Splurged a little at the JD store

[nikdfish]

It wasn't a tractor though. We got a couple of Stihl items, an FS90R trimmer and a 18" MS290 "Farm Boss" chainsaw. Add a couple of smaller additional items & it was an $800+ package after tax.

Recently a couple of equipment items, a Poulan "Wild Thing" chainsaw & a Honda powered 4-cycle MTD trimmer had become more frustration than they were worth after 8+ years of use. It's an even money bet that gas with ethanol contributed to their eventual decrepitude but both had become nearly impossible to start and a crap shoot as to whether they would continue to run after starting. I think I've got a case of tennis elbow from pulling starter cords the past week. Since we have more need now than ever for both a chainsaw & trimmer, we figured we'd aim a little higher than in the past. The FS90R supports a circular blade for brush and saplings as well as the bump & go string head, and that should be helpful with the cleanup work we are undertaking in the 3 acres of woodland around the house.

I'll try to give these a better shot at a long operating life than the old ones. I'm going to stick with high octane gas & treat with an additive to protect against the problems caused by the 10% ethanol mix. I'd go ethanol free if it was available around here, but sources are few & far between.

Nick

 

[Pete Judd]

For my gas items around the place except the cars and trucks, I buy non ethanol gas at the farm store, by filling the 5 gallon jugs there. All the gas boats in the marina that I keep my diesel boat stays, are packing the no ethanol gas down by the pail as well.

 

[GGB]

Congratulations on two nice additions. I've got several pieces of Stihl, but not any of their chainsaws yet. Apparently my old John Deere chain saw has several lives left, but I think it's about time for a Farmboss.

I'm sure your dealer told you, but Stihl will double the warranty if you use only the Stihl silver premix. And I'll second using only premium gasoline or better yet 100 octane racing fuel to avoid fuel issues.

Good luck with the new toys, I mean tools!

 

[2LaneCruzer]

It wasn't a tractor though. We got a couple of Stihl items, an FS90R trimmer and a 18" MS290 "Farm Boss" chainsaw. Add a couple of smaller additional items & it was an $800+ package after tax.

Recently a couple of equipment items, a Poulan "Wild Thing" chainsaw & a Honda powered 4-cycle MTD trimmer had become more frustration than they were worth after 8+ years of use. It's an even money bet that gas with ethanol contributed to their eventual decrepitude but both had become nearly impossible to start and a crap shoot as to whether they would continue to run after starting. I think I've got a case of tennis elbow from pulling starter cords the past week. Since we have more need now than ever for both a chainsaw & trimmer, we figured we'd aim a little higher than in the past. The FS90R supports a circular blade for brush and saplings as well as the bump & go string head, and that should be helpful with the cleanup work we are undertaking in the 3 acres of woodland around the house.

I'll try to give these a better shot at a long operating life than the old ones. I'm going to stick with high octane gas & treat with an additive to protect against the problems caused by the 10% ethanol mix. I'd go ethanol free if it was available around here, but sources are few & far between.

Nick

Seems I always splurge when I go to the JD store. Your post does remind me of a funny story, though. I took my Grandson with me to the JD store to pick up an oil filter. He was 3, maybe 4 years old, and of course he gravitated to the big display of JD toys and models. He was so excited, he was shaking. He picked up a model of a JD mower that looked remarkably like mine. He tucked it under his arm, turned and looked at me and said, in about as an authoritarian voice as he could muster; "Pay for it Grandpa". It cracked me up; I did pay for it...$18 as I recall...I didn't have the heart to refuse. That was nearly 20 years ago; he still has the little tractor, a bit shopworn, but still intact.

 

[nikdfish]

Just a follow up on the items I was replacing. I went to remove the remaining fuel from the Poulan chainsaw and the MTD trimmer & found the fuel intake filters rattling around in both. The filter had fallen out of the Poulan's fuel intake line due to a split in the line. When moved, the line proceeded to fall apart. The MTD tiller's filter was still attached to the line, but the line itself had broken a couple of inches back from the filter.

Suddenly the symptoms make perfect sense, erratic function from the Poulan because the line would periodically rise above the fuel level & suck air, ditto with the MTD tiller erratic function. I expect the rotting of both fuel intake lines within the tank can be blamed on the 10% ethanol regular gas we used over the last few years.

I think I can replace the trimmer fuel line fairly easily as there is a grommet on the fuel tank where the line enters, but not sure about being able to run a new line on the Poulan. I haven't disassembled it enough yet to know whether I can feed a line through or not & make the necessary connections for carb & filter.

Nick