Tap your file down frequently and brush it to knock chips out, and replace it when it no longer cuts well. File straight, so your top edge is correct. Watch your side angle. You should be pressing straight into the gullet as you stroke. Run your file too high and your chain won't cut well. Run it too low and the teeth will be grabby. Check your depth gauges so you get a good bite.
I have a 35 year old Poulan that has a 24" bar that came with a 12 volt rotary sharpener that had a course stone and ceramic stone. There is a guide on the rotary tool and I can keep that chain sharp. It has always started on the second pull and I always run it out of fuel when I am through with it.
ReplyDeleteAbout 10 years back I inherited a Stihl that cam with two files and a file guide. The angle is slightly different than the Poulan but it is a larger chain. The carburetor was gummed up and I put a new $60 carb on it and treated it like the Poulan where I ran it dry when I was through with it. It is much easier to operated even though it it a bit heavier. Tightening the chain was easier and it would eat through hard would with little effort. It sat for three years and I couldn't get it to start so I carried it to the dealer. Another $60 carb and labor charge with the advice to pull the saw out at least once every 6 months and run it for 15 minutes, no need to run it dry if I am using Stihl premix but to change out the fuel every 6 months. It has worked fine following those instructions.
My take on this is the Stihl is for often Pro use and the Poulan is for the homeowner who used a saw once every year or two.
I have been watching Chickanic on YouTube and have picked up a few tips on fuel. Some stations mix way back from the pump, and your first gallon or more may not be what you are paying for. If it is a line direct from each tank, you still have previous product in the hose, so put some in your vehicle before you put any in your saw's gas can. Alcohol in the fuel will draw moisture from the atmosphere, and mess up your two cycle carburetor and engine. I know that I cooked a saw because of that. I run my saw year round, so the carbs usually don't cause much trouble.
ReplyDelete