Chainsaw question, file under clueless

[Nancy Young]

This is the appeal of electric tools to people like me.

I have a gas chainsaw, only used a couple of times. I really don't have much use for a chainsaw is what it boils down to. So it sits in the garage for a couple/three years and now that I need it, it won't start. As expected.

I'm thinking I'd like to take out some large shrubs this fall. Before I do the unthinkable and purchase an electric chainsaw which I think will just start when you plug it in, any suggestions why the thing won't start?

Be nice. (laugh) I'll take down all suggestions and try them before I give up on the gas chainsaw. Just planning ahead.

nancy

[Don Phillipson]

No 2-stroke gas-powered tools should be stored with gasoline inside. (They should be run until dry, i.e. until they stop from fuel exhaustion.) The various chemicals in the gas/oil mixture gum up the carburettor if sitting there for months.

Good quality chainsaws run for decades if maintained OK. You must decide whether it would be cheaper for your planned task (and future needs) to have the gas chainsaw serviced or buy a new electric chainsaw.

[Harry K]

What Don said. To answer the electric question. If you will only use it where power is available, it will do your work quite handily. Buy one of the better quality ones though, not the cheapest you can find.

Keep the chain sharp. If you don't know how, locate a 'fix-it' shop that sharpens them.

Harry K

[Flatus Johnson]

If you stored it with gas in it, it's gummed/varnished up. Cheap/quick fix might be spraying the carburetor with choke cleaner-- especially if you can get inside.

After that, try get someone to spray some starting fluid (ether) at the air cleaner (or remove it and spray right into the air intake) while your pulling the starter. If that doesn't work, remove the plug, spray some starter fluid into the plug hole, quickly reinstall the plug-- then repeat the helper spraying the air cleaner while you pull the starter.

Next time, drain the gas and let it run dry ;-)

[BobK207]

Gas chainsaw can be a pain especially if you hardly ever use one.

But typically electric chainsaw are woefully underpowered & have rather short bars.

I have both elecric & gas but I've kinda solved the gas maint problem by sharing a chainsaw with a guy who uses it much more often than I do. When I need the gas saw working, I just give him a call and he drops it off in a few days.

The electric one (in ~20 years) has never failed to start and I use it maybe once a year or so for a few days at most.

I "inherited" a 12" electric and have used it on some fairly large trees. If I had bought it I would have gone bigger 14" or 16".

When you buy your new saw, get an extra chain so you'll always have a sharp one ready. Electrics are underpowered so a sharp chain is important.

wrt to maintaining for gas chainsaw......once (if) you get it running and use it..... When you're done using it, use the gas up or dump it out and then run the saw dry. Leaving liquid gas in the saw is surefire way to gum up the saw and make it not start.

cheers Bob

[Dan Espen]

For small jobs an electric works well and of course always starts. Mine is 30 years old and gets used once or twice every year.

[Nancy Young]

"Nancy Young" wrote

Thanks a million for all the answers. I get it, I should have emptied the gas, my bad. I'm going to try to get it running before I give up on it.

I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out.

nancy

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, I have chainsaw and I use it barely once a year but never had trouble starting. I keep the fuel tank full all the time. Same with weed eater. How do you store it? Also do you use top quality oil at correct ratio?

[Phisherman]

Your carburator may be gummed up. Replace the old gas with fresh gasoline. Add some stabilizer to the fresh gasoline if you plan to have the chainsaw sit for months without use.

[Pete C.]

For such occasional use, there is nothing wrong with an electric chain saw. Things to keep in mind however are:

- Make sure you have long enough heavy gauge extension cords.

- Make sure you don't cut the extension cord.

- Electric chain saws are more dangerous than gas ones, since they don't stall out when they bog down like gas ones do.

[Steve Barker DLT]

get a good length of chain and pull the shrubs with your car. Cutting them off will not kill them.

s

[Steve Barker DLT]

That is...... IF your car will start.

s

[john]

Pardon me for interrupting..

Why don't they have fuel valve? It would be quicker and less wasteful to run dry the carbuerator than to run dry the fuel tank.

In case of cleaning up storm damage (e.g. fallen tree), a gas chainsaw may be more handy because the power may be out due to the storm.

[Richard Evans]

Same here, though less than once a year. I mixed stabilizer with the gas, and that seems to keep it from gumming up.

Now that you've got me thinking about it, I'll have to try starting it this afternoon.

[amdx]

Nancy, The electric chainsaws work fine. I got one for my wife so she wouldn't have to maintain the gas chainsaw. Mike :-)

[Don Phillipson]

A fuel valve would add weight and another component to require cleaning and perhaps repair. Most chainsaws hold less than half a pint of fuel, but many owners empty the fuel tank before running the carb dry for storage.

[Pat Barber]

For the odd tree limb, a recip saw is a much safer and easier weapon.

You can get a good reciprocating saw and a pack of pruning blades and all you need is a high quality drop cord.

It will NEVER fail to start and is generally, MUCH safer for the average person to use than a chain saw.

For under $200, you are business for many years.

Nancy Young wrote:

[Nancy Young]

"Steve Barker DLT" wrote

Heh ... too bad chainsaws and lawnmowers aren't more like cars, I never have trouble with cars. You turn the key. Vroom it starts.

nancy

[Bob M.]

An electric saw would work just fine. I have a good one that cost about $100 and gets used once or twice a year. But how about a hand-powered tree limb saw? Not the kind you'd use on a woodworking bench, but one designed for tree limbs. They're even cheaper. The kind I'm familiar with have a curved blade.

[Jerry]

For occasional use, you can go the cheap route at Harbor Fright for around $35.

Jerry