Good points of the 044

[teacherman]

Well, my CADDICTION is alive and well. I broke my self-imposed restriction....
Got an old 044 coming in a few days. I wood like to restore it, since it is a classic.
I have heard some people say that it is their favorite saw. What are the good points about the 044, rather than the 440 or 460? Is it a tougher machine, is it torquier, does it rev higher, or is it just cooler, in the same way a 1969 Dodge Charger is cooler than a 1999 Charger?

I plan to clean and paint it (once i get the photobucket figured out, I will post a play by play), do a muff mod, and MAYBE send the jug off for a woods porting.

In what setting does the 044 shine? (besides under bright lights after a clear coat) felling, bucking, or just all around use? I am actually excited about this one. hahaha like I'm not excited about all chainsaws

I wood like some opinions on whether porting the jug affects teh long-term durability of the engine. Thanks, and yes I will UTFSE, but I know that folks here also enjoy sharing their wisdom, much like I get a kick out of mentoring and teaching a kid who's trying to get it together academically. It simply wood not do to simply tell them to RTFB

 

[blsnelling]

I think it's a power vs weight thing. The 044/440 has a lot of good torquey power for it's size. It's not too heavy to be a do everything kind of saw, yet has good power.

BTW, if you want to port it, you'll have to send the whole power head. That's the only way squish and port timing can be measured.

 

[Lakeside53]

Did you get the 12mm or 10mm piston pin version?

 

[1953greg]

"In what setting does the 044 shine"

simply put the 044/440 is the most comfortable romping stomping mid weight saw i have ever handled. w/ a 20" bar it will rip through hardwoods all day long and wil handle a 24" bar when necessary. just out of curosity i have used a 42" w/ surprising results.
i draw the line between mid weight and heavy weight between the 440 and 460.

if i could only have 1 saw it wood definitely be the 044/440:greenchainsaw: :greenchainsaw:

 

[teacherman]

Did you get the 12mm or 10mm piston pin version?

Good question. I hope it is the 12 mm. I won't know until it arrives, and I can check the serial #.

 

[Lakeside53]

Hope????? I guess that's another sign of CAD:greenchainsaw:

 

[teacherman]

must claim ignorance

Hope????? I guess that's another sign of CAD:greenchainsaw:

Ya, I still have hope. Actually, I didnt know about the two variants until last night talking with Brad C. It was another impulse buy, the 460 looked a bit lonely between the mated pair of 084s:chainsawguy: :chainsawguy:

I assume the 12 MM is a later variant, but not sure.

I do know that assuming anything but "the position" (when so instructed by someone duly authorized to issue such directions) makes a donkey out of us all, so to speak.

 

[GASoline71]

Mine is a 10mm pin. Nothin' wrong with that saw in stock form...

All it really means is with a 10mm saw, ya can't do a Big Bore kit. Which I think are way overrated anyways.

Gary

 

[HolmenTree]

I worked for Stihl Canada back in 1989.Before that I was a piecework faller for a large forestry company. My boss then Fred Whyte who is now president of Stihl USA hired me in the spring of 89. My Edmonton branch manager Steve Meriam [ I believe is now product research and development manager for Stihl USA] wanted to push the new 044 which came out that spring. The Husqvarna 268 was the competition for it then .Well through the summer and fall months the 044 was a gang buster, even the Husky guys loved it. Our tech. services manager Colin Flathers took seriously sick about the time I got hired on so I took over his position. One week Hans Peter Stihl himself dropped into our branch. Over supper we all had a good talk with him. As he talked about the industry standard being changed with the introduction of the 034, 064 & 084 a few years before, he believed now he had the perfect saw to round out his lineup.

Winter of 89 came and with snow and below 0 temps. The 044 showed its bad side . Dealers and end users anger because it was freezing up and wouldn't run. The 034 & 064 had winter kits [winter covers] no freeze up problems, no kits for the 044 . By about new years I was fed up and quit Stihl and went back to my old falling job in northern Manitoba. In the fall of 1991 the factory developed a prototype 044 Artic with the carb heated by a tube from the muffler.I got to test it on the job, I had to fill out records every day of temp., tanks of gas burned, hours. The saw didn't work that great in the cold conditions, a short time later I tested the electronic heated carb. Worked like a dream. I think the Artic is called an Alpine in the US. At the time I believed the 064 [5.2 c.i. & 14.1 lbs] had the best power to weight ratio, even the gas & oil caps were streamlined on it back then.But when it got replaced by the 066 in the early 90's. Then definately the 044 had the edge in power /weight. I still run my original 1989 044 in my tree service business, great tough little saw.

 

[Oldsawnut]

The older 10mm 044 seemed to have more power stock mid and low than the newer 440's. Of course the exhaust port is twice the size on the older ones. Also carb caps etc not there on the older ones. Nothing of course that can't be easily fixed but I was trying to compare stock to stock... Both have quirks for sure... Hate the small screw recoils :censored: on some of the old ones.

 

[teacherman]

In the fall of 1991 the factory developed a prototype 044 Artic with the carb heated by a tube from the muffler.I got to test it on the job, I had to fill out records every day of temp., tanks of gas burned, hours. The saw didn't work that great in the cold conditions, a short time later I tested the electronic heated carb. Worked like a dream. I think the Artic is called an Alpine in the US. I still run my original 1989 044 in my tree service business, great tough little saw.

Just curious. Did any of the 044s have points ignition? Gosh, I haven't messed with points since my 1962 International pickup truck back in the mid-90's:monkey: great truck, had a grease fitting on the dist shaft and the throw-out bearing. They don't make 'em like that any more

 

[HolmenTree]

No the 044 never had points, lol . Electronic was a natural word for us Stihl guys years ago. When Stihl developed the electric, thermostatically controlled heated carbs around 1991 it was pretty big technology back then, look where computers were back then. Same goes for the 066 red light developed about the same time [Start of computerized saws] . My 1992 or 93[forget which year] 066 artic red light's heated carb still works perfect today,never had to work on it ,saw has got thousands of hours on it.

Willard.

 

[Roy Cobb]

Serial #

Just curious, does anyone know the serial # when Stihl went to 12MM. I'd like to check mine.

 

[Lakeside53]

129 (xxx xxx) and change...

 

[Old Monkey]

I worked for the Forest Service for ten summers of fire fighting. Most of that time I hiked everywhere with an 044 on my shoulder. It was and is a great saw. Its weight is perfect for hiking with and its fuel consumption is reasonable if you have to pack all your gas and oil with you.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

My 044 has cut wood in Africa, Europe and now faithfully works well down in NZ. I dont know if theres an advantage over the 046 aside from a little weight but these saws are getting close to being 20 years old now and they still shine, the 046 is spawned from it.
If I told you I knew a samoan forester that used to limb on the skids near a town called Tokoroa with a 44 in each hand you wouldnt believe me.

Reliable, great performer and easy handling.

 

[Old Monkey]

That's a one strong Samoan. My arms could do that but my back would rebel.

 

[teacherman]

If I told you I knew a samoan forester that used to limb on the skids near a town called Tokoroa with a 44 in each hand you wouldnt believe me.

Didn't Paul Bunyan do that with a pair of 084s?:chainsawguy: :chainsawguy: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Roy Cobb]

129 (xxx xxx) and change...


Thanks Andy, I'll check my 044 tonite.

 

[BIGBORE577]

Didn't Paul Bunyan do that with a pair of 084s?:chainsawguy: :chainsawguy: :hmm3grin2orange:

No, they were 090's.