StihlyinEly
Addicted to ArboristSite
you have to much time on your hands![]()
Speaking of that, I have too much time on my hands. Spelling, my friends. Spelling. It's what separates us from the Husky/Dolly/Jonny beasts.
you have to much time on your hands![]()
you have to much time on your hands![]()
You done good on the purchase. Don't let the pro boys ruin your new purchase. Those saws are built to do what you do. That is why they are the #1 chain saw sold. I own a MS290, 029Super, and a 310. I run them all hard and no problems (well only one problem a few years ago of getting straight gased). That is what lead me to this forum. I run 16"-20" bars on mine. The 18" seems to fit it just right. Stick to .325 instead of 3/8. For me it pulls the .325 better.
You done good on the purchase. Don't let the pro boys ruin your new purchase. Those saws are built to do what you do. That is why they are the #1 chain saw sold.
I ran a 290 for several years as a firewood and light felling saw, and it's one of the best values for the money bought new in the U.S., IMO.
Some points of information. A muffler mod involves drilling or cutting out larger openings in the muffler so more air can move faster through the saw. This increases power enough to notice. There have been a number of threads here over the last few years showing how. It's the work of about half an hour. You also have to richen the H and L screws to compensate for the increased airflow so you don't run the saw too lean. In order to do that, you have to physically pull off plastic limiter caps on each screw (they are plastic), file or cut off a small plastic tab that keeps them from being tuned richer than what the EPA wants (richer mix = more pollution), and put the limiter caps back on the H and L screws. Then, with the muff mod done, you tune the mix by ear (which isn't that hard to do, either, and there are threads here with what a properly tuned saw sounds like.)
So, doing these things will void the warranty, which in your case lasts 2 years. I'd not do it during the warranty period in your case because, even if you want to dig into your saw and do the MM and mixture screw readjustments, at your level you're probably more concerned with getting serviced on warranty if issues crop up than you are with power increases.
You've already gotten good info on the difference between the safety and non safety chains. You've done enough cutting so you should know your way around kickback situations, and should understand the tension/torsion on a felled tree and whether to make your cuts from above or below when bucking.
You will notice a difference in cutting speed between the yellow and green chain. Going carefully and getting used to a new saw is important. I'd say once you have a few tanks through it and are used to it, that's plenty of time to pick up a couple loops of yellow chain and work carefully with that for awhile.
You got a great saw for the money. You'll see the saws in my sig are pro saws, but I got every single one of them used, and I do some wrenchin on my own saws, so that makes it a bit easier to get into the pro saw stuff. Well maintained and properly used, your 290 will do everything you need it to do, and probably more, for many, many years.
Good purchase! :msp_biggrin:
Hi sefh3:
The pro boys have been nice, as there's no reason not to. If I needed a pro saw, I would have gotten a pro saw. And I still might some day. I just hope this thread helps someone make an intelligent saw purchase. If they need a pro saw, then they should get one. If not, there's a lot of very fine non-pro homeowner/firewood saws out there.
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