My new Stihl 260 pro

[howellhandmade]

Welcome to A.S. you made a fine choice in the 260 PRO. I have one set up with a 16" bar and 3/8" chain, and my buddy just bought one 2 weeks ago and set his up with a 16" bar and .325 chain. His is still breaking his in.

Make sure you read your owners manual for brake in procedures, I want to say you don't run the saw at WOT for a certain period of time, can't remember how long. The more tanks of gas you get to run thru it the more power it seem's to develop. It took my saw about 15 tanks to really get it feeling nice.

Congratulations on the new saw , Remember to were your PPE while cutting , stay safe.

Beefie

What the manual says is no WOT with no load for three tanks. In the cut, yes, WOT all the time. Make sure the chain stays sharp, that's your load.

Jack

 

[huskystihl]

I finally found the 260 non pro model after searching for awhile. IMO the pro model carries features not realy needed in my case using a 16" bar in addition to price.
#1 decomp valve, if you can't start a 50 cc saw without it you don't need a chainsaw
#2 I know an adjustable oiler is important but mine oils very very well without it but would have took it and don't think it should be left out with the price they charge for it.
Now the bad, I replaced my 026 and to be honest I was severely disapointed with the 260's performance till I opened up the muffler a bit but once I did it has all the power and then some of my saw of old. I don't really care if it's an old outdated design, the 026/260 is built like a sherman tank and can and did take years of abuse and would buy another and another and another and so will you after you've owned it for awhile. Congrats and don't be to drawn in by this saw and that saw cut 1.359 seconds faster and you'll be fine.

 

[HD-tech-NH]

I have no trouble with anything rattling loose on my Huskies. The muffler rattles loose all the time on my Stihl MS200t. Does that make you feel any better?

I like and own some Stihls, The MS260 is just out dated and over priced.

$450 is a good price for the 346xp. Just make sure it's the new 50cc model.

muffler coming loose and you blame the saw, hmm who works or your saw? maybe you should point the finger that way.

 

[sbhooper]

I agree, Huskystihl. I bought my 260 originally to do fenceline clearing projects. I got tired of swinging a 361 around. It is a great little saw and since the muffler mod, absolutely screams. I think the decomp on the new saws is rediculous and the adjustable oiler is not necessary. It is over three pounds lighter than my 60cc saws and that makes a difference if you are working at shoulder height a lot. I have the 16-inch/ .325 bar and chain on it. It has become my go-to saw within its capabilities.

I do, however, like my Huskys. Actually, I think my 359 is more comfortable to run than the 361 and to me, feels lighter although it is the exact same weight as the 361. My 13-year-old 257 is also a great saw and has been pretty trouble-free for all the time that I have had it.

I would really like to get a 346 some day, too. Both companies make good stuff, it just depends on what kind of dealer support you have.

 

[cmsmoke]

Page 41 of the operators manual has instructions for break-in procedures. The origional post by Mule just asked for some advice on break-in procedures. The person did his homework and made a choice. Why did such a simple question turn into a bash-fest. I'm glad to hear the Stihl fans finally stand up for themselves.

 

[Mule]

Well,I can see that many people enjoy thier 260 and 260 pro chainsaws,as I know I will.I have a pet project just waiting,a miniture log cabin.Someone mentioned exhuast system mods.I did notice the mufflers on new chainsaws look very restrictive.How much is gained with a muffler mod?Can you get perfomance exhuast for chainsaws?.Just curious.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

One difference between the MS260 and the MS260 Pro that has not been mentioned is that the MS260 standard model drives the oil pump from the crankshaft - while the MS260 Pro drives the oil pump from the clutch drum. The standard MS260 continues to drive the oil pump when the engine is idling and the chain is not moving - while the MS260 Pro only oils when the chain is moving. (I am not sure if this is true of the earlier standard models - but my MS260 standard is a 2 year old saw and the oil pump is driven by the crankshaft.) Also the standard non-adjustable oil pump is plastic, while the adjustable Pro model oiler is metal.

This has never caused me any excessive oil problems as the oiler is driven at at about 1/8th the maximum engine speed when idling and the oiler output is reduced to almost nothing when idling. I also don't ever let my saws sit and idle for anything more than a few minutes while I move wood around for the next cut.

 

[logbutcher]

One difference between the MS260 and the MS260 Pro that has not been mentioned is that the MS260 standard model drives the oil pump from the crankshaft - while the MS260 Pro drives the oil pump from the clutch drum. The standard MS260 continues to drive the oil pump when the engine is idling and the chain is not moving - while the MS260 Pro only oils when the chain is moving. (I am not sure if this is true of the earlier standard models - but my MS260 standard is a 2 year old saw and the oil pump is driven by the crankshaft.) Also the standard non-adjustable oil pump is plastic, while the adjustable Pro model oiler is metal.
This has never caused me any excessive oil problems as the oiler is driven at at about 1/8th the maximum engine speed when idling and the oiler output is reduced to almost nothing when idling. I also don't ever let my saws sit and idle for anything more than a few minutes while I move wood around for the next cut.

Not to worry. "Plastic" is not just plastic anymore (like The Graduate). Many plastics are specified for use in weapons ( Glock, a standard sidearm for many in law enforcement and mil ops), machinery, and a whole lot of car and truck parts. Google "plastic" to get an idea of the 100's of varieties.

As for "metal", last weekend was drain time replacing the &%#$@& white METAL screw ons on the kitchen drain. 10 years old and rotted, fixed to the brass drain. Damn that was some fun. Thank you PVC.

:agree2:Agreed about the oil consumption of the 260 idling---a piddle. Good advice about letting saws idle . After CPL training I brake the saws when putting them down or moving.....it's become automatic. Too many snow snakes here to trip you as well as growing clutzhood.

 

[stihlcountry]

I have a MS 260 Pro and it,s fantastic,, flipy caps and all. :greenchainsaw:

 

[fishercat]

no,I blame Stihl for poor design.

muffler coming loose and you blame the saw, hmm who works or your saw? maybe you should point the finger that way.

I fixed it though.

hey,don't dish it if you can't handle it.

 

[keith811]

Well,I can see that many people enjoy thier 260 and 260 pro chainsaws,as I know I will.I have a pet project just waiting,a miniture log cabin.Someone mentioned exhuast system mods.I did notice the mufflers on new chainsaws look very restrictive.How much is gained with a muffler mod?Can you get perfomance exhuast for chainsaws?.Just curious.

This is what I did to my husky 455 for a muf mod. I drilled a hole right in the front of it. not fancy but very effective. 1/2" hole it doesn't look the best and doesn't have a spark arrestor but it brought my little saw to life. It wasn't bad before but the difference was amazing.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

In my relatively stable 3 saw plan (192T - 12" bar, 260 - 16" bar, 460 - 20" & 32" bars) my 260 is the saw I grab most often. For cutting most of the firewood around my house it does a great job, and it is easy to hold onto for extended periods and fast enough to do the work that needs to be done. The 460 comes out when I need to cut wood that is consistently bigger than 12" - if it is just a few cuts I just keep using the 260. For lots of limbing and brush cleanup I use the 192T. My neighbor heats with wood and has been using an 026 for years......and last year he decided to get a new saw and bought a new MS260....he loves the saw.

I have never owned a Husky and don't have a dog in that fight......the Husky dealers with parts and service are all more than 30 miles away, while I have 3 Stihl dealers with a full stock of parts within 5 miles of my home. I know that if I keep fresh fuel and good oil in my MS260....it will just keep on cutting for many years.

I did a muffler mod on my MS260 by taking off the cover and drilling one additional hole on each side of the single hole the factory drilled. I started out with 3/16" inch holes and have enlarged them to the 5/16" after I ran a few tanks of fuel through. The muffler mod also requires snipping the tabs off the mixture screws and adjusting the carb. Here is a link to the Muffler Mod that I did: http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=91437

 

[Nosmo]

Dealers

There are two Stihl dealers in my town. As far as I know the only dealers for Husqvarna saws are the ones they let Lowes and TSC sell.

I'd much rather do business with a knowledgable dealer than a box store place.

Nosmo

 

[huskystihl]

I agree, Huskystihl. I bought my 260 originally to do fenceline clearing projects. I got tired of swinging a 361 around. It is a great little saw and since the muffler mod, absolutely screams. I think the decomp on the new saws is rediculous and the adjustable oiler is not necessary. It is over three pounds lighter than my 60cc saws and that makes a difference if you are working at shoulder height a lot. I have the 16-inch/ .325 bar and chain on it. It has become my go-to saw within its capabilities.

I do, however, like my Huskys. Actually, I think my 359 is more comfortable to run than the 361 and to me, feels lighter although it is the exact same weight as the 361. My 13-year-old 257 is also a great saw and has been pretty trouble-free for all the time that I have had it.

I would really like to get a 346 some day, too. Both companies make good stuff, it just depends on what kind of dealer support you have.

I agree with everything you said to a T. I sold my 361 and bought a 359 for out at the wood pile which probably sees more cutting than my big saws that actually are used daily. I liked the 361 just not as much as the 359 and i'm pretty much partial to stihl. After a little loctite on my husky's all i've ever done is ran them and found they come tuned better from the factory. I haven't owned a stihl yet that didn't require a tweek here and there on the low jet to get the idle right.

 

[Mule]

Well,I picked up my 260
pro today.Only thing wrong was it came with .325 chain and I ordered 3/8.I discussed the .325 chain with my dealer and I decided to take the.325.One of the reasons I decided to go with the.325 is I'm planning to get a second saw eventually and it will be a bigger saw which will make a nice set.But for now I will be enjoying my 260 pro.After the initial run I let it sit a while and then restarted it.Now,I figured I would fire it up on the first (run) setting but it didnt fire over until I went to choke.Then one pull and she was good.I like it.

 

[sbhooper]

My 260 is hands down the easiest of my saws to start. I couple pull and it pops and then first pull off choke it takes off.

 

[StubornDutchman]

Well,I picked up my 260
pro today.Only thing wrong was it came with .325 chain and I ordered 3/8.I discussed the .325 chain with my dealer and I decided to take the.325.One of the reasons I decided to go with the.325 is I'm planning to get a second saw eventually and it will be a bigger saw which will make a nice set.But for now I will be enjoying my 260 pro.After the initial run I let it sit a while and then restarted it.Now,I figured I would fire it up on the first (run) setting but it didnt fire over until I went to choke.Then one pull and she was good.I like it.

???? It took my dealer less than five minutes to swap the sprocket and load the 3/8 RSC chain when I purchased mine last week. This way I can swap stuff around with my 361!

 

[Beefie]

260 pro

I have all my saws runnig 3/8" chain . that way I only need to carry one size file for all the saws and not a bunch of other files to boot. Congradulations on the new saw MULE . You will like it , I just ran mine today, found more wood that was hidden under the snow. It is a very light weight saw.

Enjoy


Beefie

 

[Nosmo]

NMS 260 Pro

My dealer has a wide selection of the Stihl saws. He keeps several MS 260 Pro saws on the shelf with 16" or 18" bars and with .325 or 3/8" chain.

I chose the 18" with .325 and later bought an extra 16" bar and 2 chains.
So far I have been able to fell and buck any tree I wanted to cut up for firewood. Cut one down earlier this week with a 26" diameter trunk.

This is a great saw for a homeowner who wants to gather his/her own firewood.

Nosmo

 

[jburner]

I agree. I own an older 026 Pro. Was in good shape, seemed hardly used. That changed once I got it. Just put a new 16" bar and sprocket on with a few new chains. Modded the muffler and changed out the carb and she runs awesome, kicking out the chips without hardly any effort. (I had the non adjustable carb on the H end of things.)