those saws to take the stumps down to the ground and it won't hurt my feelings when I accidentally put the chain in the dirt.

 

[derwoodii]

Ok sounds like you got it covered but if you stick around much to learn about saws here. Take care the chain saw addiction CAD bug don't bite your lookin like a victim. Some small tweaks will get ya 29 buzzing just hold the bus till you use the warranty up. If ya 29s runnin 20 inch bar a swap to 18 will get more saw speed n take care 29s have glitch in the starter master switch be sure to hold the trigger in when ya choke the master or the mechanisms plastic bar pops out of its cradle. Oh n safety saw chaps are a good investment if you care for your legs.
Is NC North Carolina?

 

[SawTroll]

That Husky hardly was a 346xp, if you bought it at Lowes......

 

[buzz sawyer]

Sheriff, I agree. Sounds like you need to overhaul the carbs and clean or replace fuel lines.

As for the 2500 chain not staying tight, make sure the oil hole and bar channel are clean and the oiler is working - and use real bar oil, it has a tackifier to keep it on the chain.

Sounds like the 290 may be cutting crooked - bogging down 1/3 into the cut? How big was the log? Don't force it - keep the rpms up. Maybe chain needs sharpened? What bar length?

 

[Sheriff420]

Ok sounds like you got it covered but if you stick around much to learn about saws here. Take care the chain saw addiction CAD bug don't bite your lookin like a victim. Some small tweaks will get ya 29 buzzing just hold the bus till you use the warranty up. If ya 29s runnin 20 inch bar a swap to 18 will get more saw speed n take care 29s have glitch in the starter master switch be sure to hold the trigger in when ya choke the master or the mechanisms plastic bar pops out of its cradle. Oh n safety saw chaps are a good investment if you care for your legs.
Is NC North Carolina?

That saw has an 18" bar already.
The Stihl dealer told be about the trigger/choke deal, seems like a bad design to me.
I was already thinking about getting some of the safety chaps because I have a lot of grape vines in the woods I'm clearing and it's common to trip on them.
NC=North Carolina.

Sheriff, I agree. Sounds like you need to overhaul the carbs and clean or replace fuel lines.

As for the 2500 chain not staying tight, make sure the oil hole and bar channel are clean and the oiler is working - and use real bar oil, it has a tackifier to keep it on the chain.

Sounds like the 290 may be cutting crooked - bogging down 1/3 into the cut? How big was the log? Don't force it - keep the rpms up. Maybe chain needs sharpened? What bar length?

The oiler on the 2500 is working, it's leaking actually so plenty of oil hits the bar whether it's running or not.

The bogging down deal is a problem on the Poulan saws. That was a problem the last few times I ran those saws and that was before I learned about filing down the rakers.
Don't pick on me about the raker deal, I am a newbie after all.

The only issue I've had with the Stihl is the fact that it's a pain to start after you run it out of gas. I did that on the first two tanks after I got it and I thought it was just a design thing but since then I've been filling it up before it runs out and it starts a whole lot easier if there is already gas in the line from the filter to the carb.

 

[smilin possum]

Hey man welcome to the site.
It's a good idea not to let the saw run plumb out of gas it makes for a lean lockup sometimes. The 290 is a good saw with some minor mods after the warranty it'll really wake up. The others are like you said needing carb and fuel line help.

Don't know where you are in NC but we're having a Get Together here on Saturday the 2nd of October come on up and meet some of the guys and run your saws for fun and bragging rites. There will be old and new saw so bring um on.
Joe

 

[Sheriff420]

That's good to know about the fuel deal. The first two times I ran that saw I was just looking for more wood to cut because it's got a bigger appetite than my older saws and it surprised me when it ran out of gas.

I wouldn't mind going to the get together but i have a lot of stuff to tend to on my days off and I only get every other weekend off. That and y'all would just make me look bad with my stock chain saw. Maybe next time, by then I'll be out of the warranty and be able to play with some mods.

 

[smilin possum]

That's good to know about the fuel deal. The first two times I ran that saw I was just looking for more wood to cut because it's got a bigger appetite than my older saws and it surprised me when it ran out of gas.

I wouldn't mind going to the get together but i have a lot of stuff to tend to on my days off and I only get every other weekend off. That and y'all would just make me look bad with my stock chain saw. Maybe next time, by then I'll be out of the warranty and be able to play with some mods.

Nah we wouldn't do that to the new guy. All my saws are almost stock anyway. If you'd come I'd let you run a real 029 super that would make you want to give that 290 to somebody. Just pickin have a good weekend and catch us later.
Joe

 

[sunfish]

I was torn between Husqvarna and Stihl but there were a few comments that made me lean toward Stihl along with the fact that I bought a Husqvarna 346 a couple years ago and it was a pain to start once hot then after a couple days of cutting it started leaking gas so it was back to Lowes with it.

That Husky hardly was a 346xp, if you bought it at Lowes......

Yep, 346 was never sold at Lowes, and if you would have bought a 346xp, you'd be a very happy camper

Actually Lowes or the like is a bad place to buy a chainsaw...

 

[Jaberwky]

Agree

Some small tweaks will get ya 29 buzzing just hold the bus till you use the warranty up. If ya 29s runnin 20 inch bar a swap to 18 will get more saw speed

It's funny, I've been on this site long enough now to know that when we get someone new who says for example, they weren't sure what saw to buy, or their dealer advised on a particular model, or they are disappointed in their purchase - the next words are "Stihl MS290". That was me, too. Except for the disappointed part. OK, back to the topic at hand.

That being said, welcome and as others have said there are things you can do to improve your saw's performance. I agree fully that a 20" bar is too big for this saw to run effectively. I speak from direct experience.

Also the idea of a muffler mod may be good for you. I will say it opened mine up a bit but I think I'm still not seeing best results unless I use an 18" bar or smaller. Other than the power issue I'm pretty happy with my 290 - going on 6 years of seasonal cutting.

 

[Sheriff420]

Well I'm not one of the guys that's disappointed with the 290.
That thing actually seemed like it cuts better after I sharpened it the first time.

If you grind the rakers by eye then how low should they be in relation to the top of the teeth on the chain? Mine are about 1/16" lower. I could get a picture of them if it would be better than just saying the height I believe they are at if that would be better.
I used the guide that comes with the Husqvarna file kit at lowes for the rakers and I used the soft wood hole on it (it has one for soft and one for hard). And that makes the saw really eat up oak but it isn't bogging or trying to grab the logs.

Oh and are those carbide chains worth buying? I was thinking that they would hold up to dirty wood a little better but I'm not sure.

 

[little possum]

Well nothing else a trip over to the shop one day and SP might could diagnose a few problems with ya if you need some help.

I think the best thing is to keep the chain outta the dirt Instead of paying for a carbide chain

Welcome to the site!

And looks like the Goat is at URE?

 

[Sheriff420]

Hey, I could always use some words from the wise. So where is this shop you speak of?

And goat + URE hit the nail on the head.
I've only been once and I plan on going again after I get specs put into ProCam so I can cut some skid plates and mounting tabs out of a sheet of 1/4" plate.

 

[little possum]

Gold Hill-28071- Here at the house. Plenty of tools, and a few test logs, if you need some help

Love URE, been up there a few times. But never in a truck

 

[Sheriff420]

I wish you were a little closer, that's a 2 hour trip.

URE is fun in a truck, just a little tricky in spots if you're in a full size truck. I had to fold my mirrors in a couple times. It'll be better the next time I go because I'll have those 4.11 gears, Detroit TrueTracs and skid plates installed.

 

[little possum]

So what do y'all think about the old saws as far as one being a pain to start, one not keeping the chain tight, one needing the gas to be feathered to keep from bogging it down until it gets hot and the last one shutting down after it gets hot?

1: Does the saw have the chain tensioner?

2: Problems with the throttle, seem to either be a tuning issue, or a fuel delievery issue. A fuel line, filter, and carb cleaning/kit will fix most problems except the tuning.

3: Shutting down after it gets hot: try running the saw, and when it cuts off, crack the gas cap. If it continutes to run, it is the tank vent.

If you would rather fix them yourself, start the projects, and ask lots of questions on here.
I think you can tackle them and get them running right

 

[Sheriff420]

1. It (Poulan 2500) has the stock tensioner which is a little nub in the bar cover. I tried the Oregon bar that has the tensioner built into it but it got loose faster than the stock tensioner so I put that back on and just ran the adjuster that is in the bar back out.

2. After I get new fuel lines if they're needed, new fuel filters and clean the carburators then I'll be asking about how to adjust them.

3. After I get a new fuel filter (that was the McCulloch with the jello in the gas tank), fuel lines and clean the carb then I'll try that out.

I would rather fix them myself so I'll use this thread to ask questions when I have a little time to mess with them.
The first thing I need to do is go look at them to see what size fuel lines and filters I need. That or just take them to the local small engine shop that I got the Stihl from to make sure I get the right parts.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

.........
I wouldn't mind going to the get together but i have a lot of stuff to tend to on my days off and I only get every other weekend off. That and y'all would just make me look bad with my stock chain saw. Maybe next time, by then I'll be out of the warranty and be able to play with some mods.

Welcome to AS! I gave you some New guy REP!

Get To-Gethers GTGs are fun.... You don't have to stay the whole day (once you're there you'll probably want too). Don't worry about what saws you own! I've taken all of the saws in my sig to GTGs and have gotten help on all of them. Just to let you know....I have less than $300.00 in my saws. I'm always looking for more. Also, it's fun to put faces with names.


IMHO...it will be time well spent! Your cutting time will be shortened because you'll know more about your saws! You'll be better at sharpening, tuning and repairing!

As for your 2500 bar tension problem....post a pic.....I might be able to help you as I've been through that with mine.