ALWAYS Check This Before Buying A Used Chainsaw!

Рет қаралды 180,205

4 жыл бұрын

ALWAYS Check This Before Buying A Used Chainsaw!
If you're thinking of buying a used chainsaw you should always check what I show in this video first!
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I do my best to teach you how to easily diagnose problems the fastest, quickest and most efficient way with real repairs beyond just replacing a spark plug. These tips are for both the homeowner and shop owner.
Whether it be a handheld, two stroke, two cycle engine like a chainsaw, weed eater, weed wacker, string trimmer, grass trimmer, line trimmer, hedge trimmer, strimmer, brush cutter, leaf blower, or four stroke, four cycle units like a lawnmower, wood splitter, lawn tractor, snowblower, pressure washer, generator or a ride on mower that needs parts installed or replaced, I’m your go-to guy.
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Пікірлер: 230

@donyboy73 4 жыл бұрын

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO CHECK WHEN BUYING A USED CHAINSAW!

@tannerc900 2 жыл бұрын

You make being a small engine mechanic look so cool and intriguing it’s insane

@andrewford80 3 жыл бұрын

Brand new, only run once! (with straight gas so the top end is destroyed) Looks immaculate! (from the outside)

@daveeastwood5768 4 жыл бұрын

Good simple and straight forward advice for anyone wanting to purchase. Thumbs up!

@michaelspencer301 3 жыл бұрын

A trick i do as a quick check. On some saws the exhaust side of cylinder can be seen through the sparkplug hole. Remove sparkplug, turn piston down to exhaust port, shine small lite inside cylinder. On lots of saws you can see if there is scoring on exhaust side of cylinder. Even some scoring on cylinder is usually a sign of more scoring on piston. Then remove muffler to get the true nature of cylinder . Great tip thanks Don .

@donyboy73 3 жыл бұрын

great tip!

@DB-zp9un 2 жыл бұрын

Yep, pull the plug, easier to get an idea.. Plus, depending on saw, you may break the muffler stud.. Not a good thing to do on something that isn't yours lol

@tomcummings655 4 жыл бұрын

As a 20+ year Stihl mechanic,this guy is right on!!!This will show up on HOT start before cold start,so beware!

@GrantMerker 4 жыл бұрын

Very helpful. For total novices like myself, I would have liked to also see how to check the backend of the piston and its pressure. With that said, thank you for sharing your knowledge. Your videos are well done. Thanks again!

@SpetsnazBear-3710 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent video. Clear, concise and GREAT advice. Simple enough for those entering the chainsaw world, or someone wishing to upgrade.

@aleblanc3547 4 жыл бұрын

This might be your best tip ever, Don. Thanks, man...you've saved a lot of people a lot of money with this video.

@lewishodge4935 3 жыл бұрын

Dony: Your videos are the best as far as video quality, verbal explanation and thoroughness of procedures. Congratulations!

@brianszymanski2971 4 жыл бұрын

As always quality videos and simple explanations of small motor repair. Thanks for the valuable info .

@nascarsimracing1 4 жыл бұрын

Boom right off the bat, check compression. Exactly what i do with every used engine i buy. I got a 1987 ECHO 330EVL from a garage sale for 10 bucks! They said it didn't run and they buy a new saw when one stops working. They were selling like 4 saws. Took the ECHO home, and it started off starting fluid. Then i adjusted the carb fuel mixture screws and the idle, and now it starts on the first or second pull from cold start! All it needs now is a bar and chain! Hearing "check compression" right at the beginning and i am already happy! I am now going to finish watching. I just wanted to put this comment out there. Awesome!!!

@Whateva67 4 жыл бұрын

I just got a nice 038 magnum free from my uncles family when he passed away,it’s in awesome shape and runs great, nice complement to my old 066 Stihl

@jpridie 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent advice I would never have known until I saw your very informative video, thanks.

@zed8083 4 жыл бұрын

Great advice Don! Hail! to the King of small engines! We're not worthy! Thanks for the great upload!

@markcooper9033 3 жыл бұрын

This guy is Canadian GOLD!! Thank Dony for all your excellent posts💪🧑👍

@bk2012tuff 4 жыл бұрын

Great videos watching you all they way from Australia, chainsaws are a big hobby of mine, I've found a big issue with cracked fuel tanks & dodgy repairs

@fredsiegfried1707 4 жыл бұрын

Nothing beats the older stihl saws, if you can get it cheap a rebuild won't be so bad, plus no emission and laptop

@johnkelly7154 4 жыл бұрын

Another great tip Donny. This is a very common problem with owners not knowing how to mix two stroke fuel. I always advise them to buy a mixing bottle and use quality oil.

@TruthIsNotTemporary 4 жыл бұрын

Also caused by high revving a cold engine (not letting it warm up first)

@X737_ 4 жыл бұрын

100ml to 5L is hardly rocket science

@vetterfellow 4 жыл бұрын

Your guidance DB73 is helping a lot of others including Myself. Thanks my Friend.

@robsdeviceunknown 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah I made that mistake. MS290, I thought was a excellent deal. Wellllll. Piston was scarred so bad. So now, i have a bucket of clean parts for sale lol

@dfpguitar 4 жыл бұрын

can you show us how to use the compression tester? also thanks for the advice

@tjlee9901 2 жыл бұрын

i have a 88 cc husky and runs fine looking like that . also had a couple of other bigger saws that were scored but still ran okay .

@needless2say723 Жыл бұрын

Great video, thank you for the heads up on what to look for. Can a chain saw with a scored cylinder and piston be rebuilt? Does stilh or huskavarna use a steel cylinder sleeve?

@FritzMadness 2 жыл бұрын

great tips, Thanks a lot, are those torx bits 6 inch long or longer?

@koffibanan3099 4 жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks! A compression test might be less invasive? I could see it happen that those exhaust bolts are really stuck and break off?

@andreasheij 4 жыл бұрын

Another thing to check quite easily... Hold the chainsaw in all positions (horizontal both ways and even just let it hang from the handle) while running. If it revs up, there might be issues with the bearing seals inside the crankcase. Also quite an expensive repair.... Not chainsaw related; my FS-400 bushwacker has compression issues. Turns out it wasn't on the outlet side which was scored but the carburetor side. But that's not easily checked while trying to make a deal with somebody.

@sodacan1011111111111 4 жыл бұрын

Bravo brother. Thank you for the great information.

@gcabinet 4 жыл бұрын

Love your videos, they make me want to drive to Canada to get you to work on my chainsaws. But I do have a question; you say you always mix your fuel with a little extra oil (like 45:1 instead of 50:1). Does the same hold true for Tru-fuel which I’ve seen you recommend? As in, would you buy the 50:1 recommended or go down to 40:1 instead of 50:1?

@bluekingfisher1416 4 жыл бұрын

Very useful and handy tip for any future purchases. Thank you.

@stephenfewson7188 4 жыл бұрын

Great advice mate, thanks! G'day from Australia 🇦🇺

@bradleyprentice2359 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video. Its educational. I wouldn't know this information if you hadn't talk about it.

@zx8401ztv 4 жыл бұрын

The exhaust port inspection is something i forgot.

@RickHawkDavison 4 жыл бұрын

Mercy beaucoup, tres bon avis.

@Ecksterphono 3 жыл бұрын

Hold the saw by the recoil handle and do the rope drop method. If the weight of the saw does not start dropping, your good. If it drops slowly and reaches bottom within a minute suspect suspect scoring piston and bad rings. Do this while run hot and the weight of the saw just drops. Also depending on the bar. You may want to remove the bar and chain to do this test.

@spooncarvingwithtom 4 жыл бұрын

Great vid! I brought a beat up ms 180. Took it all apart freed the stuck rings and sanded the scored piston, cylinder and rings. Put it all back together and doesn’t leak under pressure and vacuum and the compression is 127psi which I thought was really good for such a bad appearance initially! It does start no worries but only ran it for 60 seconds or so just to try it. Seemed good! I want to learn carb tuning so got an aftermarket adjustable carb and wondering with the above info, should I be able to do so with this saw? Or could I run into problems with that saw? Can you pleaseeeeee do a stihl chainsaw tuning tutorial from the very start with where to start the screws, using a tach and your process? That would be amazing. Thanks for your amazing content!!

@9mmkahr 4 жыл бұрын

Check out the channel Steves small engine saloon.. Think that's what it's called. A few easy carb tune vids. Good ole hoosier

@abuzayan1247 4 жыл бұрын

Valuable informations !! Thank you brother

@unclematt3 4 жыл бұрын

This is a great video, great information. Thank you.

@PistonShack 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Don. I always do this ✔.

@tptm100 3 жыл бұрын

Great information, one question, I have a Farm Boss Stihl, can I replace with a larger bar

@viisteist1363 4 жыл бұрын

wow - i looked at the echo chainsaw that i just bought and everything is just super smooth inside :o (has 2 piston rings also) it might have some fuel or oil leak issue tho... because its just oily everywhere(altho the cap was also open a bit) and i think it smelled like petrol when it had a pool under its right side... and the front suspension dampers were just broken/loose... and 1 without a cap even...

@georgikaradimov6901 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Dony, I have stihl ms261 ( non M-tronic) 2018 model and I heard that the models after 2014 have a rev limiter. Is that true and the ignition module have this function?

@tanksoldier9770 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great lesson , I just bought a new craftsman 18 in 42 cc. ,The clutch took a dump in a 1/4 tank of fuel cutting dry cotton wood I took it back and got my refund

@MrUbiquitousTech 4 жыл бұрын

Great tips, thank you!

@BrucesShop 4 жыл бұрын

I have had saws given to me that looked like that. Good video.

@oby-1607 4 жыл бұрын

Never thought about looking under the muffler. Kinda like looking under a skirt before buying. In both cases you might want to run away.

@dangerdavefreestyle 4 жыл бұрын

It'd be nice because as a man the condition of the taco is extremely important while shopping, you dont want to get stuck with a roast beef sandwich even though the complexion and measurements checked out.

@amandagardner565 4 жыл бұрын

Scotsmen call them KILTS, definately best not to look.

@amandagardner565 4 жыл бұрын

@EyeWitnessChina the false advertising goes both ways, when 99% of men think 3cm equals 6 inches. lol

@RockoTheBigEaredWienerDog 4 жыл бұрын

@@amandagardner565 3cm? yikes! I'm a mini Dachshund and I'm hung much lower than that! LMAO! 🤣 Do these same men say "is it in yet"? ROTF!

@rogerkennedy8849 3 жыл бұрын

Thank for the info good to know

@pastorjustin4181 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this info!!! 🏁😎

@DesertDigger1 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Don, good to know.

@darkdelta 4 жыл бұрын

Great information! Thanks

@butler386 4 жыл бұрын

Great information. Yes, that's why I don't buy used equipment. No idea how it was used or abused.

@kirkhutchins4989 4 жыл бұрын

Wish I would've known this before I bought a carberator and fuel system rebuild kit. Installed everything and it wouldn't run right. Broke down and brought it to a small engine shop and the 1st thing he did is take the exhaust off and show me the piston scouring. Said unless I had a parts saw with a good piston just buy another saw. Lesson learned!

@kirkhutchins4989 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the like!!

@Mr3Charlie 4 жыл бұрын

I did not know this! Thank you!

@seansysig 4 жыл бұрын

Great tips. I know at least 3 people that got burned buying used saws.

@radicalron65 3 жыл бұрын

that type of scoring at the exhaust Port is from not letting the Saw come up to temperature at idle ,it's from reving it out immediately after start-up and happens to all brand new saws that are cold started and reved immediately.....let your stuff warm up and this won't happen.....great video by the way

@eagleeye1542 2 жыл бұрын

That'll do it! The new Stihl ms500I R manual says to run three full tanks of fuel through the saw at idle before putting it to use.

@nickl1682 4 жыл бұрын

Good info thanks .

@eagleeye1542 2 жыл бұрын

Got compression ? I recently picked up a project saw. A 1958 Homelite Zip saw. Its supposed to be 4.61ci. I think someone at some point bored it out. As you know the first thing you should always do is check compression. I tried to pull the cord and it wouldn't budge. I first thought oh this is seized. The guy said pull harder. Sure enough holy cow man! I'm going to have to add a decompression valve to this thing! It came with a 30 inch bar. Can't wait to get it running again and eventually restored. Thanks for the video.

@wade8418 2 жыл бұрын

Wow thank you so very much !

@tomstepanowicz6191 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip.

@kennethwestervelt2843 11 ай бұрын

So, perhaps a good idea to bring a compression gauge too as if a seller will not let you disassemble removing a spark plug and doing a compression check can show this issue too - right?

@Jim-ie6uf 4 жыл бұрын

Great video and tips.

@kevinwoodcock7578 4 жыл бұрын

Great tips once again.. Don always has our backs!

@Bettinasisrg 4 жыл бұрын

I live in the PacNW (very close to Cananda) we beat the poop outta our chainsaws) I go to California to buy used chainsaws, preferably the suburbs.

@BilgePump 4 жыл бұрын

Great advice.

@winstonclarke9221 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this tip.

@charleswoods2962 4 жыл бұрын

Really good advice appreciate it

@87GP400 3 жыл бұрын

Short and sweet Info ! Great stuff ....again ! Thanks

@donyboy73 3 жыл бұрын

You bet!

@timhart2652 4 жыл бұрын

Hey Donny you did a video on the 170 for the upgrade for the bar and chain can you shoot me the part numbers that you used I meant cuz the only ones that I can get is going to a bigger clutch a bigger bar.325.50

@74willy81 4 жыл бұрын

Great advice as always! Looks like perhaps an overheating issue as most of the damage occurred on the pto side away from the flywheel/fan. I would not think a pro saw would have the fuel mixed wrong. Working the saw hard immediately after startup in my experience usually shows a different wear pattern than this one which is mostly confined to the hot side of the cylinder, Thanks for giving everyone a good heads up again. Great video, keep it up!

@erichermann7873 4 жыл бұрын

Where do u fill in the oil for the crankcase is it the same as bar oil I'm 82 years old and my saw will not turn over I like to cut my own fire wood thank u you tube

@kxp.1496 4 жыл бұрын

Eric Hermann you just mix the oil in the gas 2 cycle. I know you already know that. And bar oil in the oil side and that’s it. Unless you have some sort of 4 stroke saw

@googleplusisdead 4 жыл бұрын

I'm thinking someone put in new rings to hopefully make the saw usable in spite of the scoring, hence the compression, but those rings won't ever work properly with scored cylinder walls, even if honed out.

@rascorivas 4 жыл бұрын

You are my héroe, Jeep doing videos, you are very good teacher🎶😁

@mrbottomfeeder 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Thank you.

@danhal9966 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks

@lucasdog1 4 жыл бұрын

make sure to use air-cooled 2cycle oil. its made for the high heat produced at the exhaust side of the cylinder. marine oil where there is water cooling wont hold up and will ruin a saw in a hurry

@eugeneoreilly9356 2 жыл бұрын

Marine two stroke oil is usually dyed blue and air-cooled two stroke red here in Europe.

@tonym6920 4 жыл бұрын

Great advice Dony.

@robertmailhos8159 4 жыл бұрын

Great job my Canadian brother 😀 😀 once again thank you for the update on the . buying of used equipment 😀😃😄

@donyboy73 4 жыл бұрын

if u can afford new, it's always better

@robertmailhos8159 4 жыл бұрын

@@donyboy73 that is so true

@Sensei948 3 жыл бұрын

@@donyboy73 oil mix 1:33 ?

@mattb9664 4 жыл бұрын

Intake boots and any sealing interfaces beyond the carburetor should be checked. I had a brand new Echo CS600P which developed a stupid sealing problem because the carb screws into plastic. Basically the plastic stripped, and allowed more air. I was able to repair it with genuine CS8000 parts though and actually improved the mounting.

@jensenwilliam5434 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!!

@wayneyork6282 4 жыл бұрын

About the most thorough and easy to learn from person I know of , Thanks !

@sugargoldy 4 жыл бұрын

Good video thank you young man

@f.demascio1857 4 жыл бұрын

That is by far the best advice.

@johnclarke6647 4 жыл бұрын

If you rebuild that 361 be careful because an am piston can hit the counterweights. I built a huztl 361 this summer and it ran great for 7 tanks and then it ate the piston. It busted off the skirt on both sides and they ended up in the crankcase and bent the rod. I had to replace the cylinder, piston, crank and both seals plus a few other parts. When I rebuilt it I coated the counter weights with assembly lube and put the piston , cylinder on loose and rolled the crank around four or five times. Wherever I had assembly lube on the piston I received it with my Dremel too. After four or five fittings I had sufficient clearance between the piston and the counterweight. I also trimmed the skirt length on the piston so they were identical in length. There was several thousandths difference when I started this process. I now have 7 tanks on the new cylinder and it is no longer kissing the crank.

@donegal1983 4 жыл бұрын

That’s a great tip on buying secondhand 👍

@NoName-db5tc 4 жыл бұрын

knowing that shit I'll buy one new thanks for the input

@jamesmullins3219 4 жыл бұрын

excellent video & advice

@paulmorrey733 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Don

@nickpinder3047 3 жыл бұрын

Great video thank you

@bernardshelton7349 3 жыл бұрын

Another great video as always!

@davidingram1536 3 жыл бұрын

Good advice

@jamesmarks8099 2 жыл бұрын

When I sell my chainsaws I always squirt some gear oil into the spark plug hole to restore compression! 😂😂

@fire7765 4 жыл бұрын

Great tip Don

@allankennedy3931 4 жыл бұрын

thanks

@scottfirman 4 жыл бұрын

Some times the scoring adds to the drag in the cylinder. I never judge a chain saw by compression. I find the number one reason for damage on a chainsaw us lack of oil in the fuel. By running it with lack of oil it boosts power which burns the piston and scores the cylinder. Sometimes you can take out the plug and see down the cylinder with a bright pen light or bore sight light. I actually carry a bore sight on light with me in my glove box. I have had several guys give me chainsaws they just dont want to mess with simply because they won't start. A carb rebuild kit later and they are ready to go again. Good tips for guys looking for deals. Generally, if the saw is really dirty and abused looking, it's not worth buying. The chain and bar is usually trash.

@donyboy73 4 жыл бұрын

exactly

@sqnkata_bg8653 4 жыл бұрын

the best...💪thanks to you I know all this...

@Wayoutthere 4 жыл бұрын

Taking the muffler off might not be OK for owners, how reasonable it might be because you might damage the threads, break a bolt etc. I'd recommend buying one of those small USB inspection camera's that you hook up to your phone, and look inside the combustion chamber trough the spark plug port.

@andreasheij 4 жыл бұрын

If you're lucky you can also check for scoring by looking through the carb. With an endoscope you should be able to do so...

@j.chrisbeck7492 4 жыл бұрын

If a seller won't allow you to remove the muffler, sometimes the best thing to do is simply walk away at that moment..... In many cases, they will change their mind, or it if they don't, it may mean that they are hiding something, so either way, is not a bad thing. Also, this gives wiggle room for negotiations.

@bobtay214 4 жыл бұрын

@sparky12x ask the seller to take it off problem solved :)

@timhallas4275 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, right. I'd spend $150 so I could save $50 on a chainsaw.

@integr8er66 4 жыл бұрын

I have one of those scope cameras and you can't see crap with it

@larrymunday7519 4 жыл бұрын

I always run more oil than factory recommendation in order to get some life out of the saw. The EPA recommendations are why we are at 50:1 fuel mix. I will run 40:1 or 32:1 mix and tune the carb to run that.

@garrettstevensen2467 4 жыл бұрын

larry munday exactly 100% correct. We ran what manufacture suggested of 50:1. Couldn’t figure out why we kill 1 blower, line trimmer, hedge trimmer and saw EVERY YEAR. Went to 40:1 and now it’s stolen before it dies. You cannot kill them at 40:1 or 32:1. Never seen a carbon fouled spark plug either. It does smoke just a hair more...

@j.chrisbeck7492 4 жыл бұрын

I like using a little extra oil too. Just try not to get too much though.....junks things up a bit

@whitelightning3263 4 жыл бұрын

@@garrettstevensen2467 never knew you could run your 2 strokes with more oil, thanks for that advise.

@JeffsLittleEngineService 4 жыл бұрын

Good tips

@antoniosa1115 4 жыл бұрын

Boa dica pormenor que poucos sabem. Abraço de Portugal

@Blazer02LS 4 жыл бұрын

I've seen them scored more when people mix the fuel with ethanol in the gas. That booze makes the saw run hotter even if you have an adjustable carb and richen it a bit. I would say to mix at 40:1 if you cannot get ethanol free or use something like trufuel.

@j.chrisbeck7492 4 жыл бұрын

Bull crap. I have been using E10 since it came out. The drawback to this is short storage life....runs fine on 40:1

@thanos9846 4 жыл бұрын

I "bought" a mid 90s poulan six/seven some odd years ago for a six pack of beer. Added a carb kit and it has run flawlessly since. Runs all day without so much as a hiccup. Almost always second pull and she fires up, cold or hot. Luck of the draw I guess. Nice video, keep it up!