Chainsaw Repair

Chainsawrepair,

My experience has been that the top handle light weights are much better for a trim or pruning saw than a rear handle model.  The balance is much better when you need to reach out and make those one handed cuts, that I know you aren't really supposed to make, but I find myself doing one handers a lot when pruning fruit trees.  If the saw has good balance, I believe you can find methodology that provides safety while performing a single handed cut.  I wouldn't recommend the one hand method to a first time user, I would consider it to be strictly for experienced chainsaw operators.  OSHA would probably cringe at my last remarks, but I am surrounded by orchards and I know for sure that many people in the field do make a lot of one hand controlled cuts, where they don't have a pole saw handy or may not own a pole saw.  My two cents worth.

Your customer's comments about looking for a light weight trim saw would seem to favor the selection of a top handle model, if for no other reason than balance and control in that application.

I do a lot more using of chainsaws than I do working on them, but I do like to know what it takes to keep them running at their best.
The old Poulan XXV Deluxe and it's cousin model from Craftsman are only 30cc or 33cc units, depending on where you look.  I have done a tremendous amount of wood cutting with those saws suporting a 14" bar and they did very well if maintained and tuned. Both are top handle models.

Nick, North West Farmer

I have 4 of those little xxv 2 deluxe 2 just xxv  Got to get them running think membranes and fuel lines should do it, two will start but its a hard job,   I like my little echo 280 for 1 hand work but it's front fuel tank causes boiling fuel issues

What a difference the L setting was for winter weather compared to the spring-summer setting.

 Put a little better drum on it and 12" set up to help a guy that his O 241 is puking bar oil through the muffler.   Told him I had plenty of trim saws if he needed one. He stated nah. Later he  ask how much.  I said look at this way, you dropped off the locked up 040. Your O 241 is puking bar oil out muffler and you want a trim saw.  I'll give you the 1800 PHO.  Then noticed his bar would work. So I grabbed a bar I had, then his chain was a 52dl and my bar was 45dl. So I donated a chain too.   

Then the dag nab thing wouldnt run for chit while he was here.  So today dumped the fuel and retuned carb.  All good now.   

Dang just noticed not this year when it came back, but 2012. 

So ready for pick up now  and Merry Christmas.......................

On my craftsmen 2.0 I have to run it way rich on the L. To the point it won't run long just sitting before it loads up and stalls. About 20 seconds in fact. Its still not great to start though, maybe three pulls with choke, then one or two with it off. I've never found a sweet spot for this saw. I ported the muffler a while ago and it actually ran/started better, still not perfect though. I really don't like using it for anything other then branches and small stuff though. It has more then enough to pull the 16" bar, but constantly packs the filter with chips. Also gets it bad in the bar oiler area, to the extent it will stop the oil if not cleaned. It seems to take no time at all for this to happen.

These saws have a very long fuel line.  If the carb diaphragms aren't fresh and/or the impulse signal is weak, they won't pump/pull fuel for ****.  I'm thinking your carb could use a rebuild, and the crank seals are probably leaking.  Common on these saws.  When the seals leak, the impulse signal is weak.  You shouldn't have to run the L side that far out.  I've had Micros with bad crank seals act that way (even with fresh fuel lines and carb diaphragms).  Changing the seals cured 'em.

You can get the seals from your local Husqvarna dealer.  530019059 is both a Poulan and Husky part # now, as Husqvarna sold some rebadged Poulan Micros a while back (Husqvarna 23, etc).  SKF4913 is the # for a 'generic' seal that you can get at your local bearing place.  Probably won't be any cheaper than what you'd get at the Husky dealer however. 

Even when everything's 'right' on these saws, they can still take several pulls to get to the first 'pop' after sitting a while.  That's just par for the course when you have about 14 feet of fuel line (OK maybe it's not quite that long.....but you get the idea).