New-ish chainsaw owner. What to keep on hand, and how much of what?

[thorborg]

I had a Mac 10-10 with a 36" bar I bought well used, for over 40 years, much of that time We heated with wood so used it regularly, the next ten a new Sthil Arborist 16 " blade used not so much now. Both started / start within three pulls, Always, (though some times four or five on a frozen day for the Mac).
I attributed it to not keeping gas in it when not in use by draining out the gas tank and running out the reservoir till dry after each use. I never needed more than a one gallon regular gas can 2 cycle mixed and Stabil. One gallon will last way longer than you 'll want to work. Its a rugged little metal can likely not approved any longer but not going any where. Late in life, and little use, the gas has lasted for years and still fires it up without any issue. I tried to guess the amount of fuel each time I used it to just put in a minimum amount to avoid throwing any out.
Every small engine I have received the same treatment except the lawn mower in season. Tiller, leaf blower, weed Wacker, generator, out board motor, and for a while, a chipper. All responded kindly when starting, I believe for the drain and run out reason.
Unless you are a logger, it should last many years if you Keep the unit clean, don't cut into dirt, make sure the chain has the correct deflection and the oil reservoir filled to keep the chain and bar cool and run it dry before wiping it down when you put it away. .

Oh, if you are cutting a lot of pitchy stuff like pine or wind stressed fir, a little pint bottle of turpentine or stove oil to clean the bar and shoe when wiping it down is nice to have.

 

[P7M13]

And beware loaning a perfectly functioning saw to itinerant saw-buddies who really DON'T know how to treat 'em..........

Also applies to mowers, chippers, weed whips, hedge trimmers, post hole diggers. Really, *any* powered equipment.
I've gotten back bent crank shafts, seized motors, severely dull blades, and items not returned.

 

[Stomper]

Safety gear?

Chaps. Helmet with face guard and muffs.

Wedges?

Tourniquets, sutures, pressure dressings, clotting agent, shelf-life blood plasma…….

 

[Jbsheepdog]

I had a Mac 10-10 with a 36" bar I bought well used, for over 40 years, much of that time We heated with wood so used it regularly, the next ten a new Sthil Arborist 16 " blade used not so much now. Both started / start within three pulls, Always, (though some times four or five on a frozen day for the Mac).
I attributed it to not keeping gas in it when not in use by draining out the gas tank and running out the reservoir till dry after each use. I never needed more than a one gallon regular gas can 2 cycle mixed and Stabil. One gallon will last way longer than you 'll want to work. Its a rugged little metal can likely not approved any longer but not going any where. Late in life, and little use, the gas has lasted for years and still fires it up without any issue. I tried to guess the amount of fuel each time I used it to just put in a minimum amount to avoid throwing any out.
Every small engine I have received the same treatment except the lawn mower in season. Tiller, leaf blower, weed Wacker, generator, out board motor, and for a while, a chipper. All responded kindly when starting, I believe for the drain and run out reason.
Unless you are a logger, it should last many years if you Keep the unit clean, don't cut into dirt, make sure the chain has the correct deflection and the oil reservoir filled to keep the chain and bar cool and run it dry before wiping it down when you put it away. .

Oh, if you are cutting a lot of pitchy stuff like pine or wind stressed fir, a little pint bottle of turpentine or stove oil to clean the bar and shoe when wiping it down is nice to have.

I saw an old man that did a lot of logging use wd-40 in a spray bottle to wipe down his saw. It took the pitch and sap off really well! I'll probably follow suit.

 

[Certaindeaf]

And dont forget the axe.

Absolutely. Klein makes a good bit guard.. $12 Amazon.

 

[richief]

Get some fuel line, they crack, and a pair of hemostats, they really help feed the line. A couple in tank filters, air filter. A tachometer suitable for saws, for tuning carb, most damage to saws is running too lean.
Keep your eye out for another saw, a rescue saw, for if, when yours gets stuck.

 

[arakboss]

Ibuprofen

 

[vanlab]

And ar14 t9 attach it to?

 

[oremike]

Keep your kid/dog in the truck when the saw is running. You need to pay 100% attention to what you are doing.
If you are bucking a Peavey is a very handy tool. Again keep the kid/dog away when rolling logs and be careful yourself.

 

[Jbsheepdog]

Keep your kid/dog in the truck when the saw is running. You need to pay 100% attention to what you are doing.
If you are bucking a Peavey is a very handy tool. Again keep the kid/dog away when rolling logs and be careful yourself.

Understood, I don't cut by myself. So when the saw is running, the wife or my dad is on kid duty. And it is an understanding that they be FAR away.

 

[Martini_Up]

bought a Stihl? I can tell from all the spare parts everyone is suggesting. Do like I did and just buy a second spare saw

 

[Nwcid]

For "spares" or to have on hand you need the same things you need for any other items that runs on gas.

For "preparedness" you need even more stuff. How much stuff will depend on what you are preparing for.

I know you mentioned skip chain. In the future consider going for full comp chain, it works much better. Skip was designed for use on landings where the chance of hitting dirt/rocks is high and quick sharpening is essential. With that said the biggest enemy for your saw and consumables (bar/chain) is running dull. It causes excessive heat build up making everything work harder.

I know many said a file or two. If you are going to be using the saw very often, you need a box of files. Round files are usually only good for a few sharpening, another consumable. Even on my UTV Dewalt 16" 60v saw I carry a spare chain and 2 files. In the "wood cutting" kit there is usually a full dozen.

Our business use to sell over 100,000' of chain/year and I have sharpened thousands of chains for business, as a logger and for fire wood. I now own a pellet stove. The store loads 3 tons of pellets on the trailer, I drive home and unload the pallets with the tractor. All my wood is done in under 2 hours.

 

[Jbsheepdog]

For "spares" or to have on hand you need the same things you need for any other items that runs on gas.

For "preparedness" you need even more stuff. How much stuff will depend on what you are preparing for.

I know you mentioned skip chain. In the future consider going for full comp chain, it works much better. Skip was designed for use on landings where the chance of hitting dirt/rocks is high and quick sharpening is essential. With that said the biggest enemy for your saw and consumables (bar/chain) is running dull. It causes excessive heat build up making everything work harder.

I know many said a file or two. If you are going to be using the saw very often, you need a box of files. Round files are usually only good for a few sharpening, another consumable. Even on my UTV Dewalt 16" 60v saw I carry a spare chain and 2 files. In the "wood cutting" kit there is usually a full dozen.

Our business use to sell over 100,000' of chain/year and I have sharpened thousands of chains for business, as a logger and for fire wood. I now own a pellet stove. The store loads 3 tons of pellets on the trailer, I drive home and unload the pallets with the tractor. All my wood is done in under 2 hours.

I like a pellet stove as well but they no work when the power goes out

 

[gmerkt]

Lots of good advice here. I can add a few things that may or may not help.

The Stihl MS290 is a great workhorse saw. I also have an MS180C with a 16 inch bar. Of course I use the 290 for the bigger stuff, but I like the 180 for smaller work. If my 20 inch bar isn't big enough, I hire the work out.

It sounds like OP is a homeowner type, may be dealing with grounded logs more often than not. This is where saw chains get destroyed by going into the dirt. Good idea to get a Peavey. In days gone by, you could buy them cheaply at the swap meet, now, you'll probably have to pay good money for one.

The quantity of files, yes, those are consumable and you probably should keep more than a few around. I consider the files good for dressing the saw chain, but sometimes they have to be reground. Which I used to take to the saw shop and pay money for. But now I can buy them on ebay for the same or less than a sharpening. They seem to work as well for me.

Don't over-tighten the bar nuts, you can stretch the stud which will have to be replaced before you can use the saw again.

Plastic wedges, keep them in your pocket for when a kerf closes up. Always be aware of the physics involved of what you are cutting so as to try to avoid sticking your saw in the kerf.

I need to replace the sprocket actually.

When you said your Stihl has an Oregon bar, this was suggestive that it was higher hours unit since the original bar had been replaced. My 290 has the original bar on it, hasn't been used commercially but has seen a lot of use. Formerly I used regular bar oil. But I have a lot of Type F automatic transmission fluid left over from my automotive days and started using this. Plus some odds and ends of various engine oils. It all seemed to work. Because they are thinner fluids, they work through more quickly, but I've got lots of it to use up so that isn't an issue here. When you think about it, ATF protects and lubricates a lot of spinning metal parts in a hot automatic transmission, so how can it harm your chain and bar? There is a website (or two or three) for fanatic wood burners (build big boilers in their back yard, etc), like gun fanatics, they discuss this stuff thoroughly. About half of them say never use ATF, the other half say use it, no problem.

But using engine oil or ATF is only if you have some on hand to use up or in an emergency; since these cost so much these days, they have no price advantage over new bar oil.

Keeping the bar clean helps to ensure that your oil flow to the chain is unrestricted. Always look at those little passages in the bar.

When your saw won't run and you take it in to the Stihl dealer, expect to pay minimum $100 for the visit, no matter what is wrong with it. A fact that has caused me to become my own repairman, so some extent. Especially considering that I have a couple of Stihl gas blowers and a weed trimmer. The engines all basically work the same way. I hate to make the following endorsement, but we have to watch our pocketbooks. What I've discovered is that you can buy knock-off Stihl replacement parts from China that in my experience anyway, work just as well. And if they don't work, you can get your money back through ebay. So you don't have too much to lose aside from your time. I've used a knock-off carburetor and a gyppo ignition coil, both with good results and at a fraction of the cost.

Many years ago before I had Stihl equipment, I had a Homelite saw that someone gave me. It was more of a curse than a gift. I spent more time trying to get it to run than I got cutting done.

I haven't bought any 2 cycle oil for a long time. The county solid waste hazmat center has a little room where they put out usable but non-hazardous chemicals for a second time around. I've gotten very many cans of 2 cycle oil there that other people have turned in. It all seems to work as well as genuine Stihl brand; I tend to mix it a hair on the rich side just because.

 

[Unicykle]

Besides the usual extras, bar, chain, plug,filter, gas oil cap,wedges, tools, pull cord, chaps, good hatchet. I bought an extra stihl ms170 when they go on sale for a buck fifty so I could cut my big saw out when it binds. A landscaper buddy says stay away from true fuel. He only runs husqvarna oil. I drain the fuel from mine and idle it dry when it may not be used till next year.

 

[Tony617]

I put stabilize in my gas so I fill the gas tank full before storing for wintertime. I have lawnmower, a 4 cycle gas edger/string trimmer. My lawnmower starts in 3 or 4 pulls. My MS250 Stihl chainsaw I keep the gas tank full and use it every so often. I only have a gallon of gas for it and spare 2 cycle oil. I have a Jerry can that use to refill the lawnmower gas can or chainsaw gas can. I add a bottle of 2 cycle oil to the chainsaw can before filling it. I put stabilize in the jerrycan before refilling it.

 

[Nwcid]

I like a pellet stove as well but they no work when the power goes out

There are lots of solutions for that. We have frequent outages.

 

[Martini_Up]

Unless you're felling trees on your own property, all the regs I've ever seen regarding firewood cutting on public land has required it be on the ground. It is usually in an area previously logged and the outfit who logged it is required by contract to pile up the culls for firewood cutters

 

[Jbsheepdog]

There are lots of solutions for that. We have frequent outages.

I'd be interested in hearing some

 

[Nwcid]

I'd be interested in hearing some

Our primary is a 3500 watt generator that sits on the porch and I wried in a transfer switch. It also provides power to my shop for the overhead propane furnace. Of course it powers the fridge, some lights and our internet (remote work).

For our secondary I can run it off my RV which has a large battery/inverter/solar bank.

For those that do not have those options, a car battery or two and a small inverter will run for a couple of days. There are even places that sell prebuilt units.