Chainsaw Curse
Four saws, all were down when I need them most, trying to get the two backyard trees trimmed up before the rains come.
Started with my antique 70's Stihl 041AV. It's a beast, 16lbs, all torque, and 5.5hp, not the one I want to climb up in a tree with. One cut, I notice the bar is dry, and oil running out the front of the chain oiler. Runs great, no chain oil. Off to the shop, they can't find parts. I find some NOS parts, back together working. That took a month.
While it's in the shop, I dig out my dad's old Homelite 240. Clean it up, sharpen chain, 3 cuts, no chain oil. Dead oil pump again. Think I just found a pump diaphragm for it.
Drag out the trusty never fail Remington electric to get a head start on the small stuff. It has chain oil, for a few seconds until it all runs out. See a pattern here yet?
Best friend comes to my rescue with an old Stihl 021, with a new bar and chain. Says I can have it, got it for $40 from a coworker, and he just bought a new Husky. Runs like crap, a few tuning tweaks it's ready to go. 5 cuts, no chain oil!!! :evil:
Pull it apart to find that the coworkers name is probably Bubba. That's when I find the old burned up bar and chain under an oil soaked towel in the bottom of the Stihl case it was in. He had the sprocket/clutch/oil pump worm drive apart, and figured it would work fine as long as the parts were back in there. Might have, if he had all the parts. Only good news was, that all the parts were had for $20. 3 weeks now, and the last 3 parts I ordered for $6, are still sitting in China in the USPS office, waiting to ship! I've got computer parts from China in 5 days! Stihl wants $30 for the oil pump. Same pump from China is $1.90.
One hour with the 041 yesterday, and I feel like I fell out of that tree a dozen times.
Call the buddy that gave me the 021 saw, and ask to borrow his new Husky. "I'll loan you my guns, my new car, even my dog, but dude, you're chainsaw cursed!"
Went out a while ago, took one look at that 041, and started thinking how a suitable amount of high explosives can cure so many problems. 8-)
Started with my antique 70's Stihl 041AV. It's a beast, 16lbs, all torque, and 5.5hp, not the one I want to climb up in a tree with. One cut, I notice the bar is dry, and oil running out the front of the chain oiler. Runs great, no chain oil. Off to the shop, they can't find parts. I find some NOS parts, back together working. That took a month.
While it's in the shop, I dig out my dad's old Homelite 240. Clean it up, sharpen chain, 3 cuts, no chain oil. Dead oil pump again. Think I just found a pump diaphragm for it.
Drag out the trusty never fail Remington electric to get a head start on the small stuff. It has chain oil, for a few seconds until it all runs out. See a pattern here yet?
Best friend comes to my rescue with an old Stihl 021, with a new bar and chain. Says I can have it, got it for $40 from a coworker, and he just bought a new Husky. Runs like crap, a few tuning tweaks it's ready to go. 5 cuts, no chain oil!!! :evil:
Pull it apart to find that the coworkers name is probably Bubba. That's when I find the old burned up bar and chain under an oil soaked towel in the bottom of the Stihl case it was in. He had the sprocket/clutch/oil pump worm drive apart, and figured it would work fine as long as the parts were back in there. Might have, if he had all the parts. Only good news was, that all the parts were had for $20. 3 weeks now, and the last 3 parts I ordered for $6, are still sitting in China in the USPS office, waiting to ship! I've got computer parts from China in 5 days! Stihl wants $30 for the oil pump. Same pump from China is $1.90.
One hour with the 041 yesterday, and I feel like I fell out of that tree a dozen times.
Call the buddy that gave me the 021 saw, and ask to borrow his new Husky. "I'll loan you my guns, my new car, even my dog, but dude, you're chainsaw cursed!"
Went out a while ago, took one look at that 041, and started thinking how a suitable amount of high explosives can cure so many problems. 8-)
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weeeell you might have to bite the bullet and just buy a new chain saw. see how that works for ya. 0 -
Want me to being my 37 year old Echo over to take care of that tree? 0 -
Thanks for the offer, I'll make that plan B. Just off the phone with Plan A, my two 30yr old boys. Free food/ beer, and I keep you in my will, AFTER the work is done. I might be old, but I'm not senile...yet.320090T wrote:Want me to being my 37 year old Echo over to take care of that tree?
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I have a pickup bed full of "old saws". I've fought "old saws" for years. Last year I got tired of taking 3-4 saws to the field every time I needed to cut something and bought a new ECHO 400. It's easier for me to start and it usually runs as long as I can work it.That was so great I bought a 362(?) hotrod professional grade saw. Haven't got it dirty yet but it does run like a Ferrari. 0 -
Forge, sorry, didn't mean to share the one it gave me.forgemonkey wrote:Reading that gave me a ?migraine? ,,,,,,,
At least some Motrin helps dull the back and shoulder pain that boat anchor 041 gave me. Even my boys call that one "the ground crew saw", makes it easier to get one of them up in the tree though.0 -
They both may crap out tomorrow but so far my twenty five year old stihl and my 40 plus years old echo are still going strong . Both crank and run on the second or third pull . Both have always been stored dry and never left fueled up for over a week at the time 0 -
l had a Craftsman saw from HELL once... lt constantly needed, oil, gas, bar titened, sharpening, new rope, spark plug, or just about ANYTHING else. l was up at the pond one day cussing, fighting with that Damn Saw... l killed it A 38spcl thru that block, then into the middle of the pond to its watery GRAVE 0 -
I do enjoy sawing stuff with a good chain saw. I need to find one that comes with an electric starter! I get more muscle, and back pain problems from starting them than I do from sawing with them!0 -
Just a WAG (wild assed guess) but I use a funnel with a built-in screen when filling my chain oil reservoir. Chain oil gets old and it can get gummy and lumpy. I use Rape oil in my saws instead of fossil oil, the law here. Bacteria goes to work on the oil and can turn it into jello, it has a shelf life. If you are not careful and get some saw dust in the chain oiler filler it can cause issues.
Most/many saws have an adjuster for chain oil flow. When my oiler craps out I keep a can of spray (motorcycle) chain oil in my toolbox. Back in the day I kept a can of used motor oil handy and periodically dipped the chain and bar tip into the oil. my way old Mcculloch didn't have an oiler. No real idea how old my Mcculloch is, the best guess is fifty-five years.0 -
Hessian wrote:my way old Mcculloch didn't have an oiler. No real idea how old my Mcculloch is, the best guess is fifty-five years.
same thing, I have and old XL12 blue color, got to be over 50 years old, still starts 2-3 pull, when I am done using it, turn it upside down drain fuel, then start it and let it run carb dry/empty. may sit 8 months to year between starts, but few pumps fuel, choke it and it allways starts.........0 -
built up my own Altec shooting boom bucket truck many years ago...and got tired of fiddling with gas chainsaws...all electric now...just squeeze the trigger and ziiippppp......bought a 1974 dodge 300 bu farm truck in the late 1980's and cut 30" off of the front of the steel bed..left side mount for power pack, center tower for lift and gas tank on right side ...truck had 27k miles on it when i bought it and has 31k actual miles now.... 0
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