I guess I don't follow Bob. There were many versions of the 041. The Farm Boss was just a fancy marketing name.
The first gen 041 was just a 040.
The second gen 041 had some updates mechanically and also brought AV, Electronic and Quickstop versions with the embossed covers.
The third gen saws had the name plate, and as far as I know the regular non-AV version became the base model Farmboss. There were also a Farmboss AV. Then there was the 041 Super AV Electronic with Quickstop, try saying that five times fast!
I have never figured out what the deal was with the covers.
Hi there JJ
I think you probably know more about the 041 than I do.
I will try to say as much as I know about the series here.
The first small lightweight saw offered by Stihl that came out with a horizontal cylinder was of course the 040.
In my opinion, the 040 Stihl set the bar for chainsaw performance in thie 60cc category.
It was never offered in an Antivibration model, but it was the Father of the series of later 041's none the less. The 040 had a 44mm diameter piston with a 40mm stroke and that stayed the same throughout the 040/041 series, except for the 041AVS, which had a larger piston and therefore larger displacement.
It is a matter of fact that there have been many chainsaws offered by Stihl as well as others that have used the basic 44mm piston diameter in their design. Some others that come quickly to mind are the 031 and 026 Stihl models. However, I do not know of ANY model of chainsaw using this diameter of piston that uses the 40mm stroke length that the 040 and 041 used. The lenght of stroke made the 040/041 the leader in this displacement category because of the high torque that it produced. I have to wonder if Stihl could have used the 041 displacement in a vertical cylinder configuration and made it about the same weight as the 026. The added weight of the rod, crankshaft, and flywheel would be hard to overcome in producing a lighter weight saw though. I guess if they could have done it and still made the saw reliable and trouble free they would have.
As far as the versions of this series, here is how I see it.
040:
It was a powerful, snappy, powerplant in a 16 pound saw unlike anything Stihl produced previously. The connecting rod was flawed as it had needle bearings on the big end that were replaceable. They did not last. Also, the carburetor impulse came up through the intake and had no independent impulse line. It was problematic.
041 first generation:
Looked exactly like the 040, except a different kill switch, reinforced connecting rod, and carburetion with an independent impulse line. Also the Antivibration version was first offered.
041 second generation:
The intake was changed from what it was before, eliminating the "carburetor box" and as a result changed the elevation of the air filter. This made the 'High" air filter necessary. The "molded" air filter resulted from this. Before that they used a flat air filter. Also the gas tank was changed to become more rounded and the air passages for engine cooling were changed from "slots" to a "waffle" design. The length of the drive sprocket was increased.
041 Farm Boss: Basically unchanged except for the name plate on the air filter cover. As far as I know, the 041 Farm Boss always had the points ignition, but I may be wrong.
The 041AV had more changes including points or electronic ignition in at least two different configurations. The visual differences included at least three different air filter versions.
Gee, I think I typed enough for tonight. If anyone sees anything wrong with my summation of this series of Stihl saws, let me know, because I certainly am not proclaiming to be the "last authority".
Bob
