Looking to upgrade

[asbury park]

I've got a MS250 that I've had for about 4 years that has given me nothing but fits. I have a recent thread about it called "tell me what I am doing wrong" that you can check out. I'll spare the details here. From the replies it seems as though it's may be an easy fix but after 4 years of not being able to rely on it I'm ready to move on. Just seems as though we weren't meant for each other.

I need a saw for hunting property maintenance several weekends in the winter and spring. This means cutting a number of trees mostly up to 8-10" in diameter. Also I need it to cut a cord or two per year for the firepit. This will be bigger trees. Primarily oak. Mostly, I need a saw that is RELIABLE and will last me a long time. Cant afford to be in the woods and have it stall on me in the middle of a job.

So, I've been considering a 271 or a 261. 271 is obviously much cheaper and I've heard good things from firsthand users. It's a slight upgrade to a ranch saw. Now, the 261 is a big upgrade in price and quality and it's nearly impossible to find a bad review. Just don't know if it's worth forking out the $600+.

Thoughts?

I'd like to sell the 250. Will probably try on the Trading Post here as one of the members could probably pick it up and get it running good in no time.

 

[Tenderfoot]

Use Dolmar 5105 or 6100. Keep the 250 and learn how to fix it so when the other saw craps out, which it will, you have a better idea of how to fix the new one.
The 261 is a fine saw, but I dont think its price is justified. I saw one in commercial use for about 4 years and it still started, ran and oiled after being amusingly neglected. It had no air cleaner on it when it got to me and still ran strong.

In that size range the 550xp is not a bad bet either, this looks decent to me.
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/husqvarna-550xp-350-shipped.305183/

 

[nstueve]

Keep it to a pro 50-60cc. My pick is 510/5105/6100 dolmar or makita. You can even go 40cc in a 420/421. Maybe even an older 520/540 would be a great choice. I'd stay away from new myself unless you get a pro echo with 5 yr warrenty to cover yourself. Also maybe people are super happy with Stihl ms260 or 026...

As for your ms250 they suck until the carb is adjusted properly and the muffler is opened up. Also you might have a fixed jet 250 carb instead of a fully adjustable. As long as you have good compression, spark, and good gas you are left with sorting out fuel delivery. The ms250 can be pretty reliable as long as it is done up right.

 

[Tenderfoot]

Keep it to a pro 50-60cc. My pick is 510/5105/6100 dolmar or makita. You can even go 40cc in a 420/421. Maybe even an older 520/540 would be a great choice. I'd stay away from new myself unless you get a pro echo with 5 yr warrenty to cover yourself. Also maybe people are super happy with Stihl ms260 or 026...

As for your ms250 they suck until the carb is adjusted properly and the muffler is opened up. Also you might have a fixed jet 250 carb instead of a fully adjustable. As long as you have good compression, spark, and good gas you are left with sorting out fuel delivery. The ms250 can be pretty reliable as long as it is done up right.

The 250 is very reliable. I had one for 8 years and lord knows how many cords. I wore out 4 bars on it, if that gives you an idea of hours, and did nothing but air filters, fuel filters, one clutch, and plugs. I got lucky, but also constantly putting hours on it helped. It was just too small for me and what I did.

 

[asbury park]

There are no Dolmar dealers near me. Got about 4 Stihl and 1 Husky dealer.

 

[Chris-PA]

I'm no fan of the MS250, but keep in mind that whatever you buy will have a carb made by Walbro or ZAMA that is very similar to the one in the MS250. The MS250 is not unusual in any way, so whatever is wrong with it is the kind of thing you can expect to run into with any saw.

 

[Tenderfoot]

There are no Dolmar dealers near me. Got about 4 Stihl and 1 Husky dealer.

There is no Dolmar dealer I know of in my state, but learning to fix saws yourself is not hard and Dolmar parts are easier to get for me then Stihl. I dont even have to put pants on to order them.

 

[asbury park]

There is no Dolmar dealer I know of in my state, but learning to fix saws yourself is not hard and Dolmar parts are easier to get for me then Stihl. I dont even have to put pants on to order them.

Learning to fix them myself is not the issue. The time to do it is. With 2 small kids, I need to be productive in the time I get to do the things I need to do. That is why reliability is big for me.

I have a John Deere garden tractor that I bought as a project several years ago and learned on that and got is running nice. So, the desire and capability is not an issue. Time and being fair to the family is.

 

[Tenderfoot]

Learning to fix them myself is not the issue. The time to do it is. With 2 small kids, I need to be productive in the time I get to do the things I need to do. That is why reliability is big for me.

I have a John Deere garden tractor that I bought as a project several years ago and learned on that and got is running nice. So, the desire and capability is not an issue. Time and being fair to the family is.

They are all reliable. You will have more issues from letting them sit then you will from running them.

 

[grack]

I've got a MS250 that I've had for about 4 years that has given me nothing but fits. I have a recent thread about it called "tell me what I am doing wrong" that you can check out. I'll spare the details here. From the replies it seems as though it's may be an easy fix but after 4 years of not being able to rely on it I'm ready to move on. Just seems as though we weren't meant for each other.

I need a saw for hunting property maintenance several weekends in the winter and spring. This means cutting a number of trees mostly up to 8-10" in diameter. Also I need it to cut a cord or two per year for the firepit. This will be bigger trees. Primarily oak. Mostly, I need a saw that is RELIABLE and will last me a long time. Cant afford to be in the woods and have it stall on me in the middle of a job.

So, I've been considering a 271 or a 261. 271 is obviously much cheaper and I've heard good things from firsthand users. It's a slight upgrade to a ranch saw. Now, the 261 is a big upgrade in price and quality and it's nearly impossible to find a bad review. Just don't know if it's worth forking out the $600+.

Thoughts?

I'd like to sell the 250. Will probably try on the Trading Post here as one of the members could probably pick it up and get it running good in no time.

Here is about the best deal out there rebadged dolmar they have two left amazon 329.00 i have the echo 490 and 590 300 to 350 ebay but the maruyama is the one i would buy.

 

[nstueve]

View attachment 552825
Here is about the best deal out there rebadged dolmar they have two left amazon 329.00 i have the echo 490 and 590 300 to 350 ebay but the maruyama is the one i would buy.View attachment 552825

That maruyama 51 on amazon is a dolmar 5105. It would be $500+ tax if you went to the dealer.

The guys are right though... any new saw you buy will have the same problems in several years so the best you can do is get one that need less help than others to run right. The 5105's or this mcv51 are the HOT rod of 50cc saws! They are easy to work on and for the most part just need to be richened up on the H needle before running them. Just a little lean from factory. If you don't run your saw much just buy a case of premixed trufuel. It's "more pure"'since it comes off the top of the distillation column, and it's the some of the best oil to be mixed with.

The gods honest truth is that any saw will last 1-3 years until the warranty is gone. After that are you going to fix it yourself or buy another one? I find dolmar parts are cheaper and pretty easy to buy online or from Steve or Nate. FYI Dolmar = Makita

Home Depot rents the makita version of the dolmar saws and sells the rental saws used. So if you have a Home Depot or an Acme Tools close you have the dealer parts connection.




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[grack]

Check on skiers thread he just bought one great saw around 200.00 below retail.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Learning to fix them myself is not the issue. The time to do it is. With 2 small kids, I need to be productive in the time I get to do the things I need to do. That is why reliability is big for me.

I have a John Deere garden tractor that I bought as a project several years ago and learned on that and got is running nice. So, the desire and capability is not an issue. Time and being fair to the family is.

Check out the user here, @LittleLebowski. He had a great thread about a Dolmar 421. I mention it because he was saying the exact stuff you were just talking about: needing a reliable saw that allowed him to be productive when time allowed.

He's been very pleased with his Dolmar. I have the same model, and in similarly pleased. It's been 100% flawless. There's great dealers who advertise here, Fordf150 for one. They can absolutely help you troubleshoot ANY issue you would have over the phone. To be honest, I'd rather deal with Nate, Fordf150 or Bob, spike60 (husky dealer) over the phone when dealing with a problem than my local Stihl dealer. The guys in there pretend to be mechanics, but all they do is grind chains and swap carbs.

 

[chipper1]

You've already been given the same type of advice received here in your other thread.
Why did you start a new thread.
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/upgrade-from-ms250-to-ms271.293474/