When you have a big job to do and you really want to crack on, nothing can be more frustrating than a chainsaw that won't start. Chainsaw starting problems are one of the most annoying things to a chainsaw user.
Professional arborists and tree surgeons who have spent thousands of hours operating a chainsaw will tell you that starting a chainsaw is not an art but a science and in this article we go through the best practices.
Your chainsaw will be in 3 different states and depending on which, there is a different technique to use.
1. The Cold Chainsaw
In this state your chainsaw is ‘cold’ and has not been running for 10 minutes or longer, up to a year or more. In this situation you need to:
- a. Put the saw into the ON position
- b. Pull out and activate the choke
- c. Pull the starter rope until it fires
- d. Now push in the choke and pull the rope again.
Note: On Stihl brand chainsaws, the choke/run switch has 4 positions. Start by using the bottom position for first fire. Second from bottom for second fire. Then use the run position (3rd from bottom).
2. The Hot Chainsaw
In this state your chainsaw is ‘hot’ meaning is it has just recently been running, maybe under 10 minutes. In this situation you:
- a. Don’t touch the choke. The choke stays in.
- b. Turn on the saw and pull the rope
- c. Never choke a hot chainsaw.
Note: On Stihl brand saws use the run position on the 4 position switch (3rd from the bottom). No Choke.
3. A chainsaw that has run out of fuel and has just been refuelled
In this situation you treat it just as you would a cold chainsaw.
- a. Make sure the saw is in the ON position
- b. Pull the choke out, activating it.
- c. Pull the rope until it fires
- d. Now push the choke in and pull the rope again
With a properly running chainsaw, these techniques should work. If they don’t, replace the spark plug and fuel filter. If that still doesn’t work, take the saw to a mechanic and get it looked at.