mcginkleschmidt
ArboristSite Member
I am the owner of a John Deere 50V Chainsaw, a re-branded Echo CS-452VL, that I purchased about 1979, and the Owners Manual specifies a fuel/oil mix ratio of 20:1. When I remove the muffler to inspect the piston, the piston appears to be nice and shiny so I suppose from a maintenance standpoint, the 20:1 mix has been good for the saw. However, whenever I run the saw it puts out a white exhaust cloud that is not unlike that seen from a coal-fired freight train but I guess this keeps the mosquitoes at bay.
The saw had been sitting unused for about nine months and today I filled it with the only 2-cycle fuel I had on hand, TruFuel 40:1 mix, and I ran the saw for about 3-4 minutes. For the thirty-some years I've owned this saw I've always run the specified 20:1 fuel mix but today, with the 40:1 TruFuel mix, the exhaust white smoke cloud was conspicuously missing that brings me around to the intent of this thread. Is it OK to use a higher ratio fuel/oil mix with this vintage saw or should I continue to use the specified 20:1 fuel/oil mix, or maybe somewhere in between? I'm guessing the lube properties of today's oil has improved over the years.
I'm a homeowner who uses the saw about 2-3 times a year for a wooded yard maintenance of tree trimming and cutting and the occasional help with similar tasks for family and friends. In the 30-plus years I've owned this saw, it probably has the work hours equivalent for a professional of less than six months of use.
The saw had been sitting unused for about nine months and today I filled it with the only 2-cycle fuel I had on hand, TruFuel 40:1 mix, and I ran the saw for about 3-4 minutes. For the thirty-some years I've owned this saw I've always run the specified 20:1 fuel mix but today, with the 40:1 TruFuel mix, the exhaust white smoke cloud was conspicuously missing that brings me around to the intent of this thread. Is it OK to use a higher ratio fuel/oil mix with this vintage saw or should I continue to use the specified 20:1 fuel/oil mix, or maybe somewhere in between? I'm guessing the lube properties of today's oil has improved over the years.
I'm a homeowner who uses the saw about 2-3 times a year for a wooded yard maintenance of tree trimming and cutting and the occasional help with similar tasks for family and friends. In the 30-plus years I've owned this saw, it probably has the work hours equivalent for a professional of less than six months of use.
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