Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Chain Saw Question

Quick easy test, take off the air filter and run it for a few minutes, if it runs fine. That's your problem. As others said, check your spark screen on the exhaust. Those cause a similar problem.

I spent part of a summer overhauling stihl saws. 99.9% of the time, the only issues were spark plug, air filter, or choke switch. All of which are easy 5 minute fixes. It takes a lot to kill one of those things.

Mine did the same thing and the ethanol in the gas had eaten away at the fuel line causing the saw to suck air in the fuel line. My cousin's saw did the same thing. Check the fuel line.

^^^^^
Troof.

The OP doesn't seem to use it enough to have air filter/exhaust screen issues, or even fouled plug.

Fuel line is where my pretend money is at too.

My saw runs great when held upright,but when you turn it on its side,it gets air bubbles in the line and quits.Durn ethanol.

I had an 028 that could be one hard-starting SOB. Paid for a new carb and sold it to my brother, it wouldn't start for him either. An old 34 Super always started, usu on the second pull. My current 260 and 360 start reliably.

ALWAYS run ethanol-free high octane gas with the factory oil. The oil has fuel stablizer in it. I only add Stabil to non-mixed fuel I'm keeping in a 5gal can. Never a problem.

ethanol is more alchol = less freezzing .'HEAT" as a lot of folks know it as is just alchoal to take the "water" out of gas one of the bad problems is the " new gas" gas has too much alchol in it and that don't mix with the 2 cycle oil .

99% of all problems related to starting or running are fuel delivery problems.
Check the fuel lines first. Make sure there are no obstructions. If you have to, get a pipe cleaner to ream them out-just don't poke it through the side of the line.
When you pull out the fuel filter, check to see if it corroded or otherwise compromised. If not, it'll be ok most of the time.
You don't say if it running rich or lean, but if its running rich, better disassemble the muffler and get a peek at the screen. If its fouled, a decent lighter will torch it up, and then brush the dry fouling away with something that won't wreck the screen.
Pull the air filter off and brush it with a soft bristle brush.
Never run cheap gas additive, always run good stuff. Stihl HD is good-leaves little residue. Cheap Homo depot additive can burn your engine, and shorten service life.
Mostly, you need to get to know your saw. When you know how she runs, you will know when things are amiss before they lead to failure.
Always make sure that you run correct tension on your chain. Too tight, and you will heat up the bar and motor to the point that operational efficiency will drop dramatically. Saw could quit under this abuse. Too loose, and you'll be dancing around a live chain that jumps the bar.
Its good practice to run her dry for long term storage, but this need not be done for shorter periods, unless you are using el cheapo additive, which you won't after reading this, right?
Hope this helps.

Bogging down, then dying and not starting, I'd suspect either a dirty air filter made it run rich, which fouled the plug..... or, a fuel filter problem.

Try a new spark plug and run it (briefly) without the air filter...

ALL ,....

there's TINY little "orfices" in your Chainsaw carbs that were NOT designed to pass gasoline with PISS added.

I repeat,...TINY.

Av Gas,....or the BEST substitute ( Premium?)

This thread SHOULD be a sticky.

"[bleep] by Fuel" work ?

I keep hearing about the "new" gas screwing up small engines, but (knock on wood) it hasn't been an issue in my Husky's. Or my 4-stroke engines.

Stabil is good stuff, and Seafoam has Godlike powers...

Wouldn't know much about that, alla' my small engines are either DEAD, or teetering on the brink thereof.

Knowing sweet [bleep] all about any of this has been a blessing, I guess

Nice to get some heads up from a "pro"

GTC

Lol... yeah, right!

Hey... almost sent you a link but thought I'd ask first... wanna see the clean Bridgeport S1 VS mill I'm looking at?

Get that spark arrestor out & try to use non-ethonal fuel.

If you left gas in it over last winter it could have easily gummed the carb up.

Might be best to let them clean it out.

As mentioned earlier, check the little fuel line that goes from the filter in the tank to the carb. I have to replace the one in my 028 three times due to becoming brittle and cracking. Causes the same symptoms that you are experiencing.

All this talk about hard starting saws (sorry Stihl men )

Makes me think maybe the L screw is turned too lean.

Assuming lines, filters, check valves, passages etc are all clear and not sucking air.

Partially plugged jet in Carb would be my ten cent guess.

I guess everybody knows to use marine Stabil in the blue bottle for gas with ethanol in it. Around here it's expensive at Walmart (about $10 for 8oz.) but Academy has it in their marine section in big bottles that is much cheaper.

Our premium gas is ethanol free. I buy that, use the Stihl premium 50:1 oil with built in stabilizer, and then (as recommended by my Stihl dealer) add a dose of StaBil. That mix is good for over 2 years of storage (I might have even had some for 3 years).

I have not had any gas related problem, and as an intermittent user, I have had the same gas in the saw and can for well over 2 years without problems. I have had the same Sthil weed eater for 8 years, never run dry, with no fuel problems. I am knocking on wood.

You did not say (I might have missed it?) what model Stihl you own? If it sets for a long time without use, and that with no fuel in the system, the metering diaphram can stiffen like cardboard. Pull the carb off and see. Sometimes, it's possible to soak the diaphram with oil and thus, take the carboard-like quality away, makeing it pliable again. At that point, it will probably start pumping again. Major point-check the fuel line for cracks. Rarely will gas leak out of the line...it's more of a vacuum system, not pressure. I replace about 30 or so a year; it's common with questionable fuel and long stints without use.

The fuel filter would take years to clog up at the infrequesnt rate of use you mentioned....

best,
bhtr