Stihl Chainsaw starting Issue?

[Deere Scotty]

Bought a New Stihl 280 C-BE around April 10th. $240 lighter weight saw.

3 time out with less than an hour on the saw, turned it off for about 10 minutes.
it would not even fire once. Attempted several times over a half hour. talked to my
cousin who works on them regularly. We took out the spark plug it was clean, filter
clean, pulled the chord with plug still out. put it back in, & still nothing. We
were giving up, when on the very last pull suddenly it fired at least once. Pulled
chord again, & it blew blue smoke, & choked very slowly to life, & then ran fine!

Went back to sawing... shut it off again after 10 or so minutes of sawing, moved
some wood around, tried to start it again, fired up on 1st pull made 2 larger cuts,
stopped to look at what I had done, & saw dies while at an idle. Figured it was
out of fuel, & it was not, but filled anyway. Pulled the chord; found it would not
start above an idle, & when pulling the throttle dies every time; but chain is free!

My cousin is totally perplexed... said He would take it back. Also commented the exhaust
looked like it had too much black oil, black exhaust coating the muffler; but not sure
that is a problem!

Would I be better going with a higher end model, or would the reliabilty be the same?
& does anybody what could be happening with this one?

 

[Steve@Advance]

Being such a new model, hard to say the exact cause, but from what you are describing I would say it is dumping gas into the crankcase when it's shut off.

I would take it back before doing anything.

If this is something you need to use now, try to get a replacement. If it has to be sent away for warranty you could be in for a long wait, and chances are it will come back with the same problem.

 

[Pete in Holland MI]

Stihl is a good brand with some good dealers. Don't open it up, but take it back. This is too new to be having any problems and if you DO open it up, you may void the warranty.

 

[Russ from MN]

Are you sure you had good gas? I use premium without ethanol for all my 2 stroke engines. Did you use Stihl oil in the recommended ratio? If the fuel is good I would suggest taking it back, try to exchange for another, a saw like that should start and run well. Maybe it was assembled on a Friday afternoon. A larger professional saw that cost more would't run any better, just last longer. For occasional use a saw like that should last 50 years!

 

[Russ from MN]

Another comment, if the dealer even thinks it's a fuel related problem they can void the warranty! When we bought a new Stihl blower a few years ago they doubled the warranty if you bought a 6 pack of Stihl oil with the tool. I hope you were using Stihl oil!

 

[Keith Molden]

Did you read the starting instructions? Not trying to be nasty but I had the exact same issues with my 170 when I bought it. They have a self adjusting carb on them. for cold start put it on choke pull a couple times till it fires then move it off choke and pull it to start. When it starts it will rev up high, pull the throttle and it will settle down and be ready to cut. When hot don't put it on choke just on ignition and pull it. I had so much darned trouble trying to get mine running when it was new I was gonna take it back then I read the instructions and have been happy with it. I've ran saws for years but this is the first one I've ever ran across with a self adjusting carb. Keith

 

[runwoolf]

I would second this comment. I had the same thing happen to me. "It's a chain saw..I don't need an owners manual" LOL

 

[Ellis Kinney]

There is a little plastic piece behind the carb. to turn up in summer and down in winter. Ellis

 

[TomA in CA]

Take it back and buy an Echo, they always start.

 

[Rkh]

I have the "farm boss" Stihl for many years & for those many years, it's always hard starting when cold. Just switched over to ethanol free gas. I also bought a Stihl weed backer & they told me the warranty would double if you use there "ULTRA Stihl 2 cycle oil", so I changed all my 2 cycle engines to this oil.

 

[Goose]

If the saw is new, you should be going directly back to the dealer.

BTW, have you read the starting instruction in your owners manual?