What is your cleaning and maintenance routine for your chainsaw?

[5030]

Kick-back puts about 30,000 people in ER per year. I'm not that smart, but still smart enought to make sure the chain brake works.

I always pay attention to where the nose of the bar is at in relationship to the cut. Never had a saw kick back and don't plan on it, voluntarily or otherwise. The chain brake is just another feature to protect a user from their own ignorance. Not here to kibbits about it. I remove them, always have and my older saws never had them from the get go. I'm', more concerned about 'kickback' or recoil on a magnum revolver than any chainsaw.

Let it go, not worth jousting about anyway.

 

[Youare]

I run 4 chainsaws, two are 25 years old. Not one of them has ever had a carburetor issue. I did put a new piston and jug on the old 272xp about a year ago. About once a year each one gets a new spark plug and a new fuel filter. Depending on usage the covers come off and the saws get a blast of compressed air. It's important to keep the cooling fins on the cylinder open. Air filter gets an inspection before use and usually cleaned. On my saws there is a grease port for the roller bearing on the clutch, that gets a shot of grease every 20 hours or so of use. I use ethanol free 91 octane gas along with Ethanol Sheild fuel additive and Stihl Ultra 2 cycle mix oil at a 40:1 ratio. Never had an issue with carbon build up or plugged exhaust screens. I don't use mixed gas after 4 weeks, that goes into the lawn mower tank. I only mix one gallon at a time which in the busy season is used daily. Sharpen the chain before each use and dress the bar rails when the chain is replaced. The saws that I use are now around $1,000.00 each so a little TLC is a good investment.

 

[5030]

Like me and my Stihl 075. I'd cringe to think what am 075 powerhead costs today if you could even buy one as they aren't made today. My 075 is at least 45 years young.

 

[cqaigy2]

Kick-back puts about 30,000 people in ER per year. I'm not that smart, but still smart enought to make sure the chain brake works.

I grew up on saws that didn't have chain brake or auto oiler. My "new" 1980's saw does though and use it and has auto oiler. Never had a saw kick back. I've used saws with anti-kickback chain and wondered what the heck, when trying to plunge cut. I saw a guy make a grab for a falling saw and hit the gas, nobody hurt but that's why you see me use one you'll see me shut the saw off when not cutting and activate the chain brake. And i activate the chain brake because i've seen saws take off WOT on start up.

I'm really paranoid about electric saws and chain brakes. Can't say why exactly that is, but i guess i'm kind of weirded out that the saw is "on" when plugged in but still quiet and still.

I don't sweat the "safety" features, i just learn how they affect the use of equipment and get on with it. Ok, except the safety chain, not going to use that.

 

[Om37]

I also use an air compressor and blow the junk off the chainsaw when done using it. I always use a stabilizer in the fuel for my chainsaw's and generators, garden tillers and wood splitter. So I don't drain the fuel from anything when putting it away for the winter. Things like the generator has had fuel in it for over 20 years and starts right up, just add new fuel when done with the stabilizer in the fuel.
Chainsaw air filters get cleaned with compressed air every couple hours max.