I have “googled” and haven't found a definative answer so I will ask here. I bought a new Rancher back in May and am still on the second “can-o-gas”, even though I have used the saw quite a bit, I guess it is fairly good on fuel. The saw has always been cold blooded and would take a minute or two to warm up enough to use it. Until it warmed up, it would bog if I tried to give it any gas and I had to feather the throttle to get it to cut. When it did warm up, it ran, idled and cut fine. Now, however, it is getting colder and I've found that even though it starts good, it would stall if I didn't leave it on fast idle for a minute, never mind trying to use any throttle at all. I admit, I have turned the “l” and “h” screws a bit, but I put them back approximately where the dealer had set them (I did turn the “h” screw about an eighth to quarter turn out to richen it up somewhat). So now to my question, will having the saw run like that until it warms up cause any engine damage? I do have a 4 year warranty, however, I am under the impression that most engine damage wouldn't be covered anyway, especially if it was due to an improper carb setting. Does it sound if I may have set the saw to run too rich? I did notice, that when I used it on Sunday (I use the saw to shorten splits of wood to fit in my stove) it smoked more than usual right after starting, and then cleared somewhat when it warmed up. It also didn't seem to idle quite as good as it did back in the summer, now it idles a little too slow. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Probably not much help ,but..... It's fairly normal for a saw to smoke a fair bit when started from cold . So don't worry about that . Turn you L screw out ( ccw ) an eighth ,or so . And left your saw warm up for a while on a dead cold start . I don't work mine until I can feel warm air coming off the cylinder .
Here is my thoughts. I'm not sure about the newer ones but, in an older saw, that might be a weak diaphragm in the carb. Might not be either. God Bless
The reason the saw bogs before it is warmed up is the low jet is too lean. Richen it up about a half turn and then try it to see if it is better. If a half turn is to much then go back a quarter turn. If the idle is to low then adjust the idle screw clock wise to bump up the idle speed. These saws can change the tuning due to temperature and when summer comes back around it can change again.
Thanks guys, I did play around with the settings and I was able to get it to idle much smoother as well as it doesn't seem to bog near as much. I was also able to get the saw to "4-stroke" somewhat at full throttle, (I don't think it ever 4-stroked before, but I could be wrong) sounding as close to the Madsen clip as possible. However, I will try it again tomorrow to make sure I didn't screw it up entirely. The l and h screws are kind of weird though. There seems to be some kind of "springy" sleeve around them. I was trying to use a slotted screwdriver that sometimes moved the screw but not always. I bought a set of adjustment screwdrivers (online) and the splined one was able to push down the sleeve, allowing the driver to fit over the screw, I then was able to turn them. Easy-peasy. My problem is that I only know enough to get into trouble, so I very well may be back.
You've had daytime highs below freezing lately and I've found that the premix “can-o-gas” really isn't made for Canadian winters. The service stations should have winter gasoline in their pumps now, so I'd suggest getting a 4 or 5 liter gas can and filling it with high octane ethanol free premium gasoline. Add 2 cycle oil from one of the chainsaw manufacturers as they won't be selling snake oil. It looks like Shell is you best bet in the Ottawa area. pure-gas.org : display a station The chain ( bar ) oil may be a bit too stiff as well. I use 5W-20 motor oil for below freezing temperatures and I add some kerosene for below zero Fahrenheit days. A general rule I was told years ago is that if you use less than half a tank of chain oil to a tank of gas, use a thinner oil. If you run out of oil before you run out of gas, use a thicker oil.
Higher octane than necessary will reduce power output. You don't need, or benefit from, higher than 89 octane. The canned pre-mix has long shelf-life. If you run the saw often enough, 89 octane pump gas will be fine. Dump tank when done- simple way to keep tank contents fresh. Keep your fuel jug tightly sealed, so ethanol can't attract water vapor. Yes, winter blend will help. What "rancher" are we talking? Model and year, please.
I bought the Rancher 455 brand new last May, however the tag indicates a 2012 production year. I'm on the second, of three, cans of Husqvarna 50:1 fuel.
I never heard high octane can reduce power. I've heard it may not benefit if the engine doesn't call for it but not that it's actually a hindrance. Do you know the reason?
Higher octane means it is harder to ignite. After all that is what octane ratings are for in terms of preventing ping. I have read in other places that high octane means it is so hard to light that it robs you of power. I'm not sure I believe that part though. For gasoline to function in an engine the flammability can't vary very much.
Yeah I know, in a high compression engine low octane can ignite early but never heard high octane robs power, maybe not adds power but no loss. Most manuals recommend a minimum rating but never saw a maximum recommended rating.
We're talking about gnat hairs here. Red-headed ones at that. How octane ratings affect power output varies from engine to engine. Some like a little extra octane than their minimum rating, others couldn't care less. Higher octane fuels are more resistant to pre-ignition (spark knock or sometimes incorrectly called detonation) but I wouldn't say they are harder to ignite. They do burn a tad slower, (remember, red-headed gnat hairs!) and that's part of why running premium grade fuel and advancing the ignition timing a bit added a bit of power on many engines built decades ago.
Thanks for the reply MM. I usually, although not religiously opt for super or prem gas for my OPE. Air cooled, run hot, gas sometimes sits so what the heck. In fact I have a Husky manual that says reg 87 is OK unless you are running for extended periods (forget exactly how they put it) then run higher octane fuel. You agree or BS? I don't mind wasting a few pennies even if its not really needed but never heard higher octane like 91-93 could rob power. As I said I've never seen an OEM state use of a higher octane fuel than the minimum recommended is a problem.
The power loss, if any, would be imperceptible on a piece of OPE. Most manufacturers recommend 89 instead of 87 because mixing in oil (for 2-stroke) lowers the octane a tad. Also keep in mind that when you buy fuel that's rated at XX octane, that's the minimum octane rating. It could be slightly higher. Now, if the choice is between regular or mid grade with ethanol or ethanol free 91 or higher, spend that $$. The extra octane will not hurt but you should notice the difference between E10 and E-Free fuel.
Not to beat this horse or hijack but this is what Husqvarna says: Petrol • Use good quality unleaded or leaded petrol. • The lowest recommended octane grade is 90 (RON). If you run the engine on a lower octane grade than 90 so-called knocking can occur. This gives rise to a high engine temperature and increased bearing load, which can result in serious engine damage. • When working with continuous high revs (e.g. limbing) a higher octane is recommended. The ninety RON works out to be about 86 using the R+M/2 method I think.
That's right, the Europeans and other countries calculate Octane a bit differently. Also, as a side-note: 100LL AVGAS is actualky 96 Octane using the R+M/2 method.
The only ethanol free gas that's available in this neck of the woods is also 91 high octane. That simplifys the question of what to buy. My Dolmar 5105 manual says "The engine is designed for unleaded regular gasoline with a min. octane value of 91 (R+M)/2". I hadn't heard anything about higher than necessary octane producing less power until it popped up on another forum recently. Is this another internet rumour that's become TRUTH?
Actually, this one has been around since the pre-Internet days. Which, I admit, are difficult for me to remember. The question of whether or not Octane rating affects power output is simple. Use the minimum recommended by the manufacturer and anything beyond that, will not significantly affect power output without mechanical or ignition timing changes to the engine. Buying a higher octane fuel, all other things being equal, is not a "treat" for your engine. Now, throw in factors like premium grades of gasoline are sometimes ethanol-free, and/or have special detergent additives to keep fuel system components clean and conditioned, and you have a different question. The question then becomes is the higher octane premium fuel worth the extra $$. That question sparks technical debates and thread lengths that are rivaled only by oil threads, and is equally unresolvable.
