I hate chain saws Part 3

old

Well-known Member
Ok so I messed with the Poulan 2150 a bit more. New spark plug helped it a bit. Then I pulled the stupid jet adjustment cover off so I could adjust the high speed jet and it now runs like it should. Started working on the other Poulan saw and found the fuel filter is so clogged up I can not blow threw it so will get one of those tomorrow and try again. Trying to figure out which saw to tackle next. Thinking maybe the little Homelite with the 10 inch bar since it can be handled with one hand. 1 down many more to try. At least I'm not bored LOL
 
I am sure you have heard what I am going to say but.....the gas today SUCKS. I use hi-test with 3/4 gallon of gas so you get about a 32 to 1 mix. Next is some Startron. Last is Satyble. I had Hi-test in one of my lawn tractors only 3 weeks old and when I tryed to start it there was just NO BANG!!! Drained the bowl out, newer gas flows from the tank, and now it started. The gas in the carb had turned to lighter fluid. Hot weather it would start but not 18* weather. The Startron takes care of the blasted ethinol in the gas. Chews up rubber hoses ,diaphrams, old pot metal carbs and almost anything else.
 
My little Homelite XL with a 12 inch bar is sitting on the bench. It needs the wiring looked at (kill switch doesn't shut it off) and the fuel lines are shot. She's one screaming ninny, though. It is so handy as a trim saw and is when they made them good. My saw man says they are good saws but don't run them too long. I can't imaging running a tank of fuel through it at a time. I'd be deaf and my hands would tingle for the rest of the week.
 
Did your saw man saw why you shouldn't run it to long. I have an Echo 3000 top handle with a 12" bar and I can run it all day long. I use it for every thing up to 14" in diameter. I don,t notice the noise because I wear a Stihl hard hat with hearing protection and face sheild( protect glasses ).
 
One reason the high speed jet adjustment is covered is to prevent owners from tuning it "by ear" and running the saw too lean. Not saying you would do anything seat-of-the-pants, but a too-lean mixture will quickly wreck your saw.
 

You're doing better than I am Old. I think I have 4 or 5 down right now. Ended up using the old Homie XL Auto yesterday. I was smart enough to drain the fuel out of it after I fixed it and ran it dry. It was my BILs saw, bought new back around 1980 and has about an hour of run time on it. Original chain. Cuts great, but feels odd after running more modern saws. Only problem was my wifes cat has been peeing in it. Once it warmed up it STUNK!!!

If I had a warm place to work on my saws I could fix them, but right now it's just too freakin' cold to even think about it. I ahve at least 4 saws that need either carb rebuilds or fuel lines done. Can't do that in a dim garage with no heat.
 
It's the opposite. They use an odd-bar splined high-speed jet needle so owners do not open it up too much, make it run too rich, and then defy emissions regs. Poulan Pros - especially the 2150 come set very lean when new.
 
2150 ought to last a long time. I've got four of them, along with some 46 cc and 55 cc Poulans. All cheap crude saws but can last a long time if you don't mind the low power/speed, vibration, and hard-pull starting. They all come set very lean when new to meet emissions standards. If you use extra oil in your mix, they run even leaner. I had to open the jets on all mine. Hey, unlike most Husqvarnas, the Poulan Pros actually have metal crankcases.

Last summer we were driving past someone that was putting out junk in front of their house to get rid of. They had two Poulan 2150s. I stopped and asked the guy why he was throwing them out. He said they were both seized and not worth fixing. So I took them home and had then both running fine in less then an hour. On both the pull cords had broken several times and the owner had just kept tying the pull-handle back on. Ropes had gotten so short and the rope-coil on such a small circle, they felt like they were seized. Just put in new ropes. I have NO use for these extra saws but now have them anyway. Good, crude, beater saws. But hey - they are only "crude" by today's standards. Back in the 60s-70 when my Homelite XL12, 4-20, Zip or XL101 were my main saws - these Poulans were quite "advanced" in comparison. Auto oiling, electronic ignition, higher chain speed, etc.
 
I use a heat lamp as my work light in order to have a decent amount of light and to keep my hands and what I am working on warmer.
 
With today' fuels and EPA mandated leaned out carburetors I don't know how those who cant do their own work nor have any ear for tune can keep any chainsaw, weed whacker etc running??? I am sort of a nut about fresh clean fuel and maintenance of my saws but find myself tinkering with carb settings and dealing with cracked fuel lines, fuel "snot" etc on a steady basis. Gone are the days of using such equipment, throwing it in the shed and 10 months later dragging it back out and go to the woods and giving the cord a few yanks and go back to work. Those that don't get it will be having problems,, no matter if they use old, buy $150 new, or spend $1200 for new.
 
I have been working on them on top of my freezer which is in the hall way by the front door. Then when time to test just step out side and see if they fire up or need more work
 
Shoot some of the saws have not been touched in 15 or more years. I do not cut much fire wood since the only place I burn wood is in the shop and this time of year to get the shop warm enough to work on something takes all day. So the saws no longer get used much so they sit and do not get run but when needed
 
(quoted from post at 12:05:24 01/13/15) I use a heat lamp as my work light in order to have a decent amount of light and to keep my hands and what I am working on warmer.

Huh, that's not a bad idea! Thanks!
 
(quoted from post at 12:35:41 01/13/15) With today' fuels and EPA mandated leaned out carburetors I don't know how those who cant do their own work nor have any ear for tune can keep any chainsaw, weed whacker etc running??? I am sort of a nut about fresh clean fuel and maintenance of my saws but find myself tinkering with carb settings and dealing with cracked fuel lines, fuel "snot" etc on a steady basis. Gone are the days of using such equipment, throwing it in the shed and 10 months later dragging it back out and go to the woods and giving the cord a few yanks and go back to work. Those that don't get it will be having problems,, no matter if they use old, buy $150 new, or spend $1200 for new.

Sounds familiar Butch. Am I alone or does it seems like it simply takes more to keep them running these days? I used to be able to run a saw all winter long with just an occasional fuel and air filter clean up. Now it seems like a couple days and I've got to screw with the carb or all the sudden the oiler will throw a fit or I'll get a leak someplace. I swear, if I never see another carb boot for the rest of my life I'd be happy. The material they use keeps getting thinner and thinner and more brittle it seems. I'm willing to put up with a little more vibration in exchange for a longer service life. Why a 1980's Husky or 1970's Mac will run with no issue while a 2005 Stihl or Echo needs work every couple hours is beyond me. If I could rememebr to keep non-ethanol fuel on hand I'd be happy running the old P-50 and Mac 7-10!
 
Yeah, I have a 2150 that worked good for about 10 years. Had to replace the chain oiler pump and replaced all the fuel lines but it still runs with some fussing with it. Since I've bought the Dolmar 51 I have not messed with the Poulan.
 
(quoted from post at 12:52:45 01/13/15)
(quoted from post at 12:35:41 01/13/15) With today' fuels and EPA mandated leaned out carburetors I don't know how those who cant do their own work nor have any ear for tune can keep any chainsaw, weed whacker etc running??? I am sort of a nut about fresh clean fuel and maintenance of my saws but find myself tinkering with carb settings and dealing with cracked fuel lines, fuel "snot" etc on a steady basis. Gone are the days of using such equipment, throwing it in the shed and 10 months later dragging it back out and go to the woods and giving the cord a few yanks and go back to work. Those that don't get it will be having problems,, no matter if they use old, buy $150 new, or spend $1200 for new.

Sounds familiar Butch. Am I alone or does it seems like it simply takes more to keep them running these days? I used to be able to run a saw all winter long with just an occasional fuel and air filter clean up. Now it seems like a couple days and I've got to screw with the carb or all the sudden the oiler will throw a fit or I'll get a leak someplace. I swear, if I never see another carb boot for the rest of my life I'd be happy. The material they use keeps getting thinner and thinner and more brittle it seems. I'm willing to put up with a little more vibration in exchange for a longer service life. Why a 1980's Husky or 1970's Mac will run with no issue while a 2005 Stihl or Echo needs work every couple hours is beyond me. If I could rememebr to keep non-ethanol fuel on hand I'd be happy running the old P-50 and Mac 7-10!
ne pet Stihl peeve: two new saws and BOTH will dump all the oil left in chain oiler out onto the floor everytime they are used and set down with anything remaining in tank!!!! That is BS for new saws! :x
 
I finally got my 3 yo Stihl weed eater running right this fall. Both the idle and power mixture were real lean. I got mad at it the first year and tossed it in the corner. I was surprised the mixture screws were not sealed.
 
My Stihl MS260 is about a 2003 or so, never had a lick of trouble
with it other that those silly flip top caps. Its had lots of hours use.

To be fair, I don't have any trouble with 2 stroke motors that are
used regularly or run dry.

I've never had any luck with gas sitting in motors/carbs ever. The
blame it on ethanol is BS, leave any type of gas in stuff and it
varnishes and gums everything up just like it always has.
 
(quoted from post at 19:28:48 01/13/15)
(quoted from post at 12:52:45 01/13/15)
(quoted from post at 12:35:41 01/13/15) With today' fuels and EPA mandated leaned out carburetors I don't know how those who cant do their own work nor have any ear for tune can keep any chainsaw, weed whacker etc running??? I am sort of a nut about fresh clean fuel and maintenance of my saws but find myself tinkering with carb settings and dealing with cracked fuel lines, fuel "snot" etc on a steady basis. Gone are the days of using such equipment, throwing it in the shed and 10 months later dragging it back out and go to the woods and giving the cord a few yanks and go back to work. Those that don't get it will be having problems,, no matter if they use old, buy $150 new, or spend $1200 for new.

Sounds familiar Butch. Am I alone or does it seems like it simply takes more to keep them running these days? I used to be able to run a saw all winter long with just an occasional fuel and air filter clean up. Now it seems like a couple days and I've got to screw with the carb or all the sudden the oiler will throw a fit or I'll get a leak someplace. I swear, if I never see another carb boot for the rest of my life I'd be happy. The material they use keeps getting thinner and thinner and more brittle it seems. I'm willing to put up with a little more vibration in exchange for a longer service life. Why a 1980's Husky or 1970's Mac will run with no issue while a 2005 Stihl or Echo needs work every couple hours is beyond me. If I could rememebr to keep non-ethanol fuel on hand I'd be happy running the old P-50 and Mac 7-10!
ne pet Stihl peeve: two new saws and BOTH will dump all the oil left in chain oiler out onto the floor everytime they are used and set down with anything remaining in tank!!!! That is BS for new saws! :x

Just for kicks, try opening the oil cap before storing after use. You might be building some pressure int he oil tank. Or, could be the vent for the tank is just way bigger than needs be and is allowing the oil to run out past the pump...which makes you wonder how good the pump is in the first place.
 

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