Deep cleaning chainsaws

[canadianclimber]

Any good tips on giving the saw a good cleaning? Sprays or tools used. (apart from air and brushes)

Trying to clean the sap and gunk off seems to be a little challenging at times. Especially the cylinder fins.

I'd like to bring them back to looking new, but getting the sap off handles and covers are a pain. Saw a thread where someone used a mini steam cleaner they had for car detailing. Not sure if that would be too hot on plastic or not.

Any tips would be great

 

[SeanKroll]

Carb cleaner

Used to take it daily doing pine work daily.

 

[canadianclimber]

Yes, I'm in pines and spruce everyday. I'll check that out. Thx

 

[Tree09]

Paint thinner works too, as does acetone, which might be a bit much on the plastic. They both remove poison ivy tho really well.

 

[cory]

You mentioned air already, but just saying we blow off thoroughly every saw and air cleaner prior to 95% of refueling. I think it keeps em running better, longer.

 

[pantheraba]

I installed a small air compressor in my tree trailer...inverter in my truck to run it if needed. I clean saws with air after each use...makes fueling/oiling clean and worry free. Makes it look like you give a rats A$$ about your gear if it's clean when you start the day. Love being able to blow chips off of me, too, at end of day before getting in truck again.

 

[Burnham]

An old thread, some of the same suggestions, some different.

How to remove major pitch accumulation

My poor 200T :whine:. In the course of taking down a few western white pines, it got really badly gunked up with a mixture of pitch and saw chips and dust. The bar is unbelievable, I can't even see how it fit through it's own kerf by the end of the project. Throttle trigger is caked in crud...

www.masterblasterhome.com

 

[flushcut]

I'm a fan of acetone for pitch but it is compressed air that rules for the gunk.

 

[Magnus]

If its brown cylinders it has often more to do with bar oil than sap.
Oven cleaner.

I clean saws in parts washer with diesel in it. As most saws I keep are stored for a long, sometimes very long time, I don't want to help corrosion in any way so diel is a good thing.

 

[lumberjack]

Aside from scraping off some accumulation under the side cover with the scrench (compulsion rather than need), I don’t believe I’ve cleaned a saw in my 17 years of tree work.

ETA:
I do have a tickle of a memory of blasting air at a saw, probably futzing around in the shop (compulsion not need).

 

[lxskllr]

Same here Carl. I do brush it out probably every other time I use it, but that's mostly to relax after doing work. I figure knocking the big chunks off is good enough, cause it's just gonna get covered again in the first minute I use it.

 

[Mick!]

Aside from scraping off some accumulation under the side cover with the scrench (compulsion rather than need), I don’t believe I’ve cleaned a saw in my 17 years of tree work.

ETA:
I do have a tickle of a memory of blasting air at a saw, probably futzing around in the shop (compulsion not need).

Snap, I’ve blown out saws with an airline, but I class that as maintenance not cleaning.

 

[stig]

I have a buddy, who, whenever he wants to sell a saw, fills the bathtub with soapy water and dumps the saw in there over night.

I swear they look like new after been blown clean and wiped down with some WD40.

 

[ruel]

Haven't tried it on saws, but the hand cleaner stuff is a dream for removing pitch from skin. Technu poison ivy soap is the best pitch remover I've personally used, pretty pricey though.

 

[Jonny]

I use WD40, it works well for pitch/ sap, and seems gentle on plastics and the paint on bars. Technically WD40 is more of a solvent than a lubricant. Have to rub pitchy spots w a rag sometimes but compressed air works well for everything else.
The cylinder fins, might need a little brush.

If nothing else, keep the air filter clean. If chainsaws or any other small engines are part of how you earn your living, you need an air compressor.

 

[flushcut]

Technically WD40 is a Water Displacement formula #40

 

[SeanKroll]

Grand fir can make for pulling your gloves off the saw, rather than just letting go of the saw.

 

[lxskllr]

Around here, I'd say white pine is the nasty one. Just touching the limbs can leave your hands sticky.

 

[treesmith]

Quick trip to the car wash will clean them right up. (Hand-wand type...not drive-thru.....)

 

[cory]

Technically WD40 is a Water Displacement formula #40

Good to know!

There is an area on my terex bucket, the axle which connect the bucket to upper boom, it shoulda been built with a zerk but it wasn't , they say spray lube in there. Well I tried probably 20 different kinds of lubricant including expensive high end stuff, The only thing that has worked is good ol WD 40

 

[Tree09]

50 50 acetone and atf fluid. I'm serious!!! Mason jar and a paint brush. You can also use an old school squirt oil can, i have to recommend a new one and jb weld the bottom. Even then it will likely leak

 

[flushcut]

Good to know!

There is an area on my terex bucket, the axle which connect the bucket to upper boom, it shoulda been built with a zerk but it wasn't , they say spray lube in there. Well I tried probably 20 different kinds of lubricant including expensive high end stuff, The only thing that has worked is good ol WD 40

Can you drill a hole and use a needle zerk? It wouldn't be a very big hole maybe 1/16"-3/32"

 

[cory]

Sounds like a good idea but I'd be afeared to do it myself

 

[NeSurfcaster]

In my last wesspur order a free bottle of sap remover came with it. I haven't tried it yet tho. Hair shampoo works great to get sap off of hands and skin. The tecum or whatever it's called poison ivy stuff has mineral spirits in it I believe. Something along those lines mineral spirits/acetone. I just try to clean them off same day or next day after cutting pines. Whatever air don't get simple green and a brush gets it off for me. Usually I use dirt bike fender stuff or wd40 for final wipe down. Nothing seems to prevent the build up of chips/dust, but It makes me feel better pulling out a clean shiny saw before work.