about to purchase MS261 - HELP

[littletimber]

 

[littletimber]

At home with the 170

 

[littletimber]

Saw was $603
Rapid Super yellow chain $41
6 pack - 2gal size oil mix $29

I think I did pretty good. What do you think?

He said I can return it within a week if I am unsatisfied. My 290 18bar and rapid super chain fit it.
So now I may be trying to move my 290 powerhead.

Or like most of you it becomes a back up...

 

[user 188535]

Looking to upgrade from my MS290 to the MS261. I have enjoyed my 290. It's been great, trouble free really for about 14 years. It's getting heavy. I usually cut 5-6 cord per year with some other randoms. With that said I use my MS170 for half my task it seem and use the MS290 on the other half( on my big logs for bucking them up). I run a 14 in bar on the 170 and 18 on the 290. With the 18in bar I can get through most stuff and only about once a year have to cut from both side with a large log.

Anyways I anticipate having the new saw, likely MS261 for, hopefully, the rest of my life. I am concerned with the new feature that I am not familiar with, primarily the M Tronic and the decompression valve. Can anyone give me some direction or words of encouragement before the large purchase?

I have watched a few youtube videos about the MTronic and how to reset depending on the version. Regarding the decompression valve, just push it once during starting and go through the normal start procedure? Anything else to it?

Thanks
Andrew

Get it. Never turn back. I'm 14 and have an MS 261 C-M and it is so light yet so solid due to its majority of construction being magnesium. Get the 18-inch M-tronic and get the WCS Dogs for it. I also keep a 20-inch bar and chain for it too. Make sure you get the chain catcher when you get the dogs though, it makes the dogs more secure, and protects the studs. WCS parts are an expensive upgrade, but i have them on ALL of my saws even my MS 170.

https://westcoastsaw.com/products/westcoast-saw-felling-dogs?variant=36647359119524
https://westcoastsaw.com/products/chain-catcher
https://westcoastsaw.com/products/felling-dog-hardware-kit

This is a video of me running mine to cut small logs:

 

[Sidecarflip]

Speaking of heavy saws, my 40+ year old 090 is a tank but it's only saving grace is it has a 2 man buddy bar with a Tee handle on the business end. My 075, also vintage and bought new back in the 60's is a semi tank as well. Fun and tiring saws only good for stump cuts (last 14 " or so and I have solid carbide chains on both) which I cannot grind but one of my buddies runs them so he sharpens them when required which is not very often.

Just got in another 100 saw chains to sharpen and a big box of chipper knives as well. Life is good. Between farming and arborist work, I'm busy, too busy for being 73 and dealing with cancer. One day at a time for me. I get up every morning and thank the Lord for another day.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Other kids blow money on Jordans, Nike, and Phones. I blow mine on saws and tools. You mean you blow your allowance. At 14, you legally cannot work at a real job unless your parents own the business.....lol

Only thing I dislike besides the over muffled muffler on Stihl's is the flip top fuel and oil caps. and the inflated price of course. Why I sold my MS290 to a buddy. Only Stihl's I have left is my ancient 028 and the 075 and 090 and none are for sale. I will say, all of them run better on Syn Fuel than the weasel pee e-gas plus no mixing either. I buy it pre mixed. I'm good with that and if I catch it on sale at Menards or Home Despot. it's actually somewhat reasonable plus Home Despot sells Echo Red Armor in gallons and 5 gallon buckets too. I'll never go back to weasel pee gas and bottled oil.

 

[ammoaddict]

Speaking of heavy saws, my 40+ year old 090 is a tank but it's only saving grace is it has a 2 man buddy bar with a Tee handle on the business end. My 075, also vintage and bought new back in the 60's is a semi tank as well. Fun and tiring saws only good for stump cuts (last 14 " or so and I have solid carbide chains on both) which I cannot grind but one of my buddies runs them so he sharpens them when required which is not very often.

Just got in another 100 saw chains to sharpen and a big box of chipper knives as well. Life is good. Between farming and arborist work, I'm busy, too busy for being 73 and dealing with cancer. One day at a time for me. I get up every morning and thank the Lord for another day.

God bless you brother. If that's what you like doing, keep doing it as long as you can. Praying for you.

 

[Sidecarflip]

My wood buddy (I help him cut wood) and he sells it to local campgrounds) uses that money to supplement his retirement, he's not as fortunate as I am and I certainly don't mind. I'm going to get his Jonsered this fall, he took it in because it isn't running right and I'm gonna work some magic on it and have a good look see inside the jug and piston and if it's all good, remove the carb and give it a hot bath in Berryman's B12 in the ultrasonic cleaner and probably install a new diaphragm and check the fiip up tang and make sure that is ok It has a Walbro on it so parts should not be an issue and it probably needs the exhaust port de-carboned as well as the muffler and I bet the spark screen is clogged as well. He paid 125 bucks for a tune up and it still won't run right, won't idle and bogs down. That tells me it's a carbon issue and maybe a hard diaphram. I bet they never pulled the muffler off and looked. It's a good dealer but tech today tend to skip the small stuff, we will find out and of course I won't charge him anything except for parts. I'm just that way, always have been actually and I like fiddling with saws, farm tractors and vehicles though my cancer has slowed me down a bit, besides my age, I just take my time now. In fact he bought the MS 290 from me, He likes Stihl's His issue is he burns e-gas all the time and uses Stihl oil, which for some reason causes excessive carbon. Trying to get him to switch to Echo Red Armor mix. So far, no luck.

 

[littletimber]

....WCS parts are an expensive upgrade, but i have them on ALL of my saws even my MS 170.

https://westcoastsaw.com/products/westcoast-saw-felling-dogs?variant=36647359119524
https://westcoastsaw.com/products/chain-catcher
https://westcoastsaw.com/products/felling-dog-hardware-kit

Thanks for the info!

Congrats on the business. Good to see you wearing protection. Keep up the ear protection! If you are able you should consider an IRA or roth IRA (your parents may be able to help as they could consider you an employee at your age! - compounding interest - "truly the either wonder of the world" - Albert Einstein


I really like how the saw starts.


Did you upgrade to the RAPID SUPER "yellow" chain yet?

 

[Riverrail]

Thank you all for the great responses! I am not looking for anything larger than the MS290 weight wise. Thanks for the insight into the decomp valve and the positive feedback of the mTronic. I feel like for every 2 threads I read praising mtronic I read another negative.

My local dealer will cut me a deal on an instock 261 with mtronic that he has had for several months and needs to move. It does not have the new 04light narrow kerf bar...I figured once those are out for a while I may get one of those...to me that means like 4 or 5 years. lol

04 light bar: https://www.stihl.com/masterclass.aspx

An 18” light 04 bar and RSP chain weighs just about 7 ounces less than the regular bar and chain. It’s not a lot, but I can feel the difference, and it gets my 261cm down to 14 pounds 5 ounces filled and ready to cut.

 

[LuDookie]

Saw was $603
Rapid Super yellow chain $41
6 pack - 2gal size oil mix $29

I think I did pretty good. What do you think?

He said I can return it within a week if I am unsatisfied. My 290 18bar and rapid super chain fit it.
So now I may be trying to move my 290 powerhead.

Or like most of you it becomes a back up...

I would say you did pretty good! No chance you’ll return it. Lol

Don’t get rid of the 290. Keep it in good running condition and hold onto it.

 

[user 188535]

Thanks for the info!

Congrats on the business. Good to see you wearing protection. Keep up the ear protection! If you are able you should consider an IRA or roth IRA (your parents may be able to help as they could consider you an employee at your age! - compounding interest - "truly the either wonder of the world" - Albert Einstein


I really like how the saw starts.


Did you upgrade to the RAPID SUPER "yellow" chain yet?

Nope. What are the advantages? Are plunge cuts still smooth?

 

[user 188535]

Other kids blow money on Jordans, Nike, and Phones. I blow mine on saws and tools. You mean you blow your allowance. At 14, you legally cannot work at a real job unless your parents own the business.....lol

Only thing I dislike besides the over muffled muffler on Stihl's is the flip top fuel and oil caps. and the inflated price of course. Why I sold my MS290 to a buddy. Only Stihl's I have left is my ancient 028 and the 075 and 090 and none are for sale. I will say, all of them run better on Syn Fuel than the weasel pee e-gas plus no mixing either. I buy it pre mixed. I'm good with that and if I catch it on sale at Menards or Home Despot. it's actually somewhat reasonable plus Home Despot sells Echo Red Armor in gallons and 5 gallon buckets too. I'll never go back to weasel pee gas and bottled oil.

Allowance?

Perhaps you do not understand that I own businesses. I also do not blow my money on saws or tools I invest it in saws and tools. An Apple phone or Jordans won't last nearly as long as that MS 261 I dropped $700 on, or the firewood stand that I am building that cost me $250 in materials. I sell firewood and clean up storm fall with my company Metsä, kill mosquitoes and cut grass with Royal Gardens, sell flipped chainsaws on ArboristSite as well as my eBay page Oliver's Saws, and do woodworking with my other company Virginia Woodworks.

I don't care if it is legal or not. I still don't feel right having stuff given to me instead of having to work for it most of the time. I am in fact going to be felling a tree and climbing a tree this weekend under the supervision of a professional arborist. My fellow Gen Zers whine and b**** when they need to work. I work for fun.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Nope. What are the advantages? Are plunge cuts still smooth?

Quite a bit faster than other. chains.

 

[user 188535]

Quite a bit faster than other. chains.

Are plunge cuts smooth?

 

[sean donato]

You got a lot of learning to do kid.

 

[stihltech]

Maintain and enjoy!

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Are plunge cuts smooth?

Never done them with a small saw...don't know

 

[littletimber]

Are plunge cuts smooth?

Due to the inherent danger of plunge cuts with a chainsaw I am not fit to advise, plus the subjectivity of the matter from one person to the next (what may be smooth for one isn't smooth for another). What I will say is that I tend to purchase the yellow chains (lack the anti-kickback safety design) and have a large cutting tooth (aka full chisel). I am only felling logs about 2 foot diameter at most. Then I buck it up so I don't really have a need for plunge cuts. My goal is usually to get things done as safely and quickly as possible.

This didn't really answer but I tried.

Hmm, I will say I also am cutting clean typically dead standing logs. Never really anything green. Never anything dirty or muddy.

Oh of course a sharp chain will outperform despite the aggresiveness of the chisel. I enjoy my hand file and spending the 5 minutes to touch up each tooth with 2-3 passes.

 

[Sidecarflip]

don't care if it is legal or not. I still don't feel right having stuff given to me instead of having to work for it most of the time. I am in fact going to be felling a tree and climbing a tree this weekend under the supervision of a professional arborist. My fellow Gen Zers whine and b**** when they need to work. I work for fun.

Whatever. Personally I think you have a line of crap or at least a vivid 14 year old imagination and if you are not, or mostly not, you are the rare exception to the rule.

I have never worked for fun. Fun and work are the opposite.

Being 73 and retired, I do what I want when I want to and if I make money at it, that is my business and no one else's.