I'm with Neil on this Mike, a Stihl in good condition and tune should start with no more than 4-5 pulls on choke before it pops, and then one good yank on high idle. the 390 is one of Stihl's best sellers for firewood gathering and there must be thousands out there in use, and unless I'm mistaken, I've even spotted Toby using one in his videos! Once you understand the fundamentals of how a 2 stroke works and how most (if not all) modern saws pump fuel from the tank to the carb it shouldn't be hard to fix. The saw uses the pressure developed in the crankcase on the downstroke of the piston to pump the fuel, via a short rubber hose (called an impulse hose) from the crankcase to the carburettor. The impulses of pressure are used in a tiny diaphragm pump on one side of the carburettor (the other side has another diaphragm to meter fuel for the engine) to pump fuel from the tank to the carb. I would be checking for a partially blocked impulse hose or a stiff diaphragm. There's also a tiny mesh screen fuel filter in the carb that can block up with fine dust. These checks are apart from the most basic checks like the fuel filter (on the end of the fuel pickup hose in the tank). Which part of the US of A do you live Mike? I have several contacts in the States through the chainsaw forums I frequent, who may be able to help you.

Hello Mark, I'm on the big island just to the left of you, and live about 3 hours north of Melbourne, that saw of mine has had all the fuel pipes replaced several times over the years, and I recently fitted a new aftermarket carb while chasing a ongoing poor idle issue, and the other day fitted a new aftermarket coil after the old original crapped out, so slowly slowly I'm replacing all the bolt on bits! LOL.

The compression is good, and once it is warm, it starts easily and runs great, its just getting the rotten mongrel started when cold has been a ongoing issue for 20 years. Over the years I've used 95 octane petrol to get better storage life, but recently went back to 91 and I think that has improved the issue slightly, but it is still terrible.

Over the years I've used numerous brands of saws at work and owned a McCulloch, and all were easy starters, this Stihl of mine is a dog for sure, but thanks for the tips Mark.

Ha, wrote:

Hello Mark, I'm on the big island just to the left of you, and live about 3 hours north of Melbourne, that saw of mine has had all the fuel pipes replaced several times over the years, and I recently fitted a new aftermarket carb while chasing a ongoing poor idle issue, and the other day fitted a new aftermarket coil after the old original crapped out, so slowly slowly I'm replacing all the bolt on bits! LOL.

The compression is good, and once it is warm, it starts easily and runs great, its just getting the rotten mongrel started when cold has been a ongoing issue for 20 years. Over the years I've used 95 octane petrol to get better storage life, but recently went back to 91 and I think that has improved the issue slightly, but it is still terrible.

Over the years I've used numerous brands of saws at work and owned a McCulloch, and all were easy starters, this Stihl of mine is a dog for sure, but thanks for the tips Mark.

Ha! I should have realized Mike, sorry. Nice to chat to someone just over the 'ditch'! My recommendation to you would, if the saw is tidy, be to pop it on Gumtree, and you might be pleasantly surprised how much you get! A new MS391 or even an MS362C, with a decompressor, would be a welcome change, especially if your saw has caused you grief for years 

we have a ms291 and it doesn't like old fuel. mix up some fresh fuel and its happy. one question how are you starting it are you drop starting it or not. i second the idea sell the bitch and buy a newer model.

we have 2 old 7-10 McCullouchs too which yes if you dont decompress them will try and pull you arm off. for old saws they run well.

Had some more fun with the old girl on Saturday, used her to skid this big Eucalyptus log (over 8 ft long and 36 inches through) that was blocking a track. The old girl didn't even blink when I popped it in 1st and engaged the clutch! 
   

thats not big. the old girl should snig a hole log of that diameter. thats a solid bit of timber though make excellent jacking blocks.

I've now done over 15hrs on this D2 since I purchased it and it still surprises me with how much it can pull! I certainly couldn't have shifted these big Eucalyptus logs without it. Pony will always start on the first or second pull, hot or cold, and the main engine runs sweet. I do get a bit of oil blown out the exhaust, which would probably go away if I could really give it some work.
 

Neil, I think you asked me right early on for a video of the old girl starting, so I finally got around to getting one this morning. This is pretty typical, except the pony normally starts on the first pull!
vimeo.com/682093562