MS260 air filters

[McCartman]

Everyone is correct - the air filter on the MS260 sucks!

It is not uncommon for me to cut rotton wood on occasion, thus producing a lot of dust. Mine (Pro version) came equipped with the fleece filter and I find it difficult to get clean, even using warm, soapy water as manual suggests. Is the mesh filter a better option or will it allow too much dust through?

Does any company out there make a kit of some sort to add a larger filter to these saws? I cannot understand why they put such a sorry little filter on this pro saw while it's larger brothers have more than suffcient sized filters! :bang:

 

[Lakeside53]

Everyone is correct - the air filter on the MS260 sucks!

It is not uncommon for me to cut rotten wood on occasion, thus producing a lot of dust. Mine (Pro version) came equipped with the fleece filter and I find it difficult to get clean, even using warm, soapy water as manual suggests. Is the mesh filter a better option or will it allow too much dust through?

Does any company out there make a kit of some sort to add a larger filter to these saws? I cannot understand why they put such a sorry little filter on this pro saw while it's larger brothers have more than sufficient sized filters! :bang:

Mesh is really bad. It was once on old Stihls from the early 80's, and the pistons wore on the inlet. They then changed to "flocked" on wire mesh for 10 years, but the flocking came off after a lot of cleanings, then to "fleece" which is a woven fabric.

I'm not aware of any other filters available as you'd have to put on a bigger carb box. What's the real problem with yours - does it just look dirty or is it impacting the running of the saw? They can look really bad, but still work fine.


I don't have any problem cleaning any of the filters (except the HD from the 44,66,88 etc as the dirt gets trapped in the outer steel sheild!)

I clean mine (and all the store customers filters) in 2:1 diluted Purple cleaner. The fuel kickback from the carb requires a reasonably powerful cleaner... I pop the two halves apart, blow off the excess crud, squirt both halves from the inside, leave for 5 minutes, wash off in hot water, then blow gently from the inside and then across the face of the outside. I recover 100% of the undamaged filters this way...and they look and work like new.

Yes, you can use soapy water like dish detergent, but it takes a lot longer.

 

[West Texas]

Take it a part and rinse it around in a can of kerosene, then blow it out lightly with an air hose and its ready to go again, looks like new; if you do this on a regular basis at the end of the day.

 

[McCartman]

Thanks guys. It hasn't gotten to the point that is has affected how the saw operates as I do clean the filter daily. Just last week, I did pick up another one to swap out in case I do run into that problem. I just haven't been too satisfied with how the filter comes clean in soapy water. It isn't "bad", but holding it up to a light source, there are dark areas where it is obvious that there is still crud imbedded in the fleese. I don't expect it to look like a brand new filter, but considering the small size, I was concerned that I would end up with too much restriction.

I never even considered the idea of using kerosene or purple cleaner. I will give that a try and see what I come up with. Sounds like mesh is something to stay away from.

One thing I have also noticed on the 260 is that the filter gets dirty quite quickly on the back side. My trusty ol' 029 would get dirty more consistantly over the entire filter.

 

[stihltech]

clean

Try Brake clean, works for me.

 

[THALL10326]

Everyone is correct - the air filter on the MS260 sucks!

It is not uncommon for me to cut rotton wood on occasion, thus producing a lot of dust. Mine (Pro version) came equipped with the fleece filter and I find it difficult to get clean, even using warm, soapy water as manual suggests. Is the mesh filter a better option or will it allow too much dust through?

Does any company out there make a kit of some sort to add a larger filter to these saws? I cannot understand why they put such a sorry little filter on this pro saw while it's larger brothers have more than suffcient sized filters! :bang:

Thats a new one to me. I've never heard anyone complain about the air filter on the 026 or MS260. If you are saying its too small you should see the one on the 024, its smaller yet. The one on the 028 is about the same size as the 026 and I've never heard any complaints about either of them. As for cleaning the 026 filter it only takes about 2 seconds to raise the cover off and hit the filter with a old paint brush to knock off the heavy stuff so I don't see ya beef with that filter. Too much dust instead of chips is usually a dull chain, not a filter problem. To really clean that air filter or any air filter for that matter the best product out there to really get it spotless is a simple can of starting fluid. Split the filter and spray it off on both sides and blow dry and the filter looks like brand new. Just be sure its dry before you put it back on the saw or you will have a screamer in ya hands for a few seconds.....

 

[Crofter]

THALL10326; It got kicked around a bit in the past when talking about performance of the 260 when modified. At the higher breathing rates the factory choke and filter does impede them. It would be nice if it was a no tools job to clean the filter.

 

[THALL10326]

THALL10326; It got kicked around a bit in the past when talking about performance of the 260 when modified. At the higher breathing rates the factory choke and filter does impede them. It would be nice if it was a no tools job to clean the filter.

Awwwwwwww ok, durn it I miss all the good stuff. I've sold a ton of 026's and MS260 and never heard one complaint about the air filters. I reckon if ya got to fiddling with it for more power the filter could be a issue. I'll keep a eye out for that, thanks for the info there..

 

[Locoweed]

This gives some additional info

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=15355

 

[SawTroll]

Put it in the dishwasher.

That has worked great for those saw filters I have done it too so far.

 

[McCartman]

Too much dust instead of chips is usually a dull chain, not a filter problem.

Yea, I agree with you. But that's not the cause in this case. Some of the firewood I cut is old windblown oak and elm. Had a nasty storm go through here a few years ago and the rot is taking this wood faster than I can burn it. Plus, some of the trees that went down were rotten on the inside to begin with. Most of it burns like tissue paper, but it is heat! Anyhow, I'm getting a lot of dust while cutting through this stuff.

The county re-did our road this past summer and took about 15 very large oaks out of the new right-of-way to make the road wider. They topped them and left me a really nice pile in my yard. I'm looking forward to starting on them just to get into decent wood again.

Anyhow, this isn't the first rotten wood I've had to deal with. I cut my share with the 029, but it just seemed like a lot less dust made it into the filter box on the 029 than this 260. I've even got the heat baffle (or whatever it's called) in the summer position due to our warm winter. If I remove that, I'm sure the problem would be even worse. I guess I'm just a bit disappointed that I'm seeing this on a pro saw when I didn't consider it a problem on my old "consumer" saw.

Other than the scrawny filter, I really like the 260. I opened the muffler up and, thanks to Lakeside & others, have it tuned nicely - she's a little screamer now! :blob4:

 

[bwalker]

I use the mesh filter off the Arctic 026 and it works fine and is a snap to clean. Compressed air is all it takes.
Some will say it lets more particles through and it probaly does, but is this a issue with a crap filter design like the 026/260's that leaks around the choke lever at will?

 

[McCartman]

I use the mesh filter off the Arctic 026 and it works fine and is a snap to clean. Compressed air is all it takes.
Some will say it lets more particles through and it probaly does, but is this a issue with a crap filter design like the 026/260's that leaks around the choke lever at will?

You have made a good point there!

 

[Lakeside53]

The choke inlet on the 026 filters was redesigned a while ago...

I wouldn't use the Arctic filter for non-Arctic cutting - it offers no better protection than the 1970's fine-wire-mesh.

I pop open a lot of filters in a week of servicing; it's real easy to see those that leak or are ineffective - debris on the inside. I hardly ever see see the insides of the 026-pro or 260-pro filters dirty. The fleece does a good job of trapping the crud, and even if it "looks" really dirty, the saws work just fine so they are still passing air.

Had a nice 038 super in today with an original mesh filter - great saw, low time, but slapping piston from inlet side skirt wear. Pity he didn't change out the filter for flock or fleece 15 years ago.

My advice to all saw owners - just cut wood, and clean your filter (fleece) regularly (and gently...).

 

[THALL10326]

Yea, I agree with you. But that's not the cause in this case. Some of the firewood I cut is old windblown oak and elm. Had a nasty storm go through here a few years ago and the rot is taking this wood faster than I can burn it. Plus, some of the trees that went down were rotten on the inside to begin with. Most of it burns like tissue paper, but it is heat! Anyhow, I'm getting a lot of dust while cutting through this stuff.

The county re-did our road this past summer and took about 15 very large oaks out of the new right-of-way to make the road wider. They topped them and left me a really nice pile in my yard. I'm looking forward to starting on them just to get into decent wood again.

Anyhow, this isn't the first rotten wood I've had to deal with. I cut my share with the 029, but it just seemed like a lot less dust made it into the filter box on the 029 than this 260. I've even got the heat baffle (or whatever it's called) in the summer position due to our warm winter. If I remove that, I'm sure the problem would be even worse. I guess I'm just a bit disappointed that I'm seeing this on a pro saw when I didn't consider it a problem on my old "consumer" saw.

Other than the scrawny filter, I really like the 260. I opened the muffler up and, thanks to Lakeside & others, have it tuned nicely - she's a little screamer now! :blob4:

Awwwwwwwww ok, didn't catch the part about the rotton wood. That would alot more dusty cutting. My mistake, sorry for fussing at ya.

 

[bwalker]

I pop open a lot of filters in a week of servicing; it's real easy to see those that leak or are ineffective - debris on the inside. I hardly ever see see the insides of the 026-pro or 260-pro filters dirty. The fleece does a good job of trapping the crud, and even if it "looks" really dirty, the saws work just fine so they are still passing air.

Lakeside, my saw is a MS260 pro that came with the stock fleece type filter. It leaked around the choke from day one. The three subsequant filters I have bought all leaked around the choke lever.

 

[Lakeside53]

Lakeside, my saw is a MS260 pro that came with the stock fleece type filter. It leaked around the choke from day one. The three subsequant filters I have bought all leaked around the choke lever.

well then, I just don't know what to say... Karma?

 

[bwalker]

Karma has nothign to do with a crap design.

 

[Lakeside53]

Karma has nothign to do with a crap design.

hmmm, 18+ years of production with relatively minor changes, and people keep on buying them. If it was that bad I'm have expected a few more people on AS to be complaining bitterly... and if it was affecting reliability and costing Stihl warranty claims, they have done something about it.

Back on the "arctic" version for a moment: I see the same material being used in some filters on local MS200Ts. These absolutely don't keep out fine dirt - they are always gritty and dirty inside. The std fleece version works much better at trapping dirt. Ask they guys why they use the "screen version" - many reason but the one that I find fascinating is 'cos they can pour gas though them when up a tree to clean them easily.. great... Nothing like a spare filter in your pocket.

 

[bcorradi]

Karma has nothign to do with a crap design.

Isn't that the same 260 that u say needs the carb adjusted daily?