Makes sense. If you don't lube the clutch bearing every day, the harder bearing will wear the softer crank.Seen some 261's back a few years ago (non M-tronic) having the same issues with clutch side bearings and wear at the drum bearing .
This tree service outfit had several go bad and it turned out that some or most of the employees were snapping the chain brake on before the saw had returned to idle . I guess quite a few of them had worked for Ontario Hydro tree crews and were taught to snap the brake as soon as they came out of a cut .