Stihl MS271

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Good choice?

  • Total voters
    31
From what I could find the sprocket for the 261 271 291 are all the same no mention of the 290 so it maybe different. I'm sure if you have them both in your hand it will be obvious if it will work.
 
He has an 036- he needs to dump everything else and buy a 241 if he wants a small limbing saw.

OP- why did the 036 fail the first time? They are very durable saws and a good one will last a homeowner a lifetime.
 
mopar3 said:
From what I could find the sprocket for the 261 271 291 are all the same no mention of the 290 so it maybe different. I'm sure if you have them both in your hand it will be obvious if it will work.
Click to expand...

Yup. The 360 has the "standard" diameter spindle (same as the 44 and 66 series, possibly the 88's as well, but I'm not sure), according to Stihl, which is larger than the "small spline" diameter, which I find on my 029, 290 and 390. The 180 and 210 have an even smaller spindle.
 
nmurph said:
He has an 036- he needs to dump everything else and buy a 241 if he wants a small limbing saw.

OP- why did the 036 fail the first time? They are very durable saws and a good one will last a homeowner a lifetime.
Click to expand...
His wife uses the smaller saws...
 
I want a 241cm but I bet my 261 would just sit then.
 
nmurph said:
He has an 036- he needs to dump everything else and buy a 241 if he wants a small limbing saw.

OP- why did the 036 fail the first time? They are very durable saws and a good one will last a homeowner a lifetime.
Click to expand...

That's what I had thought, too. I have no idea why it failed, and neither could the 3 Stihl dealers that looked at it. My piston and cylinder were scored on the muffler side. I was cutting, noted an inordinate amount of smoke, shut the saw off and let it cool for about 40-45 minutes. Fired it up to finish the cut, ran for about 2 minutes, smoked, stopped running. Let it cool for about 30 minutes and it never started again. My mix was fresh 50:1 with stihl 2 cycle oil, mixed that morning. Used my 029 super to finish the work. 360 sat dead for years as dealers wanted over $600 to repair it. Think I paid around $700-750 new. I finally replaced the p&c myself, only have 2 tanks through it since the repair. Seems to be running well, but not as well as the 390 that I bought to replace it. By tach, I have it set to idle at 2800-2900 rpm and it topping out just below 12000. I figure I'll need to run a few more tanks through it before I can see how the power will be on it. I've been running Moto-mix to break it in. My "homeowner saws" have given me zero problems, knock on wood. That 029 super is about 16 years old and, despite all the negative feelings towards this series expressed on this site, has been a real work horse. I have felled and bucked at least 50 cords with it over the years. I've replaced fuel pick-ups/filters and a "few" chain loops and rim sprockets;). I have several air filters for it and will change them out frequently when cutting, clean them at home. It was my first "real" saw and I still really enjoy using it.
 
mopar3 said:
His wife uses the smaller saws...
Click to expand...

Yup. And she is a great cutting partner. Does most of the limbing, clearing, and schlepping when we are out for firewood. Does a lot of her own cutting around the house (we're on about 4 1/2 ac of wooded land, and the bark bettles never seem to rest). Do NOT mess with her saws! ;)
 
Spectre468 said:
That's what I had thought, too. I have no idea why it failed, and neither could the 3 Stihl dealers that looked at it. My piston and cylinder were scored on the muffler side. I was cutting, noted an inordinate amount of smoke, shut the saw off and let it cool for about 40-45 minutes. Fired it up to finish the cut, ran for about 2 minutes, smoked, stopped running. Let it cool for about 30 minutes and it never started again. My mix was fresh 50:1 with stihl 2 cycle oil, mixed that morning. Used my 029 super to finish the work. 360 sat dead for years as dealers wanted over $600 to repair it. Think I paid around $700-750 new. I finally replaced the p&c myself, only have 2 tanks through it since the repair. Seems to be running well, but not as well as the 390 that I bought to replace it. By tach, I have it set to idle at 2800-2900 rpm and it topping out just below 12000. I figure I'll need to run a few more tanks through it before I can see how the power will be on it. I've been running Moto-mix to break it in. My "homeowner saws" have given me zero problems, knock on wood. That 029 super is about 16 years old and, despite all the negative feelings towards this series expressed on this site, has been a real work horse. I have felled and bucked at least 50 cords with it over the years. I've replaced fuel pick-ups/filters and a "few" chain loops and rim sprockets;). I have several air filters for it and will change them out frequently when cutting, clean them at home. It was my first "real" saw and I still really enjoy using it.
Click to expand...

Exhaust-side only damage is a good indicator of lean tune, air leak (effective results are a lean tune), or pushing too hard with a dull chain and building excess heat in the motor.

Is the idle stable? When you go to wide open throttle out of the cut do the rev's continue to climb?

12,000 rpm is too low. It needs to be at least 13.k for break in and 13.5K after a couple of tanks.
 
nmurph said:
Exhaust-side only damage is a good indicator of lean tune, air leak (effective results are a lean tune), or pushing too hard with a dull chain and building excess heat in the motor. I was using a brand new chain. How would I check for an air leak, and from where?

Is the idle stable? When you go to wide open throttle out of the cut do the rev's continue to climb? Idle stable, seems to be "4 stroking"/ burbling while at rest. Yes, as long as I stay on the throttle, the saw revs higher when coming out.

12,000 rpm is too low. It needs to be at least 13.k for break in and 13.5K after a couple of tanks.
Click to expand...

When the saw died, it was being maintained by the dealer where I bought it, allegedly to factory spec. I have since been taking care of my saws myself. I am still learning. Got an edt7 tach, and can't believe how helpful it is. My ear isn't anywhere as accurate as I had thought! So, I have the high end set at 11800. Need to bump it up some then? Help me here. I thought that with the H setting, higher rpm = leaner setting. I was leary of burning out the saw again. I know I'm under spec for top end rpms. You think I need to take it up?
 
Yes, but you need to know if you have an air leak. There was a reason for the first failure...if that wasn't corrected, then you will be back there soon. How many turns out is the H needle from seated to get an 11.8K tune? That can tell something about whether or not you have an air leak. I would guess it should be around 1.5-2 from seated to get that rpm. When you rev it to WOT, does it get to max rpm and then begin to climb further? Or is 11.8k all it will ever do regardless of how long you hold it at WOT?

Yes, it needs to be set about 13.0K until you have a few tanks through it.

Yes, higher means leaner, but it is designed to run in a certain rpm range and it's not 11.8K.
 
nmurph said:
Yes, but you need to know if you have an air leak. There was a reason for the first failure...if that wasn't corrected, then you will be back there soon. How many turns out is the H needle from seated to get an 11.8K tune? That can tell something about whether or not you have an air leak. I would guess it should be around 1.5-2 from seated to get that rpm. When you rev it to WOT, does it get to max rpm and then begin to climb further? Or is 11.8k all it will ever do regardless of how long you hold it at WOT? I still have my limiters on the H and L screws. The H is at the "standard" setting of 3/4 turn from stop. Yes, it tops out at 11800 at full throttle for a few seconds, out of wood. Haven't kept the tach on when doing cuts. If I move the H screw clockwise, the rpms go up. Would the air leak be in the fuel line?

Yes, it needs to be set about 13.0K until you have a few tanks through it.

Yes, higher means leaner, but it is designed to run in a certain rpm range and it's not 11.8K.
Click to expand...
Copy!
 
That 3/4 only tells you that you have 3/4 of a turn of range. It does not tell you anything about the initial setting of the needle bf the limiter was placed on the needle. You need to remove those limiters so you can tune the saw properly. A course threaded screw can be used to pull them. Just make sure you twist them counter-clockwise as you try to find the detent to release them. Also, try to note how much you turn them and then count the turns it takes to LIGHTLY seat them. You saw should be safe at about 1-1.25 turns out from lightly seated.

You need to know if the rev's continue to climb out of the wood. Go ahead, it won't hurt the saw to run it 5-10 seconds at wide open throttle out of the wood. Put the tach on it if it makes you feel better and see where the rev's go. If you see them pop above 14K, stop.


I think before I went any further, I would pull the muffler and make sure the piston is scuffed.
 
nmurph said:
That 3/4 only tells you that you have 3/4 of a turn of range. It does not tell you anything about the initial setting of the needle bf the limiter was placed on the needle. You need to remove those limiters so you can tune the saw properly. A course threaded screw can be used to pull them. Just make sure you twist them counter-clockwise as you try to find the detent to release them. Also, try to note how much you turn them and then count the turns it takes to LIGHTLY seat them. You saw should be safe at about 1-1.25 turns out from lightly seated. Gotcha

You need to know if the rev's continue to climb out of the wood. Go ahead, it won't hurt the saw to run it 5-10 seconds at wide open throttle out of the wood. Put the tach on it if it makes you feel better and see where the rev's go. If you see them pop above 14K, stop. OK


I think before I went any further, I would pull the muffler and make sure the piston is scuffed.
Click to expand...
As in showing friction/seal, as opposed to scored/damaged?

As I said, I am still learning, and I really appreciate the assistance. It will be Wednesday before I can mess with it, but I will take your advise and pull my limiters and take it from there. How far out should the LA be from seated? I am assuming that this would make a difference, too.
 
Spectre468 said:
Yup. The 360 has the "standard" diameter spindle (same as the 44 and 66 series, possibly the 88's as well, but I'm not sure), according to Stihl, which is larger than the "small spline" diameter, which I find on my 029, 290 and 390. The 180 and 210 have an even smaller spindle.
Click to expand...

Stihl doesn't use the "small spline", but use their own "mini spline" instead - but all but the 360 out of those saws usually comes with a spur sprocket anyway.

Replacement drums with a splined hub and a rim are availiable for at least some of those saws though, and if they are Oregon they may have the "small spline". If it is Stihl, it is either "mini" or "standard" (often called large).
 
SawTroll said:
Stihl doesn't use the "small spline", but use their own "mini spline" instead - but all but the 360 out of those saws comes with a spur sprocket anyway.
Click to expand...
My 029 super and 390 came with the rim sprockets. The 290 had the spur. And, of course, the 360 pro had a rim.
 
nmurph said:
Yes, but you need to know if you have an air leak. There was a reason for the first failure...if that wasn't corrected, then you will be back there soon. How many turns out is the H needle from seated to get an 11.8K tune? That can tell something about whether or not you have an air leak. I would guess it should be around 1.5-2 from seated to get that rpm. When you rev it to WOT, does it get to max rpm and then begin to climb further? Or is 11.8k all it will ever do regardless of how long you hold it at WOT?

Yes, it needs to be set about 13.0K until you have a few tanks through it.

Yes, higher means leaner, but it is designed to run in a certain rpm range and it's not 11.8K.
Click to expand...
He says it will only run 11,800 but does not say it is 4-stroking at that speed. Shouldn't it be 4-stroking pretty good then if its limited because of being too rich? Not trying to but in. You know much more than me. Trying to understand/learn. Will a saw ever 4-stroke if running too lean?
 

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