It’s important for homeowners to know how to prepare their chainsaws before use in order to get the most out of it. In this blog post, we will discuss one of the most common problems with chainsaws: when they’re hard to start when cold. This problem can be avoided through proper preparation, which includes lubricating your chain and filling up your gas tank before using the saw.
Many homeowners have had chainsaws that are hard to start when it’s cold. This happens because the fuel and oil get too thick for them to move through the engine smoothly.
Here we will detail some tips on how you can prevent this from happening, as well as what you should do if your chainsaw fails to start up just when you plan on using it.
Why is your chainsaw hard to start when cold:
The main reasons why your chainsaw is often hard to start when cold are;
- Fuel and oil get too thick when they’re cold.
When your chainsaw has been sitting unused for a while, the lubricating oils have time to thicken up inside of it.
- Inadequate lubrication of the bar, chain, and air filter.
If you attempt to use your chainsaw without lubricating it properly, it’s unlikely to start up successfully.
- The carburetor may be dirty and not allowing enough gas through.
If the filter is clogged or dirty, this will prevent your chainsaw from starting up because too little fuel can get into the engine.
How to fix a chainsaw that won’t start when it’s cold outside
There are a number of things that you can do to fix your chainsaw when it refuses to start up.
- If you’ve just filled the tank of your saw, let the oil and fuel mix for five minutes before trying again.
This usually works because both components are now less viscous than they had been previously.
- Remove the air filter cover on top of the engine and check whether it needs to be cleaned or not.
If the filter is dirty, this will prevent your chainsaw from starting up because too little air can get into the engine.
- If you’re using a gas-powered saw, try turning the fuel tap on first before trying again.
This step may help if there was not enough fuel entering the engine.
- Try pulling on the starter cord at a slower, more consistent pace than you’ve done before.
Doing so will allow for better ignition and therefore may increase your chainsaw’s chances of starting up successfully next time around.
- Disconnect your spark plug wire and ground it against the engine to see whether or not you have any fuel getting into the combustion chamber.
If no sparks are produced, this means that there is something blocking the flow of gas inside of the carburetor.
- You can also try spraying some cleaner into the carburetor and then checking for any leaks.
If your chainsaw does start up after this, you will want to replace the gaskets on either side of the engine in order to prevent it from happening again.
If none of these steps work, it might be best to seek assistance from a professional.
Tips for maintaining your chain saw in the wintertime
- Fill the tank with some sort of fuel stabilizer.
This will prevent your gas from going bad which can make starting up difficult next time around.
- Apply extra lubrication to the bar, chain, and air filter before storing it for an extended period of time or during wintertime when you won’t be using it as often.
This will help to prevent the oil and fuel from getting too thick when your saw is turned off for a long time, thus increasing its chances of starting up successfully next time around.
- If for any reason air is blocked by snow or ice when trying to move these obstructions, you can warm up the muffler to melt it.
This will enable your saw to start up successfully without having any further issues.
- After the engine has been running for a little while, you can try removing any snow or ice that is stuck in your chainsaw.
This will prevent it from becoming clogged and failing to start up next time around because of insufficient airflow.