Run it wide open when fogging the chainsaw

Yes, you need to run the saw at full RPM while fogging it. Idle just doesn’t push the oil where it matters.

Fogging oil works by spraying into the carburetor intake while the engine is spinning fast. At full throttle, the high air velocity atomizes the oil into a fine mist, and crankcase pressure carries it around the cylinder walls, piston rings, and bearings. That’s the whole point.

At idle, the oil mostly drips and pools instead of coating the internals. You might see smoke, but that’s just oil burning off, not a sign it’s actually protecting anything. You want the saw to choke and stall while you’re spraying — that tells you it’s drawing the oil through and coating the top end before it dies.

So: air filter off, saw running and warmed up, then nail the throttle and shoot the fogging oil into the carb throat in short bursts until it stalls. Done.

A couple of bursts at full RPM beats ten minutes of idling and smoke.