Maico490

We haven't "heard" the reason for the painting yet, and what sort of saw it is about.....

Painting a saw is the easiest way to improve it's sideways balance

Ford Tractor Grey is a pretty good match and Kubota Orange for the rest. This is lifted from a certain American site:

the old white: RAL 7035

the old red: RAL 3000 "fire red"

orange: RAL 2004

new white: RAL 9010

However lots of reasons for not painting a saw have already been listed.

+1 on the above. He really knows his stuff.

Hi Hill-Billy,

From the symptoms you describe I would almost guarantee it is the gauze in the carb. I've had a few like this that start up and run OK then fade out over several minutes although you would expect the problem to be there straight away. I would be wary of using the strimmer until you fix it as running lean could ruin the piston and cylinder. The carb comes off really easily and you only need to take the two covers off and the lever arm and needle. Full instructions here if you aren't too sure:

USA Zama : Service Tips

While you are in there a new fuel line and tank filter would only be about a tenner.

HI Spud, I'd like to make some carb adjustments but only have an LD setting on my STIHL FS 400!

Hi Hill-Billy

The carb you have is fixed jet so there is not a lot you can do. The one adjustment you have is actually an air screw rather than a fuel screw. By being reverse threaded it behaves the same as a conventional one by making the idle mixture weaker when you turn it clockwise and richer anti-clockwise. About all you can do is make sure the screen under the needle is clean but don't go blasting the whole carb with compressed air or you will ruin the check valves.

As regards adjusting wind the screw in and the tick over should increase then back it out until you get good response to snapping the throttle open. It is also worth checking that the carb butterfly is actually fully open when you have the throttle fully pressed. If it isn't you lose a lot of power and the choke doesn't operate properly in the start position. Adjusting the cable varies with which cable/hand grip set up you have.

Another vote for Rowena motors he really knows his stuff but best to ring.

Probably transported with the fuel tap turned on.The float bounces up and down with the vibration and slowly lets the fuel into the carb and then on down into the sump. We've had it with several Hondas that have emptied the whole tank into the oil.Before you delve too deep drain it out and refill with oil and then try it.

I have one of those and have found it to be very good and it agrees with the gauge on the compressor.A while back I hadn't used it for several months and as in the picture I had stored the bigger adaptor on the end.Managed to convince myself I had lost the adaptor for "standard" sized plugs and wasted three hours looking for it and searching the internet for a replacement.Bit of a DOH moment when I realised what had happened !!!!!!!!!

Some of the 088/880 carbs have weird settings like only 1/4 turn out on the H. Hopefully they didn't use the airbox sticker to set the carb off the different saw.

PS Hats off to anyone who can use an 880 up a tree.

What does the carb kit comprise off?

For £28 it would probably consist of a new carb in the States. Rather than upsetting sponsors Google this:

authorised dealer zama walbro uk

Brilliant bloke who knows carbs inside out and cheap.First thing I would check is the screen in the carb but after that if it is the Zama with only the idle adjust then test the main check valve before spending any more money. You can replace them but not simple:

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/maintenance-help/31033-stihl-fs-400-cant-get-idle.html#post504292

Mister-Solutions Ltd-We are a on line supplier of Spares & Accessories.

Good bloke to deal with

A group of us went around the Shell Research Centre years ago and the work that goes into making a quality oil is truely mind boggling. However as the bloke showing us around said a good oil looks just the same as a crap one.

He encouraged us to use their oil but admitted that the other main manufacturers made good stuff. His parting word were "Cheap oil is the most expensive thing you will ever buy"

I'm using up Motorex fully synthetic from my MX days but it isn't cheap. At work we use the ordinary Stihl stuff and haven't had any problems.

As others have said greasing sprocket tips is at best a waste of time and at worst will wear them out more quickly.

However those little guns are absolutely perfect for greasing hard to get at muffler bearings.

or the fuel tank might be pressurising, i cant remember where the tank breather is on a 254 but clean it out for sure,,

A chainsaw tank should pressurise.The vent is only there to let air in. There are two reasons for this: one is to stop fuel leaking out when the saw is used on it's side and the second is to satisfy enviromental rules which rule out venting petrol vapour.

As regards value of the saw most spares/repair saws sold on ebay don't have any money left in them by the time they are fixed.

You will have lots of new places to look next time

One of my 024 saws was marking it's territory with bar oil a little too much and it turned out to be the oil tank breather. It is the round alloy "button" type thing close to the front bar stud in the picture below. Remove the oil tank cap and either give it a squirt of carb cleaner or a bit of compressed air. It has a one way valve which should let air in but not oil out.

How about this for a good sounding 2-Stroke diesel:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVjXwS8HzFw]Detroit Diesel 6v-92 Grain Truck RETURN!! - YouTube[/ame]

That does not rule out 4-stroke engines in chain saws. Stihl's 4-mix engines can be turned upside down while running

That is because they are using petrol/oil mix just like the 2-strokes. It is looking like the 4-mix design was a bit of a dead end as the latest strimmers are stratified charge design. They never used the 4-mix engines on any chainsaws (pole saws excluded) or any of the pro model strimmers.

Ever tried tipping a honda strimmer upside down when it is running?

Could always go back to the good old days if you put their current 4-stroke into a chainsaw and spin the engine through 90 deg after you have finished felling and want to ring up.

A few good ideas here. I've wrapped all sorts of things around my neck for protection when strimming as it is about the only area not protected by all the normal clothing/protection you end up wearing. I much prefer cutting in either cold or wet weather as at least you don't overheat then.

I'm reminded of years ago just after I started strimming and had always wondered where the long bits of cord go when they break off at the head as I never seemed to see where they went. Lo and behold one came up and hit me in the throat right on the Adams Apple. It put me on the ground for a good five minutes and I went around for nearly a week with a red mark like I had tried to hang myself.

Must admit I'm a bit confused. The first pic looked like it had either been run lean or straight gassed leading to aluminium tranfer to the bore. The second pic though shows what looks like a new piston but what the globules are is anyones guess. Try taking the plug out and then turn the saw upside down and pull it over several times. Put a new plug in and then see if it will start. Don't pull more than about six times on full choke as it can be easy to miss the "pop" and flood newer saws.

My guess is that someone has fitted a new piston and it still wouldn't go so is offloading it. Try searching the bloke's history to see if he bought it as a non-runner.

Any thoughts on Kwik Chip?

The fact that you hit metal and carried on is one of the advantages of .404 chain. Wonderful stuff to take abuse but still no excuse not to touch it up.

+1 on the above post. A chainsaw throttle has only two positions, flat out and idle. Anything else will shorten it's life.

Our Fearless Leader at work bought one exactly like in the video to go on a Takeuchi TB125 (2.8t). Basically it is a complete and utter waste of time and after about 3hrs of use it is sitting rusting. The only way it would half work would be with a completely independant auxillary service as every time you move the boom or try to track the fingerbar as good as stops.You will notice in the video that the driver is slewing rather than tracking to do the cutting.All you end up with is a series of arcs and slow does not even begin to to describe it. Also as already pointed out, clean up after is very time consuming.

Pointless asking if he wants to sell it as he doesn't like owning up to mistakes.

The only way I could see one being any good would be mounted on an old tractor mounted flail arm that the head had died on.

On the other hand we have got a Auger Torque post hole borer for the same machine and it is an awesome bit of kit.