Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
bob kern

bob kern

Addicted to ArboristSite
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Jan 27, 2015
Messages
4,262
Location
Martinsville , Indiana
Yah 50:1!
You don't run that in Mac's 40:1 is the max on those.
Well I've ran gallons and gallons through them but it seems a consensus is more oil would be better. I had read a pretty in depth article years ago about the improvements in oil and 50-1 should be good in any two stroke if the oil wasn't cut rate junk. They all seem to like it and I've had zero issues, but I suppose I could have just been lucky all this time. As mentioned, I'll go 40-1 fer a bit and see how it goes.
 
djg james

djg james

Addicted to ArboristSite
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Feb 25, 2020
Messages
2,504
Location
IL
Several years ago, I cut down a hollow Walnut trunk (he had all the branches cut) for a neighbor. I talked to him yesterday and he mentioned he was cutting down some small (10"-12" DBH) trees and wanted to know if I wanted the wood. Da! A couple small Cherry, Hackberry and Maple trees. Then he showed me what he had already cut down.
IMG_2570.JPGIMG_2571.JPG

He said I could have it! Mostly Mulberry with some Black Locust and Hackberry thrown in. He was just going to burn it in his brush pile. He doesn't mind if it sets there until Summer when I can drive on his side lot with my truck/trailer. I can split the big stuff there too.

Not a bad score for only being 1/4 mile from my house.
 
Sawdust Man

Sawdust Man

Manufacturer of Sawdust
AS Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2022
Messages
3,939
Location
South Misery
Since this is now an oil thread....

I used to run whatever I could get mixed @50:1 with standard pump gas.... then I moved and stihl gray bottle was all that was locally available so I used that for about a year (@40:1), then I learned online that the vast majority of builders & yackers dislike it, so I switched to red armor.
On the few saws I've opened up, the red armor looks to be doing noticeably better, way more residual oil in the guts and very little carbon.
Having said that, I've never burned up a saw regardless of what oil or mix ratio I was running, and I've burned hundreds of gallons of gas in saws in the last 30 years.

Just sharing my experience here, I don't pretend to "know" anything about two stroke oils.
 
jellyroll

jellyroll

Addicted to ArboristSite
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Nov 20, 2020
Messages
2,445
Location
Sun Fish, KY
Well I've ran gallons and gallons through them but it seems a consensus is more oil would be better. I had read a pretty in depth article years ago about the improvements in oil and 50-1 should be good in any two stroke if the oil wasn't cut rate junk. They all seem to like it and I've had zero issues, but I suppose I could have just been lucky all this time. As mentioned, I'll go 40-1 fer a bit and see how it goes.
I never had a problem with 50:1 myself. My echo dealer told me years ago that bearings on the bottom end last longer using more oil.
 
jellyroll

jellyroll

Addicted to ArboristSite
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Nov 20, 2020
Messages
2,445
Location
Sun Fish, KY
Since this is now an oil thread....

I used to run whatever I could get mixed @50:1 with standard pump gas.... then I moved and stihl gray bottle was all that was locally available so I used that for about a year (@40:1), then I learned online that the vast majority of builders & yackers dislike it, so I switched to red armor.
On the few saws I've opened up, the red armor looks to be doing noticeably better, way more residual oil in the guts and very little carbon.
Having said that, I've never burned up a saw regardless of what oil or mix ratio I was running, and I've burned hundreds of gallons of gas in saws in the last 30 years.

Just sharing my experience here, I don't pretend to "know" anything about two stroke oils.
Same here for years i ran echo powerblend without a hiccup at 50:1.
My dealer told me more oil will keep the bearings lubed better. Most saw builders pushed 32 or 40:1 here.
 
jellyroll

jellyroll

Addicted to ArboristSite
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Nov 20, 2020
Messages
2,445
Location
Sun Fish, KY
Several years ago, I cut down a hollow Walnut trunk (he had all the branches cut) for a neighbor. I talked to him yesterday and he mentioned he was cutting down some small (10"-12" DBH) trees and wanted to know if I wanted the wood. Da! A couple small Cherry, Hackberry and Maple trees. Then he showed me what he had already cut down.
View attachment 1159222View attachment 1159223

He said I could have it! Mostly Mulberry with some Black Locust and Hackberry thrown in. He was just going to burn it in his brush pile. He doesn't mind if it sets there until Summer when I can drive on his side lot with my truck/trailer. I can split the big stuff there too.

Not a bad score for only being 1/4 mile from my house.
That is more like a you suck than anything. Black locust and mulberry is some high grade btu's
 
jellyroll

jellyroll

Addicted to ArboristSite
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Nov 20, 2020
Messages
2,445
Location
Sun Fish, KY
Well I've ran gallons and gallons through them but it seems a consensus is more oil would be better. I had read a pretty in depth article years ago about the improvements in oil and 50-1 should be good in any two stroke if the oil wasn't cut rate junk. They all seem to like it and I've had zero issues, but I suppose I could have just been lucky all this time. As mentioned, I'll go 40-1 fer a bit and see how it goes.
2.6 oz = 0.8 gallon
3.2 oz = 1 gallon
4.0 oz = 1.25 gallons
5.2 oz = 1.6 gallons
6.4 oz = 2.0 gallons
8.0 oz = 2.5 gallons
 
MustangMike
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Messages
11,560
Location
Brewster, NY
If you always keep your tune perfect, your saw clean, and your chain sharp you can likely get away with any oil at 50:1.

If the saw you rebuilt is going to a tree company or professional firewood place, you know none of that is going to happen.

I would much rather tell them to spend a few extra $ on good 2 cycle oil at a good ratio and not have to spend $ on me rebuilding their saw!

Plus, none of the saws I sold them only ran like they were stock ... so they wanted them to keep running that way.

The everyday tree guys loved having a saw that would get the job done a little faster.
 
spongemark

spongemark

ArboristSite Lurker
AS Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2022
Messages
9
Location
Sultan WA
I just might get a spinner. Those 59 DL chains are probably 30$+. They have at least 20 of those left. They probably had 20-30 of the 404 packs. I don't use many of my old 404 saws, but, if I sold one it would be nice to put a new chain on it.
I wonder if a bicycle chain tool would work.
 
sean donato

sean donato

Chainsaws are like crack... just can't get enough.
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Aug 3, 2014
Messages
8,163
Location
Eastern, PA
I do have about 10 gallons of old motor oil saved up. Maybe I could run it in my hillbilly oiler 🤔


I run 32:1 in my milling saw at a rich 11,500rpm. It's def seeing sustained heavy loads!
I 100% agree milling is about the hardest thing you can do with a saw, but it's still a low power output engine.
Possibly this will help to illuminate how funny we get about fuel ratios.
60 to 1 = 1.6% oil
50 to 1 = 2%
40 to 1 = 2.4%
32 to 1 = 3%
25 to 1 = 3.8%
16 to 1 =5.9%
That pretty much coveres every reasonable ratio that anyone would consider normal... we're talking about a 1% change in oil from 50 to 1 to 32 to 1. Basically nothing in the greater scheme of things. Get into more exotic fuels/higher rpm/ high out put engines and oil becomes much more important. For example my 5.9cc nitro engine in my savage makes 3.75hp @39,500 rpm. Lowest reccomended oil content is 10% preferred is 12-15% oil.
 

Latest posts

Top