1. Frontline Firefighter
I have been getting a lot of chainsaws in recently with ‘saw will not start’ on the
repair tag. I can usually startmost of these saws in one to three pulls without
doing any more than putting the saw on high idle, with the choke off, and tugging
at the pull cord. I can get these saws started so easily mainly because they are
only flooded.
Now let’s go over the proper starting procedurefor a Stihl chainsaw.
To reduce the risk of fire and burn injuries start the engine at least ten feet from
the fueling spot, outdoors only.
To reduce the risk of injury, the chain brakemust be engaged when starting the
saw.
Do not drop start. This method is very dangerous becauseyou may lose control
of the saw.
There are two recommended methods for starting your chain saw. With both
methods the choke setting is used for starting a cold saw wherethe high idle
position is used for starting a warmsaw.
With the firstrecommended method the chain saw is started on the ground,
chain brakeengaged. Grip the front handlebar with your left hand and press
down. Place the toe of your right boot in the rear handle and press down. With
your right hand pull out the starter ropeuntil you feel a definite resistance and
then give it a brisk, strong pull stopping before you reach the end of the rope’s
length…so you don’tyank the rope out.
With the second recommended method the chain brake is engaged, the front
handle of the chain saw is firmly gripped with your left hand and you keep your
arm in a locked (straight) position. Hold the rear handle of the saw tightly
between your legs justabove the knees. With your right hand pull out the starter
rope until you feel a definite resistanceand then give it a brisk, strong pull

2. stopping before you reach the end of the rope’s length…so you don’t yank the
rope out.
In both starting procedures, you setthe choke and pull the starter cord until the
saw rumblesor attempts to start, then take the chokeoff and pull the starter cord
again until the saw starts in high idle, then quickly blip the throttle to take the saw
off high idle or you will damage the clutches. Moto Mix does not rumble like
gasoline does so you may not hear it with your ear-pro in. Do not pull the chain
saw more than twice on chokeor you will flood the engine. If you flood the
engine, take the plug out, dry it off, pull the saw over ten or twelve times with the
plug out, put the plug back in and startit on high idle only, no choke. You may
have to pull the starter cord fifteen or twenty times on high idle to get that
flooded saw started but it’s better than placing it out of service for two weeks or
more. Onceyou get your flooded saw started on high idle, blip the throttle to
return to low idle, quickly remove the chain brake and grab a handfulof throttle
again to clear out all of that fuel fromthe cylinder. Hold the throttle trigger wide
open with the saw in a safeposition for thirty seconds or more until all the excess
fuel has been expelled from the cylinder and the saw will idle normally again and
you can apply the chain brake. Do not let your saw sit on the apron and idle, it
will eventually overheat.
Under normalcheck-off procedures, oncethe saw has started for you, take the
chain brakeoff, rev it up a few times, reset the chain brakeand shutthe saw off -
do not let it sit on the apron and idle. These chain saws are2 cycle air cooled
engines. They are cooled by fuel and the air that comes off the flywheel. If you
let them sit on the apron and idle, they will eventually overheat and scorethe
cylinder and piston, eventually damaging a very expensive saw. In my opinion, it’s
a waste of fuel but more importantly you are damaging a saw you will someday
need to depend on while standing atop a roof somewhere.
Thank you for your attention.