What do I do when my chainsaw starter rope won't retract?

Answer by  DavidS (1517)

Either the recoil spring is broke or has came unwound. You have to remove the 3-5 screws holding the recoil cover on. Then either rewind the spring and rope or replace the broken spring. On most saws you can buy the entire recoil piece if you don't want to try to rewind the spring.

Answer by  leah84 (1043)

You could take the cover off and try to wind it back up yourself. If that does not work, you could take it to a repair shop (most lawnmower and weedeater repair shops work on chainsaws too) and see if they may be able to fix it.

Answer by  bidurpan (105)

You might have a broken rewind spring! It is also possible that the insides of the chainsaw are too dirty and gumming up the works. If you know how to disassemble it safely, you could try lubing, otherwise see a professional repairman.

Answer by  Tim10 (22)

Typically, I have to remove three phillips head screws on the recoil housing to be able an access the spring that comes loose.

Answer by  diva25 (4016)

I would take it to a hardware store and see if they can figure out why. It might not be free, but they would know what they were doing there.

Answer by  Travis404607 (3916)

If your chainsaw starter rope won't retract, this is likely the result of a bad spring within the chainsaw. You should have the chainsaw serviced before trying to start it again.

Answer by  JRossi17 (788)

If you are mechanically inclined you can take it apart and see why its not retracting. However most places that sell lawn equipment such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, etc. will fix a chainsaw. Call your local lawn equipment sellers and ask them before you go and see if they can help you fix it over the phone.