New Stihl MS391 did very well today. I'm Impressed (with pics)

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Bushmans

Bushmans

Smoke Dragon Herder
Joined
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So I told you I was going to take the new saw out today and I did.
The temp got up to 57 degrees today and after 40 minutes I was stripping off the long underwear and extra shirt.

I cut up a few ash trees of varying sizes today. 12" up to 22"-24".

This was the first one

View attachment 273046

I stacked them up in the woods because I'm not sure when I will be able to get in there to retrieve them and I don't want them laying on the wet, snow covered ground. (when it snows)
This guy was around 16-17 inches and was blown over and caught in another tree top so I had to under cut it all the way up the trunk until it finally fell out.
Saw cut real well on the topside of the bar. I hate cutting trees like this because all that weight comes sliding down on your saw once it lets go. You have to be quick to get out of the way. I found myself marking the log at 16" intervals and when I was waist high I would make the cut so as to give myself more time to get the bar out of the way when it let go. Then I just finished the cuts on the ground. Wish I had a better way to get it on the ground. Can't get at ruck in there to pull it out.

This pile of ash was just a small guy, nothing special.
View attachment 273047

I will say one thing about the saw. It has great fuel mileage.

Then I went over to the big boy I had been saving.
I bucked it into rounds and then noodled them half way and split them the rest of the way with my 6 pounder and a homemade steel wedge. The saw noodled great. Its' kinda fun standing shin deep in a pile of noodles. You know right then and there that everything is working good! There was a lot of noodling going on:rock: The saw kicked ass to put it mildly.

View attachment 273049

View attachment 273050

I was taking a break and happened to look at one of the round halves and what to my wondering eyes should appear? A lead bullet!

View attachment 273051

I've heard of metal in wood and the first tree I cut today had barbed wire growing through the first three feet that I avoided. Once I was cutting and found a 1" steel cable embedded in the tree. (It was my first tree of the day and I had a brand new chain. I was pissed!)
I've also heard of bullets but never seen one. To actually see one in a piece I cut I think is pretty extraordinary. I checked all my cutters and did not see any damage so I must have just grazed it. ??

All in all I had a fun day. Just me and my saw and the woods. As far as the saw performance?
Couldn't be happier. I cut all that on 2.5 tanks. The power is just right for my needs, the balance is great, it feels like an extension of your arm and not a 15 lb barbell.
Flippy caps are pretty cool. I like the idea of not using a scrench tool. I admit I have a little trouble lining then up sometimes but I'm sure I'll get better.
I didn't notice the bar wobble I talked about in my first post. Not sure what that was about. Two strokes nice in the cut. 4 out. Tuning sounds good although the idle is a bit high when it is warm. I'll monitor it for a few outings and adjust if it needs it.
As I got towards the end of that big ash there was a layer of soft wood or pulp/rot about 2 inches thick just under the bark and when the saw went through it it created a lot of dust not chips. When I got home I cleaned the saw like normal and there was a fine accumulation of that dust on the air filter. Also a tiny bit on the inside. Air filters are the death of me I swear. I'll worry about that forever now. I'll figure something out.
Anyways I was so happy with my daddy and saw day that I stopped at the store and picked up a 12 pack of beer!
Salud! my firewood cutting friends!
 
Nice work out there, nice saw too. Good thing that bullet wasn't anything more than that.
 
mr.finn said:
Nice work out there, nice saw too. Good thing that bullet wasn't anything more than that.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Yeah I would have been a little POed.
I was thinking of the trees age and the penetration of the bullet trying to come up with when it happened.
Of course I've had a few Budweisers and the best I can come up with is Moses shot that tree just before boarding the ark!
Damn Budweisers!
:beat_shot:
 
Just out of curiosity how far in from the bark was that bullet? Looks like it has been there a while.
 
My 391 is the first saw I grab on my way out of the barn to cut wood...20-in. chain is perfect for most of what I cut. Mine idles a little high when fully warmed up,might just be the nature of the beast...
 
Hopefully helpful hint for dropping hangers:
Cable winch from butt to nearby stem, with recovery straps/slings. Pull at close to right angle, or however looks best to you. Saves lots of drama. :msp_wink:
 
Bushmans,

Nice day at the office with your new saw.
Got to love how the 391 will handle most of whatever you throw at it.

I love my Stihl MS391, good power, long lasting chains and the 20" bar works for most of what i cut.
Only thing i don't love is starting it.
It starts for me third of fourth pull but each pull likes to almost suck the string back while you pull or just be real resistant to pulling.
Real hard on the arm after a day of cutting then starting it back up.

Even full choke start does the same thing on mine so priming the start doesn't stop the problem.
After starting it's a wonderful saw.

Did you notice this sort of start pulling problem on yours?

Timewarp,

Same question for you since you have one also.
 
Last edited:
haveawoody said:
Bushmans,

I love my Stihl MS391, good power, long lasting chains and the 20" bar works for most of what i cut.
Only thing i don't love is starting it.
It starts for me third of fourth pull but each pull likes to almost suck the string back while you pull or just be real resistant to pulling.
Real hard on the arm after a day of cutting then starting it back up.

Even full choke start does the same thing on mine so priming the start doesn't stop the problem.
After starting it's a wonderful saw.

Did you notice this sort of start pulling problem on yours?

Timewarp,

Same question for you since you have one also.
Click to expand...

Not at all. It pulls better than my little 029 did.
Still getting used to the selector lever though. Not used to having the xtra position.
Mine fires on the second pull, full choke, cold. Maybe cuz its new???
 
Bushmans,

Ahh the cold start button or decompress.
I avoid pressing it, pressed it on a warm day by mistake and saw took forever to start.
An undecompress button would be handy LOL

My 391 didn't have any real pull problems until it was a few weeks old.
On day one though you could tell it took a decent unusual pressure to pull.

Glad to hear yours is not having the same problem.
Might be a me thing and time to inspect my pully gears for bad teeth or a obstruction somewhere.
Or the fastory just forgot to lubricate the pully gears.
 
I love being out there alone, falling hauling & cutting . It's a good thing since I have no other choice 90% of the time anyway. Yes it's a dangerous game, but it is what it is. The weather hit 70 yesterday & will again today.....looks like I am headed out to do some cuttin.
 
haveawoody said:
Bushmans,

Ahh the cold start button or decompress.
I avoid pressing it, pressed it on a warm day by mistake and saw took forever to start.
An undecompress button would be handy LOL
Click to expand...

I use the decompression button (the button right below the top handle) every time I start mine, warm or cold. I'm not sure why you experienced hard starting when using it. You mentioned earlier about the starting rope seeming to pull hard, this is what the decomp feature is meant to address.

It seems like what Bushman is describing as the "extra position" is on the "off,on,choke" selector switch.
 
Last edited:
kodiak said:
I use the decompression button (the button right below the top handle) every time I start mine, warm or cold. I'm not sure why you experienced hard starting when using it. You mentioned earlier about the starting rope seeming to pull hard, this is what the decomp feature is meant to address.

It seems like what Bushman is describing as the "extra position" is on the "off,on,choke" selector switch.
Click to expand...

That is correct Kodiak. There is off, on, half choke and full choke. I find myself having to look at it where as on my old saw it was all by feel.

The decompression button I use when I start it cold but then forget I have it after that :msp_biggrin:
I don't find the pull hard without using it either though. My 044 was a different story!
 
kodiak,

Ahh he meant the extra setting on the switch.

I've only eyer used the decomp button on mine once and it was accidentally picking up the saw.
Was a real hot day and the saw took about 75 pulls to start.

Needless to say after that i wasn't impressed with the decomp button and have not used it again.LOL
 
I picked up a 391 a few months ago and she cuts very well.
It’s the only saw that actually sounds like a dirt bike when idling.lol
I’ve used the decompression a few times but see no deference in how it starts.
There is no way to tell how long the bullet was in there, to many factors to be accurate.

Nice saw, and good work on the wood.
 

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