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[Varche]

Have had a job to do processing a lot of a neighbours olive trees. Pruning was done back in March. Just naked trunks to saw up for logs and leave neat at ground level.

had my temperamental Stihl chainsaw (just out of its 2 years guarantee) overhauled because it wouldn't run properly above head height or on its side in readiness back in April. The Stihl dealer demonstrated it outside.

Today Mrs V and myself got up at 6 and were on our way in fifteen minutes to beat the later 40 deg heat.

Got a pitiful amount done but notched up maybe ten thousand cord pulls. Starts but stalls after 20 seconds. Not much you can do on site. I suspect it is something wierd like a cracked fuel line, diaphragm issue or more likely a small area in the carb blocked with crud. It was new fuel I used.

Googling seems it is a common problem. Can't believe that these sort of issues exist nowadays. Might go back to the dealer and ask him for the name of another recommended dealer.

[neil74]

Sounds like our McCulloch MAC335 its always been a pain to start and doesn't idle at all and when you're done trying to start it you want to put the thing away after 10 minutes because you've no energy left to lift the thing.

[amba]

Had similar issues with my MS180 on first using it this year.

Bought full service kit on line...plug/fuel and air filter and new section of fuel line.Think it cost around £20 and took a simple hour replacing and cleaning.Start from cold after 2/3 full choked pulls and runs really nicely.

I think they don't like sitting around over winter and tend to benefit from replacing those bits as matter of course.Not always sure how good a job you get at a service center so simple and like cars better doing it yourself.

Im sure you know but chain saws above shoulder height are really a no no

[Nick W]

Modern petrol has a notoriously short life, and causes problems in little used equipment.

[powerslinky]

Had similar issues with my MS180 on first using it this year.

Bought full service kit on line...plug/fuel and air filter and new section of fuel line.Think it cost around £20 and took a simple hour replacing and cleaning.Start from cold after 2/3 full choked pulls and runs really nicely.

I think they don't like sitting around over winter and tend to benefit from replacing those bits as matter of course.Not always sure how good a job you get at a service center so simple and like cars better doing it yourself.

Im sure you know but chain saws above shoulder height are really a no no

Unless of course you are trying to cut your own head off . .   

[Marks DTM Calib]

A common cause of starting, running for a short while, then stopping, is a faulty plug.

[Varche]

It had a new plug during its "service".

Should have said vertically not above head height! What i forgot to say was the mechanic had fitted me a new pullcord in Spring and when he went to demonstrate it was now fixed his knot came undone. The clues are there.... he then waved it around in all angles in the street to prove how well it worked.

I have seen those kits but it goes against the grain having to always be fixing machinery. I have a verycheap strimmer which works fine every Spring. Cost less than £40 new and mcluded a brush cutter. Never had to touch it other than fuel it.

[Kevin Wood]

My strimmer recently suffered a pin hole in the priming bulb which caused it to get temperamental. After that, it wouldn't idle, so I took the carb apart and blasted carb cleaner through every passage, then it wouldn't run under load, so I did it again.  Eventually found one of the passages blocked and pushed a bit of wire through the jet to unblock it.

I suspect it had all dried out and left a residue of oil / old fuel in the carb.

Is it stalling if just left idling, when opening the throttle or both?

If it's stalling while idling, the plug is worth a check. If both, it could be the pump diaphragm in the carb not drawing fuel into the carb while it's running, so it burns the fuel from priming then dies. If it's stalling while opening the throttle it sounds like mixture settings or a blocked main jet.

[amba]

My chain saw is older model Stihl and they do tend to be slightly more reliable than the newer "quick start models" although it goes through several years without use then gets a good work out.

Point I made was the service kits are so in expensive that taking it to a service !!! center is almost a waste of cash as once a new kit is fitted will give numerous years of service.Agree with Nick about fuel quality and I always fully drain my petrol garden stuff at the end of each season and fill with new when start using agin following year that way clean fuel is always used.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I use a 52cc two stroke Timberpro fro China. It cost about £60 and cuts through almost anything now that I have replaced the original 'elastic' chain with one made by Oregon. Cost of the new 20 inch chain was around £14.

Do not test how sharp the chain is on fingers or genitals.

[Doctor Gollum]

I use a 52cc two stroke Timberpro fro China. It cost about £60 and cuts through almost anything now that I have replaced the original 'elastic' chain with one made by Oregon. Cost of the new 20 inch chain was around £14.

Do not test how sharp the chain is on fingers or genitals.

Darwin must be sooo proud...

[BazaJT]

It'll be the crank sensor

[Rods2]

I use a 52cc two stroke Timberpro fro China. It cost about £60 and cuts through almost anything now that I have replaced the original 'elastic' chain with one made by Oregon. Cost of the new 20 inch chain was around £14.

Do not test how sharp the chain is on fingers or genitals.

SWMBO will do that once she has run out of laptops to throw.