At Home In The Woods

[brin]

My 14" chainsaw is a Poulan 2055. The chain needs sharpening; thus I looked in the manual to get specs on the chain so I can buy the correctly sized files. Well, the manual gave no specs on the chain. Regarding sharpening instructions, the manual said that sharpening a chain is a complex process so the owner should get the chain sharpened by a professional. That was all it said.

So now I somehow need to figure out what is the correct file size. The chain on the 14" saw is 3/8" pitch like my Stihl but it was quickly obvious that my Stilh file was not the right size for the Poulan chain. I have several chains that came with the saw when I inherited it.

Obed, I am not saying I am right at all...but I have always had Poulan chain saws and love them...I have only had two in over 30 yrs. that is how good they have been for me...I never even obsessed about the proper file...I bought my files, round and flat at Walmart when I bought the saw ...I just use the file and it works...never had a problem...Obed ...do not get **** on the files...:confused3:

 

[Obed]

Obed, it seems your area is in need of a good "come to you and fix-it" welder. You might be able to pay for that new mower in short order if you could charge what that previous welder quoted you on your few weld-ups.

I asked him how much it would cost if I carried the implements to him. He said $180. That would include the cost of all the supplies (receiver tube, metal, etc.) with the exception that I would provide the replacement link pins for the box blade. I don't have a good reference regarding whether or not $180 was reasonable.

I can't see the model of your old mower. Is it gas or diesel? It looks a lot like my G1800 Diesel (same hubcaps too). Is your old mower getting shaky?

Jim,
My mower is a Kubota OHV T1400. It is a 14 HP gas mower and is very old, perhaps 20 years old. I can mow in reverse on this mower without having to deal with lawyers and safety impediments.



The hydrostatic transmission seems to be going out as the mower has trouble going up a hill. I checked the transmission oil and the oil level was good. As old as this mower is, I can't justify putting a few hundred bucks into it to fix it. I don't know if it is even possible to fix the transmission.
Obed

 

[clemsonfor]

I tried to measure the diameter of the hole the box blade pin goes through but could not get a good measurement. I'm going to have to cut the nut off and remove the existing pin before I will be able to get a good measurement of the hole in order to order the replacement pin.

Should be able to measure the end of the threaded part?

 

[clemsonfor]

I asked him how much it would cost if I carried the implements to him. He said $180. That would include the cost of all the supplies (receiver tube, metal, etc.) with the exception that I would provide the replacement link pins for the box blade. I don't have a good reference regarding whether or not $180 was reasonable.Jim,
My mower is a Kubota OHV T1400. It is a 14 HP gas mower and is very old, perhaps 20 years old. I can mow in reverse on this mower without having to deal with lawyers and safety impediments.

View attachment 310490

IThe hydrostatic transmission seems to be going out as the mower has trouble going up a hill. I checked the transmission oil and the oil level was good. As old as this mower is, I can't justify putting a few hundred bucks into it to fix it. I don't know if it is even possible to fix the transmission.
Obed

i have a hydrostat, MTD mower and there is a belt that obviously runs off the main drive pully back to a pully on the trans. When this belt gets loose it will slip and thus mower will slow down a bit but main problem is it looses power on hills. If you have a drive belt check this out.

As for the $180 the receiver tubes are a minimun of $10 at like agrisupply and closer to $20 at TSC or other places so there is $40 we will say in receiver tubes, but i still say that is high.

Brin back when i hand filed i would go through several files a year, they get dull. I cant remember what size file true 3/8 chain is. Your stihl should be "real 3/8" chain, there is a tiny 3/8 chain that stihl and maybe others use, it takes a smaller file. Its been that long since i have hand filed. Stihl lists a file size that is like 1/16 smaller or something than the size say oregon lists for the same size chain, no idea why?

 

[dave1949]

If you have a set of twist drills, it should be possible to find the one that fits the tooth of the chain. I you know the drill bit size, you know the file size needed. I know there are a few odd ones out there like 7/64" or whatever, but in that case for example, a 1/8" bit would almost slide through the cutting surface. Edit: Since some clearance is needed, a 7/64" file could be right for a 1/8" tooth. Can't file a 1/8" hole with a 1/8" file. :laughing:

 

[Coyote machine]

Obed,

Can you take the saw or just the chain to a local store and match up the cutters to the proper sized file?
Curious how you know your 'bota mower trans is bad? Can you change the fluid and see if that helps?
What supposedly is wrong with the tranny? I know, 'slow', but anything else?

 

[Obed]

Should be able to measure the end of the threaded part?

The pin is loose in the hole. Measuring the pin threads doesn't tell me the size of the hole.
Obed

 

[Obed]

i have a hydrostat, MTD mower and there is a belt that obviously runs off the main drive pully back to a pully on the trans. When this belt gets loose it will slip and thus mower will slow down a bit but main problem is it looses power on hills. If you have a drive belt check this out.

clemsonfor,
Excellent suggestion! I didn't even think of that. I went out into the garage and looked under the mower. The transmission is driven by a belt and pulley. Without deep inspection, the belt appeared to be loose. I don't know if the tension increases once the engine is turned on and the HST pedal is pushed. My hopes are up. I'll give it a more thorough inspection tomorrow. I really hope that replacing the belt is all I need to do.
Obed

 

[Obed]

Obed, I am not saying I am right at all...but I have always had Poulan chain saws and love them...I have only had two in over 30 yrs. that is how good they have been for me...I never even obsessed about the proper file...I bought my files, round and flat at Walmart when I bought the saw ...I just use the file and it works...never had a problem...Obed ...do not get **** on the files...:confused3:

If you have a set of twist drills, it should be possible to find the one that fits the tooth of the chain. I you know the drill bit size, you know the file size needed. I know there are a few odd ones out there like 7/64" or whatever, but in that case for example, a 1/8" bit would almost slide through the cutting surface. Edit: Since some clearance is needed, a 7/64" file could be right for a 1/8" tooth. Can't file a 1/8" hole with a 1/8" file. :laughing:

Obed,

Can you take the saw or just the chain to a local store and match up the cutters to the proper sized file?
Curious how you know your 'bota mower trans is bad? Can you change the fluid and see if that helps?
What supposedly is wrong with the tranny? I know, 'slow', but anything else?

All great suggestions. One of these suggestions should be enough to help me figure out what size file I need.

Thanks,
Obed

 

[ptgdigger]

My mower is a Kubota OHV T1400. It is a 14 HP gas mower and is very old, perhaps 20 years old. I can mow in reverse on this mower without having to deal with lawyers and safety impediments.

View attachment 310490

The hydrostatic transmission seems to be going out as the mower has trouble going up a hill. I checked the transmission oil and the oil level was good. As old as this mower is, I can't justify putting a few hundred bucks into it to fix it. I don't know if it is even possible to fix the transmission.
Obed

Your hydrostat is fine , you most likely need a belt and an idler pulley as well , idler pulleys are known to cause the low power problem on this model.