By Michelle J. Richards
May/June 1995 Backwoods Home Magazine
Don’t you hate it when you grab your chainsaw and head for your woodlot, and once you’re there, the saw won’t start? Or you need your generator to produce electricity to run a pump or a saw for a homestead project and you crank and crank and nothing happens? Drives me crazy when I’m raring to go and my machinery isn’t. Do you almost take it personally? I have in the past. I was sure all the engines in the world had gotten together and formed a conspiracy to ruin my day. If you feel that way, maybe I can lend you a hand with a few simple tips that can help you around the homestead. First and foremost, maintenance is the number one way to keep your engine running. These engines are rugged critters and can have very long lives if cared for properly. Let’s go over general maintenance of 2-cycle and 4-cycle engines.