Chainsaw repair - FIXED

[osage outlaw]

Can those vibrate enough to move?  I've never adjusted them.

[osage outlaw]

All the problems with my homelite made me break down and buy this one.  Its a factory refurbished model from northern tool.  They were on sale and had great reviews.  Its a mean critter. 

[bubby]

before all them michiganers poo poo that saw, husky is a cutting sun of a gun

[RidgeRunner]

That is a fine tool.
I am a man of Stihl myself.

Store it with no fuel in it.
Dump the fuel out. Start the saw and let it idle until it stops.

David

[Chief RID]

Sure sounds like a fuel issue. Never run any ethanol fuel in your new saw and run at least the recommended octane.

[Marc St Louis]

If it refuses to run after all that work then it could be the crank seals are worn.

I have one of those Huskies and they do work well

[paulsemp]

I've had a Husqvarna 350 for 15 years and I've done nothing but replace chains and bars.

[osage outlaw]

I dropped my homelite off at the kooky old guy in town that works on small engines.  It should be ready Thursday morning.  I sure hope he got it fixed.  My new husky has some kind of problem with the bar over heating.  I don't see any reason for it to be doing that.  The oiler is working and the chain wasn't to tight.  I found some burnt marks on the clutch.  After some heated words with Northern Tool they decided to give me a refund.  It came with a warranty but if you put gas and oil in the saw you can't return it.  How stupid is that.  You have to test it out.

So today I was checking out craigslist and found an add for 3 non running chainsaws for less money than I paid for the Husky.  I talked to the guy and he said he used the saws until they wouldn't start and then he put them on a shelf in his garage and bought a new one.  He didn't seem to have any mechanical skills at all.  I ended up buying them after work.  The best one is a Stihl 029 super farmboss.  He said it worked great last year and then one day it wouldn't start.  I looked it over and found the linkage missing on the choke lever.  I'm hoping that will be an easy fix.  The other stihl is a MS 170.  I didn't find anything obvious wrong with it.  The old homelite is cool looking.  Its in great shape for that old of a saw.  And the guy gave me a Craftsman brush trimmer.  It looks like a big weed eater with a circular saw blade on the business end.  I'm going to take all the saws to repair guy in town and hopefully he can get them running.  It will be a great bargain if he can.  I'm hoping that old saw has some life left in it.  I would love to drop a big osage tree with a vintage Homelite.

[vtbow]

You'll get good exercise for your right thumb with the old Homelite. I have a soft spot for them, though  -- first saws I used.

Check the bar for pinching on your Husky. Is it overheting in a particular spot? Is the oil hole in the bar clear all the way through to the chain -- poke a wire up all the way throught the hole on the side -- it should come up through the chain channel.

I've seen guys with oil dripping off their saws and dry chains, not realizing the channel was clogged with sawdust, swearing their oilers worked fine.

ps.

One good check also is to point the saw at a piece of cardboard propped up about a foot away and gun  it full throttle. Oil should splatter onto the cardboard if the chain is getting oil

[osage outlaw]

I cleaned out both of the oil ports and bar grooves.  It is throwing a light line of oil when I tested it.  The chain doesn't seem to be catching.  I'm done working on the husky.  Its getting shipped back to Northern.

[chamookman]

I had a Homelite just like that one, wood cutting SOB. I got it used and ran it til it was plain wore out - GREAT saw ! bob.

[Eric Krewson]

I have an 029 Stihl, the other day it wouldn't start, when I pulled the cover it appeared the choke linkage was gone.  It took me a few minutes of studying the linkage arrangement to realize it was all there but had somehow slipped out of its track and was way out of whack.  Wear over the years had given the linkage a little leeway to go past the normal detent and slide off track if I pushed down on the choke lever too hard when I set the choke.

I have cut so much wood with my 029 over the years it would sound like a lie if I tried to add it all up. About ten years ago I replaced the chain sprocket bearing and that is all I have done to the saw.   

[MWirwicki]

I have an old Homelite just like that one.  It is as dependable as it comes.  Use it still today.  Cuts wood like noone's business.

[osage outlaw]

I'm really excited about that old Homelite.  I'm hoping it will run.  I've been doing some research on them and they seem like well built dependable saws.  My Dad looked at it last night and he was telling me about his old Homelite that he used for years and years before the engine wore out.  It feels like it has good compression when I pull the rope.  The Stihls have good compression to.  I'm off work tomorrow and I plan on messing with them some.  Depending on what the old guy charges me for fixing my little homelite I might just let him work on all three.  I'd hate to mess something up on them. 

[RidgeRunner]

I have a stihl MS310.
People think I am lying but that saw will cut a full 4'x4'x8' cord of 16" fire wood with two tanks of saw gas.
Never had any problems with it.  Bought it new 10 years or so back.

David