Easy Start saws

[JeffWischer]

Wow! That's awesome. "My" welder (vintage Lincoln AC stick) is in Kansas; the ex wanted it for the farm. I wasn't going to die on that hill... But I can fab that out of wood, and various pieces of scrap steel and "aluminium". Great concept!
Also, will order the spring assist kit for my J-red. And knowing how it works, I fully grasp (no pun intended) the idea that it will want a steady pull, not a jerk. And looking at my 350, the head is cast with the area for the decomp valve. So unless there's an aftermarket cylinder with a decomp valve accommodation for a 38cc saw, I think that's a dead end.
Also looking at the Makita 4300, while they're still available. I want to do some research, but based on RCBS' observation, I tend to believe the case that Makita makes for their two-pronged approach to easier starting. That could be my go-to saw while I inhabit this property that generates firewood and other cleanup work.

 

[IffykidMn]

I’ve actually seen @SCHallenger use the one he had made. I don’t think it would be all that obtrusive to throw in the back of a pickup to head out to the woods to cut and collect firewood.

I agree and would think one could build it modular so it could be broken down for easier transport.

Guess when I stated impractical for dragging around the woods I envisioned not working within sight of a vehicle carrying gas/oil with and multiple starts, example 2-3 of us 65 old guys will be dropping and limbing appx 3 semi loads (30ish cords)of pole length to be skidded out by a 4th hoping to get it done in a day and half we-th as there will be another 15-20 others showing up on fri-sat to process it into firewood for a Boy Scout camp in NE Wi think of it as logging prep for a largish scale GTG leading into the Memorial day weekend.

 

[IffykidMn]

Not including the wood gathering prep work many of the same group as well as other (woodhounds) gathered in Indiana the first part of April and processed appx 50ish cords turning it into firewood for a Veterans campground over the course of 3 days. many videos of this event posted on YT if interested in watching search Hoosier firewood hysteria on YT.

may even find video evidence of an older individual drop starting a ported 592XP utilizing the decomp.
age and shoulder injuries maybe catching up and he may someday resort to a kickstarter and relatively positive he appreciates the idea.

 

[rogue60]

I ripped my rotator cuff it rendered my left arm absolutely unless. I had to change professions or starve shoulder injuries are no joke.
One of my small "easy start" saws was the only saw I could start through that crap period of being in constant pain and unable to do things I once took for granted.

 

[Outback]

I did my left shoulder 16 odd years ago and then pulled my arm out of the socket numerous times since. I'm now sort of curious how many people have healthy bodies, if any, on this site. I was just thinking a couple of posts ago that I was lucky it wasn't my right shoulder.

You can start a saw one handed. Foot in the back handle, foot on the top handle and yank. You don't have to ask how I know.

 

[IffykidMn]

I did my left shoulder 16 odd years ago and then pulled my arm out of the socket numerous times since. I'm now sort of curious how many people have healthy bodies, if any, on this site. I was just thinking a couple of posts ago that I was lucky it wasn't my right shoulder.

You can start a saw one handed. Foot in the back handle, foot on the top handle and yank. You don't have to ask how I know.

surgery for right torn rotator cuff
3 knee surgeries, getting a dirt bike with the magic button was a godsend which I still regularly use along with knee braces.
1 ankle surgery
broken clavicle
dislocated thumbs
broken ribs numerous times
bulging disc in neck, I only really notice it when grabbing 100# bags of corn 50#ers I do not notice so much.

 

[SCHallenger]

I’ve actually seen @SCHallenger use the one he had made. I don’t think it would be all that obtrusive to throw in the back of a pickup to head out to the woods to cut and collect firewood.

That is an accurate observation. I have done exactly what you describe!

 

[davidwyby]

Usually starts faster, sometimes in one shot if I can get the choke off fast enough.

 

[Duane(Pa)]

SELLING Post in thread 'Cherry Dolmar 5105'

May 15, 2025

There's a fella asking about easy start around here somewhere.

• davidwyby

• 

 

[ZeroJunk]

Well, I'm 71 years old and work as a mechanic for a Stihl dealer still. The easy starts are fine. The problem usually occurs when you loan it to your young friend or relative who yanks the insides out of it.

I would also ask how you start your saw. I never drop start anything. I set the saw on the ground and put the heel of my boot in the far side of the handle. Works for me. Also, when a saw is not used for a few weeks it can get dry and almost seem locked up until you pull it enough to get the cylinder slicked back up.

 

[hacskaroly]

The easy starts are fine. The problem usually occurs when you loan it to your young friend or relative who yanks the insides out of it.

That is the truth, had several younger customers that bought an easy start saw and came back in the next day with a broken pull cord, have to remember, slow and steady....slow and steady...slow and steady

 

[pbillyi69]

I don't know anyone including myself that likes or wants a stihl saw with easy start or a toolless chain tensioning system, I think they're junk and totally over engineered.

i hate having to work on them. they have destroyed something simple and charge way too much for junk.

 

[JeffWischer]

Thanks everyone. Here's what I'm learning. Yeah, the drop start thing is problematic. The little Poulan/Craftsman is a dream to start, and is not part of this discussion. Also, with my Husq. 350 assembled (not running yet, but that's for another time), I now remember how much that compression release helps. It's the Jonsered CS2238 that was giving me fits. Started it reasonably well today with a 12" 1x4 through the handle, one foot on either side. That really anchors it; won't try to rotate as I pull. Then was able to pull smoothly with reasonable down pressure on front handle with left hand. And I ordered that spring-assist conversion on Ebay. Couldn't resist the chance to compare apples-to-apples, so-to-speak. Arrives any day.

Seems that there's plenty of love and hate for the easy-start "technology". Seems that the variables are the specific design and performance of a particular manufacturer, the expectations of the user-operator, and the "technique" of that user-operator.

 

[JeffWischer]

Well, I'm 71 years old and work as a mechanic for a Stihl dealer still. The easy starts are fine. The problem usually occurs when you loan it to your young friend or relative who yanks the insides out of it.

I would also ask how you start your saw. I never drop start anything. I set the saw on the ground and put the heel of my boot in the far side of the handle. Works for me. Also, when a saw is not used for a few weeks it can get dry and almost seem locked up until you pull it enough to get the cylinder slicked back up.

Yes, absolutely. Valuable insight.

 

[sawmikaze]

i hate having to work on them. they have destroyed something simple and charge way too much for junk.

Couldn't agree more. If I was in the market for a cheap occasional use saw stihls homeowner line wouldn't even be an option, but I do like the way a 250 can run after some simple mods. And when they were 300 bucks it wasn't a bad buy.

 

[heimannm]

If you ever have shoulder issues, you may decide that using the easy start system as it was intended is not such a bad thing.

Mark

 

[pbillyi69]

Couldn't agree more. If I was in the market for a cheap occasional use saw stihls homeowner line wouldn't even be an option, but I do like the way a 250 can run after some simple mods. And when they were 300 bucks it wasn't a bad buy.

you cant still find the little homeowner saw at hawk shops pretty cheap

 

[pbillyi69]

If you ever have shoulder issues, you may decide that using the easy start system as it was intended is not such a bad thing.

Mark

a decomp is an easy start. but i understand. i worked on an 066 that made pretty good compression and didnt have a decomp. even on the ground with my foot on the foot pad it was way harder to pull over than it used to be.

 

[two4spooky]

.Just spent a day running a little JonCutter 5800 w/ an 18" bar(55.4cc, .325" chain @.058") saw cutting up old rotten hard wood and pine ".Easy-start-saw" from the OEM. Cutting all day. Dumping off site. Old hard wood left for fire wood years ago. Pine beetle killed trees of 24" to 28" size roughly. Mostly on ground. Good little saw the JonCutter 5800 is for the original cost

Pine killed mostly by wood beetles. Full of black wood ants, wood beetles and winged ants. Ants in flying/spreading/expanding season. Full of *SUCK*. A little sap wood("fat wood" aka "kindling") from the older standing dead and fallen pine. Cutting logs to size for a 6' bucket of the {(FEL) front end loader)} of a little Kubota tractor. These little CN copy saws have a use for such.

Beat on hard the little JonCutter 5800 really served it's purpose. Cheap and easy running/reliable at 25/1 ratio and CN chain with 18" bar and cheap chain. I'm all in. Beat on hard.

My Stihl MS261v2 or ECHO CS501P w/ Stihl, Sugahari or Tsumura bar and quality chain(Stihl or Husqvarna X-Cut) would have been abuse in my opinion. No beauno

Different saws for different uses. Just me

 

[two4spooky]

Just to add: the easy start feature of these 55cc CN saws still SUKS in my opion. PITA