An introduction & a couple of questions- Stihl 029

[Aces]

I just joined the forum here.  I've used other's chainsaws before. But never owned one until this week. My brother-in-law gave me his old Stihl 029 chainsaw. He used to heat with wood back in NJ. but now that he's retired out here in WA state, he has gas fireplaces.

From what little I've read, this is a pretty good chainsaw. But I have a lot to learn about maintaining it. I got the saw and a couple of extra chains. and some bar oil.  No manual; but I downloaded one from Stihl's website. Here are a couple of questions I have right out of the gate:
1) I don't have a service manual nor parts diagram. But will I likely need either of these?
2) I don't have any files yet. I've watched friends use a file in the field. but is that the best way to do it? Or is it easier to have multiple pre-sharpened chains with you, to swap out?
3) What means of equipment do folks recommend for sharpening chains? (I'll likely only cut 2-3 cords a season; mostly soft woods like Douglas fir, Alder)
4) I know I need to pre-mix my fuel. But is it 40:1, 50:1, or somewhere in-between?
5) Can someone point me toward any good threads for newbies like me? for example, I'd love to hear about simple ways to set-up cuts on downed trees, to keep the saw from hitting the dirt.

Any advise would be appreciated.
-Kevin

[rsather]

A good reference to have would be the manual which can be found here:
www.stihlusa.com/stihl_ownersmanuals/029_039_Manual.pdf

As far as sharpening, I prefer to have 2-3 chains sharpened and swap them out during use and then sharpen again after I'm done cutting. I file mine by hand with files. I've tried to have them "professionally" sharpened but found that 1/2 of the metal on each tooth was taken off. Now I prefer to touch them up on occasion before they get too dull and the chains seem to last much longer.

Ryan

[Aces]

Thanks, Ryan. As for the files I assume I get them at my local Stihl dealer? Are there better sources? And do the files need replaced very often?

[rsather]

I've got mine from a few different places Menards, Fleet Farm, Tractor Supply, local Stihl dealer. The dealers prices were the highest but still not very much. I think the range was $2-$4 for two files. It takes some practice to get the sharpening down but start slow and try it out and eventually you'll figure it out. One other thing to keep in mind that as the teeth get sharpened you will also need to file down the little nub (can't recall the actual name right now) in front of each one so they can actually cut. A flat file of some sort will be easier for those. Also, included with the chain files are some instructions, read through them and you should be fine.

[Aces]

Well my education continues... I took the saw with me to my local Stihl Dealer. I got a great file set with a gage & flat file ( file down the depth-gages) included. They noticed a few things about my saw. I've got a slight bur around the edges of my bar. they didn't think they were too bad yet. They suggested I could take them off by carefully taking a flat file to the bur (with chain removed).  They also did a double-take when they looked closer at my chain. The immediate comment was that this is an "East Coast" Chain saw. My relative had bought and used it when they lived in New Jersey. Apparently the pitch is different on ones sold there, due to cutting more hardwoods verses softwoods like I'll mostly find in the Pacific Northwest.  They didn't think that would be a problem.

I learned I should use 50:1 mix. I bought some mix oil and fresh gas, and tried it out. By gosh it started up! So it appears my relative was good about storing it w/o any gas in it.  About the only thing I had to do was brush sawdust off the air intake.  Tomorrow I'm going to use it to cut some firewood after work. And we'll see how sharpening goes. the blades felt pretty sharp to me. But the Stihl guy said it's a little dull at the corners.

[ford62783]

i have a 038 av super and they do run and cut well a for fileing down the rakers ( the nubs in front of the teeth) ive seen many guys do it diffrent at diffrent times with hard wood here in the east the have filed them every 5 sharpenings and with soft wood every 8 or so but you kinda have to judge by how it is cutting hope u have good luck with that saw

[Aces]

I used the 029 yesterday. I had to fell a 30' tall hemlock tree that had been dead for at least a couple of years, 16" dia 2 base down to 9" dia at the top.  I didn't need to sharpen it the whole time. Although it would probably cut faster if I had.

One question though. I'd bought a case for the saw. and already there's a fair amount of gas/that's leaked into the bottom of it. Is there somewhere I should be looking to see where a leak could be?  Not having an exploded assembly of the thing makes this more of a problem.  I'd asked the Stihl dealer how much to buy a service manual and/or a parts list. and he said Stihl doesn't sell them... that they want us to have the dealer work on them.  It sounds like that's this store's policy, more than Stihl's. If anyone has a parts list (pdf) they could send me, I'd really appreciate it. PM me if you can help.
-Kevin

[beenthere]

About the leaking gas...one possibility is filling it with cold gas and then bringing the saw inside to warmer temps. The expansion adds pressure. I sometimes will crack the gas plug to release that pressure, as well as store the saw on its side (plugs up ).

Be especially careful sawing dead standing trees, as the tops can fall out and on your head (or other parts ). 

[tstex]

"Be especially careful sawing dead standing trees, as the tops can fall out and on your head (or other parts ). "

Great advice...take your 12ga with Mag/BB shot and shoot about 5-7ft below the top...if it is rotten enough to fall, it will.  Then keep going down another 3ft until you hit solid wood...then you are ready.

Becareful,
tstex

[Aces]

About the leaking gas...one possibility is filling it with cold gas and then bringing the saw inside to warmer temps. The expansion adds pressure. I sometimes will crack the gas plug to release that pressure, as well as store the saw on its side (plugs up ).

Be especially careful sawing dead standing trees, as the tops can fall out and on your head (or other parts ). 

I don't know why I hadn't thought about the temperature variation.  I'd filled the chainsaw in the late afternoon, then had it inside my car driving to work; and again to the tree.

As for the widowmaker problem, you are probably right.  I don't think I fully realized that potential. In my favor was that the top itself had fallen quite some time before.  everything was already gone where it had tapered to below 9". But when it fell, it stuck another tree; breaking into 4 different sections.  So what are some of the precautions I can use if I come across a tree like that in the future? A hardhat is what first comes to mind. but if it's a big chunk, I'd have to know to get out of the way.  I guess the obvious answer is to leave it alone. [edit: as I was writing this I see tstex's post.  I had to laugh, because the tree I was felling was on the property of a shooting range!]

I was proud of my hinge cut though. even with a nasty bend sideways to how I needed to fell it, I managed to get it to drop w/in 10° of my intent.  And I was able to watch for movement, then be 8' away from the base by the time it really started to go

As always, I appreciate the comments.

[GASoline71]

ALWAYS wear a hardhat when fallin' trees!  Especially dead snags.  Always have fellin' wedges with you and a single bit axe to drive them.

The reason your saw dealer said "East coast" chain... is becuse it's prolly .325, where most saws set up out here are set up with 3/8".

The 029 is a great saw for what you are doing with it.  It will handle a 20" bar okay out here in the PNW... I'm here in Western Washington too... If you need help... I can prolly lend a hand.  My schedule is kinda busy right now... but I'll help if I can. 

Gary

[thecfarm]

I cut alot of dead trees and I hate it.I have no idea what will happen with the top.I do use wedges but try not to really hit them hard when driving them in.Don't want to shake the top too much and have it break off and hit me.This is the only time I cut my stumps high.I do cut them off when the tree is on the ground.I cut them down at a good working height so I am not bent over making a better target for the top to hit me if it does break off.Be aware off what the top is hitting when it starts to go over.Get away from it as quickly and safely as you can.Have an escape route all cleared out at a 45°,but that is is how every tree should be treated with an escape route.
How are you getting the wood out of the woods? Reason I'm asking if in stove wood lengths,I just saw into the tree,that is on the ground,until I'm almost through than stop and move on until the tree is off the ground than I saw through it.Than I turn the log over with a peavey and finish my cuts.Or roll it over with the tractor,if I can get at it.If I cut the tree down I shove some branches under it to keep it off the ground.When I am cutting logs I just put branches at where I want to cut.This also helps me to get a chain under it too.

[Aces]

GASoline71, the Stihl dealer picked out a file set knowing about this chain. If I ever go to a 3/8" chain, do you know what items are affected? Would my file dia need to change? and will my bar & sprocket be fine? I don't need to get a new chain anytime soon.  But It'd be good to figure out what problems I might run into if I try changing.

thefarm, my dad used a peavey a lot, when he used to cut wood.  He tells me there is a type with a foot on it that might hold the log off the ground.  right now I don't have one. What I did with the tree last Thursday was to set some discarded wood in the fall path. And I cut most of the way through then rolled log as best as I could. So a peavey would have made that go a lot easier.

If you all want a laugh, My big weak spot tight now is hauling the wood. I have a utility trailer with such small tires they are rated for 500 lbs each. I tow this with a small car (Subaru Impreza) so I can't gather much in a trip. This tree ended up being a little over  1/3 cord. fortunately it was dry. as it was I folded down the rear seat and put the biggest 4 logs inside the car for the 25-mile drive home.. & I stayed off the freeway!

[wraylow]

You would have to change the sprocket and bar both to change to 3/8 chain. 325 stihl chain is .63 guage (thickness of drive links) and the 3/8 is .50 ga. The 09 or MS 290 as it is now labeled can be purchased either way. There is really not much difference in the performance of the .325 and 3/8 . the 3/8 will cut more per tooth but the .325 has more teeth per loop.
  ( sthil dealer)

[Aces]

Thanks for the info! So as long as I can get the .325 chain when the time comes, that's what I'll do.

[Rocky_J]

325 stihl chain is .63 guage (thickness of drive links) and the 3/8 is .50 ga.

It may be, but not necessarily. .325 pitch chain comes in all three gauges, as does 3/8. It depends on what is commonly available in your area.

[Cut4fun]

I wouldnt want to  run 3/8 on a 57cc MS290 JMO. But I do run 3/8 on my 49cc saws like Partner 5000 Redmax 5000 etc for good reason compared to 290. The 290 powerband seems real touchy to load.

Here is some testing I did on my like new MS290  with 325 RM2 chain stock, then 325 RS chain turned into RSLK.
Best bang for the buck on the 290 is chain, stihl RS or RSC in 325 IMHO and then a muffler mod with gains of 23% after carb retune.

RSLK square work chain and it will cut 50% faster then a RM2 semi chisel chain. The RS or RSC will see close to same results of being faster in clean wood. 

1 cut in almost 2 year old dry 10x10 poplar cant

RM2 best times.
17.81
18.27.

Square sharpened RSC to make a RSLK times.
8.75
9.09.

1 cut in same dried out 10x10 used earlier today 325 square chain

muffler mod no carb adjust.
8.35
8.50

Fined tuned carb to muffler mod
7.03
7.87 hit knot
7.13
6.38

[stonebroke]

You can get .325 chain from Baileys, one of forestry forums sponsors, go over to the left column and hit on their name.

Stonebroke

[GASoline71]

I wouldnt want to  run 3/8 on a 57cc MS290 JMO. But I do run 3/8 on my 49cc saws like Partner 5000 Redmax 5000 etc for good reason compared to 290. The 290 powerband seems real touchy to load.

Around here (PNW)... almost every 290 is set up with 3/8" chain, because of the softwoods that are mostly cut.  Even though Alder is technically a hardwood... it cuts like a softwood.  A lot of Alder is cut around these parts for firewood.  Most 290's will have a 20" bar on them... out the door from the dealer.  Just the way most of them are sold here, and they do great in our types of wood.    3/8" chain is more ore less preferred out here too...

Like Brian also mentioned... .325 Stihl chain will come in .050 gauge.  You can run that 290 on the .325 you have and you will be fine.  There is non-safety chain available in .325 as well.  As long as your sprockets (Drive and bar tip) match, and you get the correct gauge... you are good to go.

Gary