New Saw Break in period?

Chris Schultz

Chris Schultz

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
Minturn
Seeing what the general consensus is about the “break in” period on new powerheads, and if you believe in it, how you do it?
 
There really is no way to do a traditional break in on a saw that I can see without a tach and a lot of time standing with your hand on the throttle. The key to longevity is good fuel, good air, letting the saw warm up properly every use, and not running it wide open when not under load. The last one is the one I see everyone do. They start it up and immediately hammer the throttle to “warm it up”. Saw RPMs are set at WOT under load.
 
zlarborprotc said:
There really is no way to do a traditional break in on a saw that I can see without a tach and a lot of time standing with your hand on the throttle. The key to longevity is good fuel, good air, letting the saw warm up properly every use, and not running it wide open when not under load. The last one is the one I see everyone do. They start it up and immediately hammer the throttle to “warm it up”. Saw RPMs are set at WOT under load.
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That’s the first thing the dealers do when you buy a new saw. Put some fuel in it, fire it off and blast it at Wot not under any load. Take your $ and pass the saw over the counter
 
evo said:
That’s the first thing the dealers do when you buy a new saw. Put some fuel in it, fire it off and blast it at Wot not under any load. Take your $ and pass the saw over the counter
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It sure is. I heard them running my 500i WOT in the back when I purchased it. Saw dealers are no different than tree guys…some know what they are doing, and a lot don’t.
 
Back in the day factory dirt bike manuals were of two schools. One was, ya built it, it's ready to go have at it, it don't matter. The other, e.g. my yamaha, was manual lube the piston cylinder and rings during assembly (and bearings) with mix oil, fire up and do one heat/engine warm up cycle under partial throttle/load and not max rpms, let it cool, repeat heat cycle and after a few cycles they said "ready to race, fresh as its ever going to be". Now, that was cast iron rings on a steel cylinder, seating both. Saws are nickasil cylinder and the cylinder basically doesn't wear much, the rings take the wear. In a nickasil situation, lore has it that synthetic oil won't let your rings seat, so you run dino for a while before switching. I believe it, having seen a many hours cylinder still with the cross hatch pattern!
 
I've always gotten mixed comments online about break-in so the last time I bought a saw at Woods Logging (which is an actual loggers supply store, not a hardware store that happens to sell saws) I asked and they said just run it like normal. I've never done anything particular to break in a new saw I've bought, and never had a single issue with mine.
 
I forgot to add that part of the break in instructions was also either slightly heavy on the oil, or richer on the jetting. Can't exactly remember. Most likely the oil as it is assumed you're already jetted right. +/- And on new saws you don't control the jetting.
 
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I am trying to salvage a bunch of MS 260 saws and got to digging around on youtube. Came across this channel/video and he shares some insights once he gets the top end rebuilt and going:


He goes a bit more into the break in process after the cookie cutting.
 
Meh. Lots of mumbo jumbo out there. I have owned many saws all from new. I just start cutting. All in the fuel mix for long life. Many cutters just love using high revs when cutting piddlly stuff. That is bad. Listen to the saw. It tells you how to use the throttle. After awhile it all becomes second nature. Hate hearing a rookie running a saw most times. Poor saw is crying out for murder.
 
Aerial Traveler said:
This is consistent with my experience at the local Stihl dealer. The dealer in my area is a stand alone power equipment store.

This is what my Stihl manual stated about the break-in period. The part about the saw developing maximum power after 5-15 tanks is interesting and true.
View attachment 82895
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This is what I have always done .... well, 1st two tanks anyways. That and with any saw, especially my ported ones, I run a 40:1 mix of Amsoil Dominator. Those 2 tanks I keep the throttle no more than 3/4 engaged.
 
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