[Geoff]

Any tricks to make starting a Stihl easy?

I have had an 028 for 20 years. It always starts but never easy. Many pulls. This spring it didn't start. Now starts sometimes but has to warm up for 10 minutes at trigger lock speed. Any attempt at changing speed before warm kills engine. Yesterday started. Today no start. After many pulls plug was dry.

Needing a reliable saw, I got a MS 250 last spring. Floods very easy. I think it sees me coming and drinks a tsp of gas. Seller told me to pull until hear one sputter then un choke. Sometimes works but sometimes flooded at that point. The one sputter is not easy to detect.

Today I took both saws out to finish the job I started yesterday and neither would start. New saw flooded. Old saw no fuel.

The old saw is probably dead, but any hints at starting the new saw reliably?

Thanks

Geoff

 

[tractornut]

Not sure why the new one floods so easily but the old one sounds like its time for a fuel filter, fuel lines, and a carb kit

 

[Geoff]

I may have found a problem with the new saw. However, I dont' know what is supposed to happen so I don't know if what I'm seeing is a problem. Watching the choke flapper; with the choke in the starting position, (black button/lever full down) then move the lever up one notch to run/partial choke and the choke flapper doesn't move. It appears to stay in full choke. When I manually moved the choke flapper to open but left the throttle trigger locked in partial open it started. What should the choke flapper be doing in the second from bottom position?

Is the old one worth putting money into? It's 22 yo and has spent a lot of its time sitting in a damp barn. It was difficult to start in cold weather from the start. Is there a way of assessing the health of the block/pistons/rings/ etc.?