Thanks for the info. I will make a follow up and see how the carb held up. It still has the rom dip when tipped forward which I think is in the carb so we can check the needle tip during that time.
Of course, you could always set the metering lever as the carb makers suggest, using their $7 tool if need be, but depending on the carb a straight edge might work as well. Then you could set up the mixture screws, as the saw maker recommends, using a tachometer - less than $20 on ebay.
Meh if you have a muffler mod or a intake mod or even just a long bar you can completely skip the manufacturers specs since the load and mix becomes different
Thanks for the comment. This saw does have a compression release as the compression is pretty high for a 50cc. That may be what you are seeing on start ups.
Your saw struggles in the wood because it's down on compression. It pulls over with very little resistance. Also the carb diaghrams are shot. When the metering side is wrinkled like that, it's lazy on the needle arm. Needs a complete carb kit. And pumper carbs get "pressure tested", not vacume. Good luck.
Thanks for the view and observations. I have a playlist on this saw that goes over most of these if you are interested. You seem pretty into saws so I think you might enjoy the journey. Thanks again!