Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[chipper1]

Interesting recall. Would be good if they gave more detail on the exact problem.
A pity you are not keen on that killer deal on a near new modded 261 v2 for what works out best on your cost per hp metric, and considerably cheaper than many of the saws you are looking at buying. But buyer perception is everything and if you are not confident in the 261 v2 or feel it won't be fast enough, fair enough.

Which brings me to a question for those with 261 v2's - do you have confidence in that saw and think it fast enough? Also, are any of you using 3/8 pitch 20" bars? That's about my limit on mine. Tried 24" but was a bit too much when fully buried in hard stuff. Fine for felling/bucking soft wood like cypress/pine but if its gum it better be green or I have to baby it a bit.

That is a bad description.
I ran mine with an 18x325 and it felt just like the 550 in the cut.
I would suppose you could run a 20x3/8 on it, but I like a 60cc or a ported 50cc for a 20x3/8, and many times run a 70cc with a 20.
All that being said a 455 rancher runs a 20x3/8 and gets the job done just fine, and I've cut a lot of wood with them as well as an ms290 set up the same, they are darn close in power to the 261 VII so I guess you could but do you want to if you don't have to .

that recall description is awful isn't it!? what on earth are they trying to describe! something to do with the chainbrake mechanism is my guess but...!!

Yes, It sounds like they are talking about the brake handle/flag(although it's not really a flag on that saw).
Ive never seen a bad one, but obviously there was some problem for the to have issued the recall, much like the fuel lines on the 461 which I didn't have a problem with either.

 

[chipper1]

@dancan wait until you see what I just got, you will be like .

So I'll get you some later .

 

[James Miller]

That is a bad description.
I ran mine with an 18x325 and it felt just like the 550 in the cut.
I would suppose you could run a 20x3/8 on it, but I like a 60cc or a ported 50cc for a 20x3/8, and many times run a 70cc with a 20.
All that being said a 455 rancher runs a 20x3/8 and gets the job done just fine, and I've cut a lot of wood with them as well as an ms290 set up the same, they are darn close in power to the 261 VII so I guess you could but do you want to if you don't have to .

Yes, It sounds like they are talking about the brake handle/flag(although it's not really a flag on that saw).
Ive never seen a bad one, but obviously there was some problem for the to have issued the recall, much like the fuel lines on the 461 which I didn't have a problem with either.

brake works fine on mine. Tried to bore cut with it with your chain and it started hopping and set the brake.

 

[chipper1]

brake works fine on mine. Tried to bore cut with it with your chain and it started hopping and set the brake.

Depending on what and where your bore cutting there are tricks to stop that. When bucking logs or cutting them to length you can start the bore and as the bar begins to hop you push the bar down more than in(remember the kickback is caused in the top front of the bar, 12-3 o'clock looking at the bar from the clutch side) and continue that until the tip is buried in the log, then you can start pushing in more than down. Just remembered it can still kick back, only now instead of kicking up it will come straight at you, be sure the family jewels are not in the line of fire .
Style of tip can help make the initial transition from cutting down to boring easier and smoother.
Hard to see it in this video, but if you watch you can see it a bit.

 

[nighthunter]

brake works fine on mine. Tried to bore cut with it with your chain and it started hopping and set the brake.

sometimes if the rakers are uneven it can cause it to leap and skip especially when bore cutting

 

[KiwiBro]

sometimes if the rakers are uneven it can cause it to leap and skip especially when bore cutting

Or when chain has lost a few teef hitting metal on previous cuts. Had this just yesterday thought I was losing what little touch I have but changed chain and tried again with no probs. Then put the ugly chain back on. It's got one more sharpen in the remaining teef before I throw it away. Being Stihl chain (I think they now sell the 99.9% pure chain by the ounce here), I generally don't break even on the chain until I get to the witness marks and then get a few grinds of 99.9% pure profit before it self-deconstructs.

 

[LondonNeil]

first sharpen on a stihl....it seemed to have started the self destruct early

 

[Philbert]

I generally don't break even on the chain until I get to the witness marks . . .

Flip it over and sharpen the drive links . . . .

Philbert

 

[KiwiBro]

first sharpen on a stihl....it seemed to have started the self destruct early
View attachment 658134

Ouch

 

[LondonNeil]

didn't feel a thing! no idea how it happened. as you can see, the other teeth were fine (the photo was before i filed, so not exactly blunt...even the broken tooth is still sharp at the corner)

 

[Philbert]

didn't feel a thing! no idea how it happened. as you can see, the other teeth were fine (the photo was before i filed, so not exactly blunt...even the broken tooth is still sharp at the corner)

Run it.

Philbert

 

[LondonNeil]

i do, and don't notice a thing.

 

[chipper1]

Run it.

Philbert

That's what I would do, that or grind it right off with a 4" grinder.

 

[KiwiBro]

scratcher chain. back to the future

 

[bigfellascott]

I got a Hurricane chain with about 5 or 6 teeth missing as I discovered when I went to sharpen it (felt funny in the wood last time out) I now know why! Not sure how or why they were broken off, can't recall hitting any metal or anything else for that matter and also noticed one of the ties is about to break, I guess that's chinese quality steel for ya.

 

[farmer steve]

first sharpen on a stihl....it seemed to have started the self destruct early
View attachment 658134

looks like your manicurist needs the 2 in 1 rig Neil.

 

[KiwiBro]

Flip it over and sharpen the drive links . . . .

Philbert

Genius.

 

[dancan]

I got a Hurricane chain with about 5 or 6 teeth missing as I discovered when I went to sharpen it (felt funny in the wood last time out)[emoji23] I now know why! Not sure how or why they were broken off, can't recall hitting any metal or anything else for that matter and also noticed one of the ties is about to break, I guess that's chinese quality steel for ya.

Over the years I've had a few chains that a cutter has been broken like that and not sure why .
1 year I even had 2 brand new chains brake , a Carlton and a Stihl .

 

[KiwiBro]

I got a Hurricane chain with about 5 or 6 teeth missing as I discovered when I went to sharpen it (felt funny in the wood last time out) I now know why! Not sure how or why they were broken off, can't recall hitting any metal or anything else for that matter and also noticed one of the ties is about to break, I guess that's chinese quality steel for ya.

If you listen close on the way to your scrounge you'll hear the chains and saws talking amongst themselves in the back. The vets trade war stories and it freaks the newbies out so much a few teeth go awol before getting to the battlegrounds

 

[woodchip rookie]

Flip it over and sharpen the drive links . . . .

Philbert

That's crazy talk. Everybody knows you can't even flip a chain inside out. Let alone sharpen.....oh wait. Was that a joke?