Several Saw Questioins

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Hi I'm new to the forum. I found it while searching for some info on my Olympyk saw and thought I might as well join and ask some questions directly.

The first question I have is about fuel ratios. I have 3 saws. All older. My Echo CS 341 is the newest and it runs 50-1. The Homelite 330 runs 32-1 I believe and according to my owners instruction sheet I got with my Olympyk 64 F when I bought it I'm supposed to run 20-1 in that saw. The little Echo is the one that gets the most use and the Homelite basically never gets used but I've been doing a bunch of larger stuff the last few days and have been using the Olympyk. It seems to run good on the 50-1 mix and I read on this forum that someone else likes that mix but that's pretty far off of factory specs and I don't want to burn it up. So far I've probably only run it a hour or so of cutting time but I thought I should ask you guys before I went on. Do I need to keep 3 different mixes around if I want to use all saws or is newer oil enough better than the old stuff that I can get away with one mix?

My next inquiry is on the Olympyk. I bought a bunch of nos parts for it a couple of summers ago and got it running well but now I can't remember where I got the parts and can't find receipts. The muffler seems to be going as it was making quite a bit more noise yesterday and it had a lower tone to it too. Also the starter recoil is not 100% and I'm worried that it might fail at some point. So far after several attempts I can get it to grab and give me at least a 80% pull length but lots of the time it's not doing anything until I recoil it quite a few times. So does anyone know where I might find these parts and others?

I used to have the beginning of a nice little antique chainsaw collection but someone decided I didn't need them any more and stole all of them. But I still like the older saws to a degree which is why I keep the Homelite around. It looks basically brand new.

Also while I have your attention who makes the best saw these days? Seems like quality comes and goes and I hear that Stihl are not very good any more. I would like a professional grade climbing saw and a good strong 20" bar saw that will last and has good power. I know this is a bit vague but maybe some of you have some quick answers if something stands out.

Oh yeah some other things on fuel...I've been using Sea Foam for the last few years in 2 stroke engines when I put them away for the winter with good luck. Things run next time I try them with fresh fuel in the spring or summer which used to be pretty hit or miss. But 2 days ago the local Echo dealer said to never use that stuff in 2 cycle engines because Echo or Stihl oil already has additives in it and mixing the 2 can cause problems. Seems to me if those oils have addatives in them they don't use enough because I always had storage problems before I started with the Sea Foam. So what is the verdict on Sea Foam or other fuel stabilizers? Also should I search out no ethanol premium as well for my 2 cycle engines? All the big stations around here sell 10% ethanol fuel which I'm pretty sure is not good for most internal combustion engines.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Northerner]

Get a huskvarna, nothin but. dont know much bout climbin saws though

 

[cowboyvet]

I prefer the Stihls and they make the best climber in the 200t but for a proud price A little cheaper version in the 192 with a little less power. A 362 would be a good saw for your other choice. That said the best brand of saw to buy will be the brand who has the best dealer support local to your house. You opened a can of worms with this question no matter how you go.:msp_smile:

As for the gas you will find it is a general majority to burn non-ethanol fuel in small engines if you can.

 

[mitch95100]

WELL.. seeing as though no one has welcomed you to the site WELCOME TO AS you will find alot of useful info in here as well as alot of imponiated people... As far as the questions on brand and fuel mix.
I just got a homelite e-z super and have been running a 50-1 dolmar synthetic and seems to run fine. the newer more advanced oils in todays market are able to lubricate those older saw fine. (someone tell me if im WORNG, been wrong before and will be in the future)
Also id say Dolmar or Stihl aare a very good saw. Just remember You get what you pay for nothing less or more.:msp_thumbup:
Mitch
also a lil rep for the newbie!! just added 2 new copper a's to your rep

 

[Warped5]

Okidoki .... welcome to AS! The community here is very helpful, but don't think we're just gonna throw this stuff at ya ...

That said, here's some $.02 on your questions ....

Go ahead and use a quality synthetic at 50:1 unless you rsaw has specific engineering requirements otherwise. A properly tuned saw will be OK.

Olympyk parts will require diggin'. Get after it. Be persistent, they will not be very easy, but the discovery will be worth it.

Antique saws: Sorry about your loss (hope the thief gets hit by a bus, IMHO) but Craigslist is a great source for them. Again, be patient.

The best saw will be found at the end of the 'gauntlet of 64,00 questions' ... How light/heavy? Dealer support vs, DIY? Long bar? Short Bar? Pro? Homeowner/landowner? Balanced and athletic vs. heavier a brutish? Yada yada yada ...

Final word(s): Sea Foam - love the stuff! May be the 'fuel system miracle tool of the 20th century.' Personally, I would ONLY use it for soaking carbs and such in an (unheated) USC. I have had really nice results with this.

Good luck!

 

[SawTroll]

Modern 50:1 will cover it all - the different ratios recommended are a function of oil quality at the time, not that the saws needed more lubrication!

 

[ScottWojo]

Since you like those big ol heavy Homlites...try to find a used Stihl 066. If your built to handle the extra weight, a 20" bar will be perfect.

And that thief really screwed up your future widows estate sale. Why antique saws will bring a premium in 50 years when your gone. By then we will surely be cutting trees with head mounted lasers from our flying cars and pick up trucks.

 

[modifier]

Thanks to all for your replies.

After more thought and reading some other threads I realized the "best saw" questions were too vague and open to personal opinions and that the majority of people still like Stihl.

That's good to hear that I don't have to have 3 or 4 different mixes hanging around.

As to no ethanol fuel, I'm sure it's better to not have it in the mix if possible.

>>Final word(s): Sea Foam - love the stuff! May be the 'fuel system miracle tool of the 20th century.' Personally, I would ONLY use it for soaking carbs and such in an (unheated) USC. I have had really nice results with this.<<

Scott, thanks for the info but this part is a little confusing. On one hand it is great but on the other you say you would ONLY use it for soaking carbs. So does that mean you would not mix it with the fuel and use it as a fuel stabilizer? Why not? What do you use? Or are you saying not to use it in an open air container for soaking carbs and that it's great as a fuel stabilizer too?

I think for the moment I've given up on the antique chain saw collection. I had a nice old 2 man Mall with a rotating bar to cut sideways that ran and a couple of David Bradleys. One was new old stock in the original box with literature and extra parts. Seems like I had another saw but I can't remember what it was and the almost like new old Homelite would have fit in. I always thought a bunch of restored old saws mounted on a will would look really great. Thought about doing it with old outboard motors too but passed on that one.

I weighed my saws and found I could loose a couple of pounds with a new climbing saw since my Echo weighs 9.5lbs and while climbing weight is a lot of it as long as it has enough power too. The Olympyk is quite the pig at 18 3/4 lbs and you have to get into a pretty big modern saw to get up to that weight. I can handle it but don't need to do the extra work if I can avoid it. The Homelite is 16 lbs btw.

I like tools and machines that are made well and work well and last a long time if taken care of. :chainsawguy:

 

[Warped5]

>>Final word(s): Sea Foam - love the stuff! May be the 'fuel system miracle tool of the 20th century.' Personally, I would ONLY use it for soaking carbs and such in an (unheated) USC. I have had really nice results with this.<<

Scott, thanks for the info but this part is a little confusing. On one hand it is great but on the other you say you would ONLY use it for soaking carbs. So does that mean you would not mix it with the fuel and use it as a fuel stabilizer? Why not? What do you use? Or are you saying not to use it in an open air container for soaking carbs and that it's great as a fuel stabilizer too?

To clarify: For 2-strokes, I just use Sea Foam for carb soaking. Don't have to worry about a fuel stabilizer because the Opti-2 I use as my mix has a stabilizer in it already. For 4-strokes, I use it in the fuel as an injector/carb cleaner and in the crankcase just prior to an oil change. Hope this helps!

 

[FATGUY]

Modern 50:1 will cover it all - the different ratios recommended are a function of oil quality at the time, not that the saws needed more lubrication!

+1

 

[modifier]

To clarify: For 2-strokes, I just use Sea Foam for carb soaking. Don't have to worry about a fuel stabilizer because the Opti-2 I use as my mix has a stabilizer in it already. For 4-strokes, I use it in the fuel as an injector/carb cleaner and in the crankcase just prior to an oil change. Hope this helps!

Thanks. They say that most 2 cycle oils have stabilizers in them but before I started using SeaFoam is saws, trimmers and 2 cycle motorcycles I would always have trouble in the spring but now I don't. Maybe more stabilizer is more better. It doesn't seem to hurt anything. So far.

Found 3 in town sources of non ethanol fuel today.

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

 

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didn't know what was happening when I tried to post a link so I posted again.

 

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double post