Every year, around the second week of September, the phone starts ringing. Someone has pulled the saw out of the shed for the first time since spring, given the starter cord a dozen pulls, and got nothing. Or worse, it started fine and then cut like it was chewing rather than slicing.
Firewood season in Edmonton runs from about now until the ground freezes hard. If you are planning to put up a few cords before winter, twenty minutes spent on the saw this week will save you a frustrating Saturday next month.
Here is what we would check, in the order we would check it.
A dull chain is the single most common reason a saw feels underpowered. People assume the engine is tired when the cutting edge is simply worn.
The test is straightforward. Make a cut in a clean log and look at what comes off. A sharp chain throws chips, small square pieces of wood you could pick up between your fingers. A dull chain produces fine sawdust, almost like powder. If you are seeing dust, stop cutting. You are not just working harder than you need to, you are putting heat into the bar and the powerhead.
Other signs worth knowing:
We sharpen chains here in the shop, and we do it on a machine rather than by hand, which means every cutter comes off at the same angle and the same length. Bring the saw in or just the chain, whichever is easier. Most are done same day.
If you have been sharpening it yourself for a few seasons and it never quite comes back, the chain may simply be finished. There is a wear line marked on the cutters, and once you reach it the chain is done regardless of how well you sharpen it.
Turn the bar over and look at the rails, the two edges the chain rides on. They should be square and even. If one rail is worn lower than the other, or the edges have burred over, that is what is making the saw cut crooked, not the chain.
Check the groove is clear too. Sawdust and old bar oil pack into it over a season and stop oil reaching the chain. A flat screwdriver or a bar groove cleaner will clear it out in a minute.
While you are there, flip the bar. Running it the same way up for its whole life wears one rail far faster than the other, and flipping it each season roughly doubles how long it lasts.
Stale fuel is the reason most saws will not start in the autumn.
Gasoline starts breaking down after about thirty days. In a two stroke saw that has sat since April, the fuel in the tank and the carburettor has been degrading for months. It gums up jets, it clogs filters, and in a small engine that is enough to stop it running entirely.
If the saw has been sitting with fuel in it:
Ethanol makes this worse, because it attracts moisture and separates over time. Premixed fuel costs more per litre but it stores for years rather than weeks, and for a saw you use in bursts it often works out cheaper than replacing a carburettor.
If yours is already gummed up, that is a carburettor clean rather than a rebuild in most cases. We handle repairs for all makes in our own workshop, whether or not you bought the saw from us.
Three quick ones.
The air filter should be clean enough to see light through. A blocked filter makes the saw run rich, which means it bogs down under load and fouls the plug. Most lift out without tools.
The spark plug should be a light tan colour at the tip. Black and sooty means it has been running rich. Wet means fuel is not burning. Either way a new plug costs a few dollars and takes two minutes.
The chain brake is the one people skip, and it is the one that matters most. Push the guard forward and confirm the chain locks solidly. Then pull it back and confirm the chain runs freely. If it feels vague or sticky, bring the saw in. A chain brake that does not engage properly is not a maintenance issue, it is a safety issue.
Sometimes it genuinely is not. If you are looking at a new carburettor, a new bar, a new chain and a clutch on a saw that owes you nothing, the money is better spent elsewhere.
For firewood, most Edmonton homeowners are well served by something in the middle of the homeowner and semi pro range. The STIHL MS 271 Farm Boss is the one we sell most of for exactly this job. The MS 250 handles a few cords a year comfortably. If you are cutting larger diameter wood or working through a lot of it, the MS 291 or MS 391 have the power to keep going.
If you are running a saw hard and want more out of it, ask us about Bakerization. It is a performance modification we developed here, and it makes a saw smoother, more powerful and cooler running. We warranty Bakerized STIHL and Husqvarna saws to the same standard as the manufacturers cover their stock machines.
Most chainsaw injuries happen to people cutting firewood on their own property, not to professionals.
Wear chaps. Wear eye and ear protection. Wear boots. Keep both hands on the saw. Do not cut above shoulder height. And be careful with wood under tension, because a log that is bearing weight will move when you cut it, and it will move faster than you can.
We carry protective equipment from Petzl and Sherrill Tree, and we are happy to talk you through what you actually need rather than selling you everything on the shelf.
If you are not sure whether the saw is worth fixing, bring it in and we will tell you honestly. We have been doing this in Edmonton since the 1960s, and we sold our first STIHL chainsaw in December 1959.
Timberland Supply Inc. 11010 Mayfield Rd NW, Edmonton, AB T5P 4B6 780-452-1863 sales@timberlandsupply.ca
Monday to Friday 8.00am to 5.00pm, Saturday 9.00am to 2.00pm. Closed Sunday.
Found a better price somewhere else? Come and see us in store and we will beat it.
