Sthil 026 chain saw pulls very hard. Feels like too much compression.
Pulled spark plug and turned freely. Wondering if there is a compression release for starting and it is sticking and not releasing as it should? Would putting carb cleaner in the cylinder free up this release?
If your machine has a decompressor, it will be like a plastic button on the side of the cylinder head...pull it out and see if the machine cranks easily. The decompressor automatically resets once the machine starts.