Ran ethanol fuel for over 25 years (No E-free available) with nary a carb problem. To an extent the mtronic will compensate for a dirty air filter although I keep mine clean.
Been playing with a MS400C
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Stihl User
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Over here in NJ we have nothing but carb problems on all kinds of equipment.
Many travel to NY or PA and load up on non-ethanol fuel.
Others say that as long as you are burning thru everyday it has not been much of a problem.
But as soon as you let your saw sit for some time = problems.
This is what we have experienced here.
Bottom line is, my son used some bad gas combined with no maintanence led to it needing a carb kit.
i originally suspected it had to do with the carb but since it was a MTronic was unsure.
Now i chalk up to experience what i learned from my first exchange with a MTronic saw.
Follow your instincts = Good Angel said 'carb kit' whereas the little devil of doubt said: How can that be - the saw is new.
I couldn't agree more, but it's not looking like the big 3 will pull their heads out of their rumps. Just did an inspection on a 18 2500 dodge, im sorry ram. With a hemi. Thing was already rusting through the chassis paint. Axles looked pretty beefy under it. Looked like 1410 u joints going to the rear. Wanst real.impressed with the suspension. The guy had air bags stuff in all 4 corners. Id bet it doesn't make it 10 years.
I haven't had issues either, Steve. Actually until a few months ago it was more of a pain then it was worth to get e-free around here. Now it's available but over $1.00 gal more then high test. Just started getting it for over winter. I'll switch back come summer, just run through too much gas over summer to pay the extra for nothing.
A couple of the Rutters stores started selling it a little over a year ago. I only run it in the 2 stroke stuff and some through the Z-turn at the end of mowing season and some through the splitter when I know I won't be running it much in the summer.
Tundra base price is almost $10k higher than a comparatively priced truck from the big 3. Tacoma is only 3-4 thousand less, and quite a bit less truck.
The Nissan with the 5.0 priced itself out of the market from the get go. 1/2 ton capability with HD truck pricing. You could buy a 3/4 diesel for the money of a Titan diesel. It was doomed from the get go.
The Nissan with the 5.0 priced itself out of the market from the get go. 1/2 ton capability with HD truck pricing. You could buy a 3/4 diesel for the money of a Titan diesel. It was doomed from the get go.
Leave it sit long enough and you will. I assure you.
Stihl User
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Yeah Sean they certainly don't make them like they used to . I,am in line for a new 2500 eventually , at this point I will baby my current Cummins till I find a decent replacement . However with the current offerings I will sit pat !
Pretty sure Steve runs conditioner in his fuels though Wolfy
Anything with a diesel powertrain is insanely priced , along with the fuel prices its hard to justify . Due to my extended highway towing , I can defer the higher cost due to the extended lifecycle of the diesel power plant . However with what I see currently being offered by the big 3 . Sean is correct , it's not that they can't produce world class NA vehicles , they simply don't want too !
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My last diesel was a 2007 Ram 5.9 cummins for $36k
sawfarmer
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We love the 400 we use it to buck wood on a commercial firewood operation .I put a bark box and filter kit on from new it runs a 25" stihl bar and is light & cuts fast runs the same all the time with the m/tronic.I got it to replace a long in tooth 362 .
My 98 2500 had lousy brakes - undersized front calipers with pressed on rotors (12.5")
and rear drums that were just lousy in OE form. My 2014 3500 stops as well as my wife's SUV, and with the factory exhaust brake the brakes rarely get hot loaded or not. Brake fade isn't a thing anymore. Calipers are Better than 2" larger (14.75") and a LOT thicker.The front end of my 98 was wore out by the time I hit 80k miles. Ball joints, tie rods, a steering box that I constantly fought, and one wheel bearing was all replaced by that point. 14 is still tight at 140k. Nothing has been replaced. Never even had an alignment done yet. Everything under that truck is substantially beefier with better geometry. Both trucks the same use, lease roads and poor secondary and dirt roads. I'm just under 40% towing miles for the life of the 14. I'd expect the 98 was similar.
47re in the 98 was the epitome of a slush box and I burned the TC out of it just over 100k miles. The 14 is much improved, did I mention it has a factory exhaust brake?
Interior bits are much better than the 98 (remember cracked dashes, rear door latches that constantly froze shut, and failed blend doors?)
Really the only knock is the emissions. In 140k I've had to replace a DEF injector and a NOX sensor. When something fails that costs more than I want to spend some parts will find their way to the raftors in the barn.
Really the only thing it tells me is you can buy a lot of ball joints and u joints for $8-10k
Toyota has historically been the worst offender when it comes to corrosion in this region. 2nd gen and 3rd gen Dodge bodies were probably the worst of them all but their frames held up better. EVERY one of them has their share of problems. It's a matter of finding what you can deal with, and deal with it.
I had a 01 Ram 2500 with the cummins that had 235,000 on it IIRC when I got rid of it. The front end life on that rig was about 30,000 miles. I replaced the transmission x2, the transfer case x1, 2 injection pumps under warranty and 1 post warranty after I added a FASS system, 1 AC compressor , fron wheel bearings x2 , rear wheel bearings x1 and it had holes rusted through it in under 10 years. And this is just the stuff I can remember...My 98 2500 had lousy brakes - undersized front calipers with pressed on rotors (12.5")
The front end of my 98 was wore out by the time I hit 80k miles. Ball joints, tie rods, a steering box that I constantly fought, and one wheel bearing was all replaced by that point. 14 is still tight at 140k. Nothing has been replaced. Never even had an alignment done yet. Everything under that truck is substantially beefier with better geometry. Both trucks the same use, lease roads and poor secondary and dirt roads. I'm just under 40% towing miles for the life of the 14. I'd expect the 98 was similar.
47re in the 98 was the epitome of a slush box and I burned the TC out of it just over 100k miles. The 14 is much improved, did I mention it has a factory exhaust brake?
Interior bits are much better than the 98 (remember cracked dashes, rear door latches that constantly froze shut, and failed blend doors?)
Really the only knock is the emissions. In 140k I've had to replace a DEF injector and a NOX sensor. When something fails that costs more than I want to spend some parts will find their way to the raftors in the barn.
Easily the biggest piece of junk I have ever owned.
It tells you know one will pay retail for one of those pieces of garbage. The increased purchase price is gained back and more upon resale.Really the only thing it tells me is you can buy a lot of ball joints and u joints for $8-10k
Toyota has historically been the worst offender when it comes to corrosion in this region. 2nd gen and 3rd gen Dodge bodies were probably the worst of them all but their frames held up better. EVERY one of them has their share of problems. It's a matter of finding what you can deal with, and deal with it.
Toyota certainly did have some frame corrosion issues. This was due to Dana Corp using substandard steel. Toyota warrantied thousands of those truck, which the big three would never do.
My Tacoma spent the first 6 years of its life in the highest salt use area in NA and its frame doesn't show anything other than very minor surface rust and the body shows no rust at all.
Your last sentence is the typical mentality of the guys that buy big three trucks. It's asinine IMO to go into a major purchase knowing the rig will be a piece of junk.
The 400 running smoooth this morning. 
