Hello. I bought a used Stihl 038 and plan on cleaning up the back yard. I have little experience with chainsaws and hope to learn more here. Thanks

[Mark.Longmire]

Hello. I bought a used Stihl 038 and plan on cleaning up the back yard. I have little experience with chainsaws and hope to learn more here. Thanks

 

[hunting1]

If you have very little experience my first concern would be safety. Best case scenario would be to consult an experienced (and safe....they don't necessarily mean the same thing) user for pointers on body positioning for different types of cuts, proper grip, line of fire, kick back potential and how it happens and the importance of using and maintaining the safety features on a saw (chain brake, chain catcher, throttle interlock, rotating parts covers, anti-vibration, on/off switch, spark arrestor ) Next invest in proper PPE.

 

[Dacha]

How little experience ?

Good luck.

Experience is accumulaged with hours spent using cs.

Some underpowered cs is good way to gain experience. Either low horsepower cs, or low power and low rpm chainsaw.

Ppe is important as well.

 

[Jean Christophe Chuine]

Hello and welcome to this forum.

I don't have much more experience than you, but I started two years ago with a 024.

I now have a 038 like you, a 044 and a 064, as well as two small 170s.

Pre-retired, who had almost never harvested wood... I live in an area where you can find some very beautiful old pine trees that have fallen in storms.

I've become passionate about salvaging wood. People don't know what to do with it and give it to me for free in exchange for clearing it out.

The 038 is a big machine to start with, but I find it really efficient, robust, and reliable. You'll have a lot of fun trying it out, being careful, practicing in easy conditions, and you'll learn without hurting yourself. That's what I did, and you're starting in the right place. "Asking for advice" is an excellent way to learn.

For example, also watch videos; understanding what bounce is important!

Don't hesitate to ask for advice on restarting the 038. It's a machine that starts well. If it's properly repaired, you shouldn't waste all your energy pulling the starter 10 times; it should pop on the second or third pull!

Looking forward to chatting...

 

[Steve Hudson]

I would guess from your question that you're asking about cleaning it? Personally I do everything by hand and go through a lot of paper towels and degreaser. I've seen people take a hose to them but I've always been leery about that. For me, if they're really bad I start with soap and water. With a damp rag or paper towel I wipe off what I can. Then using a degreaser, I spray the rag or towel and wipe down what I can. I also remove the clutch cover and clean out the area around the clutch. I remove the starter and clean that area out and make sure the starter is clean and lubricated.
I definitely spend some time but I feel safest doing it that way.
I also love taking before and after photos. Here's an old Craftsman 2.1 (Poulan 25) I did a few months ago.

 

[Mark.Longmire]

Hello and welcome to this forum.

I don't have much more experience than you, but I started two years ago with a 024.

I now have a 038 like you, a 044 and a 064, as well as two small 170s.

Pre-retired, who had almost never harvested wood... I live in an area where you can find some very beautiful old pine trees that have fallen in storms.

I've become passionate about salvaging wood. People don't know what to do with it and give it to me for free in exchange for clearing it out.

The 038 is a big machine to start with, but I find it really efficient, robust, and reliable. You'll have a lot of fun trying it out, being careful, practicing in easy conditions, and you'll learn without hurting yourself. That's what I did, and you're starting in the right place. "Asking for advice" is an excellent way to learn.

For example, also watch videos; understanding what bounce is important!

Don't hesitate to ask for advice on restarting the 038. It's a machine that starts well. If it's properly repaired, you shouldn't waste all your energy pulling the starter 10 times; it should pop on the second or third pull!

Looking forward to chatting...

Thanks for the advice. I know the 038 is a big one, so I'll be looking for a smaller one to compliment it. I've also found the 'married to small engines' site and have learned a lot from Erika & Tyler.

 

[Leon Couper]

As hunting1 said safety which is paramount. I started when I was 16years old in a sawmill
and am 78 now and have to wear hearing aids all the time. Back then in New Zealand no hearing protection
and if you used the saws then to what's out there now you would see why most of use old guys are deaf now.
Most of them had straight pipes. So earmuffs at all times and a pair of clogger chainsaw pants and a good pair
of safety boots and treat the thing like
the enermy, In my time seen to many guys on the end of a bad kick back and can tell you it is
not pretty to see. Other that that keep it good and sharp at all times and happy chainsawring.