Anyone here really know about Stihl chainsaws (larger saws) ???

[Grumpy Old Man]

I discover an odd thing happening to me now and was wondering if anyone else gets this feeling. Basically its a feeling of "doom" when I'm out cutting and the set up might be difficult. What did not used to bother me a lick now rears its ugly head and makes me hesitate. Its like i used up all my lucky numbers as a professional having escaped several life threatening situations and now my end number is coming up. I would not dream of doing the things now I did then. Maybe age has something to do with it but it still makes me a little crazy.

I have 2 125-140 ft oaks along the front of my property that lean towards the power lines ,and even tho many years ago I would have scampered up and dropped them now I will get my son up there and watch from the ground , It's what happens when you get older tree climbing is for the young guys not me at 260 lbs and tired !

 

[TomSeller]

I discover an odd thing happening to me now and was wondering if anyone else gets this feeling. Basically its a feeling of "doom" when I'm out cutting and the set up might be difficult. What did not used to bother me a lick now rears its ugly head and makes me hesitate. Its like i used up all my lucky numbers as a professional having escaped several life threatening situations and now my end number is coming up. I would not dream of doing the things now I did then. Maybe age has something to do with it but it still makes me a little crazy.

I never was a professional tree man, but in everything I do now I am more cautious. Even in hooking up my tractor or lifting something with the FEL, I pucker more than I did when I was younger. Tree work is in the top 5 most dangerous jobs so maybe it is because you now know what 1 mistake can do to you and your family? Even though I think more than I did when I was younger, I get more done now.

 

[turnkey4099]

I discover an odd thing happening to me now and was wondering if anyone else gets this feeling. Basically its a feeling of "doom" when I'm out cutting and the set up might be difficult. What did not used to bother me a lick now rears its ugly head and makes me hesitate. Its like i used up all my lucky numbers as a professional having escaped several life threatening situations and now my end number is coming up. I would not dream of doing the things now I did then. Maybe age has something to do with it but it still makes me a little crazy.

Yes, I have had that feeling before. Loading up to head out and it hits. I have only cancelled a couple times. Nothing has ever happened when I didn't cancel. the one time I wish I had had the feeling was last spring. Removing dead locusts from a widow's place. No problem with any of them except one. looked like an easy drop but it went wrong and dinged (very minor) one small corner of the roof of a prefab shed. Then hauling the wood out from behind her house the garden trailer turned over and a round rolled down and dinged the door on her new car...a Lincoln Continental. 30 odd years at this and I never hit a thing but I had to two it TWICE to a widow.

Harry K

 

[20 20]

20 20, I'm interested in doing a muffler mod on a MS391. What is the correct way? Something more than removing the screen. Is there a youtube video? I've found some that show the results but not the how to.

Check out the aborist site I believe there is good info on that forum. I didn't take pictures of mine or else I'd post them. You can open up the exhaust in many different ways you just don't want to over do it. You could also start small and work up from there. If I'm not mistaken you want to stay within 80% of the actual port size. I didn't go that big with my openings and the way I did them you can't tell anything as been done. You're basically just wanting to have an easier flow of exhaust without going to far, some back pressure is needed. I know my saws run cooler and have a little more pep. Some will say you'll need to rejet or adjust leaner. I didn't change anything on mine I run a bit more oil(mixture) then what is recommended and have never had an issue.

If I get the time I'll try to find the info for your saw, but like I wrote try a search on the arborist site or maybe someone else on here may know where to look.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

Check out the aborist site I believe there is good info on that forum. I didn't take pictures of mine or else I'd post them. You can open up the exhaust in many different ways you just don't want to over do it. You could also start small and work up from there. If I'm not mistaken you want to stay within 80% of the actual port size. I didn't go that big with my openings and the way I did them you can't tell anything as been done. You're basically just wanting to have an easier flow of exhaust without going to far, some back pressure is needed. I know my saws run cooler and have a little more pep. Some will say you'll need to rejet or adjust leaner. I didn't change anything on mine I run a bit more oil(mixture) then what is recommended and have never had an issue.

If I get the time I'll try to find the info for your saw, but like I wrote try a search on the arborist site or maybe someone else on here may know where to look.

you tube

 

[20 20]

I didn't examine the saw, judging by the sound it was either no muffler or so modded that it might as well have been. He says he modded it.

Harry K

Okay, over modding is worthless IMO, doesn't really accomplish anything, probably even makes it run worse. Some folks think loader is better, "yep I was young once too" :laughing: The reason behind a proper mod is for flow and perfomance not noise and annoyance. A proper mod will add reliability and a little better performance. BUT(big but) If someone is modding their little 30cc to try and get rsults of an 80cc then they're just plain goofy. I bought the saws that fit my needs I did the mods to help will heat and add years to their life.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

Okay, over modding is worthless IMO, doesn't really accomplish anything, probably even makes it run worse. Some folks think loader is better, "yep I was young once too" :laughing: The reason behind a proper mod is for flow and perfomance not noise and annoyance. A proper mod will add reliability and a little better performance. BUT(big but) If someone is modding their little 30cc to try and get rsults of an 80cc then they're just plain goofy. I bought the saws that fit my needs I did the mods to help will heat and add years to their life.

Every engine requires back pressure to run correctly

 

[20 20]

I currently have 5 saws (I know ...ridiculous but I purchased 2 for myself over a 5 year period {ms250 and ms260 pro}. I purchased an older 025 to let workers use so they wouldn't destroy my saws. I got two more 025's later {one when my dad died and another from a friend needing some money}. Recently, an employee of mine wanted a large saw but couldn't afford it. I told him I would buy one and let him work it off on my place. It is a ms440 magnum with a 28' bar. We are using it to cut down and cut up the numerous dead large oak trees that have died over the past 2 years. After seeing that big saw in action, and using it just a little bit, I decided I need one. I am by no means a chainsaw expert but I have been using one for 25 years recreationally (cutting firewook, cutting trees off fences and out of trails, etc) I am very active in wildlife management and just this weekend I was cutting fire lanes in preparation for a burn later this month

Thanks for the pictures sounds like you know what you're doing. My brother inlaw as an older 400 model stihl(not exactly sure which one). I do know he loves it and would by another in a second if he had to, doesn't need to though because it runs like a bear(or maybe I should write beaver? ) Just remembered, another friend of mine also has one, bought it a few years back, he is a logger and often brags how good that saw is?

 

[20 20]

Grumpy Old Man; I believe you are correct about U Tube and I also agree with your comment about back pressure, I believe I wrote that in one of my post(?)

 

[IgroRockwell]

Logging was my main occupation for 20 or so years and all of my family were/are loggers. I've used all of the professional saws, Jonsereds, Husky, Stihl, even a Sachs or two. I always used the saw which required the least number of trips to the shop, and that tended to vary year to year. For a while Husky was the saw of choice because we had a very good dealer/mechanic nearby. Then Jonsereds stepped up with some good features and we ran those for a few years. Then a local shop started dealing in Stihl and backed them up with great service and I went with them. I have had great luck with Stihl. In my experience they stand up to long days of wide open throttle better than any of the other brands I have used. With my Husky and Jonsereds I usually ended up doing a top-end job on the engine within a year of purchase, but I never had to do that with any of my Stihl saws. Maybe that is because the power to weight ratio was large enough that I could run a large drive sprocket so I didn't have to lean them out so much to get the cut speed up. Dunno for sure. I still use an 046 and 066 which have many, many hours on them and they still run well. I always use the Stihl bar and chain because they seem to last better for me. This is just my opinion and not necessarily still true as I don't own any new saws. Maybe next year.

One thing that you need to consider is that none of the safety gear like chaps and vests are rated for the big saws. Most safety gear even comes with a "big saw disclaimer". Once you get a chainsaw with nearly 100cc displacement screaming that bit of kevlar won't do much to stop it.