ok, i bought this homelite chainsaw a little over a year ago.  it's worked fine (i've used it 4 times i think).  it's always started fairly easy.

well, today i went to help my father in law cut down a dead tree and it wouldn't even fire.  i went through the usual steps and checked the air filer, compression, and spark plug.  i removed the spark plug and pulled the cord and could see the gas moving into the cylinder. -ok,  i could see the plug sparking as i pulled the cord too.  

everything seems to be working fine, so i put it back together and it just will not fire.  could it still be the plug?  cause that's what it acts like.  even though i could watch it spark.  the gas should be good, it's the same gas that i used 2 months ago with no problems.

i guess i just want someone to say "yea, it could still be the spark plug" before i make a special trip 30 minutes into town to get another one.  or if anyone has any different ideas i'd love to hear them.

Your fuel lines could be gummed up. Take the lines off from the Fuel tank and the carb. Take your air hose if you have one and blow air through the lines. You can also blow out the carb. I usually have to do this every year with my weed trimmer unless i add fuel additive for long storage periods. Also reclean your sparkplug.

Little Starter Fluid or ether should wake it up.

i have tried a new spark plug, new gas, removed air filter, new spark plug wire, cleaned fuel lines, and cleaned exhaust venting.  i'm gonna try some ether, next time i make it into town i'll pick up a can.  if that doesn't work i'll take it in to a pro.  it's not urgent since i've got my work done but i do want the damn thing to run.

this just pisses me off since it's only a few months out of warantee and has only been used a few times.

Did you empty out the gas from the lines the last time you used it?  If not, you're carb is probably gummed up.  I had that happen a few years ago.  i didn't want to tear the carb apart so I threw the thing away and bought a newer and better one.

This sounds like every homelite I've ever had.  I went through 3 in under 10 years using them 3-4 times a year.  When I bought my house on a very wooded lot, I bit the bullet and got a Husqvarna.  No problems.

You might try using PRI-G with all small engines, always.  That way you know that you have good enought fuel and you just don't have to worry about gumming up, ever.

You might wanna flip the switch to run before pulling the cord. That might help.

3 things you need for an engine to run, gas, air, spark.  I always have an eye dropper in my tool kit. Heres a quick engine check.

1st) Remove spark plug put thumb over hole and pull cord to feel the force of air on thumb. This is a easy quick compression check.  Good force is what you want.

2nd) Attach plug wire to spark plug set base of plug against head and pull cord. You should should see a nice strong spark.

3nd) Fill eye dropper with gas, put about 6 drops into cylinder and install spark plug. Pull cord if saw starts you are not getting gas. I would guess this is your problem, you need to take carb apart and clean gunk out of all ports....

+ 1

JMS speaks the TRUTH!

Problem with the saws, IMHO, are mostly fuel related.

Clean up the fuel system like crazy.

My Poulans I had, due to the 10% ethanol in the gas, had all their internal plastic fuel lines leak!!! The ethanol made the so-called "resistant" plastic lines brittle and break, especially where the plastic fuled lines go thru any stress-point, line a hole in any housing.

ROYAL PAIN!

Ever try replacing those buggers? Use a super-long nosed set of pliers (like the kind you have in your fishin tackle to pull hooks outa bass' mouths) or use a piece of soft copper wire and thread it thru first--attacheing the fuel line to the ass-end of the wire).

Few drops of real good thin oil/lube on the line as you thread it thru is a given.

well, i cleaned the hell out of the lines and carb... no luck.  i'm gonna take it in.  BTW, i tried spraying starter fluid in the cylinder and it still didn't fire.  even with a brand new spark plug.  POS!!!

i have an old craftsman saw from the 70s that was given to me.  i think i will get it cleaned, serviced and running before i bother with the new one.

Get a Husquevarna like was said before or another "good" brand.

I'll swear by Echo and their chainsaws.  Great equipment and never (after many years -close to 10 now) any problems like I have seen and experienced with craftsman, homelite, etc.

Sounds like the run/stop switch may have a short in it, or the wiring going to the switch is grounding out. I have a old (made of metal not the new cheap plastic crap) homelite super xl/ao, and the wire is the only thing that I have ever had to fix.

http://cgi.ebay.com/HOMELITE-XL-12-VINTAGE-CHAINSAW-16-INCH-BAR_W0QQitemZ110004725728QQihZ001QQcategoryZ79665QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting


This was a hand me down from my grandfather to my father to me. It is the energizer bunny of chainsaws as far as I am concerned.

Quoted: 3 things you need for an engine to run, gas, air, spark.

There is a fourth thing and that is compression.  You might want to check that.

I bought an extremely clean homelite at a garage sale.  It wouldn't start.  It had no compression.  I took it back.  How many folks have returned an item to a garage sale?

I also bought a couple new homelites.  They would start but not run, because they were jetted too lean to meet CA emissions.  

I bought a Poulan.  I still had to rip off the jet restricters and set the needles to make it run, but it has sure taken a beating over the years.