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[email protected] slovenianwood@gmail.com is offline
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Default How do you "tune up" a hard-to-start Craftsman 18" chainsaw

On Thursday, August 19, 2010 at 3:57:45 PM UTC-4, SF Man wrote:
Do you know where to find the tune-up procedure for the Sears Craftsman
358.351.800 18 inch chain saw?

Ever since it was new, my two-stroke Sears Craftsman 358351.800 18" 40cc
chain saw has been miserable to start and even worse to run. Even when new,
I could never release my finger on the trigger for fear of the Craftsman
chainsaw conking out and not restarting for another 20 minutes of pulling
the string.

The Sears Craftsman 358351 chain saw is now about a year old, and I've got
only about 3 or 4 hours on it (a few tanks of gas and bar oil) but it now
won't even start anymore except when left overnight. Even then, it only
runs until I lift my finger off the trigger and it conks out and won't
start again. I'm so sorry I didn't read Craftsman chain saw reviews because
I'm sure this is a design flaw (maybe because it's a California low-smog
chainsaw?).

Anyway, I'm stuck with it.

I replaced the Champion RCJ7Y spark plug, the felt air filter, and put a
newly bought newly mixed 40:1 gasolineil mixture in the tank; but it's
STILL hard to start.

Following owners manual instructions, I set the choke to full on, I press
the accelerator pump 6x, I pull the starter cord 5 times, I set the choke
to 1/2 position, I pull the starter cord a half dozen more times, and, more
often than not, it does not start.

I called Sears' 800 number but they only sell parts; the guy told me to
tune the carbeurator but I don't know what that procedure is.

Do you know where to find the tune-up procedure for the Sears Craftsman
358.351.800 18 inch chain saw?


I have a Model 358 352180 18" Crapsman chainsaw too and it will not even pop with primer. I have worked on small engines for years and this is the first one that stumped me this bad. I did find they had the primer hoses on backwards and I corrected that but it has spark, compression and fuel and it should at least pop. The one last thing to check is the key in the flywheel.. If that is sheared the least bit, it will not fire. If that is okay, the saw goes in the dumpster on trash day! I should know better than to buy new Crapsman power tools ..gas or electric!! They have gone way down hill since the old days!!