5030
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2003
- Messages
- 24,834
- Location
- SE Michigan in the middle of nowhere
- Tractor
- Kubota M9000 HDCC3 M9000 HDC
I got to add my 2 cents to this one.
Years and years ago, I owned a tree service in Ohio. We specialized in take downs and grinding stumps.
I had Stihl and Poulan saws, Vermeer stump grinders and Chippmore chippers.
The Poulan saws, especially the small ones suffered from vapor lock when hot started. The big Poulan saws, the ones we used for cutting up downed trunks did not. These saws weren't the kind you buy in a box store. Poulan makes a professional line for the Arborist with the smallest bar length at 25".
The Stihl saws, with the exception of the smallest were all very reliable. In fact, I still have the 075, the 090 and the 028 Farm Boss and I use them today. They are all at least 25 years old and none of them have ever needed parts other than chains, bars, drive sprockets and plugs.
The 075 has a 36" bar and the 090 has a 50" buddy bar. I don't think Stihl makes the 090G any more. It's a killer saw. The 075 and the 090 both have compression releases on them. The 090 is a gear reduction unit.
A few tips as far as chainsaw maintenance and use go...........
1.Wear proper protective clothing (chainsaw chaps and face shields)
2. Always use a good grade of bar oil, not used motor oil. There is a lot of friction produced between the bar and the sliding chain as well as the drive sprocket and the bar nose.
3. Always use the proper mix of 2 stroke oil and fresh gasoline. Chainsaw engines are high revving and require good lubrication.
4. Always check the bar oil reservoir EVERY time you fill the fuel tank.
5. Use a roller nose bar and grease it OFTEN. You can buy disposable greasers with a tapered nose to grease the bar with.
6. Purchase an extra loop of chain and when the chain gets dull, change it out. When you change it out, TURN THE BAR OVER. The bar gets most of it's wear on the lower surface and by turning the bar over, the bar will last longer.
7. When the chains have been re-sharpened to the point that there is less than 1/8" of tooth left, get new chains and a new bar as well as a new drive sprocket.
8. Learn the proper way to file a chain, keep it sharp and keep it out of the dirt, don't cut nails or railroad ties. If you must get stumps out, dig them out. Cutting roots with a chainsaw is a no-no. Dirt is the worst enemy of a chainsaw. It accelerates wear on the chain bar and sprockets.
On sharpening chain, learn the proper way to file a chain. Special files are made for that purpose. You must maintain the proper angle and keep the raker's filed to allow the tooth to cut. I run 0.404 chipper chain on all my saws. The 0.404 chain has a large tooth and a long life.
If you take your chains to a shop to be sharpened, the operator will tend to remove too much tooth and chain life will be short. It's advantageous for them as they sell more chain that way.
Once you learn the proper method to file a chain, and carry a file in your pocket when you are cutting wood, you chains will be sharp all the time and last too.
I also have a chain grinder in the shop. Oregon makes a nice one, just like the one you dealer has. I use it as a last resort, if I accidentally hit a rock or nail and have to do a grind. It's a last resort though.
I think I covered most points. Remember. Chainsaws are dangerous. Always be alert and don't get cocked and use the saw. You could wind up in the hospital or amputate a limb.
Years and years ago, I owned a tree service in Ohio. We specialized in take downs and grinding stumps.
I had Stihl and Poulan saws, Vermeer stump grinders and Chippmore chippers.
The Poulan saws, especially the small ones suffered from vapor lock when hot started. The big Poulan saws, the ones we used for cutting up downed trunks did not. These saws weren't the kind you buy in a box store. Poulan makes a professional line for the Arborist with the smallest bar length at 25".
The Stihl saws, with the exception of the smallest were all very reliable. In fact, I still have the 075, the 090 and the 028 Farm Boss and I use them today. They are all at least 25 years old and none of them have ever needed parts other than chains, bars, drive sprockets and plugs.
The 075 has a 36" bar and the 090 has a 50" buddy bar. I don't think Stihl makes the 090G any more. It's a killer saw. The 075 and the 090 both have compression releases on them. The 090 is a gear reduction unit.
A few tips as far as chainsaw maintenance and use go...........
1.Wear proper protective clothing (chainsaw chaps and face shields)
2. Always use a good grade of bar oil, not used motor oil. There is a lot of friction produced between the bar and the sliding chain as well as the drive sprocket and the bar nose.
3. Always use the proper mix of 2 stroke oil and fresh gasoline. Chainsaw engines are high revving and require good lubrication.
4. Always check the bar oil reservoir EVERY time you fill the fuel tank.
5. Use a roller nose bar and grease it OFTEN. You can buy disposable greasers with a tapered nose to grease the bar with.
6. Purchase an extra loop of chain and when the chain gets dull, change it out. When you change it out, TURN THE BAR OVER. The bar gets most of it's wear on the lower surface and by turning the bar over, the bar will last longer.
7. When the chains have been re-sharpened to the point that there is less than 1/8" of tooth left, get new chains and a new bar as well as a new drive sprocket.
8. Learn the proper way to file a chain, keep it sharp and keep it out of the dirt, don't cut nails or railroad ties. If you must get stumps out, dig them out. Cutting roots with a chainsaw is a no-no. Dirt is the worst enemy of a chainsaw. It accelerates wear on the chain bar and sprockets.
On sharpening chain, learn the proper way to file a chain. Special files are made for that purpose. You must maintain the proper angle and keep the raker's filed to allow the tooth to cut. I run 0.404 chipper chain on all my saws. The 0.404 chain has a large tooth and a long life.
If you take your chains to a shop to be sharpened, the operator will tend to remove too much tooth and chain life will be short. It's advantageous for them as they sell more chain that way.
Once you learn the proper method to file a chain, and carry a file in your pocket when you are cutting wood, you chains will be sharp all the time and last too.
I also have a chain grinder in the shop. Oregon makes a nice one, just like the one you dealer has. I use it as a last resort, if I accidentally hit a rock or nail and have to do a grind. It's a last resort though.
I think I covered most points. Remember. Chainsaws are dangerous. Always be alert and don't get cocked and use the saw. You could wind up in the hospital or amputate a limb.