An update on my STHIL problems:
I have own 2 STHIL products, a MS290 Saw, and a BR380 Blower. Both of them had been brutally hard to start on the first cold start since the day I got them home and tried to use them on day 2 of owning them. The dealer I purchased them from started them both out behind the buildings work shop then brought them to me at the cashier counter in the showroom, then brought them inside to me and sent me on my way. I took them home (about a mile away) and used them immediately with no problem. Just to be accurate, I purchased them both from the same dealer, but not on the same day. In both cases, the day after I bought & used them, and every time since I have had trouble starting them. I found and fixed the BR380 problem, which turned out to be that the ignition module/flywheel gap was never properly set. After prolonged searches, I finally found an article that addressed that problem, and once I took it apart and checked the gap, found it incorrect and fixed it. From that day on it always starts on one or 2 pulls.
I have not been as lucky in finding/fixing the identical problem with my MA-290 saw. On top of the hard start problem, the saw just spews oil out of the oil to bar hole, as if it were a giant hole instead of little more than a pin hole. When I took it out of the case, the entire bottom of the case was in oil about 1/4" deep! Anyway, I finally got it apart and checked the gap on the ignition module & it was off just like the blower was, so I fixed that. The saw starts with a lot less pulls now but it still is hard to start when cold, and always starts on just about a 1/2 pull without the choke, when working with it and stopping & starting it as needed while working after the first start. When taking the covers off it to check the module gap, the first thing I noticed was that one of the 4 nylon bumpers was missing on the chain/bar cover. I reset the module gap, then had to take apart the brake/clutch drum and band to completely clean every part of the saw & degrease it all because of the spewing oil from the oiler hole and sawdust mixture that accumulated everywhere imaginable. I have ordered a new brake band & spring kit and clutch/drum for it because of the oil contamination and also because of some wear marks on them. I reassembled everything, and then tried starting it. Again, very hard to start, but I expected that because I had emptied and cleaned the tank and fuel filter so I pulled away at it and it finally started up. Ran it a bit, shut it down & tried again, & started no problem with one pull after warm up. I needed to use the saw today, and again, cold start almost impossible. I tried all the diff techniques listed here in this thread. I tried adjusting & readjusting the carb, had everything from flooding to fuel starving. The air filter didn't look bad, but cleaned hell out of it anyway, and set it up for colder temperature starting by flipping that black plastic piece and rotating the rubber plug seal to the other side. Got it started but wouldn't stay running, so played and tweaked the carb settings until it ran & stayed even tho it didn't sound right. I finally decided to leave the air filter off just for the hell of it, and that made it run well enough to finish tweaking the carb settings so it ran smooth and revved properly. Put it the filter & cover back on, then restarted it no problem. About 3 hours later, I finally get where I needed to be to use the saw, it started on the 3rd pull. Start cutting and it dies. Just for craps and giggles, I decided to try to start it and cut without the air filter on it. It ran like a brand new saw! So, I am now waiting on new filters because I have decided to get the nylon weave type instead of the felt paper type since it seems to clog very easily, not to mention that the filter cover can stay on with no filter in the saw. After I take it apart AGAIN to put in the new parts I will see how the new filters affect the running of the saw and see if I need to tweak the carb again or not.
Anyone have any idea why the oiler is spewing oil out like it does? I closed the adjusting screw as far as it seems to go but that has not stopped the excessive oiling. I had in the past had it set to the E for the "Ematic" oiling, but closed it down more when I began noticing excessive oiling. It seemed ok, but the last time I used it it began oiling faster and faster. Then when I finished working with it earlier this year I put it in it's case and was shocked to see all the oil inside the case when I took it out the other day, and the oil tank was empty. There is no crack in the tank and after I started it and turned it off, I was took the bar cover plate off and was watching it just oozing out of the bar oiler hole. Also I noticed that the plugs seem to foul very easy in this saw. Any recommendations on what plug is best? I had already purchased 2 from the same dealer I got the saw at, and they were the Bosch plugs but they seem to foul very easily. The manual says Bosch or NKG. Also, the gap is about the smallest gap I have ever seen on any plug and the crappy plug gauges they sell these days along with the tiny size of the plugs, make it extremely hard to get the gap set to 0.5 mm. I know air/fuel mixture and flooding usually cause fouling but I can't believe that once it gets past the first start it has been running great. Can the adjustments be out enough to make starting hard but not enough to effect how it runs once it warms up & the plugs have been getting fouled on the cold hard starts? I have worked on engines all my life from 4 to 8 cylinders, but just can't seem to understand how these little 1 and 2 cylinder engines stump hell out of me.