what do you use to REALLY clean up your saw with?

If you can find one with the drum on the bottom you might be better off for a couple reasons.

With the drum any sediment settles in the bottom of the drum when it sits , since the pump is off the bottom the sediment stays there.
The other advantage with the drum is when you shut it off the fluid goes into the drum and you can leave parts in the tub to drain and dry. The one you are looking just has a little shelf to put parts on that sits above the fluid.

Just my 2 cents.

 

They are almost always on Craigslist around here.

 

Might consider this although I'm trying not to take up space on the bench.

 

It works well. Dries fast and it's not foul smelling. I got that siphoning wand from harbor freight. Engine cleaning spray wand I think its called. It's on the wall with all their air fittings ect. $10

 

Thats a similar footprint to my roaster oven. I use a diluted mix of Super Clean and water. Heating really helps clean the gunk off.

 

I normally dont detail the saw. Brush/wipe off saw dust/crud etc using just a rag. On occasion ill take a cheapo paint brush to get into the nooks and crannies where the crud builds up. I have no compressed air to blow it out. Dont use anything chemical on the outside, just elbow grease. One saw has some sap residue and ill let it just wear off.

 

X2. Although with all the new(er) saws i do like the way they look. The truck not so much.

 

This is a great idea here to have a fuel pump (that's meant to handle petroleum based solvents) on the outside and have a salvage can. That can is like $100 though! And this guy runs it on a 12v motorcycle battery....which you then have to charge..... So I'm not sure I'd do a 12v pump......but definitely some good ideas here.

 

This thread was very insightful as well. This particular guy bought a Little Giant pump that can handle petroleum based solvents (submersible) and then just plumbed in a filter post-pump - so that the pump pushes the dirty solvent through the filter.

HF Parts Washer - Cub Cadet Collectors dot com

The other option as show in my previous post involves getting another airtight container that then allows for filtration *before* the pump....which will probably increase the life of the pump at the cost of the extra $100 container.

I kind of like the extra container idea because it filters the particulate (i.e. sawdust and bar oil and whatever else) before it gets to the pump....but it is more involved, costs more, and has more points that can leak.

The forum post is simpler, costs less, and takes up less room and has less leak points. That said I just looked up that pump and it's about $125 to your door........

I don't like working on dirty chainsaws. For example, the cover for the clutch and chain brake areas.....drives me nuts to have years of bar oil and sawdust crammed into every nook and cranny.

I think a parts washer might be more useful than a new compressor.....and definitely more gentle on my ears.....

 

On seriously grimmy ones, I use Foamy Engine Brite. Air compressor most of the time tho