Chain Saw

With all the trees here at the Boggy Thicket, a chain saw is a necessity, and I have owned quite a few over the years – saws of several different sizes made by various manufacturers - McCullough, Craftsman, etc. 

Just about the most reliable saw I ever owned (until last week) was an 18” Poulan I bought at Wal-Mart. This past weekend, I took it out and cranked on it until I thought I was going to have a stroke and nothing happened – it never even tried to start. 

A quick diagnostic check revealed that the fuel intake hose inside the gas tank had disintegrated.  It came out in little pieces that would crumble in your hand.

The chances of finding replacement tubing on Easter were next to nothing, so except for looking up the part on line, I didn’t even try.  I did learn that the same part number was good for dozens of machines – chain saws and weed eaters from multiple manufacturers.

I was at Ray DeSpain's , my local chain saw store and repair facility, when they opened on Monday. They serve homeowners like me, but their primary clientele is made up of loggers, firewood and pulpwood cutters – folks who use chain saws to make their living - so they always have the parts I need in stock.  A new hose and the in-tank fuel filter were only $3.89.  I asked what they would charge to just replace it while I was there and Mrs. DeSpain said “Well, the charge would be $15 plus parts, but we have a three week waiting list on repairs.”  Wow! - That is one booming business.

I asked if she had seen those hoses fail before, and she pointed to the huge spool she was cutting my new hose from and said “All the time.  Gasoline destroys that tubing.”

You would think that they could come up with gas line tubing that would be impervious to gasoline!

Ok, I’ve made my point.  You can stop reading here, but…

Over the years I have considered tools with 2-cycle engines to be more-or-less disposable.  Whether I used them a little or a lot, they always seemed to work for about two years or so, a week or two past warranty, and then die. 

A few years ago, while cleaning out the barn, I threw away four non-functioning weed eaters.  I can't help wondering how many of them would have been just fine with the replacement of a couple dollars worth of fuel line.