Summer is quickly approaching and it's a great idea to get ahead of the work needed to be done. To make everything as good as it can be for all your family and friends coming over, it's best to have the right equipment on hand and have your tools running at top shape. Here are seven simple yard work things to be ready with for your summer fun.
Best Chainsaw Care
Not everyone needs a chainsaw at all times but when you do, you always want to make sure its set and ready to go. The last thing you want is to need to get to cutting and suddenly realized that the tool you need isn't ready or able. This can be taken care of through simple maintenance and a quick check for the needed gear.
The first two things you are going to want to check, fairly often, are the fuel and chain lube levels. Pick up a can of STIHL's MotoMix 92 octane pre mix fuel for the best results for your saw and longest fuel shelf times. Also, be sure to double check your chain lubricant oil reservoir and top it off before you set the chain teeth to the wood.
Another preseason maintenance chore that should be done is checking the chains sharpness. Sharpening your own STIHL chainsaw chain is super easy with STIHL's 2 in 1 file guide. This handy little device not only helps you get the right angle for each tooth of the chain but also simultaneously cuts the chain guide between each tooth as well.
Maintaining Pruners and Clippers
Despite always being made to the best quality standards, not every tool STIHL makes runs at high speed or even on fuel or battery power. I personally love my STIHL pruners and loppers as I feel I get a much more personal touch on my yard work and to be frank, sometimes that's really all I need. Be sure to check their sharpness and add a bit of anti rust lubricant to help them last for many seasons to come.
Time to Restring Your Trimmer
My first STIHL trimmer, and first STIHL tool purchased ever, was my FS 250 R which I absolutely have a special place in my heart for. My first ever job was mowing and raking lawns, trimming hedges, and pulling weeds, and I always wanted to own most legitimate trimmer and this was the absolute best there was. While living on a small 13 acre farm in Oklahoma, I learned to take care of and maintain my tools and intend on passing that knowledge and respect for my tools on.
Now, a little bit older and a lot more STIHL trimmers in my shed, I still love caring for my tools, especially my new FSA 57 and FSA 90R. Regardless of which trimmer I am using, I always start my season by loading up my heads with Premium Round Line (I like the 2.4mm personally). Be sure to top off your line because it's a real drag to have to stop mid work day just to re-spool and get started again.
How to Maintain Your Trimmer Head
Another key tip for maintaining your trimmer is lubing your heads as well. This is actually really simple and honestly satisfying. All you have to do is thread the Superlub FS grease tube to the gearbox grease inlet, give it a solid squeeze, remove, and just close it back up. This will help your trimmer heads run so much smoother and last a lot longer.
Must Have Safety Gear
I have no idea why but, just like my boys socks going missing, I always misplace the simplest of safety and working gear. For this reason, I always like to re-up on my eye protection, gloves, and make sure I know where I put my helmet with the face shield. After recently having a new tool shed built just for my yard tools, I also installed a nice helmet rack to keep them nice and put away.
Another simple part of my seasonal personal protective equipment I like to ensure I have available is my hearing protection. Depending on what I am doing, I might want to have “foamies” or a full size pair of ear protection at the ready. At the very least, I like having a set of these STIHL reusable ear plugs to get me through a seasons worth of work.
Be Ready to Work In The Sun
STIHL seems to have made just about everything you could want for working in the yard or field. Everything but the sun protection. Be sure to make the simple, quick, and easy decision to apply sunscreen to any exposed skin you make have out while getting things done around the house. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and a good 50 SPF is a great amount of prevention.
Use the Best Fuel For Your Tools
Regardless of the tool you are using, be sure to fill up with a new batch of the highest quality fuel. I only use STIHL's MOTOMIX for all my mix fuel tools just to be sure I'm using the best and most accurate mixed fuel. For other tools, like my STIHL RB 600, I try to find a good ethanol free fuel to keep my motor running clean for a long time.
How do you prep for a season of yard work and what's your favorite STIHL tool?