How To Fix A Chainsaw That Won't Start

Steve… you’re the man.
🙏🙏🙏🙏 ✌️✌️✌️✌️

First thing is go back to what was done before the problem started and think about it
Did you drop it , add fuel, change air filter etc

I have a chainsaw that runs fine. Used 4-5 times.
Problem kill switch stops but then prevents starting. I am sure the metal is bent wrong, but cannot find how it should be.

Steve, thanks for your videos. Keep it up.

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon
Hey buddy , love the channel and am a huge fan from the U.K . Just wondering ..
Have you ever experienced in all your years a runaway chainsaw ?
I’ve got a 455 Rancher which while I was cutting firewood yesterday just started going mental absolute full throttle and then some , my hand and off the throttle and it was still going full pelt .
Managed to kill it with the stop switch but jees that was scary .
Anywho , can’t find much info on this anywhere ..
could you possibly make a video on this ?
Much love & respect for what you do .

Where is chansaw brether for husqvarna

I have a stihl 009 L. What are the two hoses in the carburetor compartment?
Love your vids, nerver stop.

So..i watched the vids all of those tips didn't work sadly, so one more thing I can think of, could it be a bad gasket that keeps my chainsaw from starting?

Hi Steve, my chainsaw has proper spark and compression. I cannot get it to start. I hit the bulb but it does not appear to pull fuel through the carb. The fuel lines look good and are not cracked and the filter is in good shape. Could you point me in the direction if I should change the bulb or rebuild the carb. If I feed fuel directly into the carb it will start and run until it consumes all that fuel. Just looking for ideas.

I’m a retired arborist 45 years of small engine innovation by manufacturers used them all ! Anyways spare time a fair bit of knowledge small engine 2 stroke & 4 your videos super helpful very informative a nice added touch to the knowledge I already have greatly appreciated ! Most recent scenario my Stihl HS 81R Hedger parked for quite a few years changed hardened fuel lines inside & outside tank wanting to lift carb off for maintenance no luck tried all my 1/4 inch drive sockets boy 8 mil sure seems like the appropriate size googled Stihl about the issue very surprised about the reply to take a 8 mil socket and grind off the OD ( outside wall ) of socket so it fits in the dust cover so to speak as nuts are recessed into cover and plastic to close to allow standard socket placement on nuts for carb removal ! Well let me tell ya I never would have guessed and sure enough that turned out to be the fix ( remedy ) for carb mounting nuts removal ! Thought I would share that with ya ! LOL ! Mark from Ontario 🇨🇦 ! Looking forward to viewing & learning from more of your upcoming videos 👍

Keep the comments coming? Even the smartass ones?

!

Enjoy the videos Steve ,
Would like to see a more in depth carb rebuild as they can get plugged up if sitting etc
Tips on cleaning a tough one !
Thanks again and will subscribe pronto

Your videos are awesome brother. Neatly laid out and well explained. I fixed the chain saw tension issue and now got engine problem. Videos are helping ! Thanks much

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction

here are more tips some of the most common issues with 2 stroke engines

1. sometimes you get spark but it wont be enough to start the engine, check your magneto make sure its close enough to the flywheel to get the best spark, try to get it as close as you can without rubbing. use sand paper between the spark plugs gap and test other spark plugs to see if you need a new coil. sand the magnetic part of the flywheel and all the metal on the coil everything should look shiny new, you should even sand the ground wire and mounting points

2. drop test the engine to check that the piston and cylinder isn't destroyed or worn out so much that it wont build proper compression, another way to check is put your thumb over the spark plug hole and turn the engine over a few times, if it cant push your thumb off the hole than you have low compression. sometimes you will pull it over and hear the sound of the piston going up and the sound of air escaping from broken gasket or bypassing the rings

3. check the gas tank to make sure the filter isn't clogged, clean out the gas tank of any water, mix the proper fuel mixture and add a stabilizer to the gas like seafoam then purge the whole system with the primer bulb

4. clean out the carb with compressed air and carb cleaner, it can get full of so much dirt that your engine will struggle to start and run. make sure to completely unscrew the adjusting screws and blow out the holes with compressed air and carb clean. if your engine still struggles to run its probably got low compression or needs new diaphragms and gaskets which are cheap

5. pull the exhaust off and remove any carbon buildup you can see that will restrict airflow and destroy your motor. clean out the exhaust listen for any loose rust shaking around in the exhaust remove it, will get pulled back into the combustion chamber and destroy your motor. If lots of oil leaks out of your exhaust when its running that means your mixture is too rich or more likely your compression is shit and your motor will need more work

Fuel filter is always overlooked

was really looking how to just start a new one. Mine is a pain and a lot of work does not get done because it's so hard to start. Super hard to just pull cord on first try. Also why does my chain oil leak out when just sitting/ Brand new. A old guy only has so many pulls in him.

Steve you also forgot to say the Vent can be a problem, also The impulse line if the engine is old. Stihls are know for using a yellow vent line that goes bad after time and that can crumble break.

First of all I have to say a huge "Thank You Steve"-you're an amazing tutor.
I am not very experienced chainsaw user and I've been struggling starting my "Stiga" chainsaw ever since it was brand new (approx 3 month).
Finally there was this time I was about to give up and let my hands down and just dump the chainsaw into the rubbish bin.I then found Steve's videos and suddenly it all became clear!
Thanks to Steve who is the best in explaining technical manuals and usage failures-after watching his lessons I suddenly understood minor but terrible mistakes I've been making and now I can start my chainsaw in no time...great guy-good teacher and professional who knows how to deliver some practical advice to those who aren't so professional.Again-thank You for saving me from my suffer..💪👍
Best of luck with sharing Your advices-ppl need You!.
Thanks,respect and greetings from Finland 🤘

You da man 👍

Steve my man 🤠🤙👍👋👋💯Nice 😊👌👌👌👌

....you can get .... any-thing you want .... at Alice's Restaurant....
.....just a half a mile from the railroad track....
....let's all sing it now.... in four part harmony.... ( it helps if you've had at least 9 beers first).....

just go watch every video you’ve put out lol

Great video Steve. If only I had watched prior to embarking on the repair of my McCulloch CS360. It wouldn’t start so of course I didn’t check the condition of the piston. I rebuilt the carburettor, replaced the carburettor. Thought the spark was mild so replaced the spark plug. Then I watched your video (see where the order is messed up) where I saw to check the piston by removing muffler. I thought I was looking at beetle juice in there. Vertical stripes and deep scores. At least I know what’s wrong now. Spent a few more hours and dollars than necessary but I learned a lot.

My chainsaw just randomly stopped working and I couldn't figure out why but I eventually found out I just slightly didn't have enough oil in my gas and it kept flooding didn't realize how much the right mixture mattered

Steve this video is redundant you are beating around the bush

Hi i have a Stihl 039 ,problem cord won’t turn over ,when plug is out it will

Great videos. Even when my machines are running, I enjoy checking out your videos! :)

I have a Husqvarna 460 rancher that lost spark due to have oil an saw dust built up to the point it lost spark. Ok I cleaned all that an fly wheel an put back together an now I have good spark again.. but it will not start I know the carb is probably stopped up wer it had old gas In it. But hers my delima I've tried poring gas in the head with no luck on starting an I used eather/starting fluid still no luck with starting. I'm at a loss I know the carb is mainly the issue but usually they fier when fuel is put down the head. No hurry on this just side project but any info would be greatly appreciated... thanks in advance..

Excellent Steve...but ALE, not plain beer. PULEEEZE.

Hey Steve, are there any beers you haven't tried?😜

Hi steve. How do you take the fan off from the gas blower?

threw my 2 cyc in the trash and bought a 20 volt dewalt and my arm and shoulder feel much better

Your advice was excellent! Had flooded the Stihl chainsaw carb and you helped fix it. Thank you!

I have a small poulan and I rebuilt the carb, installed a new gas line and filter. Changed the spark plug and made sure it had a spark. It has compression. It still doesn't start. It fires when I use starter build but that is all. Any suggestions?

I have a chain saw that won't start endless you hold the throttle. When cold i choke with a couple of pulls and it starts and dies. Turn the choke off and it will start and stop two or three times and then it won't start till I hold the throttle open. Once started it runs fine. Any ideas?

i like instructional videos where people dont waste time and just start talking about the subject.

Steve, love your videos, I always learn something. I have been through your vid library and have not seen the issue I’m struggling with. My Husky 460 Rancher starts just fine when cold and runs well while cutting.

The saw is very difficult to restart while it is still hot. It behaves as if it is flooded ( 20 or so pulls to restart), the longer it sits the harder it is to restart.

Once it is cold again it starts without issue.

What am I missing? Thx!

OK, I quit on chainsaws. Next time I am buying an electric chainsaw. 2 cycle chainsaws are the worst, they never start when you need them. The last 2 cycle engine I had from Echo blew the piston head into pieces on its second summer of use. There has to be a better way.

Great video steve, thanks for the troubleshooting guide!

Right on hope you’re going to get millions of Subscribers great videos great information thank you 👍🏻

Mega helpful, fixed my chainsaw right up 🚀 Cheers from Spain 🍻

Thanks Steve this worked for me with my Stihl MS250 yesterday exactly as demonstrated! Great to learn after much frustration with non-starting chainsaws! The only difference was that my starter cord was much stiffer and jerkier to pull than it appeared to be in your example. I did not drain fuel through the sparkplug first, so perhaps I had an issue with hydrolock too. Thanks for your videos - great content!

Hey steve couldnt find video on fuel line routing...fuel line sizes and the reason you can have 2 differant size lines in your tool....pinching when pulling etc... Thanks bro love all your stuff always

Thanks!

Ever had any Rockboss concrete chainsaw into the shop Steve. A have brand new bloody nightmare to start that decompression valve pops out fairly jars wrist when the cord jambs.

Funny story this week had a chainsaw bought new used for around a month on and off and suddenly it didn't want to Rev high so my dad cleaned the carb jets ect and still I didn't want to fire bought a air filter and a spark plug and still it didn't want to start after weeks of confusion dad had enough and threw it out the door on the ground and it started for a few seconds then stopped we then got high hopes so we took the muffler off and found out that there was a crud filter that got clogged so it created too much back pressure therfore not allowing it to run 🤦‍♂️

My son's echo CS590 won't start. Purchased coil ignition twice thinking faulti ignition coil changed spark plug still nothing. The saw is still new purchased Dec 11th 2021.

But right now I'm getting some problems with my carburetor