MS 260Pro

[Good Feller]

How do you guys like the ms 260 pro?  I'm looking for a smaller saw for doing TSI,,, stuff 14"dbh and smaller.  I want to be able to run the same chain as I do on my ms 460 and husky 455 (3/8 pitch-.050).   I want all my saws to run the same chain, use the same fuel mix, and to be able to interchange the bars on them all.  Is this even possbile?  Any ideas?  Right now my "small saw" is a poulan wood shark 14".  It's ok but like I said I have to have different fuel mixture and different sized chain for it which is a pain!

[John Mc]

Jokers mentioned to me that a Husky 353 or a Jonsered 2152 would handle a 3/8 chain, if you are reasonable about what you demand of it. At the time, we were talking about running 16" bars.

If they would do it, I'd think the 260 would as well. The specs are pretty similar.

I own a 2152, but run .325 pitch chain. It was doing fine with that chain and the stock catalytic muffler. The swap to a non-catalytic muffler seems to have given it more power. I haven't tried a 3/8 bar and chain on it. I'm curious how it would do, but not curious enough to run out and buy the bar, chain and new sprocket (at least I'm not curious enough yet...)

John Mc

[jokers]

Truthfully Goodfeller, buying a 260 would be redundant because the 455 has about the same power as the 260, unfortunately the 455 weighs two pounds more and turns fewer rpms.

If you`re in the market for a 3 cube saw that has common bars with something you already have, consider the Husky 346 or Dolmar 5100s, they will atleast have the same bar and chain as your 455 and they are smoother, more modern saws than the 260.

[sawguy21]

You will not be able to swap bars and loops of chain between the models you mention. The MS260 and 460 use different bar mounts which are totally different from Husqvarna.
The MS260 will not comfortably handle 3/8 chain, it does not have the torque. A couple of my customers tried it to reduce chain inventory but switched back to .325, the saw would stall.
I second jokers suggestion.

[John Mc]

I stand corrected. I guess I don't need to worry about my curiosity about whether my 2152 would handle 3/8 chain or not.

I did check the Stihl catalog I have kicking around. It lists options for the MS260 for 3/8 chain. Sounds as though that's wishful thinking on their part?

John Mc

[meangreen92lx]

I run a 260 pro with a 18inch bar and 3/8 chain. No complaints from me.  If you have issues, you probably need a bigger saw.

[Rocky_J]

What I don't understand is why you have a separate fuel mix for the Poulan?  ??? You're wasting time and money buying and mixing separate fuel. That's like buying Mobil gasoline for your Chevy and Shell gasoline for your Ford. Just use a good mix oil with at least 89 octane gas and run it in all your saws (and blowers, weedeaters, gas hedge trimmers, etc). All the motors are cast out of the same metal and all the (good) mix oils have the same lubricants.

The 260 is an old, dated design. 10-15 years ago it was a decent choice in the 45-50cc class but there are much better saws available now for the same or less money. The two options suggested by Jokers would both be on my short list.

Your desire to run the same bars on all 3 saws doesn't make any sense either, especially since the saws you currently have cannot share bars. IMO different size saws should be purchased with different requirements in mind.  I'm not going to use the small saw to do the big saw's job and i'm not going to use the big saw to do the small saw's job. Run the bar size that's appropriate for the saw. I think that would be a 16"-18" on the ms260 (or other 50cc saw), 18"-20" on the 455 and 24"-28" on the 460. The ms260 won't pull a 24" bar and it would be silly to put a 16" on the 460.

[John Mc]

What I don't understand is why you have a separate fuel mix for the Poulan?

Does the Poulan recommend a different mix ratio? My brother in law runs an ancient saw (not modified in any way. can't remember the brand). It recommends 32:1. I've often wondered if it would hold up to 40 or 50:1 using today's oils. When he's out working with friends, he always carries a separate fuel can, since none of the rest of us run that ratio.

John

[Rocky_J]

In 1982, all saws ran 32-1. You can run 32-1 if you're using 1982 mix oil. Back in the 50's and 60's they used 30 weight mixed at 16-1. You can use that, too, if you really think your saw is better off using 1950's technology. How many hours do you think those old saws lasted?

Tell me, what do you think the difference is in the metal composition of the motors between the Poulan and the Husqvarna? Keep in mind that both manufacturers are now owned by the same company. Also, do you think that today's high tech synthetic and semi-synthetic mix oils mixed at 50-1 have more or less lubricating protection than 1950's era 30 weight mixed at 16-1? Or 1980's oils mixed at 32-1?

[ladylake]

A stock 50cc saw will run a 3/8 chain in small soft wood, get in 8+ inch hardwood the 325 setup will cut way faster.   Steve

[Ed]

I recently changed my 254xp Husky from .325 pitch chain and a 16" bar over to .375 pitch chain and stepped up to a 18" bar.
By the hand of mother nature I've been cutting more Aspen and Cottonwood than I really care to, the .325 pitch chain was loading up with chips and really slowing down my production. I jumped up to the .375 pitch for more chip clearance and the option of using skip chain when necessary.
With the .325 setup, the saw was pretty much like a bolt of lightening going through hardwoods, the .375 slowed it down quite a bit, but the saw still pulls it pretty good. In softwood the cut speed really picked up with the additional chip clearance and when using full skip chain, it's a holy terror in wet Cottonwood.
If you don't have a specific need for .375 pitch on a 50cc saw, I wouldn't use it, they cut much better with the .325. I know I wont change my 026 or 346xp over.

Ed

[Al_Smith]

 You can run whatever mix oil ratio your little old heart desires,makes me no diff .That said I have running saws from 1959 up to 2007 that all run just fine on 32 to one ratio . They most likely would do fine on 40 to one but I'm a little bit of a dinosaur about these things . :D

Under 50 cc saws will give better performance using .325 chain versus .375 . Itty bitty ones run better on 3/8 pico than .325 .

You may find it hard to believe but I've got 125 cc saws that cut about as fast pulling a 36" bar as pulling an 18" bar .No sense using such a monster to cut small wood .About like shooting rats with an elephant gun .