Stihl Saws, Leak More Bar Oil Than They Use

[ovrszd]

I have owned a Stihl 034 and now have a couple of 036 sawss. Not a lot of use, but almost from new these saws lost all of their bar oil. I buy jug after jug and most of it ends up on a rag to go into the fire. I am so discouraged by this, because otherwise they appear to be a good saw.

The joke is, at least one of these saws came with a carry case which I have never been able to use, as I found the oil leaks less if the saw is placed on its side.

Am I the only one having this problem?

I generally use Husky oil.

I have 4. All of them leak when hauling them in my tractor carriers, bar down. Sitting flat on the floor, none of them leak.

 

[ultrarunner]

Have the opposite problem with my Stihls -- they are very stingy on oil, even with the oiler turned up all the way. A leaky saw of any brand is not normal -- I'd troubleshoot it further. Have not had this problem on any of the dozen or so saws I have owned.

When I took back the Craftsman... the sales guy said it was the third one he taken back that week...

 

[TomSeller]

If they don't leak with the saw on it's side and the cap turned up, they are likely leaking out of the cap. Some caps either have bad o rings or don't compress the o ring enough when closed.

 

[charlz]

My 'home owner' Husky leaks unless I use their bar oil or leave it on it's side. I just picked up a used Stihl 036Pro and it leaks unless I leave it on its side. Not sure what oil is in it though. I will be trying the Husky oil I have on hand and maybe try the Stihl brand if it continues to leak with the Husky oil.

 

[dfkrug]

I have owned a Stihl 034 and now have a couple of 036 sawss. Not a lot of use, but
almost from new these saws lost all of their bar oil.

I just put a new piston and cyl on an 026, and it's a leaker. Of the saws that I own or work on, I do not see
a brand tendency towards bar oil leaks. Maybe 30% of them leak with no obvious reason why.

I just made a new venting oil cap for an old Husky, as they do not make them anymore. Most caps
these days do not vent, but there must be a vent with check valve somewhere on the saw. It is some
times a "duckbill" valve near the top of the oil tank. The oil tank will draw a slight vacuum if the
vent is not working, and the vent CAN cause a leak, depending on the rest position of the saw.

My big Husky, BTW, is a leaker, and the oil pump has been replaced.

 

[Industrial Toys]

It really is annoying! Not only a terrible waste of oil but they make a mess everywhere. Half the time there is a nasty oil patch in my UTV that then attracts dirt.

That stuff does not wipe up easy either. It's thick and sticky like 80/90 oil. This makes it all the more difficult for me to understand how they can leak so badly.

Of course, then there's me. I think I have filled up a chainsaw maybe twice in my life without over filling it. They all seem to fill really slowly and then really fast at the end!

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I've got a Stihl KM130R Kombi motor with the pole pruner attachment. I hang it up in my shop with the motor up and the bar/blade hanging down. It leaks that way. I'm doing an experiment now to see if it leaks if I just lay it down.

 

[Loadstar]

My 08 does fine but the 040 can't wait to get on its shelf to relieve itself! At least the shelf won't rust.

 

[square1]

Bought a generic case that required the Brake to be "Off" to get it closed. There was always a pool of oil in the bottom of the case. Found my Huskys leak if the brake is "Off" but no leaks with Brake "On" no matter which position they're stored in.

 

[The Deerslayer]

Been running a MS290 and MS180 for a number of years with no leaking.