Steam cleaning chainsaws

[SiW]

Is this feasible? or would it cause damage, obviously would have to be very careful around carb

[AlvinD]

Go for it! I don't know how many times I've dropped my chainsaw in a river and it starts up again. It was 260. Dropped both running and off. You can't get much wetter than that but yes stay away from the carb.

[spudulike]

A compressor airline would be far better, the ingress of water would cause the clutch and needle bearing to sieze and may well cause other problems.

 

If you cleaned the saw in this way, you would need to run it up to hot very soon after but not a great idea IMO and would not remove dried pine resin of that gloopy old bio oil!

[KGBFINGAR]

Yip as Spud says , we have a compressor at the yard for cleaning ours I wouldn't steam clean it .

K

[normandylumberjack]

I made the mistake of steam cleaning my fs250's plastics and had a pig of a job to re fit them, also made the orange plastic a little dull. AVOID

[SiW]

Cheers for that. Don't have compressor, everytime I get close to buying one the money gets spent on something else, do have a handheld steam cleaner, that I won't be using lol other half would only complain I'd got oil on it lol

[Le Sanglier]

I have never cleaned a chainsaw.

[spudulike]

I have never cleaned a chainsaw.

 

I think that many of the saws I get in have never been cleaned before! I reckon to remove around 3-4 mug fulls of crap from an average MS200T on a full refurb!

[Rich2484]

I think that many of the saws I get in have never been cleaned before! I reckon to remove around 3-4 mug fulls of crap from an average MS200T on a full refurb!

 

Agree. Seen the husky that was on the bench thread....

 

Had another in earlier that has never been cleaned, even the air filter was bogged up....

 

I use a paint brush with petrol to penetrate the sap and crud. Then use a clean brush on the chain cover, and other removable parts.

 

When getting in deep I will use a petrol brush and a good blast from a compressor. Then ensure needle bearing is greased and the saw is dry before re assembly.

[difflock]

Do you smoke while doing so?

Petrol, check

Air, check

= Ignition, check.

PS

AIR line only and reasonably regularly.