2022 MS362 Chain Rattle WTH

[butter]

I bought my first pro saw to help with bucking up a 4ft oak I had come down in my yard and for future firewood use.

I went with the 25" bar which I understand a lot of people here say is too big a bar for the saw and to stick with a 20", however I needed the length to get through this oak. They advertise the 362 as capable of running the 25" bar so..

First of all, for my first pro saw experience I will say I am not really impressed. Yes, it is better than my 10 year old MS250 with a 18" bar BUT I was suprised to hear the chain rattle on longer cuts (yes the chain is sharp). To my suprise I checked to see if the oiler was set all the way up and it is.

I read I can buy the 462 oiler, but after dropping $1k on a new saw (I opted for the lightweight 25" bar) I have little motivation to modify it to make it work properly.

End of my Karen rant, going to look at a 562 at my nearest Husky dealer.

 

[SimonHS]

Chain gauge matches bar gauge? Chain tensioned correctly, i.e. not too slack?

The saw will improve after a few tanks of fuel have been run through it.

 

[cookies]

Take it back and demand a different powerhead or take it apart on the clutch side looking for the issue. Shlt happens sometimes, gethe bigger oiler if you plan to keep that bar on it.

 

[lohan808]

Pica would be helpful. Maybe video with sound too. We would like to help but not enough info. Pro saws are a little different sometimes picky in assembly and set up. I have a 2018 362 cm. Purchased with the 25" bar as well. I run RS chain with oiler all the way up. Can you verify that it is oiling enough, as Stihl oilers can be stingy.

 

[B.Lee]

My first thought was chain gauge as well.

 

[James Sawyer]

yes... you can change the oiler, I upgraded to a MS462R oil on my 362 and it run 25" on full comp chain. If you don't have a piston stop and use a rope be careful it doesn't drop into a port. It's an easy swap but those oilers are pricey. Before you decide and maybe you did a cardboard test all ready. I changed mine because it wasn't enough in my opinion, and it was pay me now or pay me later in bars and chains. With my stock oiler it ran about 5/8 of a tank of oil to a tank of fuel. I with the 462 oiler I can run a tank of oil with every tank of fuel.

 

[user 122190]

You're near the limit of how well that saw will work with that bar on that size wood. Back off and let the chain cut. If you are applying leverage you're going to bring about unwarranted issues. Also you might try a thinner oil. Most chainsaw oils are 30w. Try 20 or 10 and you might experience something quite different, i.e. better.

FWIW, I do run a 24" B&C on my 400c, but with that size wood, the job goes to the 500i. When I have use the 400c on such size wood, I let it cut at its rate and still I can feel the strain.

 

[ericm979]

I bought my 362 with a 25" bar. It cut slow when fully buried in fir (I had a big one to deal with which is why I bought the saw) but it did not rattle. Are you sure the chain is properly tightened and the right size for the bar? Double check the oiler setting as it's kind of difficult to get the screwdriver in there. Are you using full complement or skip chain? Skip chain cuts rougher when in smaller diameter wood.

If I was doing it now I'd get the 400 for occasional 24" bar use but that was not an option when I bought mine.

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

I've got a MS361 that rattles. The clutch drum and sprocket and no where close to fitting snug, lots of slop, and I'm pretty confident that is where the noise is coming from.

 

[wisers]

My 261 also rattles. Haven’t heard it on the 400 yet.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

I bought my first pro saw to help with bucking up a 4ft oak I had come down in my yard and for future firewood use.

I went with the 25" bar which I understand a lot of people here say is too big a bar for the saw and to stick with a 20", however I needed the length to get through this oak. They advertise the 362 as capable of running the 25" bar so..

First of all, for my first pro saw experience I will say I am not really impressed. Yes, it is better than my 10 year old MS250 with a 18" bar BUT I was suprised to hear the chain rattle on longer cuts (yes the chain is sharp). To my suprise I checked to see if the oiler was set all the way up and it is.

I read I can buy the 462 oiler, but after dropping $1k on a new saw (I opted for the lightweight 25" bar) I have little motivation to modify it to make it work properly.

End of my Karen rant, going to look at a 562 at my nearest Husky dealer.View attachment 1025753

Im right below Charlotte, sort of . If you on the free side of Carolina, pm me and I'll let you run an 044 or 372 ,might make you question buying a new saw.

 

[butter]

Hi guys been a busy week.

I got my oak all cut up. Ran about 6 tanks through the MS362. 240 cubic ft split and stacked.

I have the RS full house chain. The chain is tensioned properly. The oiler is turned all the way up (took me a minute to find the screw). I am using the orange Stihl bar oil. Non ethanol 50:1 with Stihl oil.

The rattling occurs in long cuts with the bar fully sunk with no pressure letting the saw do its job. It would rattle to the point where I didn't feel comfortable and would have to stop and turn the log and come at it in half sections etc.

I was a little frustrated that buying a new saw I'd have to modify it, but I guess I should have gone bigger initially (?). I come from the world of road racing. Even if you go buy a new Porsche GT3 you still have to spend a good bit to get it ready for the racetrack.

Anyways, I have the MS362 now so I plan on using it. I just wish I would have done some more research. Maybe I should just send it off to a pro to have it hot rodded so I can comfortably spin the 25" bar etc. I did look at a 262 but thought it was a bit heavier.

I saved one round (seen in background) to play with. It is the base so its pretty wide. If I get some time to take a video I will.

 

[cookies]

I think when the rpm in the cut drops low enough you get that rattle from the clutch drum to bearing contact as each link revolves over the bearing. I had the same experience on my 034 using the updated clutch/drum/rim/bearing until I changed the rim to the 8 pin .325. I watched guy run your exact same setup two days ago. It worked great until he started cutting stuff over 20" in diameter. It bogged terribly until he started picking the weight up off the chain every few seconds. I'd go .325 20" to pick up speed in the cut or go down to 18" 3/8. After watching that saw run a 25" I suggested he use it for limbing and as expected he said its the businesses saw so its their problem having it repaired every 5 months LOL and it was the third one in 2 years.

 

[coffeebrk]

I picked up my ms251 used, just like all my saws. This 251 is low hour, maybe just a few tanks run thru. I noticed a rattle which I haven't heard on my other Stihls. I placed a thin nylon washer just behind the metal washer and so far the noise has not returned.

 

[ericm979]

Even if you go buy a new Porsche GT3 you still have to spend a good bit to get it ready for the racetrack.

That's because its a street car not a race car. You're doing exactly the work that this saw was designed for. Stihl lists the bar size up to 25". You should not need to modify the saw to make it work right. Yes it could be faster with a 25" bar fully buried and the oiler could put out more in my opinion, but Stihl designed it that way and their engineers are not idiots.

Did you check the chain tension?

Is the vibration from the chain chattering or is it from the clutch? I have had chains chatter in the cut. Changing the pressure I am putting on the chain (either more or less) or the position of the bar in the cut usually fixes it. Sometimes it means the chain needs sharpening. I'm guessing with a new saw that its a new chain so the rakers should be at the correct depth. If it's not new, check them. How are the chips coming off the chain? If they're not good sized it needs sharpening. I sharpen (or switch to a sharp chain) often. Cutting with sub par tools sucks.

If it's from the clutch on a new saw, something is wrong. If you can't figure it out easily take it back to the dealer.

 

[thomasinvancouver]

I have a 28” on my 362. Factory oiler is fine. Stop wasting money fixing what isn’t broken.

 

[J_Ashley]

I just finished some ripping cuts on a hard maple log, with a MS260, 20" .325 Stihl RS. It would chatter/rattle some in the longer cuts, but I somewhat expect that when the bar is buried in hardwood, and you're having to use light pressure against the bar.

My guess is that you could bury that saw in softwood, and it wouldn't be an issue. Pulling out of the cut, and engaging at another angle so that it's only cutting a portion of the length of the wood, would probably also help.

 

[Sierra_rider]

If you stick with the 25" bar, it shouldn't need an upgraded oiler. In the case of my 400, I'm running 28-32" bars after I ported it, so I really did need more oil. I went with the guts from a 461R oiler and I can go 1:1 on the gas/oil. Going with the 461R control bolt in my stock oiler housing was a much cheaper alternative than buying the whole oiler.

 

[sean donato]

If you stick with the 25" bar, it shouldn't need an upgraded oiler. In the case of my 400, I'm running 28-32" bars after I ported it, so I really did need more oil. I went with the guts from a 461R oiler and I can go 1:1 on the gas/oil. Going with the 461R control bolt in my stock oiler housing was a much cheaper alternative than buying the whole oiler.

Yeah, I don't have issues with a 24" on my 400 either, and also did the 462r oiler. It goes tank for tank. Just cut up a trailer full of white oak, fewnof the buts of the log had the bar full or close to full. No weird noises, and it cut just as fast as I could have wanted from a 67cc powerhead. A 362 is anemic compared to a 400....

 

[Hickahollar]

My ms362 and 25 inch bar cuts just fine I've taken 40 plus inch trees down bar buried. The only time I've ever noticed any weird chattering noise is when I've cut some really dry hardwood and typically it's where the wood splintered.