IF your cylinder is still good you can purchase a genuine Stihl piston and ring set off of Ebay for like 70 bucks.
I don't know if the 271 cylinder is Nikasil plated (or similar) but if it is....decent chance its OK, but inspect it.
Chainsaw advice please
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IF your cylinder is still good you can purchase a genuine Stihl piston and ring set off of Ebay for like 70 bucks.
I don't know if the 271 cylinder is Nikasil plated (or similar) but if it is....decent chance its OK, but inspect it.
not to battle out the brands but my old Husqvarna is from the late 90's and is still going strong.
I just picked up a little under 10ac of wooded land. Predominantly hardwood with a small percentage of pines. Southern part of the property has a fair amount of fallen trees and I'd like to fell pretty much all pine and the home and shop build sites myself. Plan is to send some off to the mill for lumber and a fair amount for firewood. My eye keeps catching the Stihl MS 251 Wood Boss and MS 271 Farm Boss. What's everyone using out there? My 40V Ryobi was fine for the ocassional fallen tree and limb at my last house, but...
Big Ed
SILVER Star
We have an MS 250 we can’t keep running. The shop worked on it three times, same problem. On the Arboristsite forum, others talk about problems with the saw too. I don’t know if they improved anything with the 251. What diameter are the trees you’ll be cutting? Around here people prefer bigger saws than those.
Big Ed
SILVER Star
So much depends on what type of hardwoods you have and the diameter of any of the trees you would be felling. A saw for 'bucking' trees (for firewood or disposal) could be something lesser than a saw used/needed for 'felling'.
I'd say the MS271 would be great for bucking.....and useful for 'felling' if your trees are mostly 12"-16" in diameter and you keep your chain sharp.
Any larger than that.....I'd personally want a saw in at least the 60cc class and 20" bar. Things don't always go perfectly when 'felling' a tree and you need a saw with enough power to rapidly cut right up to your hinge on occasion.
BUT.....Farmers/Ranchers/Small Property Owners often need ONE saw to do it all... so buy a 'good' one and take care of it.
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@spazzyfry123 I think I would step up to at least an MS291. If you want to make quick work of the felling and bucking then go with an MS362 C-M. Weighs the same but gives you a good 1 HP more output.
JayDoc
boop/bop/beep
After my last husky gave out I bought an echo timberwolf with 24" bar. That's been ~3 years and I've been very impressed with it so far. I've cut up some fairly big oaks and cottonwoods and lots of smaller cedars. The price to performance ratio was spot on for a chainsaw that gets a fair bit of use on the property but I don't base my livelihood on it.
It is on the heavy side but I have a ryobi 40v saw for limbing and small stuff. Jury is still out on the ryobi.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
I've not kept up with stihls current line of saws. 20 yrs ago I bought 40 acres of woods and the day I closed on the property I went to the stihl store and bought an 029/290 with a 18" bar on recomendations from friends.
I beat the crap out of that saw. Cut trails, cleared a spot for the house, and cut 4 to 5 cords of wood a yr for the last 20yrs. It finally got a vacuum leak and upon tear down, to my suprise, I found the cyldr was scored. I recently found another 029 from a friend to continue the tradition. I liked its weight and power. I would shop for something of the same weight and equal power if not more, like @JayDoc mentioned. The key is to maintain it and learn to properly sharpen the chain and don't touch dirt with it. I stay away from stihl's green safety chains and run the more aggressive ones. A chain slowly dulls and your effort increases to keep cutting. You don't realize it until you sharpen it again.
I beat the crap out of that saw. Cut trails, cleared a spot for the house, and cut 4 to 5 cords of wood a yr for the last 20yrs. It finally got a vacuum leak and upon tear down, to my suprise, I found the cyldr was scored. I recently found another 029 from a friend to continue the tradition. I liked its weight and power. I would shop for something of the same weight and equal power if not more, like @JayDoc mentioned. The key is to maintain it and learn to properly sharpen the chain and don't touch dirt with it. I stay away from stihl's green safety chains and run the more aggressive ones. A chain slowly dulls and your effort increases to keep cutting. You don't realize it until you sharpen it again.
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pb4ugo
SILVER Star
I will say my only concern about sthil saws these days, is M troinics. I've heard mixed reviews about it and the ability to work on them.
yes have to agree with the chip in the new ones. Had the older husky rancher lasted 30 +years, dad then me, don't think new huskies would do that anymore.
I have the stihl ms 660 it is a beast but heavy all day , good for bigger logs.
My newer ms 261 has good punch for it's weight, but it sh*ts me it has the chip to control high and low revs which use to be able to controlled by turning the little screws. The chip has to be reset every now and then. The electronics remove you that little bit from honing the saw to perfection.
I'd say the older 660 shall outlast the 261, predicting.
Use to have an older stihl kombi, that did a lot of abusive work for many many years too. Amazing really. Went to a friend.
Kind of prefer my shindaiwa kombi pole saw to the newer stihl kombi as it revs faster is lighter, less cumbersome than the stihl kombi which is a bit of a tractor but ok on the brush cutter attachment which the cutters are much stronger than the shidaiwa.
Newer equipment with emission filters on exhaust require to be removed and decarbonised by glowing them red hot to clean.
I don't mind some of the electric saws if you have just a few cuts to make, like clear a road at night, or even trimming building timber. Handy in the cruiser if traveling light, no petrol. Zzzew your done.
If you are not doing too much cutting, some of the cheaper stihls have been most satisfactory for some of my mates. Very cheap and cheerful for what they are. I think under $400 aud, new.
yes chainsaws are to be very respected, I wear chainsaw helmet brass mesh and chainsaw pants, they are tough and long lasting. Saved my leg once. Well worth it. Sometimes on ebay you see them only worn once secondhand.
1911
chupacabra
EDITED: Never mind, I figured out that the plastic cover had to come off. Hub is off now. Off to the dealer on Monday for a new bearing and drum.
@D'Animal or @flintknapper , my 6-year-old MS271 has given me great service, with heavy use all those years. It quit cutting today while felling a 12-14" poplar or ash tree. The needle bearing in the clutch drum is toast; half of the rollers fell out, the cage is nowhere to be seen, and the drum rotates more or less freely but the drum will not come off by prying or pulling with large pliers. The c-clip and retainer/washer is off of course. Any suggestions for getting the drum off? Is there some little bitty puller made for those things? I don't have one small enough.
Thanks!
@D'Animal or @flintknapper , my 6-year-old MS271 has given me great service, with heavy use all those years. It quit cutting today while felling a 12-14" poplar or ash tree. The needle bearing in the clutch drum is toast; half of the rollers fell out, the cage is nowhere to be seen, and the drum rotates more or less freely but the drum will not come off by prying or pulling with large pliers. The c-clip and retainer/washer is off of course. Any suggestions for getting the drum off? Is there some little bitty puller made for those things? I don't have one small enough.
Thanks!
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I suggest the Milwuake 16" bar electric. The 12ah battery lasts a day, and you can run a more aggressive chain if you wish.
Worth the cost for reliability, power, and ease of use.
You have to get parts for Stihl thru a dealer. Husqvarna parts available online. There are Chinese knockoffs of most saw variants available for 1/4 the cost.
Milwuake reguires no parts, really. Keep the oil full and the chain out of the dirt. No hearing protection required.
I run a husky 372xp professionally.
Worth the cost for reliability, power, and ease of use.
You have to get parts for Stihl thru a dealer. Husqvarna parts available online. There are Chinese knockoffs of most saw variants available for 1/4 the cost.
Milwuake reguires no parts, really. Keep the oil full and the chain out of the dirt. No hearing protection required.
I run a husky 372xp professionally.
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I have a commercial grade echo 620p. It absolutely rips. It will run a 20 or 24" bar no problem.
I also have the milwaukee electric saw. That thing will eat pretty good if the chain is sharp. That's the key to chainsaw work anyway. Make sure you've got plenty of batteries if you go the electric route.
My husqvarna rancher was the most lackluster of the 3. The carb gummed up and the saw wouldn't idle almost immediately.
Echo saws are very high value. I think the Stihl and Husky homeowner grade saws are next door to garbage.
I also have the milwaukee electric saw. That thing will eat pretty good if the chain is sharp. That's the key to chainsaw work anyway. Make sure you've got plenty of batteries if you go the electric route.
My husqvarna rancher was the most lackluster of the 3. The carb gummed up and the saw wouldn't idle almost immediately.
Echo saws are very high value. I think the Stihl and Husky homeowner grade saws are next door to garbage.
Magic!!! we had a band in Oz called 'skyhooks'
AgentOrange
TLCA #28372
Malleus
Far west of Siegen
You mean like this?
I originally bought it to remove the wiper arms on my 80, but it's come in very handy for other small jobs, too.
Big Ed
SILVER Star
I had to work on my 461 today, the brake handle broke off. You can see a broken plastic piece still on the pin, under the long reach end of the big spring. It was a little tricky to do, but I got it done. No after pics yet. I love this saw, in case anyone is wondering about this model.
The MS 461 is an amazing saw!
