Starting your chainsaw

second-gen_monkey

i never said they won't start with no throttle, the sthil design forces the throttle open when you choke the saw. all my saws start fine after warm up and often, because of ambient temperatures, without choke.

windthrown

Well, SA sent me a box of bikkies for ANZAC day, so if that is the case, she/he is good at cooking anyway. I do not think she is a zitted up tranny in a burqa sucking down Monster, but yah never know!

I get free energy drinks on the Ski Patrol all the time. They are always giving them away as promos at the ski resorts. Monster, Red Bull and the 5-Hour stuff. Maybe I will send her a box of them and see what happens.

SawTroll

You shouldn't choke the saw at all, if it is warm!

Disregard what the manual says, at that point!

second-gen_monkey

i figured it starts default choke with throttle because it had no primer and, i beleive, a diaphram style fule pump. makes for a stronger fuel drawing vaccum, i think.
my last saw was an echo and it had a primer. maybe i just think too much.
i'll look into the engine it's self though.
chances are you're right.

windthrown

You should not have to prime or choke a warm saw. On Stihls, you may need to start them on fast idle when they are warm (or semi choke, one position up from run on the lever) depending on the saw model. If they are tuned right, you should not have to do that though. Warm or cold season, it does not seem to make much difference here. I leave all my Stihls in summer mode year round, even though it gets below freezing here a lot in winter months.

Over-choking Stihls seems to be a common problem though. You have to listen and feel for the subtle rumble or pop. Once they do that, move the choke lever down to fast idle. Otherwise you will definately flood them.

SawTroll

Forgot to say, if it doesn't start in two pulls at "on", but it into "fast idle/halv-choke" - but then the chain will move when it starts.....

windthrown

Yes, another reason I assume that the chain brake is off on all starts, and for the most part I leave the chain brake off on purpose.

Therrin

THATS NOT FAIR!!!!

I want a box of bikkies!

What're bikkies anyway?

windthrown

Heh heh heh. You cannot have any of my bikkies, becasue I ate them all!

See this thread about the bikkies (bikkies is Aussie for biscuits):

ANZAC Bikkies

SA is a goddess!!!

SawTroll

So do I - but I am not fanatic about it!

rick

Yep, we don't call them 'cookies', we call them 'biscuits'

windthrown

They do in the UK as well. In London, biscuit means cookie, crisps means chips, and chips means fries. Lift means elevator, lorrie means truck, and boot means trunk. Lots of other terms as well, like wanker. Here in Wanker's Corner (really, this town is called that!) some people know what wanker means abroad, but most do not have the faintest clue. Biscuits here are something entirely different. Raised bread type of thing that you dip into gravey. They are far more common in the US south than they are here though. I like Anzac bikkies, biscuits, cookies, or whatever you wanna call them though. Good eats.

Maybe I wll start a mall chain here: Sueann's Down Under Anzac Bikkies. Even have an Aussie woman chatting in a quaint accent about the qualities of home cooked biscuits sent to the troops abroad, and have the cookie vendors wear those sharp one sided turned up Aussie hats. And every now and then have Steve Erwin's voice saying, CRIKEY!

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

Oi! Oi! Oi!

Bikkie! Bikkie! Bikkie!

Oi! Oi! Oi!

Therrin

You're LOSING IT, WT.

SawTroll

windthrown

Losing it? More like completely lost it long ago.

What was the topic again? I forgot...

SawTroll

I thing it had something to do with chainsaws?

Therrin

I'm continually surprised and dumbfounded when I see new posts on this thread.

I think we've covered every way to start a chainsaw, all the ways you shouldn't start a chainsaw, some ways hopefully noone would ever even attempt, as well as had at least a couple good flame wars.

And we realized that WT has lost his marbles, a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away; and has no hope of finding them anytime soon.

On that note... I was going to PM you some info and I forgot what it was WT, if you remember, remind me and I'll go find it.

windthrown

Well, by crackie, I ferget myself. Lemee see... it was not drop starting saws. Nope. Not about Stihl saws that I can 'member. Not pokeweed, nor blackberries. Nor beer, football, or women. Those are the three topics allowed on job sites here, see. Not about oil, no... been through that topic to no end as well. Hmmm... underwater cameras? Not likely. I have not been diving in years. Not ski season yet. Gasoline maybe? No, you have different gas down there. Dag nab it.

Yah plum got me stumped there, sonny.

'Twas at my brother's this evening and my brother was teaching his 13 year old daughter to run the 30cc Echo that he has. She drop starts that saw real good. She is already 5 foot 9 inches tall. Gonna be a basketball star, and taller than me for sure. I bet 6 foot three, and taller than me. Hell, I am only 6 foot one. I have my 310 dialed in now and I have been noodling rounds at his place with it lately. Firewood for this winter from my stores of Doug cordwood rounds from last summer. That wood still has a ton of terps in it. Cutting with the 310 keeps the time off of my precious...

Therrin

oh, it was something about equipment prices i think.

SawTroll

Have the Yo-Yo start, without using the chain-brake, been discussed yet?

dcarter

Has anyone tried the "put a file behind a cutter and pull the chain as fas as you can" method with the throttle in "on/run"? I hear its like starting an old radial engine airplane or a model t with the crankcase handle. COOOONNNNNTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCTT!!!

What about the behind the knees drop start???

Well I just came in for lunch and saw this stuff. Sure was good for laugh. So, after pruning and canopy lifting 29 live oaks for a mall this week, I wake up to trees that need to be trimmed at home. I hate working on my stuff, especially on the weekends.----the owner doesn't pay well, but the hours are good. HA! HA!

you boys have a good weekend---beer thirty starts in 3 to 4 hours.

wyk

I liked this thread so much, I did a tribute video:


That is how I have started my chainsaws for 25 years (and, boy, are my arms tired!). If you don't like it, then don't do it

wyk

Oops. Accidentally deleted the vid. I'll get another up sometime.

Jeff Darby

Good video bro. How you start your saw is really your business...but we try and promote safe techniques here on Treeworld.

The way you were starting your saw is a drop start. We promote safety because we know it's only a matter of time before bad habits crepe in and become the norm.

Thanks for putting in the effort..

__________________

Member: Australian Tree Association

Join the Australian Tree Association...Have your voice heard !

Arboriculture, A life long study for some, a passing phase for others

© Jeffrey J Darby 2011

wyk

Well, I am getting used to starting the 460 with the left hand on the pull with the bar on a log, or ground, and the handle in my right hand. I am just so used to drop starting. But this thing bites much worse than the 361 does, judging by the wood is kills. So, I am working on it.

WYK

superfire

For me drop starting is the bad habit I was taught when i first started using chainsaws. Most of the old Macs I learned on had no brake system. Only saw that i use a brake is my mini Mac 35 when up a tree. Safety is knowing how to not be an air hose and point a runing saw at your self or others

SawTroll

Actually, not much actual drop is involved in a proper "drop-start", it is mostly about opposing forces from the different hands, helped by the weight of the saw!

Jeff Darby

lol... Dont get to technical you will confuse the locals...

__________________

Member: Australian Tree Association

Join the Australian Tree Association...Have your voice heard !

Arboriculture, A life long study for some, a passing phase for others

© Jeffrey J Darby 2011

066logger

LOL. i have recently been tryin to start my saws with the rear handle between my legs but geez my 066 with .020 squish and no decomp is a b word when its below 40 degrees. kinda hard on the wrist. especially when she backfires.

superfire

I tried the inbetween the legs trick endup needin sutures from the bar flipin into my face. My technique is more push and shove away fro body, works great. I find high compression saws I start with the motor solidly on the ground to avoid injury.