Running Newer Stihl models

[Nosmo]

Is It Me or Is It The Saw ?

I bought a MS 362 last September and have only used it 2-times. The second time I wanted to use it I could not get it started. Took it back to the dealer and the mechanic in the shop got it started (I was in the showroom and could not watch what he did).

He told me it was flooded and told me to use the choke only on the first pull and then flip it up to the next level. He said if it doesn't start after that you need to try something else. He said the newer saws are too easy to flood. What else would a guy try to get one started?

Yesterday I tried starting this saw and the same thing - can't even get it to pop. I have pulled the plug , flipped the trigger and lever to the start position and grounded the plug and I cannot see any fire.

Took the saw back to the dealer yesterday and had to leave it. I told him I could not see any fire from the plug. Well anyhow he was going to write on the work order (hard to start).
I told him to write "will not start".

Maybe it is just me or maybe it is the saw. I'll let you all know what the dealer tells me when I get it back.

You all have a good one today.
Nosmo

 

[bootboy]

I'm no expert but as a part of saw maintenance, I store my saws empty of fuel and periodically put a little fuel in them and run them for a few minutes, then empty the fuel and run the tank dry. They never give me trouble. My 460 starts in exactly 6 pulls every time, and my cs600 in 3.

 

[saxman]

I have found on newer Stihl saws when using the compression release it is easy to miss the first cough of the saw which is your cue to move it off off full choke. After you open the muffler up it is easier to hear this cue. As a rule I would not crank a saw over 3 times on full choke before going to half choke. On my 660 I use the compression release and pull it 3 times on full choke then half choke for one pull and she starts

Steve

 

[RAMROD48]

I have found on newer Stihl saws when using the compression release it is easy to miss the first cough of the saw which is your cue to move it off off full choke. After you open the muffler up it is easier to hear this cue. As a rule I would not crank a saw over 3 times on full choke before going to half choke. On my 660 I use the compression release and pull it 3 times on full choke then half choke for one pull and she starts

Steve

None of my Husky's would EVER start and only my 361 would out of all my Stihls...........

 

[Whitespider]

Man, I am really not following how the attaching of a badge in any way impacts the quality or performance of anything.

How the badge is attached doesn't impact "quality or performance", at least not directly. But manufacturers of anything don't spend the time (and expense) to redesign just something so simple... you can bet much more was changed along with "adhesive" badges. It's a "sign" that they've changed much of the hand fitted operations to mechanized, mass-produced stuff... which requires some relaxing of tolerances, affecting overall quality. I watched the same thing happen during the late 60's and 70's with many things...
For example, when gun manufacturers stopped the practice of hand checkering on gun stocks they also stopped hand fitting the bolts, triggers and whatnot... after that the guns just didn't have the same "feel" of quality, they just felt cheap and sloppy.
In the 70's auto makers did away with hand worked wooden interior wooden trim and such, moving to extruded plastics and stamped metal... it was a "sign", and those cars were real junk from the engines to the wheels.

About the same time Stihl changed to adhesive badges the overall "feel" of their saws also changed; it was subtle, but it was noticeable (at least to me), they even sounded different... they just didn't have the same "quality" feel to them.

I can't blame the makers of things. For the most part it was a response to the rising cost of labor and the cheap imports they were competing with at the time; if they wanted to stay competitive they had to make changes. Over the years mechanized production has much improved and much of the quality has returned, but it still ain't the same... we no longer "build" things, we just "manufacture"... and for the most part everything is throw-away now days... it-is-what-it-is.

Still, I buy the "old" stuff when I can... I like the way it feels.

 

[SkippyKtm]

The new Stihls are totally unimpressive for me.
Every saw manufacturer has a saw that will outperform the comparable Stihl and at lower cost and usually less weight.

Stihl is doing exactly what John Deere did in the 50's, Studebaker did in the 60's, McCulloch did in the 70's and countless others have done since.


Mike

Great post, Rep sent.:msp_thumbup:

Sad to see a worthy competitor to Husqvarna becoming not so worthy anymore. Hopefully Stihl will improve their products before its too late.

 

[Delaware Devil]

Is there hope???

Maybe Honda and toyota should start building chain saws. I was a Chevy man for many years, but when they would fall apart in a few years. it was time to try something else. I bought a tiny Toyota pickup, that was in 86 And the beast is still running. Outboards I was an OMC person till a 90 hp Evinrude blew apart on the stern because the automatic oil injection took a crap. I tried a Honda and love it. Now I drive a Honda Accord, Honda outboard, honda push lawn mower, Honda engines on the log splitter and power washer. I would rather buy American, but I need quality to last. My father always used John Deere farm equipment. I've gone to a Kubota tractor and can't be happier.
American companies ought to wake up and build quality like the Japanese.
Maybe Sweedish chainsaw companies should learn from the Japanese, too. By the way I do run Stihl saws.

 

[Currently]

Maybe Honda and toyota should start building chain saws. I was a Chevy man for many years, but when they would fall apart in a few years. it was time to try something else. I bought a tiny Toyota pickup, that was in 86 And the beast is still running. Outboards I was an OMC person till a 90 hp Evinrude blew apart on the stern because the automatic oil injection took a crap. I tried a Honda and love it. Now I drive a Honda Accord, Honda outboard, honda push lawn mower, Honda engines on the log splitter and power washer. I would rather buy American, but I need quality to last. My father always used John Deere farm equipment. I've gone to a Kubota tractor and can't be happier.
American companies ought to wake up and build quality like the Japanese.
Maybe Sweedish chainsaw companies should learn from the Japanese, too. By the way I do run Stihl saws.

Marketing and accounting are the major power bases in today's corporate structures. If it was up to engineers, they will design product to have ultimate life.

Accounting forces design to cut corners to be "more profitable".

Marketing creates the propaganda and lies necessary to attract and mislead consumers to purchase flawed merchandise. These marketers create a fold of screwed and brainwashed consumer cult followers that blindly continue spouting and spewing the garbage accepted blindly by the media.

Critical thinking is a sorely needed skill that is not being taught to our children.

 

[rms61moparman]

Maybe Honda and toyota should start building chain saws. I was a Chevy man for many years, but when they would fall apart in a few years. it was time to try something else. I bought a tiny Toyota pickup, that was in 86 And the beast is still running. Outboards I was an OMC person till a 90 hp Evinrude blew apart on the stern because the automatic oil injection took a crap. I tried a Honda and love it. Now I drive a Honda Accord, Honda outboard, honda push lawn mower, Honda engines on the log splitter and power washer. I would rather buy American, but I need quality to last. My father always used John Deere farm equipment. I've gone to a Kubota tractor and can't be happier.
American companies ought to wake up and build quality like the Japanese.
Maybe Sweedish chainsaw companies should learn from the Japanese, too. By the way I do run Stihl saws.

The Toyota Camry has the highest percentage of american parts of any car made.
I know this because I work for one of their suppliers.
You might be surprised to find ut how much "american" you are buying when you purchase a Toyota, Honda or Kubota.
John Deere isn't american anymore either. They buy all of their small tractors from the same Japanese, Korean and Chinese companies that the rest of us do. The only difference is the paint.
You have to get over 100 horsepower before you even get one ASSEMBLED here and even they have a lot of foreign components.:bang:


Mike

 

[RAMROD48]

I love how everyone has so quickly forgotten the...

334/335/338
455/460
570/575

Wasn't all that long ago that you all were scratching your head at what Husky had to offer...


I really love how you are implying that the Stihl offerings are junk...

Your forgetting that for a number of years that the offerings from Husky were mediocre at best and so now Stihl doesn't have to offer up the best, just produce a quality unit (and don't tell me they are not)...and the folks that Husky pissed off will just keep buying Stihl...

Say what you want about the MS290/311/391....but for the majority of people, (end users, not internet chainsaw nerds) those saws are more than adequate for there needs...

 

[rms61moparman]

I love how everyone has so quickly forgotten the...

334/335/338
455/460
570/575

Wasn't all that long ago that you all were scratching your head at what Husky had to offer...


I really love how you are implying that the Stihl offerings are junk...

Your forgetting that for a number of years that the offerings from Husky were mediocre at best and so now Stihl doesn't have to offer up the best, just produce a quality unit (and don't tell me they are not)...and the folks that Husky pissed off will just keep buying Stihl...

Say what you want about the MS290/311/391....but for the majority of people, (end users, not internet chainsaw nerds) those saws are more than adequate for there needs...

That right there is what I was referring to about John Deere, Studebaker and Mac!!!
Just keep resting on your laurels and then find that you can't catch up when you HAVE to!
John Deere was lucky..................Stude and Mac not so much!

And for the record I never said Stihl was making "JUNK" just that everyone else has a better saw available.
Kinda like dancing with a big old fat girl!
She'll get the job done and be okay............................................'til someone turns on the light!


Mike

 

[JHctRednek]

I must say that bashing Stihl was not the intent of this thread but I'll bite.

IMO there are two ways to look at equipment from saws to trucks to tractors etc.

Way one is to put the blinders on and be total brand loyal and deal with the ups and downs of each company. Did John Deere sit on their laurels in the fifties? Maybe so but the 4020 is one of the most productive, popular tractors of all time and it came out in the sixties. Does JD today sell compact tractors made by Yanmar? Yes its called being competitive in that market. Every company is gonna have its ups and downs and lack of innovative offerings so you can deal with it and stick with that company or not.

The second way is to look at all the offerings available from all companies and pick the tried and true equipment that meets your needs. Does Ford have the best offerings in all classes of cars? Most will agree and the tried and true Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys will outlast and out perform there comparative counterparts.

I am mostly a Chevy guy but when the wife needed an economy car we looked at the Aveo, and then bought a Honda Fit. It was the best offering that fit our needs. I on the other hand will put the blinders on and buy another Chevy truck when the time arrives and deal with whatever nuances are associated with it.

Just my 2 cents

 

[SawTroll]

The new Stihls are totally unimpressive for me.
Every saw manufacturer has a saw that will outperform the comparable Stihl and at lower cost and usually less weight.

Stihl is doing exactly what John Deere did in the 50's, Studebaker did in the 60's, McCulloch did in the 70's and countless others have done since.


Mike

Right - it looks like their main focus is to push cheaply made consumer saws at inflated prices, and don't really care if their pro offerings really are competetive. I'm sure they earn a lot of money that way at the moment, but maybe not in the long run - when the reputation is lost, and they no longer can sleep on ol' laurels..... :msp_rolleyes:


I was pretty much neutral in the Husky vs. Stihl question up to around 2005/2006, but it changed rapidly from there.

 

[zogger]

The Toyota Camry has the highest percentage of american parts of any car made.
I know this because I work for one of their suppliers.
You might be surprised to find ut how much "american" you are buying when you purchase a Toyota, Honda or Kubota.
John Deere isn't american anymore either. They buy all of their small tractors from the same Japanese, Korean and Chinese companies that the rest of us do. The only difference is the paint.
You have to get over 100 horsepower before you even get one ASSEMBLED here and even they have a lot of foreign components.:bang:


Mike

Toyota for the most part has some excellent quality control on assembly. My boss was telling me a story of when he was touring one of their plants in Japan (He was a big dealer for them for years and years). Anyway, all the line workers have an emergency stop button. If they see anything wrong with fit and finish, no matter what it is, they stop the whole line, and whatever is wrong gets fixed or tagged to be pulled out later. They also really drive it home to the workers to be on the lookout for anything like that.

I've watched that top gear set (on you tube) a couple of times now, where they abused that hilux, tried to kill it, just amazing.

 

[rwoods]

Back to the original post. First, the disclaimers - I don't make my living running a saw nor do I have a lot of run time on the 362. I have owned a 036Pro from new and I recently acquired an almost new 362. They run a lot differently and the 362 is harder for me to keep the rpms high. Maybe it is just because it handles differently and I haven't used it long enough for it to become a mechanical extension. But as I noted in another thread the 362 reminds me of a diesel because as the rpms drop off it seem to hit a floor speed and just stays there where my 036Pro will steadily lose rpms until you lighten up.

IME my saws bind up and stall when I am dogged in crooked - not from me leaning on the saw too hard - some of my saws are more prone to this than others which I am guessing is a difference in alignment as I run lots of saws but in actuality only three basic models.

Ron

 

[Fuzly]

Stihl quit riveting on the tags to make up for the extra weight and expense of flippy caps.

Not a chainsaw, put the only new Stihl I have bought lately is my BG86 blower.

I took it home and it kept dying on me. I was going to start turning carb screws but thought "this thing is brand new, why should I have to mess with it" and took it back to the dealer.

The owner of the small shop apologized profusely and said "everything is coming so lean from the factory, sorry I didn't do this when you picked it up, etc". Took it in the shop for 2 minutes with his screwdriver and now it keeps getting stronger the more I run it.

 

[Nosmo]

Happy Ending

(Quote The owner of the small shop apologized profusely and said "everything is coming so lean from the factory, sorry I didn't do this when you picked it up, etc". Took it in the shop for 2 minutes with his screwdriver and now it keeps getting stronger the more I run it.

Now here is a problem that has a very happy ending. Hope that mine will turn out as well.

Nosmo

 

[Cedar Row]

Stihl quit riveting on the tags to make up for the extra weight and expense of flippy caps.

Not a chainsaw, put the only new Stihl I have bought lately is my BG86 blower.

I took it home and it kept dying on me. I was going to start turning carb screws but thought "this thing is brand new, why should I have to mess with it" and took it back to the dealer.

The owner of the small shop apologized profusely and said "everything is coming so lean from the factory, sorry I didn't do this when you picked it up, etc". Took it in the shop for 2 minutes with his screwdriver and now it keeps getting stronger the more I run it.

I had a similar experience with an Echo 360T. Got it from Baileys,and it ran so badly I thought the carb had serious problems. Took it to an Echo dealer, he took the caps off and adjusted the carb while I watched. Saw runs fine now. I am at 1400 feet above sea level, the Echo manual says that adjustment is necessary above 1100 feet. Dealer said it doesn't matter, but I wonder... If I go down the road a mile altitude drops to 800 feet, and if I cut in the National Forest, it could be as high as 4000 feet. I haven't run the echo in these other places yet, but I have run a Stihl 041 at all these heights, and have never noticed any difference.

 

[CATDIESEL]

i love how people on this site and many other sites on the web have one thing in common. they always do what they can to throw mud and badmouth the manufactures whom are the best at what they do. if being the fastest and lightest makes a saw #1 in you mind,then so be it. i would much rather have a saw that is a little heavier, because of build quality. it is proven time and again, i would like to see a comparison between a 20 year old ms261 and a 550xp,we all know the husky will have long been in the recycled plastic bin. stihl is #1 for a reason, i am sure they are not the least bit worried about husky, and what other manufacture they are trying to buy to try and compete. husky's marketing and dealer network sucks. as far as deere goes they are #1 worldwide for the same reasons. first and foremost they have not been bought up by anyone else. deere most likely has dealers that are better than others,but facts are facts, they have the best marketing, parts and dealer network there is. that is why they succeed where others fail. say what you want, look at resale of both brands- it doesn't get any better. i use both husky and stihl equipment, and have a few old deere tractors around. it sure is nice being able to go down the road to same family owned dealer, and get any part i need for a 30-40 year old tractor, and they now sell stihl as well, so that is a plus too.

 

[Nosmo]

Had to Learn the trick to starting this saw.

I bought a MS 362 last September and have only used it 2-times. The second time I wanted to use it I could not get it started. Took it back to the dealer and the mechanic in the shop got it started (I was in the showroom and could not watch what he did).

He told me it was flooded and told me to use the choke only on the first pull and then flip it up to the next level. He said if it doesn't start after that you need to try something else. He said the newer saws are too easy to flood. What else would a guy try to get one started?

Yesterday I tried starting this saw and the same thing - can't even get it to pop. I have pulled the plug , flipped the trigger and lever to the start position and grounded the plug and I cannot see any fire.

Took the saw back to the dealer yesterday and had to leave it. I told him I could not see any fire from the plug. Well anyhow he was going to write on the work order (hard to start).
I told him to write "will not start".

Nosmo

Maybe it is just me or maybe it is the saw. I'll let you all know what the dealer tells me when I get it back.

You all have a good one today.
Nosmo

Picked it up the other day and the dealer's mechanic said there is nothing wrong with the saw. I did hear it running back in the shop. Before I went to pick it up I read a post somewhere about the 362 - don't use the compression release. I tried it without the compression release - used the full choke on two pulls and then one pull with no choke and it started right up. Now I know the trick to this saw.

Nosmo