chain saw temps

tomturkey

Well-known Member
This may be one of those "DUH" questions, you know ones that have been discussed several times with ideas all over the map. ButI don't think I've ever seen this one addressed. But "DUH" maybe I just missed it. It is hot in central Iowa this morning, been in the 90's all week no rain high humidity. I need to get after this years wood supply, get it blocked up split if needed. After working the chainsaw hard cutting bigger logs, is it beneficial to let the saw idle down run with no load to cool the air cooled engine for a while, how long? or does one just shut it off and go about their duties.I know what I think, but all of us are smarter than one of us, so I ask. gobble
 
Hello tomturkey,

There is nothing wrong with letting the engine idle after a run. Engine temperature actually rises after a quicks shot down. There are saws that have a SUMMER setting window, which redirects air coming in to the cylinder head. If you have a Stihl saw, it may have such a setting window,

Guido.
 
I let mine idle between cuts, and usually when I'm at a stopping point, mostly to survey the situation so I don't needlessly have to restart it.

But I am a believer in letting any engine have a cool down idle break after a hard run.
 
My chain saw repair man says to let them idle upon starting until the exhaust is warm to the touch. Then a minimum of 2 minutes of idling after using them hard.
 
Well first off it is WAY to hot to cut wood for me ! lol. Letting any engine idle for a bit before shut down is a good idea. Now for how long ? who knows.
 
Mike, I usually don't cut when its this warm, but hays done and woodsjust waiting. I don't tax me or the machine to much. Go to the house when the tank runs dry and cool off get a dry shirt and cold drink. gobble
 
Like someone stated, some saws have baffles that can be moved for hot weather operation, consult your owners manual. My Jonsered had a little damper to move for cold weather use. I don't normally let my saws idle when using them, they start so good I shut them off. My BIL is a retired logger, his saws used to get so hot the gas would boil in the fuel tank, he would add a little diesel to reduce that problem. I try not to do much chainsawing in hot weather, but we had a lot of big trees blow down recently so I'm going to salvage them eventually. I prefer to cut wood in the winter, below zero F! Then the ground is frozen so I don't do so much damage. But now we spend most of the winter in Arizona.
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It is better for any engine to allow them to cool down a bit after being under a heavy load, prior to shutting them off. You automatically do that with your truck when pulling a trailer (always a slow down period prior to stopping). Allowing it to cool a bit allows for:

1) Cooler surface for oil to cling to the cylinder to help on the next start.
2) Turning off a carburated engine running hot from a high speed sucks in gas that isn't burned, washing any oil, and often causing an exhaust system explosion (ker-POW !).
3) Less chance of starting a fire setting a very hot chain saw down in the dry leaves.
 
Mine has a snowflake for winter, sun for summer, on some sort of slide in deflector/screen.

What I find with summer use with my now 18 year old MS390, is that with a sharp chain/depth gauges proportionally lower than the cutter, is that I don't have to use the throttle flat out screaming max rpms. Chain does all the work and I do make sure to not baby it just the same, intermittently run a bit hard, so as to not load up the combustion chamber from lugging it. Seems to work well. Keeping the exhaust screen clean helps too. They sure can get hot this time of year, so a little extra caution, good fuel mix, and maintenance goes a long way. I clean my air filter every other use or more depending on what's being cut, old dead wood or green.
 
We have been cutting for the last 2 weeks in this heat. We run a saw its out of gas then set it in the shade and grab another one.
cvphoto49869.jpg


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I always let my MS360 idle for a few, needed or not it's a habit. From what I learned about it it is that idling after working lets the heat distribute throughout the engine better, instead of the area around the exhaust being hotter. Can't say if it's fact or not.
 
This why 91 or higher octane fuel is required to prevent detonation and knock in small high powered air cooled two stroke engines . Mixing extra oil with the gasoline for "better lubrication" is counter productive. The extra oil lowers the fuel octane and makes the engine more prone to detonate .
 
Something I just thought of, as I was out doing some sawing,the more you idle a chainsaw the more frequently you should grease the clutch bearing! Me, I was just reading the owners manual for a saw that I bought 11 years ago, it mentioned the clutch bearing, so I took it apart and greased it, first time in 11 years, but I don't idle my saws, Start them and cut, when done shut them off, been doing that for over 50 years!
 
Hello Billy NY.

18 years old 0f cutting wood says it all. Those windows allow outside air around the cylinder and makes the saw run within the normal temperature.

The manual, what's that?, has the directions for setting the window.
90 degrees and a closed window combined with hard use will eventually take its toll,


Guido.
 
it makes no difference to idle a saw they are air cooled and the speed of flywheel cools the engine. idling does nothing. do you idle your air cooled quad?, i dont, shut it off when stopped or it will get hotter!
 
and forgot to say that many times the gas in the tank is boiling and they get shut off. they are 2 cycle and damage is done from a lean mixture causing piston scoring.
 
(quoted from post at 11:58:21 07/10/20) and forgot to say that many times the gas in the tank is boiling and they get shut off. they are 2 cycle and damage is done from a lean mixture causing piston scoring.

Exactly .
Excess oil mixed with the gasoline also leans the air/fuel mixture . Higher combustion temps and detonation crushes piston ring lands and breaks rings .
 

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