Regular care & maintenance

[lowerforest]

Here's a quick question - how many of you bother to undertake a bit of home maintenance on your saws? Not just the 'end of day' clean-up and sharpen, but a little more like the owners manuals sometimes suggest - regularly take sideplates/covers off, grease points, attend to service items - plug/sprocket/clutch/bearing/AV/filters check or replace, a bit of compressed air to get to those awkward bits you can't reach with a brush etc etc.

 

I'm no expert mechanic, but I've tried to adhere to a routine (time permitting) and get my saws onto the bench for a bit of regular home TLC. If nothing else, they always look nice and clean when I take them back to work! And I'm pleased to say that its a rare thing for one to break down.

 

What do others think/do? - worth the effort, or just leave things as they are (if it ain't broke, don't fix it) and wait for something to blow?

[Le Sanglier]

  lowerforest said:

Here's a quick question - how many of you bother to undertake a bit of home maintenance on your saws? Not just the 'end of day' clean-up and sharpen, but a little more like the owners manuals sometimes suggest - regularly take sideplates/covers off, grease points, attend to service items - plug/sprocket/clutch/bearing/AV/filters check or replace, a bit of compressed air to get to those awkward bits you can't reach with a brush etc etc.

 

I'm no expert mechanic, but I've tried to adhere to a routine (time permitting) and get my saws onto the bench for a bit of regular home TLC. If nothing else, they always look nice and clean when I take them back to work! And I'm pleased to say that its a rare thing for one to break down.

 

What do others think/do? - worth the effort, or just leave things as they are (if it ain't broke, don't fix it) and wait for something to blow?

To a certain extent that's sums it up for me, air filter occasionally, flip the bar and blow out the oiling holes, and that's it really.

[Albe013]

main thing chain sharp abd bar looked after give a general clean after each days use then at the end of the week give it a thorough clean with a air line and just check everything is right some general maintenance will make it last alot longer

hope that helps

 

if at first you dont succeed sod it and put the kettle on !

[Stubby]

Not had a chance to do any maintenance on my 560 its always back at the dealers !

[lowerforest]

Stubby - I'm sure you'll get your chance!

 

all this techno advance stuff (autotune etc) - is that a good thing? Sounds a bit like the advances with cars - they're so full of techno-gubbins nowadays, the era of home servicing has well and truly gone. Same fate for chainsaws, perhaps?

[Dean Lofthouse]

I do all my own repairs and servicing, don't trust anyone to do anything for me, too many cowboys around

[Stubby]

Bring back the grease nipple ! ! I know what you mean matey . I do have a tidey up some times . Blow the air filters out get the crud out of the bar dress and turn it . Have been known the change a fuel filter now and then ! Stopped cleaning modern spak plugs just recently though as was advised not to on this forum a few weeks back .

[born2trot]

Yes , i like to take care of my saws . Autotunes ? .. Lighter , faster , more powerful , better balanced , optimal performance under any conditions .. apart from that i dont know really

[lowerforest]

for the 560xp/autotune saw users - does the owner's handbook offer advice about self-servicing, or does it advise a 'take it to your nearest Husky dealer' standard phraseology?

 

I must admit I've tended to select my saws based on 1) recommendations from other (long-term) users and 2) making sure that it's not so technologically advanced that I'd feel daunted by the thought of taking it apart for a bit of home-TLC !

[spudulike]

A very simple service regime should be to clean the air filter, take the clutch cover off and clean the crap out, keep the chain very sharp.

 

Things like dressing the bar less often and then CHANGE THE SPROCKET - seen some disasters in my time - a worn sprocket will put wear on the chain, the sprocket bearing, the crank bearings etc

 

The rest of it comes with time - a well honed tool will work longer and cause the operator less fatigue!