Lets talk Chainsaws

[Steve300xcw]

These days, I'm just screwing around. Mostly cutting open road.

I'll open an exhaust up. But a bark box is a bit much for my ear

 

[IDVortex]

Finally got to play with my CCP saw tonight. Damn. Im impressed with it. I can tell it needs to be fine tuned on the carb, but over all very surprised with it. Was a turd to get running, but once I got fuel to it. And it started, was a single pull start for the entire day.

 

[Swadet20]

I have a 660 with a bark box and a max flow air filter set up love that saw besides the weight used it today even for some red fir and cutting g road open. Two days ago I used a bone stock stihl 271 farm boss for a maple tree removal and that saw really made me miss my 660 but climbing in the tree limited the saw choice. Anyone have mods they male to a 271 for more power or should I look at a 261 for a pro model do their parts Interchange?

 

[longrangelead]

I have a 660 with a bark box and a max flow air filter set up love that saw besides the weight used it today even for some red fir and cutting g road open. Two days ago I used a bone stock stihl 271 farm boss for a maple tree removal and that saw really made me miss my 660 but climbing in the tree limited the saw choice. Anyone have mods they male to a 271 for more power or should I look at a 261 for a pro model do their parts Interchange?

I don't remember, but if the 271 has the round cartridge filter, the 261 West Coast filter will fit it.
homeowner saws are all one piece mufflers so no bark box.

they usually have a plate that holds a screen. pull the plate, drill the muffler hole(s) bigger and use a big screw driver to pry the ports open more in the plate that holds the screen.

the exhaust is by far the biggest restriction on new saws.

 

[GreenNDark Timber]

MS 261 her also. I generally only use it a couple times a year for cutting firewood, but it starts the first few pulls every time and eats through 18-20" diameter oak trees without slowing down. Been a great saw.

 

[RME]

The old man stole my 462 because his battery saws are just so awesome...

So drug up the ol echo from the shed, to use as a road saw. Not sure how many years old the gas is, nor the last time it was started. Yet 4 pulls an its ready to go.

View attachment 1052863

That looks more like my saws, old equipment from my tree work days. I have an MS200T, Husky 266 and Husky 2101. Since I don’t hunt on a lease anymore only the trim saw sees any regular use.

 

[riversidejeep]

If anyone is interested I have perfected a tune for Stihl MS29 and MS290 saws, When you start cutting and need to set your saw down idling it will sit there and idle for hours at a time if you want then the magic happens! As soon as it comes off the ground it will DIE ! It keeps you from cutting yourself. I'll offer this tune on the cheap.

 

[JoeK]

Will it work on my 391??

 

[Lawnboi]

For most stuff around the house without breaking the bank I really like the echo 501p. Small enough, powerful enough to be able to use all day and not feel the fatigue of a larger saw. Little saw can really cut

In the back of the truck I’m good with a battery saw but I don’t care for them for any extended cutting.

 

[ColeyG]

Jason Egan does some similar work. He ports saws too.

Egan Performance Saws

Buy the famous Egan Performance "straight shot" mufflers to unleash the potential in your Stihl chainsaws, improving their power/torque, decreasing the engine temperature and add the wow factor to your chainsaw.

eganperformancesaws.com

Agreed. I have their "Straight Shot" on the 261. Good stuff.

 

[KsRancher]

Ok So I Suck at shooting and I don't know jack about hunting either but I know a good bit about chainsaws and cutting wood....I'll try to organize a few thoughts and probably get longwinded anyway. Oh well.

7yrs running my own company as an Arborist and do 99% of my own repairs and maintenance on too many chainsaws. Brand loyalty is a thing in anything (I like Chevy more than Ford, and Tikkas) but when it comes to chainsaws I get asked often about what brand I like best and my answer is the sharper one. Definitely the #1 tip for chainsawing is keeping it sharp. #2 is minding your gas. I can only get ethanol pump gas so if it's a saw that might sit for more than a few weeks it gets "fancy gas" from a steel can (Stihl for consistency sake).
I've had good results with Stihl, Husky and especially impressed with the value and ease of maintenance of echo saws. I've had issues with all of them too. No saw will run well more than one good tank of gas without cooling off time if it's 110* and gas in the lines starts boiling. never leave'em laying in the sun around here. We'll wet a towel from the water cooler and cover'em up in the shade if I really need that saw to run again within an hr. Batteries suck in that kind of heat too, especially for big cuts but they are easier to cool off with a wet rag vs a gas saw.

I LOVE my Milwaukee tophandle(14") on climbing work. I do more trim work than removals and climbing around with an idling saw on my hip, or pull starting 100+ times a day for a few cuts at a time gets so old. Once I went battery It actually changed my quality of life. the newer Forge batteries are in fact significantly better. Need to run the 8ah. 12ah are too freaking heavy in the tree but good for the 16" rear handle saw on the ground. It's a lot heavier than the CS-2511T and It doesn't quite keep up with my 201T (16") but it's not too far behind. I only use the 201T for bigger removals where I can use more bar and it's been sitting in the garage for a while. The Milwaukee has power and torque and cuts to satisfy professional use. The convenience of the instant on battery is unmatched, and it doesn't have any filters to maintain either. I have been enjoying the uberlight echo CS-2511(12") again lately for small jobs and it is a pleasure going back to such a light saw on a climb once in a while.

Around here at least 80% of my work is on Mesquites, and if I get into a 60-70ft Aleppo Pine or Eucalyptus up 30"+ in diameter it's a notably Big tree. Diameter and job specifics (Felling, Bucking, Trimming, Dead tree, Live tree etc) makes a huge difference in what the best saw for the job is. Species matters a LOT too. Try cutting up dead Eucalyptus with aggressive depth rakers and you'll regret it. I set'em at .025 which is the max that works for me in dead hardwood all day without dulling too fast or binding. Then green trees or pine feels still feels like butter anyways. If you're in conifers or cut mostly live trees then file'em on down and let it eat if you've got the power to pull it through.

I don't have anywhere near the experience with larger saws that the logging or forestry guys do who live in timber country.

Stihl M-tronics saws have been 100% awesome for me. I bought a 201T, 362C, and 661C about 5 yrs ago and have had zero issues with them at all. They are some of my best cutting saws. My local Tech/Dealer says they are particular about having clean air filter. I keep filters clean(compressed air) as I do all my saws but I replace the filters on these a little sooner than regular carb saws. I also run Stihl premixed gas in these as i don't use them every week. regular workhorse saws (MS391, Husq51, CS-400) just get pump premium and it doesn't sit in them long enough to cause problems. Any saw that might be sitting for a few weeks or more gets the fancy gas and that makes a huge difference in avoiding carb woes.

I love my 50cc Husqvarna. 50-60cc is IMO the most versatile size for a do all saw. unless you actually NEED bigger or faster production environment. I started my company with a 55Rancher and a 20"bar. I wore it out, put on a $50 asian top end kit and ran it another year or two. Luckily I came across a barely used 51 in great condition and it's been even better, but I take better care of it too. (don't push dull chains through a stump to git'er done just stop and swap on a fresh chain or just grab a different saw that's sharp and not already hot from cutting the rest of the tree)

Sure if your a professional cutter you'll appreciate more bar and more power, but as a couple other guys noted fatigue is real too. I usually have at least 5-6 saws of different sizes in the truck on the daily and select the one that's just big (heavy) enough for most of the work at hand until I get into bigger cuts and reach for more horsepower. If your bucking up logs for firewood you may want 24-28"bar and 70cc+ but if your cutting small trees, limbing, or even cutting up 10-12" stuff I'll take a 20" 50cc saw.

The echo cs-400 with an 18" bar can do work, a lot of work, and has excellent durability and little maintenance. They just work when you pull the starter and they won't wear you out to carry it around cutting all day. If 18" is enough bar and 40cc power class that's the jam for me. lighter than the options I've had from Stihl or Husqvarna and it just runs without problems for years of heavy use. finally had to rebuild and eventually replaced a couple carbs but compared to how often I've replaced diaphrams on my Stihl saws the echo earns praise. My 2.5yrs employee has himself a CS590 and speaks well of it too.

That's probably enough outa me. I'll go back to my hole.

I am a hardwood timber logger. And man I STRUGGLE with vapor lock. No issues thru the winter. This year with it being HOT early I have had troubles already. And I run the 91 no ethanol. I have tried the can premix and it helps. But I cant afford to buy it at the rate I use it. I have access to 100LL fuel from our local airport. But have been cautioned about using it with the lead being in and the amout of time I spend breathing chainsaw exhaust fumes. I run 592xp's and have a 572xp. That 572 will vapor lock on an 80° day if you are running it hard like bucking logs. I recently bought a 500i. So I will see if it vapor locks as bad as the Husqvarna. It gets me so mad I just want to throw the dang saw.


I am a put the 8pin sprocket on a 592, file the rakers down, scary sharp chain and let her eat type of guy. I might burn 2gal of fuel a day when bucking at a landing. So they are ran pretty hard at times.

 

[Swadet20]

I am a hardwood timber logger. And man I STRUGGLE with vapor lock. No issues thru the winter. This year with it being HOT early I have had troubles already. And I run the 91 no ethanol. I have tried the can premix and it helps. But I cant afford to buy it at the rate I use it. I have access to 100LL fuel from our local airport. But have been cautioned about using it with the lead being in and the amout of time I spend breathing chainsaw exhaust fumes. I run 592xp's and have a 572xp. That 572 will vapor lock on an 80° day if you are running it hard like bucking logs. I recently bought a 500i. So I will see if it vapor locks as bad as the Husqvarna. It gets me so mad I just want to throw the dang saw.


I am a put the 8pin sprocket on a 592, file the rakers down, scary sharp chain and let her eat type of guy. I might burn 2gal of fuel a day when bucking at a landing. So they are ran pretty hard at times.

Check out this fuel system for your use. Maybe it will help you out. https://www.soterfueling.com/

 

[Cedarsavage]

I have one of those harbor freight Portland saws. TBH it’s better out of the box than my Husqvarna 372xp ever was, that being said it’s an occasional use throw away saw. I’ll be getting a 572xp at some point but if I had occasional work I’d recommend the hf saw

 

[ColeyG]

I am a hardwood timber logger. And man I STRUGGLE with vapor lock. No issues thru the winter. This year with it being HOT early I have had troubles already. And I run the 91 no ethanol. I have tried the can premix and it helps. But I cant afford to buy it at the rate I use it. I have access to 100LL fuel from our local airport. But have been cautioned about using it with the lead being in and the amout of time I spend breathing chainsaw exhaust fumes. I run 592xp's and have a 572xp. That 572 will vapor lock on an 80° day if you are running it hard like bucking logs. I recently bought a 500i. So I will see if it vapor locks as bad as the Husqvarna. It gets me so mad I just want to throw the dang saw.


I am a put the 8pin sprocket on a 592, file the rakers down, scary sharp chain and let her eat type of guy. I might burn 2gal of fuel a day when bucking at a landing. So they are ran pretty hard at times.

Having a fuel injected engine, I would be surprised if the 500i gives you any issues with vapor lock.

Ported exhausts help the saws run cooler, so that might be worth a try on the Huskies that you are having vapor lock issues with.

 

[riversidejeep]

I wonder why Stihl and the rest of the manufactures hasn't offered the rest of their lineup with injection? It would seem it's something like automobiles where, Everyone of them had a carb but as soon as injection came about all our troubles went away. No more gas turning to honey in the carb bowl, perfect air/ fuel mix no matter what, always a perfect idle, no choke to play with etc. All of the ATV's , motor bikes, probably lawnmowers have gone that way, why not chainsaws.