I continue to respond to search queries that come to my blog, and today we will try to consider the problem associated with the work chainsaws Stihl 361 in Frost. Again I post skins with Yandex metrics. In fact, earlier there were specific similar requests related specifically to Calm 361, which “acted up” during the cold working hours, but I did not save them.
In some blog articles, we already mentioned the problems of the Stihl 361 chainsaw in the snow. Also, regarding this problem, lumberjacks contacted me through social network messengers and were interested in how to solve this problem. About work in winter Still 361 was interested in both our lumberjacks and colleagues from neighboring countries. But not only workers are interested, but also logging employers.
So why does the Stihl 361 refuse to work in cold weather?
Is this a jamb in the design of the Stihl chainsaw? Bad development for domestic (Slavs) lumberjacks?
Or maybe the reason is the lack of professionalism of lumberjacks?
To begin with, I propose to indicate the list of charges against the brand model, and then to understand the situation.
Questions and reasons about Stihl 361
What exactly is the Stihl 361 model accused of when working in the cold and snowy season:
- the carburetor freezes in cold weather and the saw refuses to work;
- I switch the flap to winter mode, but Stihl does not work;
- Stihl “snaps” snow and stops working;
- Stihl in damp and cold weather starts to fart, sneeze and works intermittently;
- etc…
Now. why indicate exactly Stihl 361?
In fact, the problem with the vagaries of the carburetor during operation of the chainsaw with woodcutters at negative air temperature can occur with any model of Calm. Just Stihl 361 is a professional chainsaw and is very popular among loggers. Excellent supply of spare parts and consumables. The dealer network has entangled the entire Russian market, supply, logistics. everything works perfectly. It is Stihl 361 that surpasses all other chainsaws in operation by lumberjacks, not only with its “line” and brand, but also successfully replacing its main competitor Husqvarna.
We return to our list of questions about malfunctions, which boil down to only one thing. the Stihl 361 does not work in cold weather.
When I had to discuss this issue with other lumberjacks, with a more detailed clarification of the issue, it turns out to my great surprise that a person, it turns out, does not know the basic operating conditions of Calm 361. It is a question of assembling a chainsaw for summer and winter work. I never bothered with the question. does it know lumberjack about removable covers and the gate (damper), because I was sure that every feller of the forest was enlightened in this elementary fact of the "equipment" of the saw. After all, Stihl 361 in our country has been “walking in the hands” of loggers for over 10 years!
Turns out I was wrong!
Many lumberjacks, especially those who “shabbatitsya”, “kalymit”, work on a “temporary hut” for inexperienced new employers, really have gaps in this matter. Those of the lumberjacks who work in professional logging teams were much less likely to encounter such ignorance of operating the 361 calm in different seasons.
Are they more experienced?
In fact, the answer is simple. In professional teams, in organizations, the employer himself provides his employees with tools and equipment. When buying chainsaws, the employer acquires a complete set of tools, which necessarily includes a complete list of all parts and tools declared and necessary for the full work. Including the casing (cover) of the carburetor (air filter) for summer operation and a separate casing for winter operation. as a result, 2 pieces of the casing. Also included in the winter package visor, which is fixed to the starter cover to prevent the penetration of snow, but let’s talk about it separately.
When a Stihl 361 chainsaw is sold to a person, unscrupulous sellers try not to understaff the sale, that is, to “hitch” (hide) the winter cover set. If the “near” buyer has a question about the winter operation of the tool, then the cunning seller will hasten to reassure the buyer by pointing him to the gate (damper), which is designed for the winter mode of operation of the calm.
Why do sellers “weight” buyers in the configuration of calm 361?
What is a winter and summer casing (cover) for Calm 361 and what is a gate?
For those who until now have been and remain “off topic,” I will explain in the next chapter.
The casing is summer and the casing is winter
So, in a complete set of Stihl 361 there are casings (covers) for summer and winter use. It is these air filter caps that contribute to the normal operation of Calm 361 in winter and in summer.
Also on the right side of the chainsaw, from the end, at the junction of the cylinder covers and the air filter, is located gate (damper), which is independent and does not apply to the specified covers of winter and summer equipment. If a lumberjack needs to work in the winter, then this shutter should be transferred to the "winter mode". To do this, it is necessary to remove the gate with a screwdriver from the groove, deploy it to the desired position, following the graphic sign “snowflake” and correlate with the arrow (mark) on the cylinder cover.
By the way, it is the gate, in a conversation with lumberjacks, often leads to confusion. Lumberjacks perceive the gate as the same damper, which translates to the required season for operating the chainsaw. But these lumberjacks do not know about removable and replaceable winter-summer covers. And so when you ask a person whether he has installed a cover for work in the winter, the person affirmatively assures that he has installed. In reality, the man only switched the gate to winter mode, but did not install another removable cover.
For winter operation switching a single gate on a Stihl chainsaw is not enough, in particular this applies to negative temperatures. The Stihl 361 must be fitted with an air filter cover for winter use. The peculiarity of this cover in the summer version consists in two technological holes (“windows”), which are located inside the casing on the partition to the carburetor. And for winter operation, on the partition there is only one hole (“window”).
Video: Why Carburetor Freezes At Stihl 250
The principle of operation of covers and gates
I ask the lumberjacks to be very careful about switching the gate (damper) and the installation of covers (covers).
When cooling, in the fall, when the air temperature begins to drop, the first thing to do is to switch the gate to the "winter mode" of operation. over, this must be done in advance, and not with the onset of frost, as many lumberjacks believe.
The instructions clearly state that the gate should be switched at an ambient temperature of 10 ° or lower! Lumberjacks, understand this, otherwise, you will encounter the "vagaries" of the chainsaw, with the unstable operation of the tool. often, a similar pattern is observed in damp cold weather. Switch the gate. At the same time, you should not replace the summer casing with the winter one. it’s too early!
What is a gate?
The principle of operation of the gate is as follows.
In the "summer mode", the gate acts as a damper and closes the hole on the right, which is located on the cylinder cover, thereby preventing the penetration of hot air coming from the chainsaw engine to the carburetor.
In the "winter" mode of operation, at an ambient air temperature of 10 or lower, the gate opens access to the compartment with a carburetor and, in addition, it serves as a fence (contributes to the intake) of hot air coming from the chainsaw engine. The hole from the gate to the carburetor has a directional "rubber tunnel". I want to note that in this case, when the gate is switched to "winter mode", the casing is still "summer". And in the summer version, as you already know, there are two “windows” in the casing. So, the air intake to the air filter continues to flow through both “windows” of the casing.
If lumberjack If you didn’t switch the gate to winter mode at the required temperature, the chainsaw starts to “mope”, since the carburetor is cold, moisture is formed inside it, due to “freezing”. As a result, not understanding the reasons for the unstable operation of the chainsaw, the lumberjack begins to twist and twist to adjust the “carb” and causes the tool to malfunction.
When frost sets in, and the air temperature has values from 10 ° and below, it is necessary to remove the “summer” casing and install the winter cover!
Keep in mind that the "winter" casing differs from the summer version only in that it has only one (forked) technological "window", which is located on the left. In this case, during operation of the chainsaw, air is drawn into the air filter section from only one hole.
What is the role of the number / presence of holes in the air filter housings of the winter and summer versions?
Two technological “windows” in the summer casing during the operation of Calm in hot weather, contribute to the required amount of air intake through the air filter into the carburetor. When working in winter at a low subzero temperature with a summer cover, these two “windows” give out an excess of air, and it is extremely cold. The carburetor meets the hot air flows through the gate, coming from the engine and meets the icy air flows penetrating through the two "windows" of the summer casing. In cold weather, the engine is not able to provide normal carburetor heating with the clear advantage of an ice rush. In addition, "grabbing the snow", Shtilek fades away for quite some time.
Snow shield
“Shield”, “strap”, “cap”. this useful attribute is also included in the winter equipment of the Stihl 361 chainsaw. The shield is installed on the ventilation grill. the starter cover and secured with two screws. Its function is to protect against penetration of snow fractions on the flywheel impeller.
When the impeller captures snow, the snow fractions when melted from the “engine” become moisture, which penetrates the “carb” and puts it out of order.
The shield is essential for the normal operation of Calm during the operation of the lumberjack in winter in the snowy season. However, until 15 ° I would not recommend using a shield, otherwise, if the engine does not overheat, then a “good” load for it!
Why Stihl 361 Doesn’t Work In Frost
Actually, this question excites many lumberjacks. Why does the Stihl 361 not work in cold weather, at sub-zero temperatures below.30 °?
I personally encountered a similar problem when I worked as a forest feller and mentioned it in the article “Husqvarna 365 or Stihl 361”.
Indeed, neither the “winter casing” nor the snow shield at particularly low temperatures contribute to the normal functioning of the Calm 361. I want to note that the problem of unstable operation is observed precisely at the moments when the snow penetrates the impeller. This occurs from the fall of "snow dust" from the undergrowth, from the trees, as well as during forced lowering of the chainsaw to the surface of the snow cover of the earth. Perhaps the engine can’t cope at extremely low temperatures, and the water from the melting snow fractions does not have time to completely evaporate, part of the moisture penetrates the carburetor. You see, it is precisely after the fall of the “snow dust” that envelops the Stihl chainsaw that it abruptly “dies”. Subsequently, the air filter is completely clogged by an ice barrier. The "resurrection" of the instrument takes a very long time.
Perhaps one of the clever critics will immediately say: “So fuck. Work in cold weather?” The Stihl chainsaw is not designed to operate at critical low temperatures. ”
Many lumberjacks, I stress. many, They work in northern forests, where extremely low temperatures can last for weeks without interruptions. The same applies to Siberian timber industry, where the forestry equipment is sometimes not jammed for months, and continues to work for days! Downtime is not permitted by employers or workers.
How, then, to solve the problem of operating the Stihl 361 in cold weather
When a team is waiting for a feller of a forest, when an employer loses the daily volume of timber, at least a feller of a forest can be blamed for incompetence both by the team and the authorities. As a maximum. “kick out” of the brigade with shame!
I already wrote in an article about Stihl and Husqvarna how I solved the problem. In severe frosts, I completely blocked the ventilation grille with a tin bar. Stihl 361 worked out a working day without any “vagaries” and worked stably. However, lumberjacks should take into account the frailty of such a method.
The similar method that I used, in principle, has long been used by other lumberjacks. When using it, there is a high risk of engine overheating, because the ventilation grill is completely closed and thus the access to engine cooling is blocked.
Some lumberjacks rely on their many years of experience, as well as I block the ventilation, it would seem, given the extremely low temperature and the “respite” during felling. But at the same time, lumberjacks do not take into account some of the nuances.
The fact is that not everyone is following their instrument properly. Some chain saws in the fellers are “state-owned” and lumberjacks do not monitor the technical condition, cleaning the saw. Meanwhile, the ventilation cover during the summer operation, is clogged tightly with tar, dirt, debris, wood particles. And the forest feller, in addition to this, without cleaning the grate, kills his worker Stihl 361 even before the frost.
Calm 361 after a similar scenario has already got enough, the engine is already “overbought”. And here, its owner, completely shuts off the ventilation in cold weather and when the chainsaw is loaded, it finally "goes into another world."
A universal and specific solution to the problem, a SAFE solution, when the Stihl 361 refuses to work in cold weather, I do not know. However, many lumberjacks successfully continue to work in calm weather, using their personal experience. Therefore, dear colleagues, I ask you to share your secrets, exchange tips, help, thus, each other, contribute to the work of the young generation of lumberjacks.
If I’m “fundamentally” wrong about the work of Calm 361, then I ask you to discuss in the comments.
If you have a similar problem in Calm 361 in frost, then please share with your friends on social networks (social media buttons are located below the publication).