Stihl 261c-m trouble

[fordf150]

It is probably me, but I have never been able to .... confidently grasp why running the 3/8 is the better choice.

Less chance of the chain breaking?

I have several reasons.
Seems to stay sharp longer

Cheaper to buy

Sturdier chassis that stretches less

If damaged there is more cutter to resharpen and even with standard sharpening the chain lasts longer

Everything 50cc and larger takes the same file/ setup on the grinder

Cuts faster... If the wood is small enough that the saw pulls it effectively

I realize some/most of those reasons are very subjective and allot of them are just gut feelings from running saws both ways.... Never took the time to put a stop watch on em and prove them true or false and honestly doubt I ever will.

 

[Michaelmj11]

It'll stay sharper longer. I run .325 on mine because it's smoother limbing & it's what my father-in-law runs. Makes it handy to keep him with sharp chain. Or I'd be running ps/ps3.

is there not a PS .325 I could have sworn that someone on here said there was.

 

[Michaelmj11]

I have several reasons.
Seems to stay sharp longer

Cheaper to buy

Sturdier chassis that stretches less

If damaged there is more cutter to resharpen and even with standard sharpening the chain lasts longer

Everything 50cc and larger takes the same file/ setup on the grinder

Cuts faster... If the wood is small enough that the saw pulls it effectively

I realize some/most of those reasons are very subjective and allot of them are just gut feelings from running saws both ways.... Never took the time to put a stop watch on em and prove them true or false and honestly doubt I ever will.

So, if i am understanding things correctly you guys say that this type of sprocket is better/tougher and easier to replace? (and what were these called? or do they have the same name (type of sprocket)?


When compared to this one

 

[concretegrazer]

is there not a PS .325 I could have sworn that someone on here said there was.

Ps is stihls designation for 3/8l.p. full chisel. Rs is full chisel in .325 & up.

 

[fordf150]

Rim on top and spur on the bottom.

Spur sprockets come on homeowner saws

 

[Michaelmj11]

Rim on top and spur on the bottom.

Spur sprockets come on homeowner saws

and you need a different sprocket for each size (.325 and 3/8) right?

So is there some sort of sprocket out there (besides these) that i would have seen someone saying was easier to replace? Or were they simply talking about the Rim?

 

[scheffa]

We run .325 on our 261's at work and they cut awesome, what type of wood are you cutting??

I want to set one up running 1/4lp chain, I reckon it would out cut a 660 in the same size wood

 

[CR888]

This thread is funny!

 

[drf255]

You need either .325 or 3/8LP on the saw, period.

I run ported 026's that will chew up and spit out a 261. They are dogs with 3/8 standard chain.

They difference will be astounding.

You can get away with regular 3/8, but the saw will always seem a bit slow.

 

[Need2Saw]

would changing to a 6 link drive rim change the saw for the better?

How about half inch chain on a ms261? Someone said it was good chain. I know cause I read it on a internet saw forum by a full time keyboard sawyer. Wanna know some more stuff I read about chains and stuff?

Most people on this forum are helpful, your posts not so much.

 

[drf255]

I thought about a 6 pin.

I don't think they're made for the smaller Stihls.

If you find one, I'm interested. Please post a link.

 

[rd35]

and you need a different sprocket for each size (.325 and 3/8) right?

Right! To switch to .325 you have to change the sprocket (or rim) and also the whole guide bar (assuming you have a sprocket tipped bar).

So is there some sort of sprocket out there (besides these) that i would have seen someone saying was easier to replace? Or were they simply talking about the Rim?

I believe they were talking about the rim. Fact is, on your saw, either type is easy to swap out. But with the rim sprocket set-up you can replace rims cheaper than you can replace entire sprockets with integral clutch drum. Both styles require the same steps to change. My MS260 is currently set up with .325 pitch chain and a rim sprocket. I, personally, like it! The smaller cutters seem to be a better match for mine as I, for years, cut large hardwoods where I buried the tip of my 18" bar cutting through 20+ inch diameter logs.
Now that I have joined this forum I have become a saw addict and now have an 036pro and an 066. The MS260 doesn't see the big logs anymore!
I am not at all surprised that your new saw "sticks" in big hard woods. It has several things to overcome. 1) it is new and not broken in yet so it is a bit low on power and will be low on power for a few more tanks. 2) from what I have read, it's likely the electronic carb may need a little more runtime to optimize. 3) the 3/8 chain is brand new and razor sharp which imparts more load on the engine contributing to the "sticking-in-th-cut" problem.
My suggestion is the same as several others here....Run that saw for a while and give it a chance to break in and optimize its settings. After that, if it still seems underpowered, then swap for a larger saw or switch to .325 bar and chain set-up. I suppose you could get a 3/8 skip chain as well. But I have never heard of anybody putting skip chain on a 16" bar. It would solve your power problem for sure. I feel quite confident that if I put a brand new 3/8" chain and 16" bar on my MS260, it would feel underpowered until I got used to it!

 

[Need2Saw]

Right! To switch to .325 you have to change the sprocket (or rim) and also the whole guide bar (assuming you have a sprocket tipped bar).



I believe they were talking about the rim. Fact is, on your saw, either type is easy to swap out. But with the rim sprocket set-up you can replace rims cheaper than you can replace entire sprockets with integral clutch drum. Both styles require the same steps to change. My MS260 is currently set up with .325 pitch chain and a rim sprocket. I, personally, like it! The smaller cutters seem to be a better match for mine as I, for years, cut large hardwoods where I buried the tip of my 18" bar cutting through 20+ inch diameter logs.
Now that I have joined this forum I have become a saw addict and now have an 036pro and an 066. The MS260 doesn't see the big logs anymore!
I am not at all surprised that your new saw "sticks" in big hard woods. It has several things to overcome. 1) it is new and not broken in yet so it is a bit low on power and will be low on power for a few more tanks. 2) from what I have read, it's likely the electronic carb may need a little more runtime to optimize. 3) the 3/8 chain is brand new and razor sharp which imparts more load on the engine contributing to the "sticking-in-th-cut" problem.
My suggestion is the same as several others here....Run that saw for a while and give it a chance to break in and optimize its settings. After that, if it still seems underpowered, then swap for a larger saw or switch to .325 bar and chain set-up. I suppose you could get a 3/8 skip chain as well. But I have never heard of anybody putting skip chain on a 16" bar. It would solve your power problem for sure. I feel quite confident that if I put a brand new 3/8" chain and 16" bar on my MS260, it would feel underpowered until I got used to it!

Thank you

 

[DonnerParty]

I'm running .325 on an 18" bar on my 261CM. It rips, but 15" hardwood is going to push 50cc pretty hard. Chain sharpness, geometry, engine break-in, as mentioned are all going to have a noticeable effect.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned, but possibly has been, is depth-gauge height. Have you measured them? I have had a couple of new Stihl chains that have been pretty aggressive from the factory. I have switched to measuring the depth gauges at an angle, instead of constant depth. An angle of 6 degrees seems to work the best in hardwood, even a little less.

Also, I have noticed that my M-Tronic saws run better if I let them idle for a couple of minutes after startup before putting them in wood. This is true, in general, with 2-strokes, but seems to be even more noticeable with the M-Tronic system.

 

[sunfish]

.325 does make a noticeable difference on a saw with border line power.

You could get a Husky 555 or older 359/357xp. Basically same size & weight of the 261, but much more power.

 

[CentaurG2]

Your saw should have no problems running either .325 or 3/8 on a 16” bar. You should be able to bury the bar in any sized log without a problem. I have cut hundreds cords using 50cc saws. Inexpensive to buy, use less fuel and less teeth to sharpen when you hit something. Dolmar 5100 made a great firewood saw as does the husky 550. Both will pull an 18” bar with authority in any hardwood. Get your saw back to the dealer for a checkup.

 

[VA 372xp]

I had a 261 ran 3 different bars .325 and 3/8 chains of different types saw ran like crazy and would never put power in wood , I sold it my old 359 did more then that 600 dollar thing ever could

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Jed1124]

3/8 chain with a 16" bar you should be able to bury the bar into hard wood with no problem. I would take it to the dealer and have him put it in some wood to see what he thinks.
We have 4 non m-tronic 261s here at work. Groundies use them 5 days a week and beat the crap out of them. Instead of picking up the 460,372, or 660 they will always try to push the 261s past what they are intended for. I am amazed with what those saws can be put through. Had some burnt up clutches but nothing more in the last 3 years.

 

[JeffGu]

I have an MS-261C-MQ (m-tronic with the QuickStop feature) and they take several tanks of gas before they start to shine. A muffler mod and retune will do wonders. I run a 20" bar and .325/.063 chain on it, because I have a 20" Cannon bar, Oregon drum and 3/8" rim drive sprocket (7-tooth) to convert it to 3/8 chain. After a couple hours or so of swapping them back and forth, I decided that the engineers at Stihl are probably not idiots... the saw performs better with the stock .325 setup. The Cannon bar will go on a bigger saw.

You can't believe everything the Piltz guy tells you. On the right saw, that bar and PS chain will rip snotty froth out of wood, but on the 261... meh. It's not going to turn it into a monster hot saw.

 

[Michaelmj11]

I have an MS-261C-MQ (m-tronic with the QuickStop feature) and they take several tanks of gas before they start to shine. A muffler mod and retune will do wonders. I run a 20" bar and .325/.063 chain on it, because I have a 20" Cannon bar, Oregon drum and 3/8" rim drive sprocket (7-tooth) to convert it to 3/8 chain. After a couple hours or so of swapping them back and forth, I decided that the engineers at Stihl are probably not idiots... the saw performs better with the stock .325 setup. The Cannon bar will go on a bigger saw.

You can't believe everything the Piltz guy tells you. On the right saw, that bar and PS chain will rip snotty froth out of wood, but on the 261... meh. It's not going to turn it into a monster hot saw.

When you say "muffler mod and retune" what do you mean by retune? I am trying to understand just how well the M-tronic's adjusts to mods, do you mean you simply reset the M-tronic's, or was there more to the retuning?