I bought one and it has run great, the only time it sputters is when the cutting line is getting short. I tap the head get more line to feed out and the sputter is gone. My spec sheet calls for 20w-50 oil. My experiance with most chinese made gas motors (which is probably most that we find available these days) is that they test run them at the factories then ship them leaving some gas in the fuel system, and since from test run, shipping, to sale is usually several months this allows the fuel system and residual gas in it to lacquer up. On anew purchase I usually put some rubbing alchohol in the fuel tank, then take the spark plug out, prime the fuel system, pull the start cord till I smell rubbing alchohol coming out of the spark plug hole. Then I let it sit a day so, the rubbing alchohol dissolves the lacquer, then I put gas in and start it up. I never have problems using this procedure. If you have lacquer gumming up your jets you can adjust the carb all you want but it will never run right!!

Like canguy said, most of the tube controls, we call them joysticks, have a throttle lock on them. At least the better models do. The joystick makes tube control much easier and comfortable over twisting your wrist to maintain proper directional control. The only down side if even worth mentioning is some of the gardeners who are rough on their stuff seem to find the longer throttle cables exposed areas and snag them on things tearing them up. Most have no trouble, just the guys who tend to throw them in their truck when done.

My experiences have been pools of oil due to the spilt oil tanks or oil ports at the bar leaking. On our 3 old Poulan S25 saws, the oil and fuel tanks were split and no plastic on the 70s models. The fuel tanks never leaked vs the oil tanks needing gaskets. I feel once you clean the spill and saw, the leak should show the problem as a bad fuel line, line to tank not a tight seal, Etc. I hope itâÂÂs not a split tank. My leaking oil tank gaskets were more trouble to replace than they were worth. With luck one was replaced within the 1 yr warranty. Afterwards re-torquing screws helped, cleaning and adding silicone where needed worked or emptying oil tank worked. If it had been a leaking fuel tank I w/n still own the saws. LOL.

On account of obvious wear on the piston skirt (worn semi-circular area on cylinder below intake port), I installed a new cylinder-and-piston assembly, but that did not solve the problem. Though the carburetor low-speed ports did not seem to be plugged (squirted carb cleaner through with no obstructions) and I had already done a carb soak and installed a carb rebuild kit, I had other advice from a mechanic that works on Stihl saws who said that despite all that, this was probably a carburetor problem. He sees it often with the Stihl cutoff saws. He advised that I simply replace the carb at this point. I did, and now it idles beautifully!