I cannot make these run!!

[Dirtcrasher]

I probably have 7 ziplock 1 gallon bags, each filled with numerous fastners, a pull start, a carburetor, a spark plug and other various other items from 2 stroke motors.

I COMPLETELY SUK at getting chainsaws, lawnmowers and weedwackers to run. Mainly chainsaws are beating me down bad right now, so bad that I bought an 18V cordless Dewalt Chainsaw. I am pulling muscles trying to pullstart these POS, so I got something that works, the minute I need it!!

I clean the carbs, replace the plug and put fresh fuel in, and they're dead; They're ALL DEAD!! :lol: This is getting ridiculous, I cannot make these WAMA ZAMA BAMA carbs to work or I am lacking fundamental skills with this type of equipment.

Seriously, does anyone else go thru this?? I have spark, compression, clean carbs and a new plug, but they just don't run :mad:



I try to apply all my basic engine knowledge from much more difficult combustion engines, but these things continue to elude me....


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180316/5aeee315472c9a73d63595deba50b8cf.jpg

[El Camexican]

Same issues here. Tossed 3 Homelite trimmers before discovering exact replacement carbs on eBay for $15 bucks.

I don’t know if it’s todays fuel, or low quality rubber, but the primers and diaphragms just don’t last the way they did 40 years ago. My Dad has small Homelite chainsaw he bought around 1970 and he uses it at least 3 hours a year and as far as I know all it’s ever needed was chains and a couple guide bars. Same with mowers from the 60’s and 70’s, let them sit all winter and they started on the second or third pull 6 months later.

[83ATC185]

You are not alone. I bought a new cub cadet weedeater, paid a little extra for the straight shaft higher end model. Used it twice before it became damn near impossible to start. Suspected ethanol swelling the lines and diaphragm. Pulled it apart, nothing looked out of whack so i got ethanol free gas and got it running. Still impossible to start without wearing yourself out. Threw it in the corner of the shop and its been there since. My thoughts, I think the problem is that the mixtures are all set from the factory and are non adjustable because of emissions laws and if you're in a different altitude and climate than it was built in its not gonna run right :wondering

My stepdad's ancient stihl weedeater that he threw together from spare parts in 1990 something can sit all winter with old gas in it and he can fire it right up. My dads 300th anniversary husky chainsaw has been laying in the yard under a tree for 6 months and i bet you could go crank it right now but its like a half liter saw and you're gonna pull muscles regardless :lol:

[ironchop]

I gave away a three year old Stihl weed eater that was new in 2005 because every single year I was rebuilding carb even if I drained it before I stored it in a heated garage.

They are all making pieces of crap now.

I got an electric weed eater.

My neighbors newer Husqvarna chainsaw isn't quite as bad but I'm scouring yard sales for old chainsaws from the 80s or earlier like a Homelite, Husqy, Stihl, or Jonsereds. Those are the brands I see still running great after 30 yrs and easy to start. Probably hard to get parts for. There's no reason to have to do this much carb work every year

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

[El Camexican]

You are not alone. I bought a new cub cadet weedeater, paid a little extra for the straight shaft higher end model. Used it twice before it became damn near impossible to start. Suspected ethanol swelling the lines and diaphragm. Pulled it apart, nothing looked out of whack so i got ethanol free gas and got it running. Still impossible to start without wearing yourself out. Threw it in the corner of the shop and its been there since. My thoughts, I think the problem is that the mixtures are all set from the factory and are non adjustable because of emissions laws and if you're in a different altitude and climate than it was built in its not gonna run right :wondering

My stepdad's ancient stihl weedeater that he threw together from spare parts in 1990 something can sit all winter with old gas in it and he can fire it right up. My dads 300th anniversary husky chainsaw has been laying in the yard under a tree for 6 months and i bet you could go crank it right now but its like a half liter saw and you're gonna pull muscles regardless :lol:

Those preset carbs are BS. If a guy had the time I believe there’s a plug that could be drilled out and tapped if one had the parts and tools.

[ironchop]

Those preset carbs are BS. If a guy had the time I believe there’s a plug that could be drilled out and tapped if one had the parts and tools.Agreed. I had a push mower and a Coleman gennie (both 4 strokes)that both carbs had steel plugs rusted out of them inside somehow. I wonder how much water is in the fuel here locally.

The lawnmower I gave away too because a replacement carb was almost half as much as I paid for the whole mower new. I had to pay $135 for that replacement carb for the generator but went ahead and did it because the generator was free to me so it was worth the investment. Both were stored in a fairly climate controlled garage.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

[OTAlucard]

There's multiple reasons why you're all having problems.

I am too tired to go into detail but. I've rebuilt too much way too many pieces of equipment. But if it isn't high quality I won't even mess with it. You need to find a Shindaiwa t25 or t270. They run forever. Stihl weedeaters suck. Sorry. I don't know why people have a love affair with the pro models they all suck. I've had them all and still run them they'll start up and run but have problems.

They get air leaks too easily. Plus stihl didn't even make their own engines zenoah did.

The br400 to 420 backpack blowers from stihl are great. Stay away from anything else 4 mix. Is bullshit.

Most stihl stuff has a stamped connecting rod. Junk. Junkkkk. Run your oil at 40:1 minimum and you'll have better results.

Either put a trailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro ton of atf in the gas and pump it through the carbs. Or.

Do what I do. Run them for 10 seconds on av gas with a high oil mix rate. I've had chainsaws start up and run fine after 2 years. Generators etc. The lead protects it seems like.

[sweetip2000]

Use the stabil with 89 octane. Dont use 87 or 92. Alcohol. Water and less gasoline = more problems. Everything is made in China so now we have Chinese problems with shitty fuel. The odds are against us for sure. Use the stabil all year round for everything. Hope all is well. This winter really sucks here in the north east this year.

[fabiodriven]

Steve is it the old McCulloch's you're having problems with? I don't have first hand experience with those but they're supposed to be fantastic saws. Something is definitely awry here.

My Husqvarna 576XP bought new in roughly 2012 has been flawless. My remanufactured Husqvarna 435 bought around 2013 has also been flawless. My Husqvarna straight shaft weed eater needed the fuel lines replaced once after about two years of ownership. It was definitely premature but it was easy to fix. It's run perfect otherwise.

All of these machines start reliably hot or cold every time. I use Star Tron fuel treatment. People love Stihl, and Stihl is a great manufacturer, but I've had Stihl and it wasn't a Husqvarna. I own all Husky now and their stuff has worked out fantabulous for me.

[Rob Canadian]

Those little engines always got me for most part when they don't run. I hate B&S... Had my run in with a gas weedeater. It got the best of me after 1 year. Cheaper modle... I have a electric one now.

Mower is good. 20 year old craftsman. :)

You are not alone.

[plastikosmd]

Ya, I thought it was just me. U ain’t alone

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Hey Stevo!

I have been playing with saws for awhile now, and while I can't promise I will be able to get you up an running without putting my hands on them, I'll give it my best.

After reading your post, it sounds like you are having a fuel delivery issue. There are a few reasons this can happen.

1: Carb issue. You say they are clean, but are they REALLY clean? Did you disassemble the carbs completely, including pulling the welch plugs and remove the mixture screws? Under the welch plugs, you will find your tiny fuel passages where the metered fuel is pulled into the carb venturi. These passages are very small and the slightest bit of contamination will give you issues. Also, there are sometimes tiny little screens under those welch plugs put there to prevent small debris from entering those passages where it is much trickier to clear. When the screens get obstructed, you will not get adequate fuel into the venturi. Complete disassembly and verification that all passages are clear is a must to eliminate the carb from the list of suspects.

1A: Carb metering lever height/metering needle not stuck/sticking. This is relatively easy to check when you know the make and model number of your carb. Most carbs the metering lever should be even with the carb body. Some however are not, having your carb make and model number will help determine proper metering lever height. (basically, a needle and seat that rapidly opens and closes allowing fuel from the pump diaphragm side of the carb to enter the metering side, feeding the fuel to the mixture screw passages). Too low and it will be starved for fuel and barely run, if it runs at all. Too high and it will flood the case with raw fuel as if you poured it into the saw with a funnel.

1B: Carb impulse system. These carbs also act as your fuel pump to draw fuel from the tank. It utilizes the pressure/vacuum cycle in the crankcase to drive the pump diaphragm in the carb (found on the opposite side of the carb as the metering diaphragm) The most common methods of providing crankcase impulse to the pump side of the carb is either A: a small hose connecting the case or base of the cylinder directly to the carb in the case of a saw that has a rubber intake boot or B: an impulse port in a solid intake block that connects the carb to the cylinder. You will see corresponding impulse ports on the mating surfaces of the intake on the cylinder as well as on the mating surface of the carb where it meets the intake block. These ports are pretty small, about 1/16" give or take.

2: Fuel lines and filter. You want to make sure the fuel line and filter are in good working order, especially if they are getting pretty old and/or ethanol fuel is used.

3: Crank seals. As with any 2-stroke on a wheeler, chainsaws need a good seal from the crank seals in order for everything to work right and run. You can rig up a pressure/vacuum tester pretty cheap. And you want to check both pressure and vacuum if you have the means.. Plug the exhaust by taking a piece of inner tube and sandwiching it between the muffler and the exhaust outlet, just like making a homemade gasket with bolt holes and all, only don't cut it out for the exhaust outlet. For the intake side if you have a solid intake block between the carb and cylinder, you can fashion an inner tube plug the same way you did with the exhaust. If it has a rubber boot and the intake opening is round (as most with a rubber boot are) you can usually find an expansion plug at a hardware store that will get the job done. Now that the intake and exhaust are sealed up, crank the engine to BDC and you can rig up your method of pressurizing the engine via the sparkplug hole using a compression tester hose connected to regulated air with a shut off. Just like a 250r, you want to pump it up to 8-10psi and make sure you don't lose more than 2psi in 10 minutes ideally. Use the same setup to pull a vacuum if you have a vac pump.

All of that said, will they run if you drop a tablespoon of premix right into the sparkplug hole??

And..... REMEMBER THE DAMNED FLYWHEEL KEY! LOL! But seriously, no joke... a shifted flywheel will disable a saw just like anything else..


Jet limiters: Well what can I say... THEY SUCK! Most are fairly easily defeated (or as our hippy friends in the EPA would say, "tamper with") The kind with the plastic caps with restrictor tabs that snap over the jet screw heads are probably the easiest, a razor blade clamped in a small pair of vice-grips and heated up with a propane torch makes quick work of those, and you still retain the small flathead screwdriver compatability by keeping the caps but cutting the restrictor tabs off of them. Lately they have gotten more creative, but you being a machinist, I'm sure you can find a good way of disposing of those. Removing jet limiters is paramount to the ability to PROPERLY tune your 2-stroke OPE! I have run brand new OPE out of the box with the jets set as rich as the limiters would allow that were obviously set too lean... no power at all. Defeat the limiters, re-tune, and they run like they should.

Back to the carb disassembly, I believe Walbro has some very good instructional vids on their small diaphragm carbs. Walbro, Zama, Tillotson, Bing, all different brands of carbs used on saws but all basically the same. Let me see if I can find that vid and post a link. It is very informative. BRB

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Here ya go Stevo. Alot of stuff I'm sure you already know, but I think some parts if this vid will help better explain some of the stuff I was referring to about the carbs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDaOcNrS6BM

[coolpool]

Fabio and ride red touched on the first thing I do with a chainsaw/whacker small engine that is cranky, replace the fuel line with quality stuff right up to the weighted pick up tube in the tank. I don't like hocus pocus much but the Stabil Marine 360 works for our fuels up here. And look at your primer bulb (if so equipped) for miniscule cracks.

[Dirtcrasher]

Steve is it the old McCulloch's you're having problems with? I don't have first hand experience with those but they're supposed to be fantastic saws. Something is definitely awry here.

My Husqvarna 576XP bought new in roughly 2012 has been flawless. My remanufactured Husqvarna 435 bought around 2013 has also been flawless. My Husqvarna straight shaft weed eater needed the fuel lines replaced once after about two years of ownership. It was definitely premature but it was easy to fix. It's run perfect otherwise.

All of these machines start reliably hot or cold every time. I use Star Tron fuel treatment. People love Stihl, and Stihl is a great manufacturer, but I've had Stihl and it wasn't a Husqvarna. I own all Husky now and their stuff has worked out fantabulous for me.

Yes John, that one too doesn't want to run either :lol: I'll post a pic of the other 2, 1 being a Pro Mac 40 which is a cool old saw.

That 50$ saw is the one I pulled a muscle on the other day and I was screwed, I had no options. I had to 2nd day mail (Amazon) me this 20V DeWalt Chainsaw so I could get out my front yard!!, but it works!!

[Scootertrash]

This may have already been tried, but I keep a spray bottle of gas/oil mixture of 40:1, which covers any machine I have here, for the occasions when I can't get an engine to fire or run. I spray a squirt or two into the carb while holding the throttle open and then try starting the engine. If that works I try to keep the machine running by spraying small spritzes of the mixture into the carb.

It's a pretty simple basic tactic, but it verifies if it's a fuel delivery issue.

YMMV

[tripledog]

I use only non ethanol fuel in all of my 2 stroke engines. The only problem I have had with my trimmers and saws is buildup of gunk between the flywheel and pick up coil, creating a no spark situation. I remove the pickup coil, clean it and the flywheel magnets with rubbing alcohol, and use a business card to set the air gap upon reinstalling the pickup coil. I also use only Tygon fuel lines, as they seem to stay flexible instead of hardening and cracking.

[mendoAu]

.............Husqvarna.............and use 2cycle before storing. When it starts smoking like hell shut it down and then drain it when you're ready to use it again.

[ps2fixer]

I'm probably opening a can of worms, but some of the best 2 stroke tools I've found has been Dolmar and Makita (same company). Dolmar was the first company to make a gas powered chainsaw. It was a German company but Makita (Japanese) bought though out. 90%+ of their chain saws are still made in Germany. They use Maul cylinders, Zama (yes chinese built, owned by Stihl) carb. Their electric chainsaws are known to be one of the best balances between power vs chain speed/cut speed, never had one so can't really comment much on the electric though.

My dad ran Stihl for years, bought a new saw and had all kinds of problems. By the time he got things sorted out he came across a Makita 6401 professional chainsaw for $300 used. The thing was about 2 times faster than the 041 super. If you read up on porting these, you have to be super careful because they are already well built from the factory and there isn't much room for improvement. Even just removing the base gasket can require the top of the piston to be modded to make it not hit the top of the head. My dad's getting into porting them now, so interesting to see.

Here's the basics of the model numbers.

xx = home owner, some are china built, pretty much don't bother with
xxx = farm use, normally quite well built
xxxx = professional use, basically the best of the best that they make

First two numbers are the CC of the engine, as in 6401 is 64cc and it's professional grade.

If you have problems with pull starts, get one with the easy start system, it's completely nuts how easy it is to start warm. Cold you have to choke it etc and takes 2-3 pulls unless you know the saw well. There's a youtube video of a 9 year old & 7 year old girl starting a 61cc saw (warm). If you can just pull it past compression stroke, it starts, no fast pulling needed.

Also, do some reading on the chain saws you're trying to fix. Modern ones have an hour rating on them. Home/farm is 50hr, professional is 300hr.

Here's a couple of youtube videos to showcase the easy start lol. The non-easy starts are not bad, you just have to actually spin the engine over fast enough to run it. They are super easy to flood, they don't always fire after 3 pulls choked, after 3 pulls always push the choke off and generally it starts next pull or two. Never had to pull more than 6 times to start any of mine except my super old Sachs-Dolmar 133 (85c 1979-1887), but I'm slowly going though it fixing it up.

42cc farm use saw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Jv9I1jGkk

61cc pro saw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkPCmFhGAMc

The husqvarna saws are just a poland unless it's the professional series, so if you ever run that brand, only settle for the professional saw, other wise just run a cheap McCulloch, Poulan/PoulanPro, WeedEater, or Jonsered, they are all made by the same factory with different plastics/styling and minor differences saw to saw. The pro saws seem to run well, but they are high chain speed with less torque, stihl seems to be higher torque but lower chain speed, and dolmar/makita are a well balanced with high torque while also having a matching chain speed.

Not trying to start a war or anything, just trying to stick to the facts. I'm a sucker for Honda for small engines and Toyota/Lexus for cars/trucks too. My dad's had good experience with an Echo weed wacker, but he hasn't used it for all that long, so can't really say much for longevity, but seems to have nice power. He got a 2nd one used and put a brush saw blade on it to clear out some brush out, 21cc and it cuts better than the 31cc engine i used before (Ryobi & Bolens).

[fabiodriven]

I'm probably opening a can of worms, but some of the best 2 stroke tools I've found has been Dolmar and Makita (same company). Dolmar was the first company to make a gas powered chainsaw. It was a German company but Makita (Japanese) bought though out. 90%+ of their chain saws are still made in Germany. They use Maul cylinders, Zama (yes chinese built, owned by Stihl) carb. Their electric chainsaws are known to be one of the best balances between power vs chain speed/cut speed, never had one so can't really comment much on the electric though.

My dad ran Stihl for years, bought a new saw and had all kinds of problems. By the time he got things sorted out he came across a Makita 6401 professional chainsaw for $300 used. The thing was about 2 times faster than the 041 super. If you read up on porting these, you have to be super careful because they are already well built from the factory and there isn't much room for improvement. Even just removing the base gasket can require the top of the piston to be modded to make it not hit the top of the head. My dad's getting into porting them now, so interesting to see.

Here's the basics of the model numbers.

xx = home owner, some are china built, pretty much don't bother with
xxx = farm use, normally quite well built
xxxx = professional use, basically the best of the best that they make

First two numbers are the CC of the engine, as in 6401 is 64cc and it's professional grade.

If you have problems with pull starts, get one with the easy start system, it's completely nuts how easy it is to start warm. Cold you have to choke it etc and takes 2-3 pulls unless you know the saw well. There's a youtube video of a 9 year old & 7 year old girl starting a 61cc saw (warm). If you can just pull it past compression stroke, it starts, no fast pulling needed.

Also, do some reading on the chain saws you're trying to fix. Modern ones have an hour rating on them. Home/farm is 50hr, professional is 300hr.

Here's a couple of youtube videos to showcase the easy start lol. The non-easy starts are not bad, you just have to actually spin the engine over fast enough to run it. They are super easy to flood, they don't always fire after 3 pulls choked, after 3 pulls always push the choke off and generally it starts next pull or two. Never had to pull more than 6 times to start any of mine except my super old Sachs-Dolmar 133 (85c 1979-1887), but I'm slowly going though it fixing it up.

42cc farm use saw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Jv9I1jGkk

61cc pro saw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkPCmFhGAMc

The husqvarna saws are just a poland unless it's the professional series, so if you ever run that brand, only settle for the professional saw, other wise just run a cheap McCulloch, Poulan/PoulanPro, WeedEater, or Jonsered, they are all made by the same factory with different plastics/styling and minor differences saw to saw. The pro saws seem to run well, but they are high chain speed with less torque, stihl seems to be higher torque but lower chain speed, and dolmar/makita are a well balanced with high torque while also having a matching chain speed.

Not trying to start a war or anything, just trying to stick to the facts. I'm a sucker for Honda for small engines and Toyota/Lexus for cars/trucks too. My dad's had good experience with an Echo weed wacker, but he hasn't used it for all that long, so can't really say much for longevity, but seems to have nice power. He got a 2nd one used and put a brush saw blade on it to clear out some brush out, 21cc and it cuts better than the 31cc engine i used before (Ryobi & Bolens).

Very good post and I agree with very much of it. I used Just Ben's Makita gas saw this past year and I'd never seen one previous. I didn't even know they existed. It ran and worked great! What a fantastic saw!

Also, you mentioned flooding. That's something so many people have difficulties with whether it be a 500cc two stroke or a 40cc two stroke. Two strokes flood very easily, but they also clear very easily as well. It's the simplest thing in the world, I learned it on a group ride in Jr high when my IT flooded and wouldn't start. I always had that problem with it. All the other riders were running and ready to roll but my IT wouldn't start because it was flooded. The leader of the ride was yelling over the group of running bikes so I could hear, "Hold the throttle wide open!" This went against everything I thought I knew, but I did it, and the bike started right up. That stuck with me from that day on and I'm always amazed at how many people are afraid to take that advice when a vehicle is flooded, even though I was afraid to take that advice the first time as well.

The smaller the engine, the easier they flood. Just as stated, if you've pulled it enough with the choke on to know that the engine has fuel, try clearing it. Try no choke or no choke with WOT if necessary. If fuel is your issue, it's either going to be an abundance of it or not enough.

I am going to take issue with what was said in regards to a homeowner's Husky saw being "just a Poulin", that is incorrect. Husqvarna did buy Poulin, this is true, but Poulin is not making their regular old disposable Walmart saws labeled as Huskies. This is a very misleading statement because everyone knows that Poulin makes absolute garbage saws, I'm sure we can all agree on that. I could take a Poulin saw and bend the bar in half if I wanted to. Every single aspect of those saws is junk, even the pull starts sound ready to break new out of the box. So no, if you buy a homeowner Husky saw, you are not buying a relabeled Poulin. As I said, I've had my 435 for years now and it has been a great saw. It doesn't have a bar I could bend in half, it doesn't have an awful pull start that's ready to break right out of the box, and it's run great for many, many years now, something a Poulin will not do. We've all had the father in laws or neighbors who went down to Walmart and bought a Poulin "Wild Thing" or "Predator", and we all know you might get through a tree or two, five at the most, and that saw has had it. There is no working on it to fix it or improving upon it, it's a disposable saw. I've never seen anyone pull out their Poulin they've had for a few years and start cutting. Every one I've seen has come brand new out of the box and ends up in the trash mere months later. That is not at all what you see with Husky saws.

So no, a homeowner grade Husky is not a Poulin saw.

[ps2fixer]

Ironically, based on a chain saw builder we met (bought some Dolmars from him but his main business is rebuilding stihls), he mention the "Wild Thing" Poland from the 90's was one of their best built home owner saws. My dad has one, 42cc I think and it still runs fine. I didn't say the Husky's are unreliable, but the machining/quality seems to be a huge step down vs the professional line. Also some parts do interchange. A lot of the newer saws (don't remember which brand or both) are starting to run plastic oil pump gears. Mikita are all metal yet to my knowledge, besides that, nearly all of them have an oil pump that's adjustable and you can make them really oil. The stihl's seem to starve the bar of oil, but then again, that's related to the problems my dad had with the new saw.

For example part number 577831101 is a piston + cyl kit for Husqvarna 240 and 235 saws. If you look at the notes, it replaces part numbers 574291001, 545050418 and 545050417

574291001 is also listed as Husqvarna, same interchange list as the above part number
545050418 is listed as a Jonsered part number for the CS2234 saws
545050417 is also listed for Jonsered

Another example... part number 577831101 is a piston kit. It's for a Craftsman chain saw & husqvarna 235 & 240.

Learning how to search these dealership sites better, crank shaft assembly part number 580302601 is again for 235/240, and also brings up a Red Max GZ380. Never even heard of that brand lol.

Another interesting find (just picking random models from google), crankshaft part number 504206802 is Jonsered CS2152, CS2153, and Husqvarna 346 XP/351/353. Just a note, the Husqvarna part number is the same numbers, but has a different format on the site I used, instead of 504206802 it's 5042068-02. Almost seems like they are trying to hide the fact the parts interchange between different models. NONE of the sites flat out lists both brands of saws together in the same list, they just bring up both part numbers and you have to pick which brand of saw you're looking for parts on.

One thing I don't get, if it's the same part number, why do they charge more for the Husqvarna labeled one -_-. It's almost like a Ford Mustang, some parts interchange with more "base line" cars, but the parts when looked up for the mustang application are marked up more, even though it's the same part.

https://i.gyazo.com/a5090cd27dba5dcef34fda2ad5186145.png

Not to bsh your 435, but for giggles I looked it up too. Crank shaft assembly is used in Jonsered and Craftman saws.

https://i.gyazo.com/862420bfdffe5e11bc2fba0a1af397f9.png

I picked the piston/crank/cylinder area because that's the "heart" of the engine. Like a Honda 200cc series engine (200m, 200s, 200e, 200es, 185s, etc), they have the same basic parts, or extremely similar in design.

I'll come out and say, not all Dolmars are the greatest saw ever or anything, all brands do have bad models. Like the Toyota Tercel with auto trans are known for a plastic bushing in the trans to go bad. The 510/5100 series dolmar saws were adjusted lean to pass epa requirements, and were ment to be re-tuned before selling at the local dealers, but most didn't, so that saw is known to burn piston and cylinders up. I own a 5105, and it's a great 51cc saw, but the 6400 series (6100, 7900 are the same saw besides the top end) walks all over it. The 6100 series is also known to be a great pick, my dad has one of them, little less go than a 6400, but a lot more fuel efficient and also has larger tanks. Together my dad and I own 15 or so Dolmar/Mikita saws, it was Stihl before (I still have a MS310). We both burn wood for heat, last year we cut around 100 face cord of dead ash in about 2 weeks. Loading up the trucks was the slowest part of it lol.

[Shep1970]

I’ve gotta add to this and maybe i’ve just had good luck but fabio mentioned wild thing chainsaws so.
I have one yes its one of those green+purple one’s bought it at lowes for $129 maybe 8yrs ago.
Its been great, i’ve cleared a couple two/three acre lots with it also whenever a storm comes through it clears many a tree on our trails. Customers in the winter call me when a tree has blocked there driveway and i tell you that saw is ready to go.
Granted its small and lightweight and really is a throwaway machine but i’d buy another next time around.
Just had to add my 2-cents

Shep
Of course i may have just jinxed myself.........

[ps2fixer]

Yep sounds just like my dad's saw. It is a Poulan as in it takes a lot of pulling to get it running sometimes, but besides that once it's going it's ready to go. My dad used his along side of the Stihls, it was just a slower cutter. My dad put 20in bar on it since that's what he runs for the most part except his bigger saws. My dad was also running an OLD McCulloch too before they were made by Poulan/Husqvarna. Basically no exhaust on it (by design), loud as hell, but was always ready to go, ironically it was his most reliable saw out of the 4-6 he took with him out in the woods which included a MS310, 041 (he had like 8 of these), 041 Super, sometimes the Wild Thing. He likes to keep the saws with a nice sharp chain, so once it starts to dull, he just swaps saws to keep cutting.

Here's a random pic of the same saw my dad has had since around the 90's. If I remember right, it was $80 new.

https://media.suthlbr.com/images/thumbnails/1500x1500/10315/7265713_ep_1445029957_0.jpg

[Shep1970]

Yes the same one ps2, the good thing is when it does crapout i’ll buy another new one at lowes put this old one back in the box and return it for refund, ha
Maybe i shouldn’t say that out loud....

Shep

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Good posts here fellas... But I take issue on the Hooskies having no torque... My 394 blowing 210psi cold begs to differ ;) And I would take the Pepsi challenge against any 066/661 this side of a full on cant racing saw with my Tree-90-Feckin-Fo.... 36" bar buried in sugar maple are the terms

251238

All kidding aside, they ALL make cheaper "homeowner" grade saws, and they all make fantastic professional grade saws, Hooskie, Creamsicles, Johnny-Red (which have been red/black versions of the same model Hoosky for quite a few years now, literally Chevy/GMC relationaship) Echo, and even Dolmar/Makita. I would say Dolmar/Makita probably makes the best small displacement homeowner saws. Many are split mag case construction like the bigger "pro" saws and that is a definite advantage in my opinion, the 421 being first to come to mind. I have a fair bit of trigger time with a Dolmar 6400 that belongs to my FIL and it's a darn impressive saw, especially when you consider the price he paid for it new, $600 OTD! Equivalent model Husky would be the 562XP and Stihl would be the MS362, check out the prices on THOSE if you want a little 60cc sticker shock. He liked his 6400 so much that based on my recommendation he bought a red/black Makita EA4300F (same as a Dolmar branded 421) and it has proven to be just as high quality as the 6400. Stevo, you can get a new Makita 4300 for right around $300 new. They are 42cc and well built. Tough to find a better saw than those in that size class IMHO, especially at that price range.

Anyway, some cheaper "homeowner" saws just aren't worth putting much money into when they go down as it's much easier to approach replacement cost as the repair parts list grows. Now if you aren't one to do your own work, adding labor cost closes the deal. Better off to replace it, or maybe time to consider investing in a higher end saw that will just plain last longer provided you do your part in maintaining and using it properly.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Ironically, based on a chain saw builder we met (bought some Dolmars from him but his main business is rebuilding stihls), he mention the "Wild Thing" Poland from the 90's was one of their best built home owner saws. My dad has one, 42cc I think and it still runs fine. I didn't say the Husky's are unreliable, but the machining/quality seems to be a huge step down vs the professional line. Also some parts do interchange. A lot of the newer saws (don't remember which brand or both) are starting to run plastic oil pump gears. Mikita are all metal yet to my knowledge, besides that, nearly all of them have an oil pump that's adjustable and you can make them really oil. The stihl's seem to starve the bar of oil, but then again, that's related to the problems my dad had with the new saw.

For example part number 577831101 is a piston + cyl kit for Husqvarna 240 and 235 saws. If you look at the notes, it replaces part numbers 574291001, 545050418 and 545050417

574291001 is also listed as Husqvarna, same interchange list as the above part number
545050418 is listed as a Jonsered part number for the CS2234 saws
545050417 is also listed for Jonsered

Another example... part number 577831101 is a piston kit. It's for a Craftsman chain saw & husqvarna 235 & 240.

Learning how to search these dealership sites better, crank shaft assembly part number 580302601 is again for 235/240, and also brings up a Red Max GZ380. Never even heard of that brand lol.

Another interesting find (just picking random models from google), crankshaft part number 504206802 is Jonsered CS2152, CS2153, and Husqvarna 346 XP/351/353. Just a note, the Husqvarna part number is the same numbers, but has a different format on the site I used, instead of 504206802 it's 5042068-02. Almost seems like they are trying to hide the fact the parts interchange between different models. NONE of the sites flat out lists both brands of saws together in the same list, they just bring up both part numbers and you have to pick which brand of saw you're looking for parts on.

One thing I don't get, if it's the same part number, why do they charge more for the Husqvarna labeled one -_-. It's almost like a Ford Mustang, some parts interchange with more "base line" cars, but the parts when looked up for the mustang application are marked up more, even though it's the same part.


Husky and Johnny-Red have been in a literal Chevy/GMC relationship since roughly the mid 1990's. The reason those parts you list interchange as they do is because they are twin sister models with very few differences. When comparing say a Husky 372 and a J-Red 2172 the only mechanical differences are top handle angle (about the only party that does not interchange between the pair) choke control lever, and I think that's it. The J-Red 2172 also only came in the standard air filter config where the 372 came with the heavy duty or "high-top" (as known in saw aficionado circles) filter setup. Beyond a few external mechanical/ergonomic differences and the color scheme, they are the exact same saw. Same relationship between the Husky 346xp and Johnny-Red 2152 and many other models. J-Red in fact have been continued as a brand by Husqvarna, designed and manufactured by Husqvarna since the name acquisition years back. Now things are going to get all changed up again... Most of the J-Red product line is slated to be discontinued and replaced with a handful of Redmax products. J-Red as a brand is not long for the chainsaw production industry at this time.

[Rob Canadian]

251251

Does anyone know what chainsaw 'Leatherface' used? That thing had some POWER!!!! :)

[sledcrazyinCT]

Husky and Johnny-Red have been in a literal Chevy/GMC relationship since roughly the mid 1990's.J-Red as a brand is not long for the chainsaw production industry at this time.

Great comments...shame most lawn equipment these days is throw away or EPA detuned/tamperproof.

I inherited an 85 or 86 Jonsereds 820 and need to freshen it up. Seems parts for these are not easy to come by anymore.
I would love to have new top end and seals installed so it goes another 20+ years. If anyone knows of parts sources or repairs saws please let me know

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Yes Sir, that 820 is prior to the merger with Husky and a true-blue Johnny-Red. May I suggest joining the Outdoor Power Equipment forum? It's a great site for gathering parts, info and knowledge. Lots of saw nuts there, including myself. You might just get a little help locating those hard to find parts and then you never know, you just may end up porting your first saw!

Here is a link: http://opeforum.com

Also, there is a saw salvage parts outfit that may be useful to you, Chainsawr.com

[Jkoht]

Any motor other than a car should use ethanol free gas. From my outboard, to atv, to act, to saw, to trimmers, to mowers, to generators all are fed ethanol free gas. All can be started after sitting all winter too.

[fabiodriven]

Any motor other than a car should use ethanol free gas. From my outboard, to atv, to act, to saw, to trimmers, to mowers, to generators all are fed ethanol free gas. All can be started after sitting all winter too.

I agree, but Steve (the OP) and myself live in Massachusetts. We don't have access to non-ethanol gasoline aside from race and aviation gas.

[sledcrazyinCT]

I agree, but Steve (the OP) and myself live in Massachusetts. We don't have access to non-ethanol gasoline aside from race and aviation gas.

Wish that wasn't true.....some marinas bring in ethanol free gasoline in CT but most only let boats fill up.

[ironchop]

I agree, but Steve (the OP) and myself live in Massachusetts. We don't have access to non-ethanol gasoline aside from race and aviation gas.Funny, isn't it?

The "solution" to environmental pollution is to implement a fuel type which is inherently destructive to EVERYTHING you put it in, this rendering most equipment disposable junk in just a short period of time which increases consumption by creating a perpetual need for new equipment and the highly pollutive process of manufacturing those new replacement pieces of equipment.

I've been in manufacturing as a machinist for 20 of the last 30 yrs and we know that most Americans, and especially those who call themselves environmentalists, are F@$$king CLUELESS about sustainable practices and the environmental damage that results from just MAKING the items they so readily consume.

Contrary to what you've been told, the manufacturing processes and energy consumed involved in building a single new automobile far outweigh it's environmental impact from ALL the fuels, oil, and rubber it will consume during it's entire lifetime as a whole unit.

1) Mining ore for the metal parts and all the energy that this consumes
2) pumping oil,mining coal, tapping natural gas needed for all the plastic parts and all the energy that consumes
3) smelting those ores plus the required energy
4) chemically engineering oil, coal, and gas into plastics and again, the necessary energy consumption
5)each and every plant that makes each and every individual part and all the energy that consumes
6) creating all the solids and hardeners and solvents in the paint and all the energy that requires to manufacture
7) transportation of each and every one of those components and the energy that consumes
8) machining that billet plus the energy
9) the manufacturing and mining of rubber plus the energy
10) sheet metal manufacturing and that energy
11) the final assembly plant and that energy requirement
12) transportation of the finished product to the car lot and, you guessed it, the energy burned

Just think about every factory and every support shop or factory involved in each of these components and it will blow your mind. From the plants toilet paper for the employee's bathrooms and cleaning supplies all the way to the stuff required to make the product itself.

Seriously think about that for a few minutes.....

This is actually way more interwoven and complex than I simplified it down to keep the post shorter.

Building one electric or fossil fuel car, either one, will consume FAR more energy and resources and damage the environment much more than it will ever manage to do by itself as a whole unit.

This is why environmentalists are ignorant at best and short sighted at worst. Your smart car and your ethanol fuel and your electric weed eater already did it's part to ruin the Earth LONG before you bought it new from Lowe's Home Center and took it out of the box for the first time.

Fools will never save the Earth because this crucial fact escapes their grasp but anyone with a background in manufacturing knows I speak the truth

By recycling trikes, we are actually helping the Earth by saving it from the damage caused by manufacturing more new ATVs and, God help us, those SxS's (UTVs)

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[ironchop]

Yeah see ........and just imagine all the crops the farmers would save by eating the korn in my do-do !!!! ............and peanuts too !!! .........and they could oh so benefit from the nourishment ..........no more and denMr.Diesel originally intended his revolutionary new engine design to run on renewable peanuts just like the ones in your poop or on powdered coal.....but then Mr Rockefeller decided that a byproduct of his own gasoline production would be a much better choice...and so it was written....because Diesel couldn't mount much of a protest from the grave

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[Scootertrash]

Funny, isn't it?

The "solution" to environmental pollution is to implement a fuel type which is inherently destructive to EVERYTHING you put it in, this rendering most equipment disposable junk in just a short period of time which increases consumption by creating a perpetual need for new equipment and the highly pollutive process of manufacturing those new replacement pieces of equipment.

I've been in manufacturing as a machinist for 20 of the last 30 yrs and we know that most Americans, and especially those who call themselves environmentalists, are F@$$king CLUELESS about sustainable practices and the environmental damage that results from just MAKING the items they so readily consume.

Contrary to what you've been told, the manufacturing processes and energy consumed involved in building a single new automobile far outweigh it's environmental impact from ALL the fuels, oil, and rubber it will consume during it's entire lifetime as a whole unit.

1) Mining ore for the metal parts and all the energy that this consumes
2) pumping oil,mining coal, tapping natural gas needed for all the plastic parts and all the energy that consumes
3) smelting those ores plus the required energy
4) chemically engineering oil, coal, and gas into plastics and again, the necessary energy consumption
5)each and every plant that makes each and every individual part and all the energy that consumes
6) creating all the solids and hardeners and solvents in the paint and all the energy that requires to manufacture
7) transportation of each and every one of those components and the energy that consumes
8) machining that billet plus the energy
9) the manufacturing and mining of rubber plus the energy
10) sheet metal manufacturing and that energy
11) the final assembly plant and that energy requirement
12) transportation of the finished product to the car lot and, you guessed it, the energy burned

Just think about every factory and every support shop or factory involved in each of these components and it will blow your mind. From the plants toilet paper for the employee's bathrooms and cleaning supplies all the way to the stuff required to make the product itself.

Seriously think about that for a few minutes.....

This is actually way more interwoven and complex than I simplified it down to keep the post shorter.

Building one electric or fossil fuel car, either one, will consume FAR more energy and resources and damage the environment much more than it will ever manage to do by itself as a whole unit.

This is why environmentalists are ignorant at best and short sighted at worst. Your smart car and your ethanol fuel and your electric weed eater already did it's part to ruin the Earth LONG before you bought it new from Lowe's Home Center and took it out of the box for the first time.

Fools will never save the Earth because this crucial fact escapes their grasp but anyone with a background in manufacturing knows I speak the truth

By recycling trikes, we are actually helping the Earth by saving it from the damage caused by manufacturing more new ATVs and, God help us, those SxS's (UTVs)

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

Also, lets not forget all those folks who want to complain about the starving masses because there's not enough food to feed the world are alot of the same people promoting ethanol, otherwise known as turning food into fuel. Priceless.

[ps2fixer]

A page back on the mention of http://Chainsawr.com my dad and I have ordered parts from there, good experience with them.

Kind of funny how this got into talking about the EPA and such. It's crazy how much of a throw away society we are living in. I'm cheap, so almost everything I own that costs a lot new I buy used, so I have to know how to repair/maintain it better than the average consumer, but I save money 99% of the time. I mean I drive a 1990 LS400 and a 1998 T100, both were under $1000, last car was a $650 Corolla that I got 37-40mpg in and drove it 80k miles with only minor repairs needed (radiator and exhaust down pipe to cat). I guess based on the comment before me I'm helping the environment even though I drive a v8 car that gets 27mpg on the highway @75mph.

All of my Chainsaws were used too, my dad has a couple new ones but most of his are used too. Can't beat a $280 6421 from home depot, out of 5 saws, one needed clutch bearings and one had a bent bar. These saws get used by a lot of people, so they get abused a bit, but they *should* be maintained well with a new chain each time it comes back and cleaned up etc. FYI, the safety chain they come with is trash, hardly will grab anything. Get a quality chain on it and it's a monster for a stock 64cc saw.

Ironically the mention of the 4300 series, my dad bought one of them new too and loves it for using to de-branch/trim, but he uses a 6100 or 6400 for most of the "real" cutting, 7900 if it's over 20in, and I don't remember what his big saw was for sure, but I think it's the 9000 series. Normally it's like a 10500rpm limit, but he put a higher rev coil on it so it can do 12k rpm. Numbers are from memory, so I'm probably messing something up. If I remember right (could be wrong again), the 4300, 5100, and 6100 series are the same platform similar to how the 6400 and 7900 series are the same platform. He doesn't tune the high on the carb by ear any more, he uses an electronic tach to tune it to a little under rev limiter, low end is still tuned by ear.

I also completely agree about the ethanol free fuel, locally it's called recreational fuel and is 90 octane (overkill for most applications). If you plan to use the tool a lot in a day, you could get away using the normal pump gas and putting the rect fuel in for the last tank. The ethanol effect is time based, so longer it sits in the carb, the more damage it can do. It is also strongly suggested to have a fuel cut off on machines that have room for it (like a generator) and either run it out of fuel with the fuel cutoff turned off, or run the tank completely dry. Long term storage with a fuel cutoff valve ironically is a full tank of gas, big time for metal tanks like 3 wheelers have, this prevents rust inside the tank. Sadly, the rect fuel is about $1 more per gal at the closest station, about 20 miles away there's another that's closer to 50-60 cents more and is a little higher octane.

I keep writing huge replies for some reason lol.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

I think the 5100-6100 is the same platform, but I believe the small end stops at 5100. The 4300 and maybe one step up are their own platform if I'm not mistaken. It's refreshing to see a brand that realizes there are still people who want a well built saw under 45cc and actually offer a split mag case saw in that class. Husky hasn't had a solid pro-grade saw under 45cc since they discontinued the 242xp. I have one I just rebuilt/restored and I love that little bugger! It has a noticeably smaller feel to it in handling than my 346xp and it flat out screams although it runs out of HP in wood larger than about 10". But it was designed to be a fast limbing saw and it does that job well. Husky has the 543xp now but it's a joke, not even a Husky design but rather a Redmax design with some improvements by Husky. Redmax are OK, but after handling a new 543xp at my dealer, I feel the old 242xp is by far superior. When talking current production, I think there is but one choice for a sub-45cc and that is Dolmar/Makita.

There are two very under-appreciated brands in saw world that are very overshadowed by Husky and Stihl, they are Dolmar and Echo. Echo are Japanese made and I have not yet run one, but you would be hard pressed to find a dissatisfied Echo owner. They also offer a good lineup of "pro" saws as well.

[ps2fixer]

Oh just thought of something, should mention that Dolmar doesn't exist any more, Mikita discontinued the line up and now brands all chainsaws as Mikita with the dolmar red/orage color. They ran parallel models for years in both brands, so it's a logical move on the business costs side of things.

Another brand missed is Solo which is built in Germany saw, they had a contract or something for a while with Dolmar, and they sold the same saw re-branded as Solo. Don't know a whole lot about the company, but from what I remember it's considered quite good too.

The Echo my dad has is pretty impressive for such a little weed wacker. It has a nice crisp pop to the exhaust much like the Dolmar/Mikita saws, or to put in other terms, it sounds like a little well built dirtbike engine. Even though it's the little 21cc (maybe it was 24cc can't remember for sure), it uses the larger bar arm. The brush blade arm he put on it was from a Troy Bilt 31cc weed wacker that died after 30-45 mins of use from new (flywheel key broke which requires replacing the whole flywheel to repair). It sat around a couple of years before we used it so out of warranty which sucks. Ironically I've had better luck with junk picked weed wackers over the Troy Bilt...

[fabiodriven]

Flywheel key... See that Joe?

[ironchop]

Troy Built..... now there's a brand that went downhill in quality quite a bit since the 1980s

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[ps2fixer]

Flywheel key... See that Joe?

Not really sure what you're trying to say, but here's a photo of a non-broken one. Pretty stupid the key isn't replaceable like the old school design.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ONoAAOSwmfhX5Fk1/s-l1600.jpg

[fabiodriven]

Inside joke my friend, that's all. :-)

[ps2fixer]

I see, I was questioning if I was calling it the wrong part name or something lol.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

You are right ps2fixer about the Makita buyout of Dolmar. Kind of a shame really but these things happen. Dolmar just couldn't maintain a strong market share against Stihl and Husky I suppose.

Integrated flywheel key: yes it does "cheapen" the design a bit but you would probably be shocked to know how many pro grade saws now use them. I would wager they are a bit better design than that of the Troybilt Wacker though. One nice thing about them, easier to file the key when playing with ignition timing than the old style...;)

And yes, a little inside joke involving Stevo insisting he had "neva seen a tree-fiddy-x flyhweel key shear"... (N.E. accent). Well, it was my pleasure to show old Steve something he'd "neva" seen before that day! :D

[ps2fixer]

FYI, it's not like anything is really changing, Makita has owned Dolmar since 1991.

On the ignition timing, since my dad's been into the porting/building saws for a bit now, the trick is to just remove the key and clock it. If it's too smooth, ruff up the mating surface a little. I didn't know that was really an option back when the Troy Bilt died. I guess it's a good sign to stay away from a brand that can't even spell built right unless it has some other hidden meaning.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Yeah, over the last two years I have been learning to port saws. I've done a few, my 357, 372, and 394 turned out very well. Just finished a 288 cylinder for a friend in Montana. It's alot of fun. :)

[ironchop]

Integrated flywheel key design is purely to save money. It's all finished after it pushes out of the mold after casting without the need for additional machining

The old style required an additional specialized machine, another setup operation, and another machine operator to "broach" that keyway in the ID of the flywheel for the key. That plus the cost of key stock. Doesnt seem like much but in the long run it's a pretty substantial savings so I'll bet before long, everyone else is doing it too.

The downside to the new design is that the built in key won't last anywhere near as long as the old style but the way most corporations see it, it only has to last as long as the rest of the machine's service life (which is crap nowadays) and in that case they are fully stocked to sell you another disposable unit pronto. Visa and MasterCard accepted here.

Consume! Consume! Consume! or else our house of cards falls down around us!

[emoji41]


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