Stihl Chainsaw Question

[danl]

Well folks, you've both taught me something and made me feel like an idiot. I have an old Stihl that was given to me and works fine except I had to replace the adjustment screw when it broke. It just never occurred to me to loosen the cover before I adjusted it.

Sometimes it's so nice to be anonymous.

You have plenty of company, I feel like an idiot about 3/4 of the time.
I would have bet that you couldn't tighten the chain without loosening the cover nuts though. Guess that's why the adjuster broke.
I'm kind of a chainsaw addict, I have six presently. Try to rotate through the lineup so they don't feel left out.
My Husqvarna is my favorite to use most of the time.

 

[Jogeephus]

My Husqvarna is my favorite to use most of the time.

I like both but I'm with you Danl.

 

[Dave]

When a saw throws the chain I put it back on without loosening the side cover. And I put on a fresh chain without touching the tension adjust screw. But then I as near as I can figure I wore out about 25 big stihls (051, 075, 084, 045, 056, 044 and 066) and 4 huskies (2100 & 488).
It is a sad thing when a grown man makes his living with something you have to pull on a rope to start.

 

[Jogeephus]

Dave, if you cut those big trees for a living my hat is off to you. That takes some skill to drop em where you want them without messing them up.

 

[dj]

I've learned a couple of tricks that have helped (I think) my chains and bars last longer.
When tighting the chain always reach out and pull the tip up.
The bar will have a tendency to drop a little when you loosen the tension plate. If tightened in the down position and then you push down on the bar when your cutting it will push the bar up and slacken the chain.
Always pull the chain tight enough that when you pull on the bottom of the chain you almost expose the running teeth.
This helps keep the oil channels clean of debris letting the oil get to the tip of the bar. To tight a chain and your streching it needlessly.
Always loosen the chain some when your through. A hot streched chain shrinks as it cools and puts alot of tension on the bar tip gear and drive gear seal.
Always run the gas a little rich. Fouled plugs are cheaper than scored cylinders.

3 stihls-- 30 yrs, 23 yr, and the newbie a 6 yo Farm Boss
all used in the storm clean up winter past.

sorry i'm so windy tonight

 

[Jogeephus]

Thanks for the tip about lift the bar up DJ, that makes a lot of sense.

 

[sidney411]

We sell firewood. We have 3 Poulan wildthings - the one's that Wal-Mart carrys and 1 Stihl. I actually like the Poulans better then the Stihl. I can run the Poulan all day long and won't wear me out like running the Stihl for an hour, but it is a lot heavier. I can work on the Poulans easier and sharpen the chains easier too, but that's just me. The Stihl has a small screw in the middle of the two bolts that hold the chain cover on, it that the quick adjust you are talking about? If it is we have never had a problem with it loosening.

 

[dun]

I've learned a couple of tricks that have helped (I think) my chains and bars last longer.
When tighting the chain always reach out and pull the tip up.
The bar will have a tendency to drop a little when you loosen the tension plate. If tightened in the down position and then you push down on the bar when your cutting it will push the bar up and slacken the chain.
Always pull the chain tight enough that when you pull on the bottom of the chain you almost expose the running teeth.
This helps keep the oil channels clean of debris letting the oil get to the tip of the bar. To tight a chain and your streching it needlessly.
Always loosen the chain some when your through. A hot streched chain shrinks as it cools and puts alot of tension on the bar tip gear and drive gear seal.
Always run the gas a little rich. Fouled plugs are cheaper than scored cylinders.

3 stihls-- 30 yrs, 23 yr, and the newbie a 6 yo Farm Boss
all used in the storm clean up winter past.

sorry i'm so windy tonight

One thing that people don;t do and need to is to deburr the outside of he bar periodiaclly. I'm cheap so I also squeeze the bar to close the gap and file the top of grove side of the bar to keep it level.

 

[CUZ]

We sell firewood. We have 3 Poulan wildthings - the one's that Wal-Mart carrys and 1 Stihl. I actually like the Poulans better then the Stihl. I can run the Poulan all day long and won't wear me out like running the Stihl for an hour, but it is a lot heavier. I can work on the Poulans easier and sharpen the chains easier too, but that's just me. The Stihl has a small screw in the middle of the two bolts that hold the chain cover on, it that the quick adjust you are talking about? If it is we have never had a problem with it loosening.

I looked at the Poulan Wild Thing when I was deciding what to get. The price was about 1/2 of the Stihl which was very appealing but when I did some on line research the term "piece of fecal matter" (POS) kept coming up. I've had some POS stuff before and spending the extra money now seemed the way to go, rather than going back and forth to Lowes and waiting to get it fixed and just generally being frustrated all the time. Because when you finally get everything lined up to go get something done and then you can't because there's some problem well you know.

The quick adjust mechanism is about the size of a Silver Dollar, with a hinge running in the middle. It opens and you use the 1/2 that opened to twist and tighten, and then the close the 1/2 piece back down and you're done.

Cuz

 

[dun]

We sell firewood. We have 3 Poulan wildthings - the one's that Wal-Mart carrys and 1 Stihl. I actually like the Poulans better then the Stihl. I can run the Poulan all day long and won't wear me out like running the Stihl for an hour, but it is a lot heavier. I can work on the Poulans easier and sharpen the chains easier too, but that's just me. The Stihl has a small screw in the middle of the two bolts that hold the chain cover on, it that the quick adjust you are talking about? If it is we have never had a problem with it loosening.

I looked at the Poulan Wild Thing when I was deciding what to get. The price was about 1/2 of the Stihl which was very appealing but when I did some on line research the term "piece of fecal matter" (POS) kept coming up. I've had some POS stuff before and spending the extra money now seemed the way to go, rather than going back and forth to Lowes and waiting to get it fixed and just generally being frustrated all the time. Because when you finally get everything lined up to go get something done and then you can't because there's some problem well you know.

The quick adjust mechanism is about the size of a Silver Dollar, with a hinge running in the middle. It opens and you use the 1/2 that opened to twist and tighten, and then the close the 1/2 piece back down and you're done.

Cuz

Sihl, Husqvarna and the old Homellites are about all hat will last for long. The others are made for the one or 2 weekend a year wood cutter. They're disposable, when they break you just pitch the old one and buy a new one.

 

[Earl Thigpen]

When a saw throws the chain I put it back on without loosening the side cover. And I put on a fresh chain without touching the tension adjust screw. But then I as near as I can figure I wore out about 25 big stihls (051, 075, 084, 045, 056, 044 and 066) and 4 huskies (2100 & 488).
It is a sad thing when a grown man makes his living with something you have to pull on a rope to start.

I need to watch you do that. I've never thrown a chain and don't know how that happens if the chain is tensioned properly. But, as you say, I don't make my living using one either.

 

[dun]

When a saw throws the chain I put it back on without loosening the side cover. And I put on a fresh chain without touching the tension adjust screw. But then I as near as I can figure I wore out about 25 big stihls (051, 075, 084, 045, 056, 044 and 066) and 4 huskies (2100 & 488).
It is a sad thing when a grown man makes his living with something you have to pull on a rope to start.

I need to watch you do that. I've never thrown a chain and don't know how that happens if the chain is tensioned properly. But, as you say, I don't make my living using one either.

It isn;t something you do intentionally or even on demand. The only time I've done it was wacking blackberrys and MF roses and got real long grass wound around things.

 

[cfpinz]

When a saw throws the chain I put it back on without loosening the side cover. And I put on a fresh chain without touching the tension adjust screw. But then I as near as I can figure I wore out about 25 big stihls (051, 075, 084, 045, 056, 044 and 066) and 4 huskies (2100 & 488).
It is a sad thing when a grown man makes his living with something you have to pull on a rope to start.

I need to watch you do that. I've never thrown a chain and don't know how that happens if the chain is tensioned properly. But, as you say, I don't make my living using one either.

It isn;t something you do intentionally or even on demand. The only time I've done it was wacking blackberrys and MF roses and got real long grass wound around things.

Or when you're 15 miles from home and have no wrench/screwdriver!

cfpinz

 

[dun]

Or when you're 15 miles from home and have no wrench/screwdriver!

cfpinz

That's what those 5 gal buckets were invented for! Extra chain, files, small spare parts, wrench/screw driver tool ( keep 2 of them) and felling wedges are alwasy a necessity and fit just dandy in a bucket.

 

[Bez>]

When a saw throws the chain I put it back on without loosening the side cover. And I put on a fresh chain without touching the tension adjust screw. But then I as near as I can figure I wore out about 25 big stihls (051, 075, 084, 045, 056, 044 and 066) and 4 huskies (2100 & 488).
It is a sad thing when a grown man makes his living with something you have to pull on a rope to start.

You owned a 2100?

Most folks today have never seen a saw that big - a frigging 99 cc motor and loud enough to wake my long dead Grandpop.

I still have a couple of them in the shop. I picked one up the other day and cut a couple of pieces of wood.

I cannot believe I used to swing that thing all day and think nothing of it. I think I will stick with my 257 for now - too old to go back to the old days.

Not a sad thing to pull a rope and earn a living.

I still heat the house with wood - at my age cutting and splitting 10 cords of wood is enough - winters are long here - but I sure dropped a few trees in the 100 Mile House, Williams Lake and Horse Fly areas many years ago.

Bez>

 

[perda04]

Does 99cc look like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Tamp2fHhg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwyMX7PLlcQ

 

[KenB]

Does 99cc look like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Tamp2fHhg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwyMX7PLlcQ

:roll: WOW!

 

[CUZ]

Does 99cc look like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Tamp2fHhg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwyMX7PLlcQ

Can you put that thing on a front end loader? If you could man you could cut up downed trees into little slices in no time.

Cuz

 

[Earl Thigpen]

When a saw throws the chain I put it back on without loosening the side cover. And I put on a fresh chain without touching the tension adjust screw. But then I as near as I can figure I wore out about 25 big stihls (051, 075, 084, 045, 056, 044 and 066) and 4 huskies (2100 & 488).
It is a sad thing when a grown man makes his living with something you have to pull on a rope to start.

I need to watch you do that. I've never thrown a chain and don't know how that happens if the chain is tensioned properly. But, as you say, I don't make my living using one either.

It isn;t something you do intentionally or even on demand. The only time I've done it was wacking blackberrys and MF roses and got real long grass wound around things.

Yes sir, I understand that. Wasn't tryin to be a smart a$$ - I just wanted to know how you put the chain back on the drive sproket if the chain is tight (like it should be) without backing off the tensioner? I don't use a chain saw that often. Only time I'm so lucky is when a tree falls on my fence or something like that and being I don't use it that often I was just curious how the chain comes off and how you put it back on without tools. Never though about vines and such getting wrapped up in the chain so I see that part.

 

[dun]

When I've had chains jump off it's alwasy been a real pain to get them to work right again. The chain catcher burs the drive teeth so bad that it takes forever to get them smooth enough to work. I just pitch the chain and swear when it happens.