How do I prepare my secretary and chainsaw for winter homework?
The first seasonal shade cutting of the new year allows trees and shrubs to awaken from their winter slumber, encouraging them to grow properly and bloom vigorously. Smart, that is, quick and accurate removal of unnecessary – sick, withered, frozen, damaged (broken) – branches always depends not on skills, but on garden tools: a chainsaw and a secretary. Even as a beginner, you will be able to successfully grow a homemade tree on your own, provided you learn how to work with cutting tools.
Practical tips on the technology of work you will find in the article, How can you maintain the correct shape of the crown of ornamental trees in winter? Before you go into the field – in the garden or vegetable garden – make sure that your saw and primus is doing its job well. Before you start any car:
Check the technical condition first.
It doesn’t matter when you last ran your saw or pruner. If you’re logging one of your fuel-burning devices, check the technical condition of major parts every time:
- Air filter – A dirty and clogged air filter makes it difficult to start the engine and reduces its performance, consuming more fuel. It can also damage the spark plug due to improper combustion. A dirty air filter can be cleaned with a soft brush or washed with a special cleaner.
- A spark plug covered with a black deposit indicates improper combustion, the causes of which are at least several: a dirty air filter, improper proportions of gasoline and oil in the mixture, or a poorly tuned carburetor. In the latter case, we recommend a visit to an authorized Stiga salon. It is not difficult to unscrew the spent spark plug in the chainsaw and replace it with a new one,
Chainsaws are useful for pruning and removing thick branches from trees in the garden and for planting
Electric and cordless units are a little easier to maintain. The former requires a proper extension cord for reliable operation. Using extension cords with visible cracks, kinks or bends is not acceptable. The second is a fully charged battery. It can be recharged at any time unless you use lithium-ion technology, which provides a constant and uninterrupted supply of power and prevents the battery from self-discharging. In practice, this means that even a long running battery does not lose energy and can store twice as much energy as a conventional NIM battery of the same size.
Use a pruning shear to trim delicate shoots in ornamental shrubs.
Second, clean the units, get rid of the dirt
If you forgot to prepare your chainsaw and garden shears (especially those with an internal combustion engine) for winter use and didn’t clean them, now you have to do it.
Most dirt in the form of a mixture of sawdust and dust, as well as cutting unit lubrication oil, usually accumulates under the drive cover. To effectively get rid of dirt without fear of damaging individual machine components or the housing from the inside, use, for example, a wooden rod wrapped in a dry cloth. Dirt also accumulates at the border of the guide bar next to the saw near the oil channel. It must be unobstructed, otherwise the oil needed to lubricate the chain cannot escape freely. Also keep an eye on the hole in the guide bar through which oil enters the bar groove and on the groove itself. Also pay attention to the condition of the guide bar, especially at the bottom for cutting. It should be smooth around the edges. Any burrs resulting from prolonged use can be removed with a fine file.
Trees and shrubs require the use of proper gardening equipment, especially cutting devices. Have your saw and sector ready to go and take care of your ornamental systems in the winter!
Winter storage tips for winter
Significant seasonal changes in temperature and humidity define one of the main challenges for owners of diesel or carburetor-powered household equipment, including chainsaws. It is to ensure normal conditions for storing tools and appliances with internal combustion engines or using them for their intended purpose during the cold season. The procedure for putting in and taking out of conservation is regulated by the manufacturer and is almost always described in detail in the instruction manual. However, some peculiarities of remembering and operating a chainsaw in winter are known in advance. This will ensure a high level of efficiency and help extend the life of the tool.
What is useful to know for every chainsaw owner
Modern chainsaws are equipped with a single cylinder with two strings.
A professional chainsaw with a 2-stroke engine
4-stroke and diesel units are not used in the construction of chainsaws because of their heavy weight. To operate such a tool by hand would be physically very difficult.
The principle of operation of the monocylinder 2-stroke chainsaw engine:
- During the compression stroke, the fuel mixture produced in the carburetor flows into the engine crankcase.
- At the lowermost position, the cylinder exhaust ports open – exhaust gases and part of the fuel mixture pass through them;
- The mixture from the crankcase under the action of the pressure of the interrogation enters the cylinder, where it is burned;
- The resulting excess pressure moves the piston to its original position, which drives the main engine shaft.
The 2 hits are not highly efficient. To reduce fuel consumption and increase engine efficiency, many manufacturers use additional venting: the intake valve opens to supply the cylinder after the exhaust gases veil.
Diagram of a 2-stroke gas saw engine
The difficulty of operating a chainsaw in winter lies in the reaction to low temperatures of the materials from which its nodes and parts and working fluids – fuel mixture and lubricant – are made, as well as the formation of condensation on the nodes and mechanisms of the tool with temperature changes . If your model is not designed for work in severe frosts, i.e. there is no structural insulation and air heating system, you can work only indoors. And and that only at correct maintenance and preparation of the engine and correct condition of the material, there should be a normal temperature and humidity for sawing.
Operation of chainsaws during the cold season: the main points
There is always a task for a chainsaw in the household, so it is not always rational to send it to the “winter vacation”. In such cases, the preservation of the tool is not carried out completely, that is, without complete disassembly.
Remedy – adjusting the tire and chain of a chainsaw
The cold makes it difficult to start gasoline engines: fuel evaporates poorly. Therefore, if immediately after the first hours of operation, open the air damper, the chainsaw or will not start at all, or will immediately begin to stall. As a result, it has to warm up and start sucking, which is why there is a risk that the spark plug will be flooded with gasoline. All this takes too much time and leads to clogging and shortening the service life of individual tool components.
If you plan to work with your chainsaw during the winter season, store them, and especially the fuel mixture, as a last resort, from an unheated room in a well-ventilated, dry and warm room protected from the outside weather.
Before starting work, make sure that the fuel temperature is sufficient to ignite and that the oil in the tool’s lubrication system has a normal viscosity. Some chainsaw models are equipped with a hot air supply from the Cilia oscillation carburetor to the carburetors, which reduces the frost on the air filter and prevents condensation on the carburetors themselves.
Checking the lubrication system before starting work
After checking the lubrication quality and chain tension, start the saw in the cold with the throttle closed. Do not take the tool indoors immediately after finishing work. This is guaranteed to cause condensation, so it must be removed, disassembled and cleaned.
Releasing a soiled machine with a chainsaw
In order to keep the oil from thickening in the cold, it should be slightly diluted with gasoline. This ensures even lubrication and stable chain lengthening.
installing preservative
Most chainsaw owners prefer not to work in the winter with gasoline tools, and put them in preservation, not waiting for severe cold.
To prepare a chainsaw for winter storage, you need to:
- Drain the oil and fuel.
- Using a wire dipstick or a homemade hook from the fuel and oil tanks, filter out the suppliers, which should be washed and replaced, and if necessary, installed back.
- Take the saw and let it idle for a while to completely remove fluids from the carburetor passages and lubrication system.
- Remove the saw chain and guide bar and clean them of wood residue, dust and dirt.
Removing the saw ring
Removing spark plug
The saw bar and chain should be coated with protective lubricant and stored in a cloth or paper with oil before packing. The tool and its major components should be protected from direct sunlight, which can cause brittleness of some parts.
When servicing chainsaws, it is recommended that CSH and CPG crankshaft lubrication be renewed at least once a month.
Rosepile Rehabilitation: Highlights
With the onset of spring, there is much more work in the household than during the winter. This means that it’s time for the chainsaw – it needs to be re-registered and prepared to start working. The procedure will look as follows:
- Exterior inspection of the tool for minor malfunctions and troubleshooting.
- If necessary, check the condition of the spark plug, replace it.
- Check fuel and air filters.
- Renewal of the saw chain sharpening.
- Installation of the saw hoop and the chain set, followed by the track.
- Filling the oil tank and lubricating friction points and surfaces.
- Preparing fresh fuel mixture and pouring it into the tank.
- Checking the brakes kvapi.
- Checking the starter mechanism.
- Starting and checking the chainsaw at idle.
Idle start of the chainsaw
The fuel mixture loses its properties when stored for a long time, so it should not be used. This can lead to problems ranging from loss of engine power to contamination of the carburetor and fuel system passages.
Saw chain sharpening in the photo
Just like when putting a new chainsaw into service, it’s important to adjust the saw chain that was removed to service the tool. The chain should not bite the material or move jerkily. If it is tensioned, it will be hard to cut, if it is loose, there will be significant vibrations and jerks during the sawing process. The degree of tension can be determined by taking the chain by the tooth in the bar area and pulling it. If it is adjusted correctly, about a third of the shank will remain in the groove of the saw and the chain itself will move freely.
Checking the Saw Chain
Some chainsaw models are equipped with an automatic chain tensioning system. In this case, however, it is necessary to always check the quality of the chain fitting, which is indicated visually and manually.
Only a correct attitude to the tool can ensure normal operation and a long service life. Don’t forget to put your chainsaw on winter protection and make all the necessary arrangements to get it back in working order when spring arrives.
