How To Ruin Your Chainsaw: Running With the Brake On

#stihl #stihlchainsaw #chainsaws
Things are going to get a little hot in this one…
Whenever you start a Stihl chainsaw, you want your brake on. But once you’ve got it up and running, you want to take it off so that your chain can move and you can cut. But what if you forget to take the brake off? It’s rare but we have seen it happen!
For part 4 of our “How to Ruin Your Chainsaw” series, Josh goes to drastic lengths to show what happens when you try to run your chainsaw with the brake on. As you can imagine, it is almost guaranteed to roast your engine housing and pretty much wreck your chainsaw. 10/10 do NOT recommend trying this with your chainsaw.
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[@simonelefebvre8486]

I died a little bit inside hearing that Stihl suffer like that.

[@Carlsmower]

I know right it killed me to do it

[@richardhansen1590]

Please don’t do that again.😓

[@tpmbe]

Easily done when you don't know how the brake mechanism works or forget to take the brake off. Essential information

[@dougherr3802]

Yup, my MS271 has a little bit of melt from when I was very new at this. I saw that it was getting hot and then figured out what I did wrong, so I did stop before doing real damage. Lesson learned.

[@naturewatcher7596]

But the chain will not turn, when the brake is on, right? So you'll notice that the brake is on right away.

[@tpmbe]

@@naturewatcher7596 yes but its easy to forget or not notice and apply power by accident when brake is on, especially on my Husqvarna .... cheers

[@naturewatcher7596]

But it will not kill the saw if you push the throttle only a couple of times when the brake is on, right? New to chainsaws and I think I already did this mistake several times.

[@chrishadjipetris6059]

I take it my chainsaw to a technician at least once a year, or every time after heavy usage. That guy once told me to avoid starting the chainsaw with the brake on and leave the chain rotate free instead, and just do this cautiously

[@ryanbruner8928]

I just picked up an MS 271 that was sold as not running.Checked compression and it was good,piston looked new,then I took the cover off...same as this,no bearings and melted,but after file work,not ruined parts and lots of bad words,she fired right up.

[@karolyhacs6923]

The 271’s engine is more powerful than the brake, easy to inadvertently bump it while using it. The saw will start to bog, many people think they need to give it more gas and press on not realizing they are burning up the saw until it’s too late. Depending on how bad the damage is, you can pick these up as project saws cheaply and get them back up and running with a few parts and a bit of work.

[@Alvgaar]

Just started my chainsaw, let it run idle on the floor to heat up. Sound changed after 3-4 minutes which made me notice something was wrong. Picked it up, clutch was smoking and had blued steel. I deduct that the throttle somehow was jammed into throttling alot, with the break on it then caused clutch friction into overheat. I'll have to open it all up and pray that the damage has not transfered to the piston.

[@ChipLinck]

Had the exact same thing happen to me yesterday. Fired it up. Let it warm up while I got the wood pulled out of the pile. Noticed something wrong. Released the break, and the chain started running. I died inside as I shut it off. I could smell it. Haven’t opened it up yet to see the damage. I’ve had that saw for 7 years, and it never did that before. Little MS170 like the one in the video. From now on, I know to release the break after starting to check, then re engage before letting it idle. I’ll pull it apart and see if it’s worth salvaging later, but I’m going to use this as the excuse I’ve been waiting for to get a Farm Boss. Just my way of making life take the lemons back. On another note, that MS170 is a great little saw. Got it to compliment my mid size Poulan. Liked it so much I picked it up even when I should have probably grabbed the Poulan, hence my wanting a Farm Boss.

[@QuickestQuickChop]

Yeah atching you slowly kill that saw was hard to watch 🤣

[@wademartin8822]

Thanks for the great video!

[@Carlsmower]

Hopefully it’s saves you some frustration.

[@zeromark202]

😆 thanks for the video to show people what happens!

[@karolyhacs6923]

I am going to have my customers watch this video….I have had 5 MS 271s come back this year with less than an hour run time on them with the same problem. I think they bump the change break while running it at high RPM and just power through the bog even when it starts smoking….

[@susieq72]

Why would my Husky have melted around the brake band cover whilst hand brake on but not touching the trottle. ie It was idling whilst I went to grab a ladder and it was smoking when I got back. How do I now know whether I have just melted the brake band cover plate or melted the engine housing as you have demonstrated in this video? Help!!! Susie Q New Zealand

[@Carlsmower]

Sounds like it may have been idling a bit high. On a Husqvarna it’s likely just damaged the cover but could be either.

[@susieq72]

@@Carlsmower Yeah thanks Carl, I had also thought that might be a factor even though it shouldnt be as it was my local chainsaw retailer who had recently tuned up my chainsaw and also as it happens had sold me the replacement cover that I have just melted after damaaging my last one. Classic aye. I appreciate your reply bowever, thanks for taking the time to do so. Very informative video too by the way, Cheers Susie

[@JonahNAloha]

Why does my poulan chainsaw runs away after staring it? Starts up fine, just idle is really high and won’t come down at all until I pull the spark plug cap

[@PJL7095]

Got a buddy who handed me his practically new MS170 to see if I can figure out what’s wrong with it. Little did I know at first that this is exactly what happened! I’m thinking something simple but the whole damn housing was melted! I can’t even get the clutch off.

[@Carlsmower]

Man that sucks. My goal was to help people avoid doing it. Roasted that sucker huh?

[@nheng6913]

Works as advertised 😞 Really wish I had seen this video first. Warranty will not cover it. Dealer repair not worth it. I've restored it and it was a good learning experience ... but the class cost $199 plus parts. To add insult to injury, accidentally put a small hole in the piston with a non-Stihl pistion stop. Do not use a Husqey or other piston stop which comes to a single contact point. Use the rope method or the Stihl plastic tool. It gets worse. The cylinder was pristine so ordered a replacement Stihl piston and rings. Well oiled, properly positioned, etc. Ran like new for 1 minute then locked up solid. Took it apart again and one piston ring broke into two pieces, the smaller piece wedged between the pistion skirt and the cylinder wall, heavily gouging both. The piston was actually out of round. Rebuilt with an Amazon / Chinese engine and found an engine housing for cheap. Runs great now and I'm an MS170 expert.

[@1stfloorguy59]

I use the end of a sharpie marker. Super soft and crushy

[@Just-Move-Forward-John]

Darn, which i knew this before i watched this video

[@dannybowman7792]

had a saw in my shop that was ran with the brake on. Blued the brake drum, melted the plastic around it plus other things. Employee didn't care about the saw! I can't image the smoke and smell of the plastic melting while this stupid guy ran it! Looking a the repair bill, I would have taken the money out of his pay check and then fired him. That was just malicious!!!!!!!!!!!

[@kansascityshuffle8526]

So I was recently told that idling your saw with the brake on also burns your clutch is this also true?

[@1stfloorguy59]

A bit true and untrue. Your chain shouldn't be moving while it's idealing. I only use the brake when I'm working on the chain. Or whe the kick back feature turns on from inertia. That's it.

[@dougherr3802]

As 1stfloorguy, adding... If the idle is properly set then it does not cause damage. If the idle is fast then it will be heating things up a bit when the brake is on.

[@vinceparke5740]

True.

[@TivonSanders]

Listening to that hurt my soul. LOL

[@Carlsmower]

😂 💯

[@davesmith729]

Haha mad man 😂😂😂

[@Carlsmower]

Was so hard to do intentionally

[@davesmith729]

@@Carlsmower I brought my first chain saw half hour ago and was reving it with the break on and started smoking and smell burning so switched it off put it on KZbin and found your video 😂😂

[@Carlsmower]

@@davesmith729 dang. Is it ok??

[@ebaehr01]

😂😂😂

[@martynjames5963]

My chain somehow overheated and the plastic next to the bar melted. It's almost new.

[@jasonrobinson9202]

I can see someone doing that😂

[@Carlsmower]

Sadly.

[@jasonrobinson9202]

@@Carlsmower I bet it happens all the time in your line of work😂

[@chisel83]

😭

[@alcopley7684]

I'll give you 10 bucks for it! Can you ship to the UK?😉

[@Carlsmower]

I’ve already got someone lined up to purchase it for parts and they’re paying me a little bit more than $10 sorry man.

[@andrewpearse53]

That so hurt to watch.

[@naturewatcher7596]

RIP the chainsaw. What a cruelty toward the machine.

[@ArtietheArchon]

F

[@gordontickle1673]

wind noise get a dead cat or don't record

[@MJ-qm7ke]

What a waste