Good time to service the saw with the following tips.

[Tollster]

I typically break the bar down, brush out the oil and grime from the chain sprocket, clean the chain grove on the bar, check the oil passages and clean as needed, then brush out the brake cover and use a little diesel to get the balance of the grime out with a parts brush.

Then I wipe down the outer covers with silicone removing any tacky sap, pop off the air filter cover, and remove air filter, block off intake passage with a clean shop weight paper towel, then use my shop vac in combination ( Foreign Material exclusion we call it at work) with a dry bristled parts brush, holding over the cylinder fins, carburetor hoses, electrical connections, Brush out any remaining grime that could cause hot spots around the cooling fins, or potentially build up in linkage areas, hold the shop vac very close to the area I'm brushing.
Then clean out the cover, wipe it and take to the laundry sink along with the air filter. Use Luke warm water and flush the air filter from the inside out, then with a clean tooth brush and liquid hand soap, lightly scrub the reed valve filter material from the out side, letting the soap and bubbles do it magic, rinsing from the inside out again.
Then wipe dirt the cover and lightly pat dry the filter elements before giving the intake and filter a final visual inspection. Use some silicone on all rubber parts visible, plug lead, vacuum hoses, rubber flanges, around compression release, on off switch, and primer bulb, and apply a light spray to pivot points, throttle linkage, grease the tip and clutch pack before reassembly.
Then I touch up the chain and its ready when I need it most!

Yes, there is still snow on the ground!

 

[leveled]

nice job! I would bet it will last a long time with that maintenance.

 

[Tollster]

nice job! I would bet it will last a long time with that maintenance.

They do tend to last much longer, I got this XP550 in the fall of 2012, to complement my heavier 51 I purchased in 93. The old 51 was getting heavy, I downsized the bar on it to a 16" 3/8", so the up and down was getting tiresome clearing trees.

 

[Coyote machine]

I use compressed air to clean anything that it can push. Then if stuff is left brush in one hand air gun in other. I use the bar groove tool and sharpen the chain, make sure the bar is not bent, pinched, etc. Check fuel lines, spark plug/boot, etc. Change out in tank filter, sometimes if they're recent blow out with air in reverse and reuse. Wash/silicone, never have. YMMV.
7 Stihls, never a problem.