Stihl MS 291 burnt out after 1 hr

[west041]

So which are the plastic saws? Everything in the "saws for farming and landscaping" section? Are all the saws in the "saws for forestry" section metal?

I ask because I'm in the market for a replacement for my old 038 and this thread has given me one more thing to worry about.

Since I gave up heating with wood the new saw will be mainly used for cleaning up storm damage, so I thought about going down a size or 2 to get something lighter and more compact, but I don't want to go down in quality. The dealer suggested a 251, but I have most of a spool of 3/8" chain I bought for the 038, and I'd kind of like to be able to use it up. The dealer said the smallest saw that uses 3/8" chain is a 391. Now I'm wondering if I have to go still bigger to get a decent saw. I see the 391 is listed with the "saws for farm and landscaping", the same as the 291.

What are the equivalents in Husquvarna or Echo?

If Stihl is making disposable saws now, maybe I should just buy the cheapest thing I can find. If it's going to wear out before it needs a replacement chain, I don't have to worry about what chain I have in stock.

I didn't mean to make the implication that Stihl is making disposable saws. I was just pointing out the limitations of the 291 oiler as well as what I would consider a poorly designed clutch that does not stand up to abuse as well as the older Stihls do.

I think if you are buying a new saw you will find many happy owners of Stihl 261 and 361/362, as well as equivalent Husqvarna models. You will also find folks like me who prefer some of the simpler models from the 80's such as the 024, 026, 028, 044 and 038 magnums. I would advise you to do a search of the site or a custom google search. For example, if you are looking for reviews and comparisons of the MS391, you could google "MS391 site:arboristsite.com". This will limit results to only Arboristsite.com.

You would get better answers from more experienced users than myself by starting a thread of your own detailing what kind of money you want to spend and what your needs are.

If I were you I would take the money you were thinking of putting towards a 391 and buy a lightly used 260/360/361 or 044 off the classifieds. Or an equivalent Husqvarna saw. There are lots of Husqvarna users on this site who can make a recommendation to you. Good luck!

 

[7sleeper]

So which are the plastic saws? Everything in the "saws for farming and landscaping" section? Are all the saws in the "saws for forestry" section metal? YES!

I ask because I'm in the market for a replacement for my old 038 and this thread has given me one more thing to worry about.

Since I gave up heating with wood the new saw will be mainly used for cleaning up storm damage, so I thought about going down a size or 2 to get something lighter and more compact, but I don't want to go down in quality. The dealer suggested a 251, but I have most of a spool of 3/8" chain I bought for the 038, and I'd kind of like to be able to use it up. The dealer said the smallest saw that uses 3/8" chain is a 391. Now I'm wondering if I have to go still bigger to get a decent saw. I see the 391 is listed with the "saws for farm and landscaping", the same as the 291.
Of course you can use regular 3/8 on smaller saws, but drawback is that your bar will have to be VERY short to make it run comfortable...

What are the equivalents in Husquvarna or Echo? What I would recomend has already been mentioned above. Just alphabetically Dolmar 500/ 5105, Echo 490/590, Husqvarna 545 / 555, etc. There are MANY better choices out there than Stihl "farm & landscaping" saws. But that doesn't mean the saws are bad at all, I just prefer having the most for my money! Others can have the Name.

If you are thinking about a saw in the 251 class, forget the Stihl and buy a Dolmar 421! The pendant from Dolmar against the Stihl 241 for less than half the price!!! Built like a pro saw, made for the ambitious homeowner! Quite a few guys use them in a professional setting and have put hundreds of refills, without a problem through them! And YES it is that good!

If Stihl is making disposable saws now, maybe I should just buy the cheapest thing I can find. If it's going to wear out before it needs a replacement chain, I don't have to worry about what chain I have in stock.
That is not true! Many have and will cut more wood than you can imagine with the "disposable" saws. With proper care and maintenance they will probably last a few life times for someone in your situation.

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[west041]

Good advice above, on Dolmar you will want to make sure there is a reputable dealer who can work on them within driving distance or make sure you are equipped to work on them yourself.

 

[7sleeper]

Good advice above, on Dolmar you will want to make sure there is a reputable dealer who can work on them within driving distance or make sure you are equipped to work on them yourself.

This constant "dealer close by" phobia is really quite annoying! Sorry westo41 but this is simply not realistic! Any mom and pop shop should be able to dial in the carb and what else will happen with a brand new saw? Typically joe shmo buys a saw and simply runs it till it dies a decade later, in the mean time he has used up a few dozen chains and bars, that't it. He never cared about carb adjustments, perfect filing angle, exact fuel mixture rate, etc. But wondersomely it survied!

Why did it do that?
Because classic chainsaw's are about as technically simple as it can get with an engine!

Who has ever really had a problem with a typical brand new "manual carb" saw?
About zilch.

This paranoia is simply annoying!

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[west041]

This constant "dealer close by" phobia is really quite annoying! Sorry westo41 but this is simply not realistic! Any mom and pop shop should be able to dial in the carb and what else will happen with a brand new saw? Typically joe shmo buys a saw and simply runs it till it dies a decade later, in the mean time he has used up a few dozen chains and bars, that't it. He never cared about carb adjustments, perfect filing angle, exact fuel mixture rate, etc. But wondersomely it survied!

Why did it do that?
Because classic chainsaw's are about as technically simple as it can get with an engine!

Who has ever really had a problem with a typical brand new "manual carb" saw?
About zilch.

This paranoia is simply annoying!

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Hence the part of the post where I said "or make sure you can work on them yourself".

 

[west041]

Many people, homeowners especially, value dealer support. If Dolmar cannot provide that then it is their loss.

 

[7sleeper]

Many people, homeowners especially, value dealer support. If Dolmar cannot provide that then it is their loss.

What are they doing at the dealers place when their saw is running faultlessly?

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[west041]

What are they doing at the dealers place when their saw is running faultlessly?

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Who cares? I don't care what brand of saw the guy buys. You obviously love Dolmar, great. What works for you may not work for everyone else. Let's move on...

 

[7sleeper]

Moving...

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[KiwiBro]

What are they doing at the dealers place when their saw is running faultlessly?

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bar oil
chains sharpened
advice
pre mix
time out from domestic duties
trying out/fondling the next purchase
general tune up/service
And yes, even new saws of reputable brands have failures that need warranty repairs.

That said. I have never, and will never, buy a Stihl locally. Probably never a Husqvarna either. Possibly a DCS Makita, Echo or Shindaiwa if the deal is good, but currently not a single saw I own was bought new in NZ.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Three springs are much cheaper.

Changing them out is a trick performed with a chain nose pliers and an ice pick.

I ordered a clutch plus later I ordered 6 springs. I work on these 1127 saws a lot and could use the spares. Sure be nice to see a video of the spring swap, might save me some frustration watching them sail across the room..

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I don't consider the Stihl 1127 models as "disposable saws" , you just have to choose the proper saw for the job. If you don't run a saw all day in heavy wood or run them with the chain brake on I don't see anything wrong with them. If you're a pro logger you'd be silly to use a homeowner type saw unless that's all you can afford. We had some guys bring us some firewood a while ago and I looked in his trailer to see his saws and he had two Wild Things but looked like the guy wasn't exactly rich..

 

[uglydukwling]

Thanks. Quite a few models to check out. Within the distance that I commonly travel for grocery shopping, there are 4 Stihl and one Husquvarna dealer. There doesn't seem to be any point in shopping Stihl dealers for price. Stihl seems to enforce their retail pricing. I don't know about Husquvarna.

Dolmars sold in Canada are re-branded as Makita, so I suppose that makes them a big-box-store saw. I'll have to figure out which models are which. I haven't looked into how Echo is distributed.

I'm reluctant to buy used, since a chain saw is pretty highly stressed and most of them are probably abused by the time they hit the used market. My first saw was a worn out McCollough which taught me all the things that go wrong with used saws. In new saws, I've had good luck with Homelight and various Stihls, terrible luck with Poulan (although I've heard other people praise them.) I've never owned one of the truly disposable saws like wild thing. (do Yardworks sell chainsaws?)

Arthritis is part of the reason I've given up wood heating, so I thought a lighter, more compact saw might be a good idea. If I have to go to a bigger saw to get quality, I suppose I can just cut for shorter sessions. I don't have to have a woodshed full by fall, so there are no more deadlines. In fact, maybe a good saw will let me get as much work done in less time, compared to a "homeowner" saw.

 

[jdvsn83]

Tre

Once again, tree sap or brake on, neither are Stihl's fault. They won't honor the warranty because there is nothing to warranty.

Hmmm, I cut 25" sappy trees with my Echo CS-510 and the saw doesn't burn like that...

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Thanks. Quite a few models to check out. Within the distance that I commonly travel for grocery shopping, there are 4 Stihl and one Husquvarna dealer. There doesn't seem to be any point in shopping Stihl dealers for price. Stihl seems to enforce their retail pricing. I don't know about Husquvarna.

Dolmars sold in Canada are re-branded as Makita, so I suppose that makes them a big-box-store saw. I'll have to figure out which models are which. I haven't looked into how Echo is distributed.

I'm reluctant to buy used, since a chain saw is pretty highly stressed and most of them are probably abused by the time they hit the used market. My first saw was a worn out McCollough which taught me all the things that go wrong with used saws. In new saws, I've had good luck with Homelight and various Stihls, terrible luck with Poulan (although I've heard other people praise them.) I've never owned one of the truly disposable saws like wild thing. (do Yardworks sell chainsaws?)

Arthritis is part of the reason I've given up wood heating, so I thought a lighter, more compact saw might be a good idea. If I have to go to a bigger saw to get quality, I suppose I can just cut for shorter sessions. I don't have to have a woodshed full by fall, so there are no more deadlines. In fact, maybe a good saw will let me get as much work done in less time, compared to a "homeowner" saw.

Probably a good saw for you would be a Stihl MS250 or if you're in a hurry, a 346XP Husky.

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

I've mentioned before that these things are running sumbitches. The chain brake can't even stop em. Lol
This model of saw is one of Stihls best selling rancher models and I'll back them 100%. They are very dependable and cut anything you throw them at.
They may have a high number of saws in the dead saw category, but that's due to misuse and lack of proper air filter maintenance. Not to mention many use them for applications where a professional quality model is suggested. The air filter can't keep up with professional type use.

 

[uglydukwling]

I found that Echo is available at Home Depot.

I just noticed that Princess Auto (sort of equivalent to Harbor Freight) is advertising Poulan saws, model not specified but with a 16" bar, for $100. That puts them firmly in the disposable saw category. Maybe I should just buy a half-dozen of them. Almost cheaper than buying replacement chains for a good saw.

 

[d-marr]

I found that Echo is available at Home Depot.

I just noticed that Princess Auto (sort of equivalent to Harbor Freight) is advertising Poulan saws, model not specified but with a 16" bar, for $100. That puts them firmly in the disposable saw category. Maybe I should just buy a half-dozen of them. Almost cheaper than buying replacement chains for a good saw.

Yes you could buy one of these disposable saws, but it would be a totally unsatisfactory cutting experience. I have a problem with this sort of thinking at a personal level. It's the same problem I have with using disposable blade shavers. Just a wasteful use of resources. Besides running a good chainsaw with a well sharpened chain is just a pleasure. At least it is for me, so just, you know, IMHO

 

[7sleeper]

I found that Echo is available at Home Depot.

I just noticed that Princess Auto (sort of equivalent to Harbor Freight) is advertising Poulan saws, model not specified but with a 16" bar, for $100. That puts them firmly in the disposable saw category. Maybe I should just buy a half-dozen of them. Almost cheaper than buying replacement chains for a good saw.

That is typical of the snobby attitude presented here all to often! Even those el cheapo's will last, with according treatment and a knowledgeable user, many many years of homeowner/firewooder use! If it doesn't survive it just proves that the user has NO idea what he is doing with the equipment at hand!

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[a. palmer jr.]

Some of the saws they call disposable have parts on them that can be replaced so should last many years as long as the parts supply holds out. I have a Super 2 that has to be
20- 30 years old and I doubt if any of the parts were on this saw when it was new. I know because I changed most of them.