Was about to order (just) a pressure-gauge, would LOVE to hear any/all reco's for gear for aspirers!

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arborjunky
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TL;DR -- thanks for any contributions, even if I already have them, I expect this topic will serve many well!!

~~~~~~

My current, chainsaw-specific gear:
Generic tachometer, $5 maybe 10, has *seemed* great lol
Spline-drivers for everything but double-pacman (or double-d...tthe less-common of the double's...my Tanaka takes those although a single pacman does thte trick it's just obvi not good for those jet screws or the driver (small worry next to that expensive carb's H&L screws!!)

I've got a generic 5/32" file&hand attachment, I use the guide (aiming between 30 adn 35deg - is it true that Stihl chains that're more aggressive can, at least in-part, be due to them being .35deg cut/ground instttetad of Oregon's standard 30deg grind? I'm starting to think I'll move to 35deg as-default, I keep multiple chains for all my climbing saws so I can always grab a fresh one it's so important to me.....also have multilpe raker/depth-gauge files, I file mine pretty aggressive so aggressively in fact that, since I've got 3 more 12" chains than 12" bars, that I wanna just nip the rakers w/ the carbide wheel on my 4" angle-grinder......I don't have a death wish lol but part of me wants to feel it 'bite' or pull just a lil, it's like 8 or 9lbs w/ bar&fluids and firm so the worries of kickback, IMO, are pretty concentrated on those who do dumb things such as being in-line w/ their bar (especially in certain moves/cuts)



SO---- Was about to order some cheap-o ~$10-20 pressure gauge so I could say more than "It's got great compression" (btw is it good-practice on all saws to pull-out the start-cord a ~foot as you're stopping the unit? And another dumb Q but: compression is only something I'd learn & benchmark/monitor, it's not something I can improve (inn 99% cases) but does let me see exactly what each mod is doing!)

- after compression gauge (or 'comp+vac gauge'?), was thinking a laser-thermometer(?)

- 2nd tachometer from different, cheap brand to ensure it matches-up with the other one I've already got

- spline-drive 'bits' for a regular quick-release impact drill (not using that there, just need that type of bit to fit a cool unit I've got that's nearly surpassing the scrench in importance for me as its cap fills-up with all these extra bits :D )

-goops/sludges/etc? Have Loctite tthread-lock (blue, my understanding is there is no red threadlock :/ ) Permatex Red and Copper (use these for exhaust//muffler intterfacing and even as a 'thread lock' on the muffler's 2 retention-bolts!), also using copper around my ignition-module which has been rebuilt (can't believe it works :D ) and is 'secured' to the block with copper Permatex as a bed, JBweld as 'thread lock' for the 2 ignition-module-bolts (their replacaments, which were going into stripped holes, thing was a mess 2 flywheel fins had come off and smashed-around destroying quite a lot---at least it was aiming the air towards the intake properly (am considering filtering that channel on my saws tho, have been dogging-out the casing and sealing-up with foam so there's SOOOOO much more air-availability and it's cleaner too in fact it was doing this on my saws that seemed to 'wake-up' a good # of muff-modded units.

Thanks a ton for any ideas, oh powertool accessories are areas I may not be as well-stocked, I think I've got an extensive wood-carving accessory kit (I do bonsai, my preference is large specimen and tend to be gnarly / lots-of-deadwood specimen :p ) for the angle-grinder, long-shaf die-grnder (25rpm) with 2 sets of varied-shape carbide bits and 1 set of smaller/precision bits 'diamond grit', know I need to figure-out those lil like 1" sandpaperr drums, they seem they'd be so good!! But I've also got larger/smaller grinders / all tttypes of drills / full 18v kit, my goals are to be able to tackle larger&more complex saw jobs at home, have been thinking I should add "compressor pancake" to list but don't know enough about them to know if I'm making a bad buy, just the $$ wasted using carb-cleaner aerosol to clean-up before tightening a chain or putting a unit away, certainly before openning up a unit!!
 
i bought a lisle brand comp gauge off ebay for $25 or so, has worked fine for me. just make sure the schrader valve is at the end of the hose, otherwise ur comp reading will be way low.
mity-vac 8500 is the p/v kit i bought, has worked well for me.
only sealants and stuff i use are permatex anaerobic gasket maker (loctite 518), and thread locker.
definitely some 6" 1/4" drive bits for a cordless impact (3,4,5 mm, 3/16", t20/27)
you can find a set of wiha chainsaw service t-handle drivers for about $50 too. high quality, well worth the investment.
 
TL;DR -- thanks for any contributions, even if I already have them, I expect this topic will serve many well!!

~~~~~~

My current, chainsaw-specific gear:
Generic tachometer, $5 maybe 10, has *seemed* great lol
Spline-drivers for everything but double-pacman (or double-d...tthe less-common of the double's...my Tanaka takes those although a single pacman does thte trick it's just obvi not good for those jet screws or the driver (small worry next to that expensive carb's H&L screws!!)

I've got a generic 5/32" file&hand attachment, I use the guide (aiming between 30 adn 35deg - is it true that Stihl chains that're more aggressive can, at least in-part, be due to them being .35deg cut/ground instttetad of Oregon's standard 30deg grind? I'm starting to think I'll move to 35deg as-default, I keep multiple chains for all my climbing saws so I can always grab a fresh one it's so important to me.....also have multilpe raker/depth-gauge files, I file mine pretty aggressive so aggressively in fact that, since I've got 3 more 12" chains than 12" bars, that I wanna just nip the rakers w/ the carbide wheel on my 4" angle-grinder......I don't have a death wish lol but part of me wants to feel it 'bite' or pull just a lil, it's like 8 or 9lbs w/ bar&fluids and firm so the worries of kickback, IMO, are pretty concentrated on those who do dumb things such as being in-line w/ their bar (especially in certain moves/cuts)



SO---- Was about to order some cheap-o ~$10-20 pressure gauge so I could say more than "It's got great compression" (btw is it good-practice on all saws to pull-out the start-cord a ~foot as you're stopping the unit? And another dumb Q but: compression is only something I'd learn & benchmark/monitor, it's not something I can improve (inn 99% cases) but does let me see exactly what each mod is doing!)

- after compression gauge (or 'comp+vac gauge'?), was thinking a laser-thermometer(?)

- 2nd tachometer from different, cheap brand to ensure it matches-up with the other one I've already got

- spline-drive 'bits' for a regular quick-release impact drill (not using that there, just need that type of bit to fit a cool unit I've got that's nearly surpassing the scrench in importance for me as its cap fills-up with all these extra bits :D )

-goops/sludges/etc? Have Loctite tthread-lock (blue, my understanding is there is no red threadlock :/ ) Permatex Red and Copper (use these for exhaust//muffler intterfacing and even as a 'thread lock' on the muffler's 2 retention-bolts!), also using copper around my ignition-module which has been rebuilt (can't believe it works :D ) and is 'secured' to the block with copper Permatex as a bed, JBweld as 'thread lock' for the 2 ignition-module-bolts (their replacaments, which were going into stripped holes, thing was a mess 2 flywheel fins had come off and smashed-around destroying quite a lot---at least it was aiming the air towards the intake properly (am considering filtering that channel on my saws tho, have been dogging-out the casing and sealing-up with foam so there's SOOOOO much more air-availability and it's cleaner too in fact it was doing this on my saws that seemed to 'wake-up' a good # of muff-modded units.

Thanks a ton for any ideas, oh powertool accessories are areas I may not be as well-stocked, I think I've got an extensive wood-carving accessory kit (I do bonsai, my preference is large specimen and tend to be gnarly / lots-of-deadwood specimen :p ) for the angle-grinder, long-shaf die-grnder (25rpm) with 2 sets of varied-shape carbide bits and 1 set of smaller/precision bits 'diamond grit', know I need to figure-out those lil like 1" sandpaperr drums, they seem they'd be so good!! But I've also got larger/smaller grinders / all tttypes of drills / full 18v kit, my goals are to be able to tackle larger&more complex saw jobs at home, have been thinking I should add "compressor pancake" to list but don't know enough about them to know if I'm making a bad buy, just the $$ wasted using carb-cleaner aerosol to clean-up before tightening a chain or putting a unit away, certainly before openning up a unit!!
Wow! Lots of stuff in that post :nofunny:
 
i bought a lisle brand comp gauge off ebay for $25 or so, has worked fine for me. just make sure the schrader valve is at the end of the hose, otherwise ur comp reading will be way low.
mity-vac 8500 is the p/v kit i bought, has worked well for me.
only sealants and stuff i use are permatex anaerobic gasket maker (loctite 518), and thread locker.
definitely some 6" 1/4" drive bits for a cordless impact (3,4,5 mm, 3/16", t20/27)
you can find a set of wiha chainsaw service t-handle drivers for about $50 too. high quality, well worth the investment.
Thanks a ton am going to look for that guy, have been nothing but happy with my $8 chinese tachometer and blew my mind seeing what the comparable Stihl unit goes for :mad:
At any rate I really wanna get and learn to use one asap, I have a fear I've been tuning too lean (ie tuning to what sounds best out-of-cut and not enough in-cut fattening of my mix), my pull-cords still feel tight on both of my climb saws but want a gauge esp since I plan to get a 2nd unit of my smaller (25cc) limbing saw sometime verrrry soon so I can do more aggressive modifications (ultimately hoping to find it can outperform a cs2511, will be happy with that it's a $135 saw after all ;D )

Would LOVE to hear any&everything you care to tell me Re pressure, I mean I'll get it and immediately check all my machines, getting an idea of their relative compressions (uncertain if that's even a useful way to compare varying 2-strokes) and then not know what to do until time passes and simply do the same to see if I'm losing any compression...my biggest fear / main reason for wanting a gauge is the fear that by not using my tach enough / relying on ear too-often (and often not even setting it in-cut, if I'm being honest) has had me running very lean, my machines feel good & strong and perform great but I hate feeling so ignorant here.... have 2 saws one wants 40:1 other 50:1, I use same fuel for everything (usually 95oct Husqvarna 50:1, otherwise the walmart "40:1 or 50:1 small engine fuel" stuff so presumably 45:1) but can't help but wonder if a splash of extra (synthetic) oil into the fuel wouldn't be worthwhile? I saw a vid on tuning and the guy was mentioning how being a bit fat is best because it can 'just' dirty things up (he meant a fatter carb mix although adding more oil% to the fuel would have same effect of more-oil!) but, if run lean, which can sound just great when there's no load (ie no real call for fuel), it's easy to damage things quick (scored cylinder, commensurate loss in compression & correspondingly weaker power-per-stroke -- can't wait to get an idea what the high's/low's even are here!!)

PS- Permatex 'anaerobic'? Will have to check-into that one for sure!! For thread-lock do you use regular/Blue/'frequently-dissembled'? I've been using that on things like retention screws for plastic body shells but for temp reasons I didn't use it for muff retention bolt I simply put a dab of copper permatx at the female slots on-block for the muffler so when I screwed-on the muffler its bolts would pick-up the goop :p (this is the 2nd of my 2 climbing saws where there's true blockage from the muffler and I don't mean poor flow (though both were terrible) I mean the muffler's intake hole (one on unit) and a muffler flange/washer plate (on the other) were both of a smaller perimeter/footprint than the end of the block's exhaust outlet port, had to do a lot of shaving just to let it flow as the block was setup to flow which made me a believer in the no-gaskets/permatex (red or copper, I use copper) instead mindset! Have used regular epoxies and jb weld for random stuff for instance my saws' 'feeties', lil rubber bumper strips I epoxy to bottoms of saws so I don't have to be so careful when putting them down on crete/tar yknow? Things break/get buggy enough as-is, will baby mine / feed pre-mix only, thank you ;D (Have also been just swapping chains instead of sharpening I know I gotta break that habit am about outta new chains but do have a bunch of fresh files ;P
 
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