A Dead 291, life lessons and new saw recommendations

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Skunkdynamite

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Joined
Sep 20, 2019
Messages
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In between saws
Greetings fellow chainsaw enthusiasts,
I've been pouring over the information here for a few years since I bought my Ms291. Thanks for all the great information and advice on here! I haven't posted till now, I'm in a bit of a pickle...
I originally bought it for dropping and processing smaller trees on my property and bucking up loads of log length firewood.
I've ran it for 4 years, usually a long day here and there, not every day but lots of big red oak or whatever they're delivering.

This past March I either had a bad batch of fuel or ran it lean somehow and it wiped out the cylinder and piston.... It happens
Going by reviews/threads I bought an aftermarket piston and lightly honed the cylinder.
Got her broken in nice and easy, on the 4th tank of gas the circlip holding the wrist pin broke and lunched the cylinder wall and rings... (**** shouldn't happen!) Now it was a Science project.
(I already Bought another aftermarket piston figuring I made a mistake)
So I rebuild it this time porting the exhaust port to match the gasket and putting some extra flow "gills" on the muffler.
Also bumped the mix up to 40:1 and ran it slightly rich to cover my bases.
If anything else I'm amazed at the power I got with just a few minutes on the die grinder!
Broke in nice and easy, 3 tanks of gas... Then I got about a gallon of fuel through it and it Died mid cut. No obvious loss of compression, plug isn't fouled, good spark P&C look fine through the spark plug hole and exhaust port.
I really don't have time to tinker with it, I'm thinking of just putting it on the back burner and buying a used 261 or another 291.

OK... I'll get to the point

I found a lot of good things said about the 261, is it better off to mod and is it more rebuildable than the 291? I really expected a longer life out of a farm grade saw, but I can't blame the equipment. Power seems to be comparible between the two. I'm going to miss that short love affair with the modified 291 though.
 
I really don't have time to tinker with it, I'm thinking of just putting it on the back burner and buying a used 261 or another 291.

Bad luck! Put it aside for awhile. I bet it is something simple and could be resurrected without much effort. No doubt you know a lot about the machine after all your efforts so far. Another 291 -- no, this one is not through with you yet. In considering a new one, what compliments the 291 -- think of the 2 saw plan that the 291 will be a part of after a bit of time.
 
Just for what it's worth, run star tron in all your saws. It'll save you time and energy, in the long run. (No, it won't fix your mechanicly messed up saws)
N
 
The 291 will definitely live again.

But go buy a 562. Time to upgrade to a pro saw. Work on the 291 when it’s convenient.
 
That's the first time I've seen that advice given. Is that like snake oil? Tell us more.
Fixes in a can crack me up. :laughing: You are correct, use nice parts and build a nice saw. Junk makes a junk saw. Just rebuilt 3-372's for a logger friend (one he crushed flywheel side), just cannot seem to get away from it. Hope your builds and life are going great.
 
No saw will be "more rebuildable" if you throw junk parts at it.

I should have went with an oem piston from the start... Still kicking myself for that. I rented a 291 to finish my woodpile and the guy at the rental shop said that they don't even bother rebuilding them anymore with the price of a new jug and piston.

I have been using the Lucas Ethanol enzyme but I just found a gas station a few towns over that sells ethanol free 91, so there's that going for me.

Not sure if I want to get a 562, I have a small fleet of orange power equipment already that's been real faithful to me.

I definitely the wisdom in having a 2 saw lineup now... I wouldn't mind having a beast to get through the big rounds and a lighter saw for the short work...

Time to get wrenching thanks for the tips!
 
Want to Sell 562XP Price Drop & video added, Saw in trading post looks lightly used.
 
Greetings fellow chainsaw enthusiasts,
I've been pouring over the information here for a few years since I bought my Ms291. Thanks for all the great information and advice on here! I haven't posted till now, I'm in a bit of a pickle...
I originally bought it for dropping and processing smaller trees on my property and bucking up loads of log length firewood.
I've ran it for 4 years, usually a long day here and there, not every day but lots of big red oak or whatever they're delivering.

This past March I either had a bad batch of fuel or ran it lean somehow and it wiped out the cylinder and piston.... It happens
Going by reviews/threads I bought an aftermarket piston and lightly honed the cylinder.
Got her broken in nice and easy, on the 4th tank of gas the circlip holding the wrist pin broke and lunched the cylinder wall and rings... (**** shouldn't happen!) Now it was a Science project.
(I already Bought another aftermarket piston figuring I made a mistake)
So I rebuild it this time porting the exhaust port to match the gasket and putting some extra flow "gills" on the muffler.
Also bumped the mix up to 40:1 and ran it slightly rich to cover my bases.
If anything else I'm amazed at the power I got with just a few minutes on the die grinder!
Broke in nice and easy, 3 tanks of gas... Then I got about a gallon of fuel through it and it Died mid cut. No obvious loss of compression, plug isn't fouled, good spark P&C look fine through the spark plug hole and exhaust port.
I really don't have time to tinker with it, I'm thinking of just putting it on the back burner and buying a used 261 or another 291.

OK... I'll get to the point

I found a lot of good things said about the 261, is it better off to mod and is it more rebuildable than the 291? I really expected a longer life out of a farm grade saw, but I can't blame the equipment. Power seems to be comparible between the two. I'm going to miss that short love affair with the modified 291 though.
Aftermarket circlips are The Achilles heal of those kits, lotsa reading material on the subject.
 
That's the first time I've seen that advice given. Is that like snake oil? Tell us more.
Well, it works. It's (I'm told) an enzyme. I mix it in all my small engine fuel, as soon as it gets home. Some gets mixed into saw mix. I can park a saw, with fuel in it, and it'll start up and run fine, after sitting for a few months. It works.
Ok, now wut?
Nate
 
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