There are excellent principles to follow in your video, I also clean my MS170 regularly and always clean any tools I use once I've finished a job! I use old tooth brushes to get into those tiny little gunge traps and I too use paint thinners to clean my chain before sharpening! I'm getting on in years but still remember my school practical subjects where the teachers were always drumming on about the need for clean, sharp tools that will return good service and lengthy use!
A sharp saw/clean saw are a safer more productive saw. Waiting until the saw spits out dust is a one way ticket to blown up saw city. I have a poulan 2150 41cc saw on my bench where someone had burnt up the top end by trying to cut with it where the chain was as dull as a broom handle. The pros never let their saw get dull, they can't afford the downtime. The small amount of time you are taking to stop and clean your saw gets made back ten fold when you get back at it. Another great thing to do when you stop after the hour or whatever interval you decide to use is flip the bar. Great video my friend
I do the same as you do but I just file the chain on the saw every tank or 2. Then when I get home I blow the saw out with compressed air and take the clutch drum off and grease the bearing. Greasing that bearing the clutch drum rides on is critical as it rides on the end of the crankshaft. Not something you want to have to replace, and on a cheap saw like a 170 the part probably costs more then a new saw.
I clean and sharpen my saws after each use. I use compressed air, a small paintbrush and a bottle of Purple Power to clean my saws. The sprocket cover gets a bath in the kitchen sink with a scrub brush and Dawn soap. I the blow it dry and put it in the sun to dry. I then clean the slot in the bar, lubricating the sprocket tip if it has a grease hole, blow out the oil delivery holes. The chain does not require much cleaning unless I got it in the dirt. Then, I rinse it off with two cycle gas and blow it off with compressed air. It usually takes me about an hour to clean up a saw, refill it with gas and bar oil. You can eat off my saws when I am through with them.
@@SteveRobReviews no, Steve, my brother never cleaned a piece of equipment in his life. My grandfather taught me the rules of maintaining stuff when I was a boy and I listened.
I always knew that you were meticulous with your equipment and your chainsaw maintenance is no exception. I don't cut wood that much, but have to say I don't clean it up after an hour. I do bother to sharpen the blade as I'll just replace it. Keep up the good work Steve!
LOL @01:26 “ they’re cutting dust!” That’s great! Another wise and common sense video Sir! Just came across this as I’m looking into picking up a really light and nimble saw for thick brush and limbing duties. Take care, eh 👍👍👍✌🏻😀
George this ms170 runs great but it's big time leaker of bar oil. Buddy bought a new one and says stihl fixed the bar oil leakage on the new ones. Cheers 👍
@@SteveRobReviews Thanks for the reply and heads up on the bar oil! A lot of saws do, and I have always made it a point to run my saws almost dry, on both gas and oil, and it seems to help. I’m looking at the 180 as well. Thanks and cheers! 👍✌🏻😀
@@SteveRobReviews geez I’m always forgetting something... great tip on soaking the chain! I’m going to start doing that! Stay safe and Healthy! Cheers!
Good morning Sir, I have 3 chainsaw and two of them ( Super Homelite and Husqvarna ) are more than 30 yrs old, the last one is a ( MS250 Stihl ) and when I do cut wood, I charpen the chains 2 times a day ( lunch times and at the end of the day ) and at lunch time a use compress air to clean it and I do a really good cleaning a the end of the day, but for the bar and the chain I use the chain oil lubricant to keep it lubricated. Very good video maintenance Sir and keep up the good work !!! Cheers !!!
I just use my chain till it's dull, throw it away and buy a new chain. I have the ms170 too. I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit around all day filing those teeth. It isn't worth it to me. I've had my chainsaw for about 4 years now and am on my 2nd chain. I don't use the saw that often. Usually just trimming up limbs from storm damage as we have a lot of trees in our yard. I did use it this week to cut down a big bradford pear tree in the back yard and have been cutting it up and am almost finished with it and almost finished with that 2nd chain too.
I use my saw as needed before cleaning and sharpening the chain. Sometimes it's one tree, sometimes it's half a day of clearing. No matter, at the end of the job my saw gets serviced. I do like your idea of soaking the chain is a cleaner type fluid. I have been spraying WD40 on mine.
Agreed. Paint thinner is the safest/best solvent going. Remember you can pour that used solvent into a different container and reuse it again to. There's a saying, a little goes a long ways and it definitely holds true with solvent. I painted 50 years and paint thinner was always close to hand. Today Alkyd paints aren't available, but I always still keep paint thinner in the garage for cleaning purposes, but it's a hell of a lot more expensive. But a little works wonders, and save it for your next cleaning ..
For a cleaner, what do you think of kerosene? When I purchased my last lathe, the supplier of the lathe indicated kerosene should be used for cleaning that machine of packing grease. Ever since then I've been a using kerosene to clean mechanical stuff.
@@SteveRobReviews Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate your expertise, and the video. I was just using kerosene again today to clean a filthy machine. Life produces so much grime! It amazes me how ubiquitous it is. Mother Nature seems hell bent on coating everything with a thick layer of debris and detritus! No wonder they're just now discovering ancient civilizations more than 10,000 years old in the hills of Turkey. Mother Nature did that! If we dig long enough we'll probably find some ancient version of a chainsaw in need of some scrubbing augmented by kerosene! Cheers.
not a bad idea to keep it all brushed out now and again but i just keep a file with me and sharpen it when it needs it. you can hit a rock or cut threw some dirty bark in 5 minutes and if it only needs a touch up its easy... search pferd chain sharp on ebay its a handy file set that automatically cuts down the rakers and sets the depth in one go
For years in my old house I heated with wood. After a day in the woods I would always clean up the saw and bar, turn the bar over and hand sharpen the chain for my next outing. I never left my dirty.
Nice video! I bought a 170. I ported the muffler slightly and advanced the timing just a bit. In comparing to another stock 170 my saw cuts almost twice as fast now. I've been a professional timber faller for over 35 years and I can say I love this little saw. I also find it difficult to not tune them up a bit over the stock tune.....Lol
We have had saws for 20 years, same bar. We cut fire wood as a kid. We never cleaned like this, we cut til we see small chips, stop sharpen and get back to it. We would blow the covers off when we changed the chain a couple times a season... that’s it...
I Carry my little mini broom with me to clean every 3 tanks of fuel,I also Carry my battery powered ryobi leaf blower to help cool my chain down before sharpening.i find it helps the metal hold an edge better.
@@martind349 Every stihl saw has a stihl chain. I find stihl a high quality chain but I do run with some aftermarket chain not as good but great to use when you know your logs are dirty with mud from skidding them out.
Good video Steve! I do the same but probably after 2 or 3hrs use. I soak the oil and dust with brake cleaner, use a brush and air gun to blow it all away. I have two chains that are professionally sharpened but will touch up a chain with files in the bush. I will swap it out for a sharp one after some time. As you know, the most important is keeping the chain away from dirt or rocks to maintain the edge. I came across a used MS 170 the other day and was tempted to buy it as a second saw just because LOL. Do you have one of those sharpeners from PA? I'd be interested in seeing how you sharpen. Cheers!
I will show how I sharpen my chains on sunday next video. I use a good sharpener bought many years ago that has paid for the machine with all the chains i have had sharpened as good as a shop does. The stihl ms170 is a great backup saw or a saw to leave in the truck or light trimming but definitely not a saw I would use cutting a lot of firewood every year , just too underpowered for me :)
How's she goin'? It's important for sure to keep you saw clean and the chain sharp. I don't do it as often as you though!!! But if it's giving the results you want, then I think it's the thing to do!!! Take care!!!
Mike some have saws so beat up and abused , won't start , old gas and a dull chain and it just makes my day having a good chuckle when they blame the brand of saw. Glad you keep up on maintenance too. Cheers
Last time I went out for firewood, the chain became dull, I was at the tail end of the job, and I just wanted to finish it. When I do this, I pay for it, it takes much longer to bring that chain back to sharpness.
I stop cutting when it stops throwing nice big chips as I always switch to a spare chain. I find it harder on the saw than the chain but yes it's real dull by then. Cheers
Thanks for the video. I am trying to learn as much as possible about chainsaws since moving to Maine. My MS170 is idling but stalling when I try to run it. I’m about to take the whole thing apart to clean it.
Mine was doing the exact same thing. Bought it used last week. Changed all the fuel with a 50:1 mix using Chevron 94 (i think this was the main issue). Also tore down the carburetor and gave it a good clean. She runs like a dream now and I'm super happy!
Just about like you Steve, when my day or hrs of cutting is done will clean everything and sharpen by hand so I'm ready to go next time. Never try solvent for the chain.
Steve, thanks for the cleaning tip. Very simple, but overlooked by many users. Question: The sprocket on a MS170 should move freely if the chain brake is off? Mine is seized. Is it a bad sprocket or the chain brake locked?
Well that's interesting. Take the chain cover off , remove the chain and see if the sprocket free wheels as normal . The band around the clutch brake will be quite noticeable once you take the side cover off.
James I cut a lot of spruce that sure gums up the chain to cutting hard maple and as soon as I see the saw not throwing big chips as the chain dulls and starts to throw small chips I stop and switch chains. Much easier on the chain, bar and saw.
I’m embarrassed. I had a “professional” model, 12” saw for 20 years, but with rather limited hours on it, and never even thought of taking it apart. Dah. However, some dirty, rotten SOB stole it a month ago!!!!! He got one heck of a good saw…I hope he takes it apart.
Steve THANKS for the video. Great tips. My chain is not getting the proper oil. How do i fix the problem. Would appreciate any help. I have plenty of time off at this time. Appreciate, Michael PS: I have a Stihl mini Boss 180
Hi Mike first off make sure the oil holes on the bar are not plugged then the hole where the oil comes out of the saw at the bar then the most likely spot is the filter at the end of the hose in the oil tank. Just wash it out and clean the tank . Try that first before you replace the oil pump. Cheers
Keith my next vid is about sharpening chain yourself as it saves you a lot of money and fast. I can do my 20 inch chains in 5 minutes top . Not sure what a shop charges but my time spent sharpening is more valuable that just driving back and forth to a shop 😅
Ok I finally quit laughing 😆... ok buddy no wonder you don’t get your chain dull because hell, you only running her a dam hour? Lol mine is spitting dust or sparks before I change her out! Lol
