Ms 500i (are you put off?)

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Yeah, but construction guys have some training. Here, and I am sure more common in the wider chainsaw user world, there are people that can't mix gas, don't know that chains need to be sharpened, and mount their chains backwards. I mean real basic stuff. A couple of months ago we had a guy here, with a poorly running saw, and all sorts of suggestions were offered, and finally the guy admitted that he had taken the muffler off. Apparently he thought that was a good idea, and had no idea it would cause problems. Stihl has to make it idiot proof, and even then there is an idiots idiot out there to find a way to make it a fault ridden saw, and who will blame the injection system.

They also don't own these specific tools most of the time. So they couldn't care less about them. Which is almost as bad as a person that knows nothing about a 2stroke.
 
This is interesting because I'm having the same issue with my 10 month old 462. The pull cord it came with is flaying already.
It was really annoying me tbh. There is a metal collar that surrounds the recoil cord hole and it looks like it should be impossible to do anything except run smoothly, but something was causing a problem that slowly got better; each time a new cord was fitted it took longer and longer to fray...on two brand new saws the problem was exactly the same, a colleague with a similar age saw had a similar problem. The cords were replaced by the dealer the first few times on both saws and then I just got told that I obviously didn’t know how to start a saw and that from then on it would be down to me...which was fine because I was getting frustrated with the down time anyway. That and the relatively poor oiling was the start of my disillusionment with Stihl. I won’t even go into depth wrt the Stihl techs reason for the low oiling on the saws, suffice to say he told me I didn’t keep my bar groove and oil feed hole clean enough...fook off!
 
I’m put off Stihl full stop.

My last 4 new Stihls have all had problems and all that the dealers have done is look at me like I’m stupid.

My old Stihl saws however; 084, 066, 039, 038, 023, 200t remain the best saws I have and use daily/weekly.

...but them I’m 43 yrs old now and no longer captivated by the latest/greatest/shiniest.
A lot of people feel the same, this whole epa thing combined with malfunctioning
products is getting old.
 
It was really annoying me tbh. There is a metal collar that surrounds the recoil cord hole and it looks like it should be impossible to do anything except run smoothly, but something was causing a problem that slowly got better; each time a new cord was fitted it took longer and longer to fray...on two brand new saws the problem was exactly the same, a colleague with a similar age saw had a similar problem. The cords were replaced by the dealer the first few times on both saws and then I just got told that I obviously didn’t know how to start a saw and that from then on it would be down to me...which was fine because I was getting frustrated with the down time anyway. That and the relatively poor oiling was the start of my disillusionment with Stihl. I won’t even go into depth wrt the Stihl techs reason for the low oiling on the saws, suffice to say he told me I didn’t keep my bar groove and oil feed hole clean enough...fook off!
Yea, a pro saw buyer and user, who doesn’t know how to start a saw or keep bar clean,
and they expect to keep customers with that attitude.
Could you imagine the hassle if you told the Stihl tech the truth, that it was
poor design and parts that caused your problems, I would imagine you would
be asked to leave pretty quickly.
Can’t beat the older stuff.
 
In the motocross world most all manufactures have gone to fuel injection and electronic ignitions with very little issues at all. In fact most like them beacuse you can map the computer to run the way you like it. Right now Honda is the only one left that still runs naturally aspirated motors anymore and they are about to make the switch.
 
As mentioned above, this platform has been used in the construction trades cutting concrete for a long while. It has been proven reliable and durable in that environment, which in my opinion is much harsher than cutting wood.

Construction guys are HARD on equipment and their use of it will expose any weakness imaginable.
In fairness, the platform used has certainly given way less bother than the MT.
Given time and some changes where needed I would say they are going in the
right direction with the injection system.
Keeping the filter clean seems to be an issue though, it gets dirty quickly,
small thing, but not if you have to keep cleaning for no reason other than
bad design.
 
Yea, a pro saw buyer and user, who doesn’t know how to start a saw or keep bar clean,
and they expect to keep customers with that attitude.
Could you imagine the hassle if you told the Stihl tech the truth, that it was
poor design and parts that caused your problems, I would imagine you would
be asked to leave pretty quickly.
Can’t beat the older stuff.
You’re right, the older stuff is the way forward for me. With older saws I get the impression they were built as well as they could be; newer saws are perhaps built to meet/just surpass a minimum standard whilst maximising profitability? Some brands are still up there as ‘the best’, others are maybe resting on their laurels a bit?
I’ve always been a Stihl man at heart (and kind of Dolmar as well) and I’m not bashing Stihl (new v new they still compare well to other brands) but new Stihl v old Stihl is a different matter!
It’s good though, my change of attitude has led me here to this resource and you guys and my first (of many most likely) full rebuild...which has been truly satisfying :clap:
 
You’re right, the older stuff is the way forward for me. With older saws I get the impression they were built as well as they could be; newer saws are perhaps built to meet/just surpass a minimum standard whilst maximising profitability? Some brands are still up there as ‘the best’, others are maybe resting on their laurels a bit?
I’ve always been a Stihl man at heart (and kind of Dolmar as well) and I’m not bashing Stihl (new v new they still compare well to other brands) but new Stihl v old Stihl is a different matter!
It’s good though, my change of attitude has led me here to this resource and you guys and my first (of many most likely) full rebuild...which has been truly satisfying :clap:
Agreed, new stuff does not seem to be built as well as the older stuff, there is a 40 year old Stihl
041 here, still runs, was one of two the family bought, other one was supposed to
be straight gassed, by of course a new generation user who inherited it.
 
What puts me off is the price point of the 500i, it seems to be selling though. Fuel injection on small 2 strokes isn't new since you can buy kits on Ebay if you look at rc aircraft stuff.
 
Before I start wanting an MS 500i I would have to know at least 10 people that have used one for a minimum of 2 years without problems and are happy with its performance (and the regular wear and tear). Only then would I consider looking at one as a potential buyer. I managed to stay away from the Husqvarna 5--XT series craze and probably saved myself a lot of $$ that way. Plus, the saws I currently own and use will probably outlast me by decades...
 
I know exactly what you are concerned about, New tech, and you can't just adjust it. You won't need to. a mini version of what you are driving in your pickup. Maybe you would feel better if Stihl put a "check engine" light on it.... :ices_rofl:

Like or hate it, it is coming. Across the board, give them 5 or 10 years, and every little engine will have a little PIC chip computer running the fuel in the thing. However, it is required to operate correctly, or they lose sales! The price has to be competitive, and I think that they are aware of that. dealer support, it really would help some people if they could just plug the thing into a laptop, scan the thing, it says, change fuel filter, clean solenoid, and re-calibrate. Done. They don't need to know anything! Just like some of them right now....

I am waiting to get my hands on one, I would like to take it for a test drive, I have a couple hundred trees to cut up. I will let you know what I think of it.
 
I’m not put off by it at all. I’d love to have one, but I might just put it off a year to see what happens with prices and model changes.
 
Well, the 500i is lighter than a 462 and way lighter than a 660. It has almost the power of a 660 as well. FI is the future, like it or not. I mean, it has been on cars for a really long time now. The last car I had with a carb in it was my Opal GT way back in 1985. I have never had any issues with FI in any vehicles. Ever. Carbs had vapor lock. FI never does that. Carbs ice up. FI never has done that either. Carbs break down and need tuning. FI never needs tuning or rebuilding. Also the 500i is smooth. Y'all get older and vibration becomes more of an issue. Me, I want smooth and light weight. And a saw that will not freeze up in winter or vapor lock in summer. And one that automatically compensates for air changes as I go from 400 ft to 6,000 ft in elevation to cut wood around here. The new flywheels on the 462 and the 500i are said to be super fast as well. So fast response time is a good feature to have as well. No power lag with these new saws. No choke or flooding this Stihl either. How many of you have never flooded a Stihl, a saw notorious for flooding? And no having to cold start the beast with a bunch of pulls on the rope at any temp, hot or cold, saw hot or cold.

So I will likely sell my 660 and get a 500i at some point next year.
 
Well, the 500i is lighter than a 462 and way lighter than a 660. It has almost the power of a 660 as well. FI is the future, like it or not. I mean, it has been on cars for a really long time now. The last car I had with a carb in it was my Opal GT way back in 1985. I have never had any issues with FI in any vehicles. Ever. Carbs had vapor lock. FI never does that. Carbs ice up. FI never has done that either. Carbs break down and need tuning. FI never needs tuning or rebuilding. Also the 500i is smooth. Y'all get older and vibration becomes more of an issue. Me, I want smooth and light weight. And a saw that will not freeze up in winter or vapor lock in summer. And one that automatically compensates for air changes as I go from 400 ft to 6,000 ft in elevation to cut wood around here. The new flywheels on the 462 and the 500i are said to be super fast as well. So fast response time is a good feature to have as well. No power lag with these new saws. No choke or flooding this Stihl either. How many of you have never flooded a Stihl, a saw notorious for flooding? And no having to cold start the beast with a bunch of pulls on the rope at any temp, hot or cold, saw hot or cold.

So I will likely sell my 660 and get a 500i at some point next year.
500i junkie eh?:laugh:
 
Also the 500i is smooth

In the spirit of finding some reason to be put off the part that the human holds is "smooth" What portion of the injection components are attached to the portion of the saw on the other side of the anti vibe? Comparing reliability with automotive might not be a fair match.

It seems to me a rather crude fuel injection at low pressure. May be a while before another choice comes available though.
 
I prefer a small engine that tells me by behavior when something is amiss - ECUs in small engines will try to (usually successfully) cover up defects that eventually will lead to a catastrophic failure. I have seen a few saws 550XPs that died that way and are not worth resurrecting.
I am not a pro sawyer and therefore can live with a few extra ounces of weight...
They also claim it to be the first chainsaw featuring fuel injection - I believe Efco was there first? Might be wrong, though.
 
The computer will try to optimize performance. If there is an air leak (lack in performance noticeable in normal 2-strokes) it will just increase fuel supply within its parameter range. A faulty seal or gasket thus may go unnoticed until it is too late for economical correction of the problem.
Just my personal logic drawn from the seized saws I saw. I know one (1) happy pro using a 550XP for 5 years but also four other people that went through 2-3 saws over the same period...
 
A few thoughts.

The lack of a pre-filtered air intake is an indication that it is more a concept demonstrator than a serious competitor -i.e. it's super light weight in order to make a big splash.

I suspect Stihl's longer term strategy is to release themselves from licence payments to Husqvarna for M-Tronic patents.

As acceptance grows, future models will not necessary have such striking power to weight ratios or such a premium price because higher production volume will reduce the cost per unit.
 
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