*****Official***** chainsaw owners thread

[BOHICA]

father in law.....  80 something year old had a tree come down in his yard.  I just got home yesterday and the mother in law calls the wife and ask if we had a saw as theirs broke.  She said my father in law took to hand sawing cause he is to cheap to rent one.  So the wife said we had a brand new one for awhile and on our way so i just picked this up from the local farm and ranch.

stihl 271 farm boss

 

 

[sear]

Nice.

I've got two Stihl's.

A ~35 year old ~026 or whatever it is.

The 5 year old one is an MS 290. I just got a new bar and chain for that one; haven't put them on yet.

[BOHICA]

2 minutes ago, sear said:

Nice.

I've got two Stihl's.

A ~35 year old ~026 or whatever it is.

The 5 year old one is an MS 290. I just got a new bar and chain for that one; haven't put them on yet.

We use stihl saws alot at work.  Dont pay attention to what they are.  I hate chainsaws.  Natural gas heat ftmfw!!!!

but to help my father in law out i just as well run the best saw brand on the market.

[sear]

Around here, some prefer Jon Sered, or Husqvarna.

But Stihl uses a narrower gauge chain, which means a narrower kerf, which means the engine has to convert less wood (tree) into sawdust per cut.

So the Stihl has an advantage right out of the box.

Why the starting system is such an absolutely hideous abortion, an absolute engineering embarrassment I still haven't figured out.

FACT:

The single worst time to ever over-rev an engine is when it's stone cold.

Yet Stihl meticulously engineers their choke / throttle system to only start the saw on absolute maximum full throttle.

I battle that ridiculous, deliberate design flaw every time I start my saw cold.

But otherwise these saws aren't horrible.

And with a tractor with a bucket on it, clearing up downed trees is a relative breeze.

[Rigid1]

15 minutes ago, sear said:

Around here, some prefer Jon Sered, or Husqvarna.

But Stihl uses a narrower gauge chain, which means a narrower kerf, which means the engine has to convert less wood (tree) into sawdust per cut.

So the Stihl has an advantage right out of the box.

Why the starting system is such an absolutely hideous abortion, an absolute engineering embarrassment I still haven't figured out.

FACT:

The single worst time to ever over-rev an engine is when it's stone cold.

Yet Stihl meticulously engineers their choke / throttle system to only start the saw on absolute maximum full throttle.

I battle that ridiculous, deliberate design flaw every time I start my saw cold.

But otherwise these saws aren't horrible.

And with a tractor with a bucket on it, clearing up downed trees is a relative breeze.

Actually you can put any size chain on any saw, whether you run.. . 325 or 3/8.. The gauge of 0.050,. 058, or. 063 is available for every saw.

Stihl sucks, they cheapened up quite a bit and emissions are not doing them any favors,.husky with there electronic carbs suck..If I was going to buy a saw today it would be a Dolmar 7910 or a Solo 681..

Edited October 1, 2016 by Rigid1

[Mileage Psycho]

1 hour ago, BOHICA said:

father in law.....  80 something year old had a tree come down in his yard.  I just got home yesterday and the mother in law calls the wife and ask if we had a saw as theirs broke.  She said my father in law took to hand sawing cause he is to cheap to rent one.  So the wife said we had a brand new one for awhile and on our way so i just picked this up from the local farm and ranch.

stihl 271 farm boss

 

 

Stihl FTW  

[Zambroski]

Husky for me.  Cleared a spot for my house with my current.  Bet I've burned 4 or 5 blades up with it.  Just rebuilt the carb...still rockin' and rollin'!

[ckf]

Husky seems to be the saw of choice for most of the loggers around here.

[sear]

"Actually you can put any size chain on any saw, whether you run.. . 325 or 3/8.. The gauge of 0.050,. 058, or. 063 is available for every saw." #5

It becomes an engineering problem.

I doubt every chain is compatible with every bar.

I doubt every drive sprocket is compatible with every chain gauge.

It's probably least expensive to buy the saw with the gauge chain you want, and stick with it.

But the underlying physics is clear. Smaller kerf, less work for the motor.

"Stihl sucks, they cheapened up quite a bit and emissions are not doing them any favors,"

They're wildly popular around here. Our commercial electric power provider, National Grid has contracted out the tree cutting / brush clearing under their power lines to a 3rd party private contractor. They use Stihl.

The only problem I have w/ my 026 is there's a pebble lodged in the long tunnel that leads to the chain oiler adjustment. The pebble blocks the adjustment. So now the chain gets way over-oiled, and flings oil everywhere. I just got a compressor. I may try to blow the pebble out. I don't want to have to tear the saw down, just for a pebble.

So I've been using the MS 290 instead. It's fine, and candidly, a little quieter.

"husky with there electronic carbs suck.." 

I can't figure out why it's not fuel injection. Computer chips are so stunningly cheap these days. EFI would seem a hand & glove match.

"If I was going to buy a saw today it would be a Dolmar 7910 or a Solo 681.." 

I've never heard of either one.

[01mxz800]

i'll stick with my Poulan Pro's last 1 lasted 20 years

[Fireball 440]

Remington 51cc 18" Oregon, and a 16" Stihl 028? no brake, 25 years old.

[sear]

Alright.

I've got some oil questions here.

a) It seems there's a variety of 2 stroke engine / fuel oils, designed for different ratios. Obviously the Stihl people want you to buy and use Stihl brand engine / fuel oil. I generally don't. I just buy the same sized bottle of whatever 2 stroke engine / fuel oil is available, and mix that w/ my chainsaw fuel.

I haven't noticed a problem. Is there a significant risk here?

b) Chain / bar oil. They want me to buy dedicated Stihl chain / bar oil, which by odd coincidence is more expensive than other similar lubricants such as 10w-30 crankcase oil. Is there a compelling reason to use the more expensive stuff?

c) Sometimes I end up with extra petroleum-based automotive fluids for which I have no further use. I had a spare quart of Dexron II automatic transmission fluid, and then traded in the car I would have poured it into. I could throw it out, but that then becomes a pollution / waste stream problem.

So instead of throwing it out, I mixed it with my chain-bar oil, and used it up that way. Bad idea? I haven't noticed any problem. It seems to be a fairly adequate lubricant for that application.

note: I wouldn't do that with brake fluid. Brake fluid chemistry is a little more complicated, & brake fluid doesn't seem to have the shear-strength necessary for a chain / bar lube.

 =============================  Bonus Question  ================================

Chain tension:

Some say the chain should be tensioned so there's no droop, that the chain occlude the bar 360 degrees.

Others say the portion of the chain under the bar should droop as much as half a drive tooth, or more.

For certain, run the chain too loose, and it can derail, and jam; EXTREMELY bad idea! But what's the best way to tension a chainsaw chain, and why?

[Rigid1]

2 hours ago, sear said:

Alright.

I've got some oil questions here.

a) It seems there's a variety of 2 stroke engine / fuel oils, designed for different ratios. Obviously the Stihl people want you to buy and use Stihl brand engine / fuel oil. I generally don't. I just buy the same sized bottle of whatever 2 stroke engine / fuel oil is available, and mix that w/ my chainsaw fuel.

I haven't noticed a problem. Is there a significant risk here?

b) Chain / bar oil. They want me to buy dedicated Stihl chain / bar oil, which by odd coincidence is more expensive than other similar lubricants such as 10w-30 crankcase oil. Is there a compelling reason to use the more expensive stuff?

c) Sometimes I end up with extra petroleum-based automotive fluids for which I have no further use. I had a spare quart of Dexron II automatic transmission fluid, and then traded in the car I would have poured it into. I could throw it out, but that then becomes a pollution / waste stream problem.

So instead of throwing it out, I mixed it with my chain-bar oil, and used it up that way. Bad idea? I haven't noticed any problem. It seems to be a fairly adequate lubricant for that application.

note: I wouldn't do that with brake fluid. Brake fluid chemistry is a little more complicated, & brake fluid doesn't seem to have the shear-strength necessary for a chain / bar lube.

 =============================  Bonus Question  ================================

Chain tension:

Some say the chain should be tensioned so there's no droop, that the chain occlude the bar 360 degrees.

Others say the portion of the chain under the bar should droop as much as half a drive tooth, or more.

For certain, run the chain too loose, and it can derail, and jam; EXTREMELY bad idea! But what's the best way to tension a chainsaw chain, and why?

A- go buy Opti Oil,..safe for any 2cycle ratio saw, trimmer, blower ect..

B- use bar oil, they offer winter and summer grade,..bar oil is thicker and more tacky than motor oil. Designed to stick in the groove of your bar, also you might take notice the the driver on your chain might have a small dimple and the connector will have a dash stamped in it, well depending if you are using good chain,..The cheap Chinese chains don't have this..but anyway the dimple and dash are used to carry bar oil around the bar and keep the chain lubed, so there is almost zero metal to metal contact. The oil pump of your saw is designed to pump bar oil. FYI, they want you to use the Stihl because that's what they make the most money, you're paying for the name..It's not like Stihl actually makes that oil, some cheaper company packages it for them.

C- You are kidding right?? Use bar oil, and bar oil only,..

 

Bonus Question- IMO the ideal chain tension is pulling the chain out of the middle of the bar,.3/4 of the driver should show,..you should be able to see the entire # stamped on the driver of the chain.. To loose and the chain will actually porpoise and slap the bar as it goes around, peening the bar rail over. There is a bar dressing tool you can buy to fix it rather than buying a new bar.

To tight and you will see burn marks on the top of the bar rail near the tip and middle, the oil is not able to do its job of creating that lubrication layer between the chains driver and bar rail groove because the chain is to tight..

 

The best way to tighten your chain properly is to go to the dealer you got the saw from and ask him to show you, they are more than happy to provide any safety information,  unless you got it from some moron at a box store who has no idea what he is selling..Buy from your local dealers fellas,.. We wouldn't buy a sled at tractor supply would we??

[ArcticCrusher]

10 hours ago, 01mxz800 said:

i'll stick with my Poulan Pro's last 1 lasted 20 years

That is what I have.  Don't use it enough to bother getting something else.

[01mxz800]

1 minute ago, ArcticCrusher said:

That is what I have.  Don't use it enough to bother getting something else.

last 1 a Pro 255 and bought it new 20 years ago when I still heated with only wood that fucker cut a lot of apple wood 30 cord a year finally has an issue needed a new saw so I bought this 1 last fall. gonna get the old 1 fixed for "vintage saw day" LOL great saws for the money

[smokin george]

I use a Husky 455 Rancher for my wood cutting. The chain and the extra one I bought constantly needed sharpening and since getting 2 chains made up they seem to last longer between sharpening. I use both grades of bar oil depending on when I'm cutting and use an off the shelf 2stroke oil .

[ArcticCrusher]

2 hours ago, 01mxz800 said:

last 1 a Pro 255 and bought it new 20 years ago when I still heated with only wood that fucker cut a lot of apple wood 30 cord a year finally has an issue needed a new saw so I bought this 1 last fall. gonna get the old 1 fixed for "vintage saw day" LOL great saws for the money

I use mine for minor cleanup.  A full bush cord lasts me about 3 years and not worth the effort to do it myself.

[snowstorm]

stihl is still number 1 world wide. its not a blade its a bar. for a firewood saw  a pro saw is worth it in the end in stihl a 241 or 261 for fast and smooth use 3\8 picco chain. bolth stihl and husky make some cheap clam shell [ plastic crank case] saws. i would stay away from those. there ok but thats it 

[Wildcat]

Another vote for Poulan here. I just dont need a big saw this does what i need. Also Poulan is a brand of Husky... Notice the stamp on the muffler.

[sear]

 

   I use a Husky 455 Rancher for my wood cutting. The chain and the extra one I bought constantly needed sharpening and since getting 2 chains made up they seem to last longer between sharpening. I use both grades of bar oil depending on when I'm cutting and use an off the shelf 2stroke oil ." sg #16

Thanks sg.
I'd been wondering whether your saw inspired Stihl to compete against that specific model with the model pictured in post #1. "Farm Boss".
You tell me.

 Wc #19
I absolutely did not know that!
Based upon drunken banter at lumberjack bars I'd believed Husky was near top of the line, or at least top tier in chainsaw brands, and that Poulan was low on the ladder, made for private consumers for light yard work.
Live & learn! Thanks.

[01mxz800]

36 minutes ago, Wildcat said:

Another vote for Poulan here. I just dont need a big saw this does what i need. Also Poulan is a brand of Husky... Notice the stamp on the muffler.

I was going to buy that saw when I bought my new 1 but don't have a need for a 20" bar anymore, just use this 1 for home clean up, trail work and a few odd cord of wood to heat shop so perfect for what I am going to use it for and came with case and spare bar and chain new from Runnings for $175

[stealth bomber]

16 hours ago, 01mxz800 said:

i'll stick with my Poulan Pro's last 1 lasted 20 years

I just purchased the same saw a couple weeks ago.  Wanted something for yard cleanup and trimming trails.  For two hundred Canadian dollars, it's a really good working saw.  Probably a little under powered for getting into big stuff, but I don't plan on doing much of that.  

[01mxz800]

1 hour ago, stealth bomber said:

I just purchased the same saw a couple weeks ago.  Wanted something for yard cleanup and trimming trails.  For two hundred Canadian dollars, it's a really good working saw.  Probably a little under powered for getting into big stuff, but I don't plan on doing much of that.  

Re-adjust the carb and will be a cutting mf'er factory settings suck shit for emissions

[stealth bomber]

Good point.  Last weed eater I bought would barely run the way it came out of the box.  

[Rigid1]

2 hours ago, 01mxz800 said:

Re-adjust the carb and will be a cutting mf'er factory settings suck shit for emissions

 

2 hours ago, stealth bomber said:

Good point.  Last weed eater I bought would barely run the way it came out of the box.  

Best of luck finding the correct tool to adjust those carbs,..I'm sure you guys are handy,..but FYI,.. 10k fine for the dealer that sells the correct carb adjusting tool to fit..Again the government regulations kicking your ass,..supposedly from the factory they are adjusted for max performance and emissions per our wonderful government ,.. Hence them not running..no emissions.. All you guys with the newer Poulan's go look at your plastics and carbs,..any easy access holes to get at the L and H screws??