Terrible Dilema

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GitWood

GitWood

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Joined
Jun 22, 2006
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86
Location
Mendon, IL.
Well, I've had the new 346xp for a few weeks now and cut several cords of firewood. I love this saw! However, my wife went Black Friday shopping today and came home with a brand new MS-261. 20% off! What a woman! I'm having trouble deciding what to do now. I certainly don't need 2 50cc saws, but. . . . Anyway, I'm trying to look over this new Stihl, to see if it is a keeper. I've never owned or even run a Stihl before. I must say though, it looks pretty nice. I will probably have some other questions, but the first one that came to mind is "does it have limiter caps on the carb?" I pulled off the top cover and the adjusters look quite different than anything I have seen before. I don't want to go messing with them right now, but can anyone tell me if these will need to be tweaked like the adjusters on all of my other saws? My Husky, Dolmar, Echo, and others have all had the same plastic limiter tabs that just need nipped off. These are a different animal. Any advice?
 
struggle

struggle

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Iowa
I have two 50 cc saws......MS261 and Dolmar 5105 and have no regrets about having two.

Take both when cutting and whne I dull one chain I just grab the other saw:clap:
 
nmurph

nmurph

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I would just tell her that you would rather spend $250 and have the 346 ported. Then you can take the other half of the money and spend a weekend with her.

BTW, that sounds like a good wife and a nice dilemma to face.
 
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GitWood

GitWood

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Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Messages
86
Location
Mendon, IL.
I would just tell her that you would rather spend $250 and have the 346 ported. Then you can take the other half of the money and spend a weekend with her.

BTW, that sounds like a good wife and a nice dilema to face.

I hadn't even thought of that one. I like this idea, but your making this even more complicated.:dizzy:
 
NORMZILLA44

NORMZILLA44

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If you use that size saw enough, then you can justify two. I have five, and out of five have two 70cc saw's and two 90-100cc saw's. None is backup they all get use'd equally. But if one goe's down, you are not lacking that size saw, if one is in the shop, or need's to be downed. I say keep both. As for the limiter cap's take a pic, we can see. If it is the type, like on my 660 they are seated in, and no spring's. They sell a remover tool, but have no spring's, and need to be re-installed, as no spring's to hold the adjustment. Check the saw tune, and feel if it need's adjustment pull em, and re-install them. Congrat's great lady. Norm............
 
GitWood

GitWood

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Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Messages
86
Location
Mendon, IL.
If you use that size saw enough, then you can justify two. I have five, and out of five have two 70cc saw's and two 90-100cc saw's. None is backup they all get use'd equally. But if one goe's down, you are not lacking that size saw, if one is in the shop, or need's to be downed. I say keep both. As for the limiter cap's take a pic, we can see. If it is the type, like on my 660 they are seated in, and no spring's. They sell a remover tool, but have no spring's, and need to be re-installed, as no spring's to hold the adjustment. Check the saw tune, and feel if it need's adjustment pull em, and re-install them. Congrat's great lady. Norm............

Can you tell from this?
 
NORMZILLA44

NORMZILLA44

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Good pic, I can't swear to it, but they look like the type with no spring's. I think alot of new one's are that way, can't tell 100 percent, but if they don't have spring's, the cap's need to be re-installed. The spring's hold the adj, screws in place, and without the adj- will change while running the saw.
 
sps3172

sps3172

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Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Messages
72
Location
St. Louis, MO
Limit Caps: NO MODS REQUIRED

Well, I've had the new 346xp for a few weeks now and cut several cords of firewood. I love this saw! However, my wife went Black Friday shopping today and came home with a brand new MS-261. 20% off! What a woman! I'm having trouble deciding what to do now. I certainly don't need 2 50cc saws, but. . . . Anyway, I'm trying to look over this new Stihl, to see if it is a keeper. I've never owned or even run a Stihl before. I must say though, it looks pretty nice. I will probably have some other questions, but the first one that came to mind is "does it have limiter caps on the carb?" I pulled off the top cover and the adjusters look quite different than anything I have seen before. I don't want to go messing with them right now, but can anyone tell me if these will need to be tweaked like the adjusters on all of my other saws? My Husky, Dolmar, Echo, and others have all had the same plastic limiter tabs that just need nipped off. These are a different animal. Any advice?

My MS 261 was LEAN LEAN LEAN on the H needle with the factory limit stop setting. That being said, there is NO REASON to 'modify' the limit caps on this saw. If you use a 2mm allen wrench, you can reach right 'through' the alloy limit cap and shift the limit cap's range of adjustment.

Lets say you open the H needle until it stops and this is truly 3/4 turn open from a fully closed needle. Your range of adjustment would be from closed to 3/4th turn open. If you then insert the 2mm allen, and open the needle 1/4th turn further (it jumps splines on the limiter cap when adjusted this way), your adjustment range would be from 1 full turn to 1/4th turn open. Did that make sense?

For me, a simple 'calibration' makes much more sense than modifying this type of limit cap.

FYI, this is the wrench I use to reach through the limit cap. If you look around, you can find cheaper alternatives to this one that would serve the purpose.

Thorp Hex Driver, 2.0mm
by Moores Ideal Products (MIP9008)
 
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NORMZILLA44

NORMZILLA44

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Good stuff young, tried to slap a Rep on ya, but must have hit you recently. Get ya soon:clap: So I get it, with no spring's like I said, they have to be re-installed, but I never realized they could be modified to be full adjustable, the cap's. Sweet!
 
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