Stihl Flippy Caps

[Wood Butcher]

I have had a MS250 for 7 or so years now and don't know how many chains it has worn out, but it's a bunch.

The gas cap I have never had an issue with. The original oil cap failed (the semi-circle handle part broke off) after about 3 or 4 years so I go a replacement. With the replacement cap there is always the danger it will leak if you do not make sure it is locking properly- i.e. it can appear to shut and then will leak all the oil out. So it takes an extra 10 seconds to -make sure- it is sealed and locked.

I wish I didn't have to do that, it would be nice if it were like the old cap where it just clamped down each and every time but I have bigger issues in life than that so I just deal with it. However, I can see a situation where if both caps did that with a new saw I'd be annoyed but I suspect if your caps are acting up some tweaking would probably fix the issue and then you'll think they were a big improvement over the old style screw down caps. Especially after a few years when the screwdriver slots start getting wallowed out.

 

[RAMROD48]

Dear MR Stihl Man & Santa , all I want for Xmas is a new 660 built like a 066 ...I don't want flippy caps and please no EPA ####. please please please ....and P.S Santa, please only supply the flippy flappy cap for the little boys who find joy in a good flippy cap saw ...thanks ,regards your good boy widow :smile2:

I am sure there are plenty of NOS non flippy 660s out there.

I just took delivery of about 40 saws...2-660's....both had regular caps...not flippy's...:msp_mellow:

 

[brages]

they had a _recall_ on flippies (someone here said--this evidence is inadmissible in court)

nuff said. :hmm3grin2orange:

They had a recall on the regular caps (029), too. And then, right after that recall, the flippies came out. I guess they wanted a design that couldn't loosen and fall out. These just fall out.



I believe some 029's actually had flippies (maybe -- but I think I saw one on ebay).

 

[homelitejim]

I got the oil shower down the leg once and from then on I made sure to tighten the cap properly and not half a$$ed. How ever, I watched a guy crank for a half hour to get his Husky to start and from then on I have been writing Husky about how hard their saws are to start, even though every Husky I have owed (2100, 61, 240e) have started on the first or second pull.otstir:

 

[tallguys]

Did i hurt your feelings? If so im sorry ill call stihl tommorow so they can send you a towl to wipe your tears.Ive ran hundreds of gallons of gas through a 460 and never a problem with the caps except i melted 1 on the muffler.

Keep your pity and your smart-aleck response as I could care less about flippy caps... they're a poor execution on a questionable design and nothing more.

Obviously there are issues with them as nobody with a modicum of intelligence enough to operate any type of OPE would otherwise be having any problems with them whatsoever. That you haven't had any problems with them is great, to belittle anyone who has had problems shows you to be precisely the way I said...

 

[NuggyBuggy]

There's gotta be a couple of versions of the flippy caps going around to explain the difference in experiences people have. It cannot be that all the people who cannot get theirs to work are stupid.

I have a BR600 and every time that damn cap comes off, I end up sitting on the ground for 10-20 minutes trying to get it back on tight. I'll look for the indicator, I'll study the hole pattern - nothing works. When it finally gets on properly, it seems like it is a matter of luck - there's nothing special I do and I know that the next time, I'm going to go through the exact same struggle.

The flippy cap on my 250 goes on and off without a problem, every time.

When a Stihl dealer such as my own agrees with me that the caps suck, there's a bigger problem. People who have never experienced the problems should count themselves lucky instead of assuming that others who do experience the problem are stupid.

 

[385XP]

Keep your pity and your smart-aleck response as I could care less about flippy caps... they're a poor execution on a questionable design and nothing more.

Obviously there are issues with them as nobody with a modicum of intelligence enough to operate any type of OPE would otherwise be having any problems with them whatsoever. That you haven't had any problems with them is great, to belittle anyone who has had problems shows you to be precisely the way I said...

You just dont get do you? If they are on the right way they will not fall off just take the time to figure out how to use them. people just keep cluttering this place up with this wineing about flippy caps.

 

[deye223]

i wonder if any of these Whining dopes can replace tail light globe on a car , same thing it's a bayonet fitting, line up the 2 indacaters push and turn to the right gee that's hard

 

[WidowMaker1]

I just took delivery of about 40 saws...2-660's....both had regular caps...not flippy's...:msp_mellow:

all the new 660's/880's in the Stihl dealers have the flippy caps ,well in OZ anyways ....i guess there might be some old stock still on the shelves somewhere? but yeah if I'm gonna purchase a 660/880 ill be looking for the ones with the traditional screw caps (personal preference) ....066's & 084's are what Ill be buying! I love stihl saws, but won't go down the flippy road again .... i prefer a screw ......cap :biggrin:

 

[redheadwoodshed]

I guess I'm one of the mouth breathers because I really hate the filppy on my little ms210.The oil cap is too far under the handlebar.The ones on my ms391 don't give me any problems and the 038mag has the regular threaded cap.No problems there.
I really don't see why Stihl changed.The regular threaded ones seem to work just fine.

 

[Slamm]

Okay so we have Stihl selling 6 million units, sure some of them don't have flippy caps, so maybe 2-3 million products have flippy caps .......... maybe just 1 million, .............. thats 1,000,000 units, and we have a few polls on Arboristsite where say 43-60 people don't like them .................. is that really a failure??

Not trying to sound like an elitist or anything, but after using and loving both flippy and screw caps on saws for many years and hundreds of gallons, I guess, I get the feeling that I would have to remove at least say 65% of my brain and then while the wound was still fresh and dripping with blood, I could still probably figure out how to successfully get them on correctly with the second try, LOL. I don't see how some of you figure out how to actually start these saws or sharpen the chains if you can't figure out something as simple as a flippy cap.

Below is a video my 11 year old son operating a flippy cap. Special note here: He is not a professional and hasn't had much if any training or experience with flippy caps .... yet see how wickedly fast he works that cap, LOL. I get the feeling that this video will simply amaze some of you ......... and that is really sad.



Just here to help,

Sam

 

[tallguys]

When a Stihl dealer such as my own agrees with me that the caps suck, there's a bigger problem. People who have never experienced the problems should count themselves lucky instead of assuming that others who do experience the problem are stupid.

Therein lies the root of the problem, a bunch of self serving pompous donkeys here fail to recognize that anyone could be having any problems so the only answer they can offer is ridicule. Utterly pathetic! There is a word that describes those who cannot offer anything but their scorn and its usually the less flattering form of "donkey".

 

[Slamm]

Not to pour salt in the wound of the IQ's of some, but I also have a little 4 year old girl that I could probably show her how to work one a couple of times and I could video her successfully working a simple flippy cap. If that would help say 50% of the 43 people that can't seem to figure them out, I'll set up a video with her providing both example and verbal instructions on how they work. Let me know, if this would help some of you. Then that would only leave say 20-24 people that are just hopeless and those people should probably reconsider operating tools or machines that are anymore complicated than a tube of toothpaste.

Just here to help,

Sam

 

[tallguys]

Like is posted above... donkeys...

 

[Slamm]

Therein lies the root of the problem, a bunch of self serving pompous donkeys here fail to recognize that anyone could be having any problems so the only answer they can offer is ridicule. Utterly pathetic! There is a word that describes those who cannot offer anything but their scorn and its usually the less flattering form of "donkey".

The root of the problem is there are about 43 people out of millions that have problems or repeated problems with flippy caps .......................... which side of the line are you on??

Are you one of the 43 that can't successfully operate a flippy cap or one of the millions of people that have got that "system" figured out and are out solving other world problems???

Let us know, and I will get my 4 year old to "model" an instructional video for those 43 individuals. I guess, I could get the dry erase board out and a chalk board and we could set up a instructional video with certification papers and such.

Should it be several classes broken down in 1 hour intervals for each step of the process, or should we cover all of the material in one session? I understand that if the pupils are overwhelmed with too much information it will be one of those situations where its 2 steps backwards and 1 step forward, and we don't want that.

Let me know,

Sam

 

[Slamm]

I know, I know, you know those bumper stickers like the below:

My child graduated with honors from the Whiteside School for the Gifted.

Well, we should make one for those that can successfully manipulate a flippy cap say 20 times in a row, as that is surely a way to rank individuals by IQ level or something. I might even add it to my resume:

1. Worked at McDonalds from 2003 to 2007
2. Started a logging company 2008 to present
3. Successfully operated my flip caps 4,973 times from 2008 to present.

Just some thoughts,

Sam

 

[tallguys]

The root of the problem is there are about 43 people out of millions that have problems or repeated problems with flippy caps ...

Forty three out of millions? Pulling numbers out of where, I don't care to know. Obviously there were or are A LOT MORE than just 43 otherwise there would never have been ANY action by Stihl to replace any of them, now would there?

If the caps worked properly each and every time, there would be no issues... yet there are. In your mind that renders the operator completely stupid? God forbid you ever have any tool with any defect, as I am sure even you have heard of karma.

Do I give a damn one way or the other about flippy caps? No. Do I prefer the non-flippy caps? Yes. If in your mind that makes me stupid, thats up to you. It changes nothing.

 

[forestryworks]

:monkey:

Fine motor skills are required, folks.

 

[DSS]

I love a good flippy cap thread.:smile2:

 

[Slamm]

Forty three out of millions? Pulling numbers out of where, I don't care to know. Obviously there were or are A LOT MORE than just 43 otherwise there would never have been ANY action by Stihl to replace any of them, now would there?

If the caps worked properly each and every time, there would be no issues... yet there are. In your mind that renders the operator completely stupid? God forbid you ever have any tool with any defect, as I am sure even you have heard of karma.

Do I give a damn one way or the other about flippy caps? No. Do I prefer the non-flippy caps? Yes. If in your mind that makes me stupid, thats up to you. It changes nothing.

Here is a fact, there are screw caps and flippy caps. It seems a lot of people have and can figure out a screw cap. Then there is the flippy cap which is on millions of products and there is an overwhelming majority of individuals that can operate multiple, flippy caps for years without any problems.........(me and my children are in this majority, is a source of genetic pride for our family, kinda like graduating kindergarden or something else equivalent).

So that said, which camp are you in? Are you in the camp that the operation of a simple cap sort ruins your day or week? To the point that you will repeatedly get on the internet and more or less brag to the world that you can NOT figure them out, when statistically speaking here, the rest of the world has them figured out ............ I mean, honestly, where does that put you and the other 42 people in the ranks?

Just thinking out loud here, no insults intended, by that,

Sam