The little things get me.....

Tucker943

Tucker943

Bamboo Plantation Owner
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
8,713
Location
Northeast PA
So my jonsered 2139 has just been a dog for awhile. Not quite worn out, just won't howl anymore. Changed to hi flow 338 filter. New plug. New fuel filter. Tuned carb. Still, just been doggy and won't rip. well I've nursed it until some more 540's roll off the line with the kinks worked out. My back up saw got crushed so I've been just waiting patiently for some better reviews.

So I was blowing out saws over the weekend and a light went off in my head. I took the filter assembly off of this 2139 and shined a light up I to the throttle guts and linkage in the pistol grip. The ground wire to shut the saw off has been routed through a spot in the linkage causing the trigger to never be squeezed entirely. Moved it aside, cleaned gunk and buildup out from around the carb where linkage should move freely. I used a tiny zip tie to secure the wire out of the way.

Started it up. My o my does that saw cut like an animal now. I muffler modded t awhile ago. I need to retune the carb now that it accelerates like it should have all along. Such a small issue. Why are they the toughest riddles to solve?
 
I would have tossed it out as soon as it started acting up and bought a new one.
I have no time for saws that don't perform 100%
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4
Stig, in my particular market and the shoes I walk in, I have to be frugal about some things. I live in a financially depressed rural area and carry a wife in college, an two kids, one of which has special needs that are rather expensive. Not whining or complaining, and my business does tend to thrive after some long hard years, but for me in particular, at this point in my life, I have to manage costs closely and sometimes give things more effort towards extending their service life then some other guys.

Of course, if I had put my finger on a failure earlier, and fixing it wasn't cost effective, it would have been tossed. Not being confident in a replacement also kept me from buying another. Is rather not hand over 600 bucks and be angry at the new saw. I was able to do that on a saw that I'd long since forgotten the price of. I wanted one to come off the shelves with stable reviews. It seems the 201 nailed that.
 
That's good wrenching. Seems like with mechanical issues, 80% of the time, it is something simple.
 
As a kind of 50% sort of mechanic, ie sometimes I suprise myself with my ability, sometimes I disgust myself with my incompetence. I find walking away from a problem and not thinking about it helps, a bit like a crossword puzzle.
Be honest Chris, you're actually chuffed to bits you've figured it out and fixed it, it's like getting a new saw for free.
 
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  • #7
For me personally, I think your 80% number is spot on. I have a habit bypassing certain very basic trouble shooting inspections. I end up finding a possible culprit which is often a much bigger deal then the real problem. /
 
Oh, I can follow that, Chris.
Didn't use to be this way for me, either.
Now I just look at it like this: I've always hated being my own mechanic, but have had to most of my life , being semi-poor after blowing it all on my failed attempt to become Californian.
Now I'm at a point in my life where I make pretty good money doing what I'm good at, killing trees.
So some things I now let others do, that I may concentrate on what I do well.
If I could make more money per hour fixing my saws than killing trees, it would be a different story.
 
Mine was a connector from ignition to auto feed...... Volt meter showed 12 volts. No one could explain problem. Replaced auto feed ...same deal.

Then my brother who is a mechanic suggested to test under load. Rigged up a light and tested again. Ah hah, voltage dropped to 6 volts, causes brown out.

5 cent connector cost close to 500 after all was said and done. Perplexed everyone. Learned a good lesson then

Found out bandit acid washed stuff before it was painted.....including wiring...doh. Over time in degraded the little copper wires to connector . I have half the mind to go through them all, but my grandpa said if it ain't broke don't fix it.

I go with the sling blade mentality now..." Is there any gas in it"
 
La becasse said:
As a kind of 50% sort of mechanic, ie sometimes I suprise myself with my ability, sometimes I disgust myself with my incompetence. I find walking away from a problem and not thinking about it helps, a bit like a crossword puzzle.
Click to expand...

That sounds a lot like me, too. But I have trouble walking away with the problem not fixed, makes me a little nuts. Not good.
Be honest Chris, you're actually chuffed to bits you've figured it out and fixed it, it's like getting a new saw for free.
Click to expand...


"Chuffed?" New word for us stateside.:lol:
 
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  • #12
La becasse said:
As a kind of 50% sort of mechanic, ie sometimes I suprise myself with my ability, sometimes I disgust myself with my incompetence. I find walking away from a problem and not thinking about it helps, a bit like a crossword puzzle.
Be honest Chris, you're actually chuffed to bits you've figured it out and fixed it, it's like getting a new saw for free.
Click to expand...
Oh I was halfway excited in the tree yesterday. Taking down some Norway spruces I was once again torching right through 4-6" limbs fast enough to land them flat and no be springing them on their ends in every direction. I let a 12" top fly (not huge but the appropriate size for the yard I was in) and was tickled to be able to burn right through the cut and get it off the tree without taking a ride.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14
It's been the most reliable climbing saw I have ever touched by a long margin. 3 years of pro use and its never needed to see a dealer or required any parts. The ground wire shifting over into the way of throttle linkage doesn't count as a strike against it. Every single working day for three years it yanks started at once, and idles perfect.
 
The Husky 346xp we had at Parks would pull a throttle linkage loose periodically with too much reefing on the handle when starting to bind/ bound. Sometimes we have to have our own jerry-rigged fixes for the little gaps in the engineering. 2 minutes to fix periodically, on a 10+ year hard used saw, but it was perfect for a little guy.

A loose throttle cable clamp on my Boxer (which Carl diagnosed over the phone, maybe something to watch for) made my throttle start to go up, then the cable housing would slip, so it dropped the idle some, then pushing it to full throttle, it would rev right up.

As said, a few cent part that could cost hundreds if not for self-mechanic-ing, with advice.

An as said, if you can make more money overall doing something else, do it, especially when it allow you to play to your strengths.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16
It's winter here and work is slow. This is my time of year to tinker. Paint wheels on this, file burrs off of that, etc.
 
I agree about if you can get someone else to fix it whilst you do what you do best......but, I now have a good, well equipped, well light, dry workshop in the barn next to my house. So sliding in there when I want to potter about is not much of a chore really. I service and repair the chipper and grinder etc. in there as well so it keeps me out of the house when it's prudent.
 
Kiss rule...

Bent/pinched linkage or cable, carb/butterfly issues, Throttle issues, carb housing damages.. Stuff moving around that shouldn't or not..
I have seen a lot..
Still see new things every week.

Most important in tinkering with saws problems is to be very methodical and test one system and move on after that.
It is a routine that saves a lot of diagnostic time.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #21
That's great advice that I need to remember in the future. Ill maybe put a note above the work bench reminding myself to isolate each functioning group at a time and focus on elimination in each group. That will be easier for me then bouncing around the whole saw hoping for a sign.
 
Yup. The best mechanics are always methodical in their approach. That sounds simple but good mechanics are artists imo.
 
Speaking of mechanic work, I'm getting a paint pen from a craft store for all new parts, fuel filters, oil filters, pumps, alternator, etc. Date ,mileage, store the part is from if a warranty exists.
 
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