Stihl saw - Ts 400

[digerjones]

got a fault with my ts400 stihl saw. when you start it you have to push the decompression button in, it is supposed to stop in untill it starts. on the first pull, it pops out. i have put a new button in, but still the same.

[Pablo]

No it should stay depressed until it fires I can't think of a solution sorry.

[lutonlagerlout]

had something similar but it still starts so i ignore it
had to get new piston etc last week on the other one £185 inc fitting
LLL

[Dave_L]

When do you guys use the decompressor??

I never use mine, well the odd time to stop the thing when the off button fails to work. Certainly not ever used it to start it.

[Pablo]

Would that not wreck the starter coil after a while Dave they certainly start better if you use it. I didn't know pushing it in will stop it I just throw the choke if the off button fails. Tony did you run straight petrol through it I've been there too many times and now no one does the mixing but me and the fuel cans are colour coordinated. I had one of my fellas fill the hydraulic tank of a 6 ton dumper last year with diesel that cost a bit to sort out.

[lutonlagerlout]

i buy the little stihl 100ml bottles of 2 stroke for 5 litres of fuel
but basically after 4-5 years of almost daily use it was shagged
still great bits of kit but nothing can last forever
have heard varying reports on the 410 so will hold fire for now
LLL

[Stuarty]

one of our boys filled a hired stihl saw with cherry diesel. Those wee bottles are handy and saves some not so smart folks mixing too much or too little oil with the fuel

[digerjones]

When do you guys use the decompressor??

I never use mine, well the odd time to stop the thing when the off button fails to work. Certainly not ever used it to start it.

you are supposed to press it in everytime you start it. think if you dont use it, you break the pull cords more often. my old 350 did'nt have one. thanks for replys.

[Dave_L]

There's a knack to starting a Stihl Saw, you need to sort of drop the saw and simultaneously pull up on the recoil starter, use the weight and inertia of the saw to help swing the engine over. I've never used the decompressor to aid starting - only stopping lol - and I'm yet to break a recoil cord!

Those Stihl oil bottles are great, we use red cans for mix and green for straight fuel. Plus Stihl oil smells great when burnt! :p

[digerjones]

dave if you use the decom button you wont have to have the knack and your nan could start it for you

[Dave_L]

But none of me chainsaws have a decom, they start fine!!

[local patios and driveway]

I dont use the decom button, starts a treat, if they dont start stihl suggest always 5 pulls with choke on, 5 pulls with choke off. Repeat till it starts. Have to use choke to switch mine of despite having switch repaired twice now...

Has a play with 410, certainly felt flimsy and cheap,msounds like a moped too

[mickg]

I first started with the TS350, the TS360 and then the TS400 which was a tried and tested saw there is no doubt about that

I have owned two TS410 for over 2 years and are used almost daily and all day some days, in my opinion they are the best saw you could ever wish to have in your hands with regards to reduced vibration stihl say by 43% because as you go back to the TS400 you can really feel the fatigue I used to endure, they are certainly not flimsy but do sound totally different than the TS400

you can see the difference by placing the saws side by side on the paving and the TS400 will spin round and round in circles where as the TS410 wont move more than 2 millimeters

the dust filters are much better than the TS400 as you don't get the filter clogging up anywhere near as fast plus I have the saws serviced regular which always helps

the down side is the pull cords seem to break much quicker than the old TS400 and I was starting to think its cheaper cord being used by the hire shop what I use to fix them but seeing the comment above by diggerjones I will test this method out

what I have observed is if the saw gets wet off a light shower of rain the cord will break a few days later that's why now the first thing to be placed under cover is the saw if it starts raining

I am well aware of lots of hire shops nation wide stopping using the TS410's due to issues with them and I have had my fair share of problems over the last 2 years I must admit but the last 3 - 4 months have been fine so onwards and upwards this year . . . . hopefully :;):

[lutonlagerlout]

^^ ditto on the rain thing
always in the week after a sudden shower the cord snaps
LLL

[Carberry]

I had the 400 but it got nicked, got the 410 now. The 400 wasn't balanced as well, vibrated more etc but it started first time every time. The 410 is much more temperamental when starting, have to go through the full procedure in the manual and even then it is still a pain in the ass.

I mix two stroke for it every time, I have 20L of 2 stroke sitting out the back which will do me a lifetime. Works out well for me because I get oil cheap. The wee stihl bottles cost a fortune.