Stihl ms261 c-m

[Arcticmiller]

Well, ordered up a new little ms261 c-m, I'm not sure how I'll like the electronic system, but time will tell. First half a tank of gas it runs nice-like a pro saw should. Seems a bit sluggish which I assume is some kind of a break-in setting like most new engines seem to have anymore.

There's one thing I can't stand already though. It's that .325 safety chain....I've always run 3/8 chisel full skip on everything, it's what my dad ran, and I don't remember ever using anything else for my saws lol. I'm sure this oem stuff has its place, but man to me the saw shouldn't cut that slow lol. I'll put the oemstuff on the shelf and have it as a backup I suppose.

At first I thought, "no problem, I'll just order a few loops of non safety.325 chain....saw the online price and just ordered a lightweight 20" sugihara 3/8 bar, I buy 3/8" chain loops a dozen or so at a time, so the economy and simplicity of running one setup for most of the saws has its benefits. At 30 bucks a loop off eBay and Amazon, I am not messing around with that chain, I'm only cutting spruce and poplar, and the occasiona small birch, all under 32" diameter we don't have big trees where I live in Alaska. No saw shop for 200 miles either, that's why I utilize online vendors rather than a saw shop.

I'll try lowering the rakers a bit and see if I can improve the factory stuffs cutting a bit today. I'd like to get a few tanks through it this weekend and really see how it feels after the rings set.

On the upside my old 260 pro I thought this was replacing just won't die. I thought I'd smoked a piston-it had a sound that I coulda sworn was piston slap. And it would only stay running under throttle- working it, I couldn't tune the saw at all....it was just awful. It was also just dumping oil out of the exhaust the last few times I ran it which since getting a 362 has been awhile.

Replaced the carb, inspected the top end, got busy and shelved it for a bit. I tore it all down last week and cleaned and inspected everything, 190-200 psi of compression, piston and cylinder looks immaculate. Finally had it starting and even idling either the filter off, tracked the "piston slap" sound down to sacked out clutch springs, eBay to the rescue there.

Cool, put the air filter back on it an it immediately goes into poo-mode. Cleaned the filter and found out the little spring that holds the choke out from the intake wasn't in its slot. The choke was just closing itself as soon as the engine was running thus flooding, and the gobs of oil out the exhaust. Now she starts, runs, and idles great! Just like it always has. I've cut a LOT of firewood with this thing in past years, and had been out of the loop for a few years. I'd way rather have two 260 series saws than one. For some reason I've always had a soft spot for them, other than this issue and a frozen chain to bar at -30F canon bar with tight tolerance and a new chain, I've never had an issue with em.

[barbender]

I had no problem with the .325 chain that came on my 261. Wore that one out and replaced it with a new Stihl chisel chain, it doesn't cut noticeably different.

[sawguy21]

From my experience I think you are asking a lot of the 261 with 3/8 chain on a 20" bar. I suggest trying .325 yellow chain, properly sharpened it should easily outrun what you have.

[PoginyHill]

I switched my 261 over to 3/8 only to simplify things, rather than having an extra chain pitch and file. I can swap bars as needed with other 3/8 saws. The safety chain doesn't impact how fast a chain can cut. The safety thing only comes into play at the tip where the chain has a radius. It does require more filing when adjusting rakers/depth gauge.

[doc henderson]

the 261 and the 046 mag are my two main saws.  I always take a spare saw when I leave to go off the homeplace to work.  I am happy with the standard setup (.325 & 3/8ths respectively) and prefer the full chisel profile.

[Magicman]

I'll admit that I was a bit hesitant regarding the 325 pitch and honestly I have not used the MS261 enough to judge it.  I am sure that there is a "green" chain on it but my spare chain is Yellow.  I switched the old Stihl 028 over to 3/8 soon after I bought it with no adverse problems.

My intention is to leave the MS261 as is.  Maybe I can give it a good dusting off next week with some firewood bucking.  I should have used it last week instead of the 028, but I was sorta enjoying the old saw.

[barbender]

.325 chain really comes into its own if you get the narrow kerf chain set up. I think with Stihl nk chain, you can run it on their normal bars. Husqvarna and Oregon require a complete "package" of matched narrow kerf bar and chain.

[hedgerow]

I am three and half years in on my  MS261 CM. I thought the same thing I would change it over to 3/8 but after running the .325 on it. I like it and will stay with it. I only run a 16 inch bar on mind. I have a 461 and a 660 for the big stuff. I going to say I probably ran close to five gallons of mix threw the 261 before it started running the way I thought it should. I am still impressed by the 261. The 261 is my wood crews go to saw and I just bought another one and its a MS261 and not a CM. It will probably be late spring now before we know which one we like the best the CM or the non CM.

[barbender]

Yes it takes a while before the 261's wake up👍

[Arcticmiller]

Thanks for all the solid input guys, it is helpful to think through your points.

Well I took a couple swipes off the rakers just to see before throwing it in the bushes.

That's being a little dramatic there, but I've never really used safety chain before . All my uncles and Dad were loggers out west homeowner saws and chains may as well not have existed, instead of scrapping the chain, it was a lot better. Still doesn't pencil out on the cost though unless I can source it for around 16-18 bucks a loop like I can the 3/8 chain.

I cut a lot of logs with silt and rocks in them, washed up from a glacial fed river and 30 dollar chains hitting rocks is a bit much vs rocking 16 dollar chains. I try to avoid the worst contamination, but there's always that one rock that gets ya. I drag em home power wash the logs, then run em through the mill.

I've been running the 3/8 full chisel skip tooth on a 20" bar on my ms260 pro for about 10 years, it's been awhile but if memory serves I dropped a tooth on the driver and went the full skip route to give the saw a bit of an advantage.

I ran a 24" bar on it for a bit, which worked, but that was probably/definitely too much bar. I couldn't afford a bigger saw at the time and all I was cutting was toothpicked lodge pole pine in Wyoming. Sure was nice on the back vs bending over with a shorter bar though!

So far I have the old 260 pro, a 362 with the 24" cannon bar on it, and the 261. Sooner rather than later I'll be adding a husky 572 xpg to the quiver because I've always wanted to try one out.... Honestly stihl has been so good to me I've been hesitant to try anything new. I'd like to add 660 class or 500i, but none of the trees here can really justify a saw that size. If I ever move back to Washington though I'll be getting one.

Darn saws are addictive.

[lxskllr]

Safety chain cuts exactly the same as pro chain. I think where people run into differences is when they compare semi chisel to full chisel chain. Safety chain is usually(buy not always) semi chisel. That'll then get compared to full chisel pro chain, and the verdict is "safety chain is slow". Compare full chisel safety chain to full chisel pro chain, and the differences will disappear unless you try to bore. Safety chain bores slower cause that's how it was designed. It takes the bite out of the nose, especially when combined with a small nose bar. E bars are small nosed safety bars. ES bars have a broader nose.

[Ianab]

Agreed. The extra "safety bumps" on the chain don't affect it's operation in normal cutting. They just restrict how much of "bite" the cutter can take, which only applies as it runs around the nose. So the extra rakers mean less "bite" as it goes around the tip, so less chance of an uncontrolled kickback. While it's running along the bar normally the cut depth is controlled by the rakers anyway, so the extra bumps have little effect.

The difference between semi and full chisel, you will probably notice. But while full chisel  cuts faster when it's sharp, it also dulls faster. The semi-chisel is probably better suited for homeowners who might hit dirt, and aren't experts at sharpening, as it puts up with that abuse better, and cuts "OK" for longer.

[olcowhand]

When I bought my 261 CM 5-6 years ago, I had the sprocket, 16" bar and chain swapped into 3/8". I did this to keep all my saws with the same pitch. I run full chisel, and the saw handles them well. I'll sometimes put my 20" Light bar on it to alleviate my back, but otherwise it stays with 16".
I had some trouble with hot starts, but the dealer reprogrammed it and now hot start is one pull. I love this saw, and use it more than my other two saws (461 & 661 C-M) combined.
I have no problem supporting your notion to change to 3/8" for the reasons stated. I have nothing against the .325 chain....

[Arcticmiller]

When I bought my 261 CM 5-6 years ago, I had the sprocket, 16" bar and chain swapped into 3/8". I did this to keep all my saws with the same pitch. I run full chisel, and the saw handles them well. I'll sometimes put my 20" Light bar on it to alleviate my back, but otherwise it stays with 16".
I had some trouble with hot starts, but the dealer reprogrammed it and now hot start is one pull. I love this saw, and use it more than my other two saws (461 & 661 C-M) combined.
I have no problem supporting your notion to change to 3/8" for the reasons stated. I have nothing against the .325 chain....

Yeah, juggling chain pitches was part of the logic. After doing some deep dives into researching chains I, I found a pile of chains I forgot I had, a couple .325 loops to use up, and a dozen 3/8's. Ran em through the Oregon 620 grinder today and they are all ready for use now!

I have a 20" sugihara lightweight bar in 3/8 on the way to try on it, hopefully I like that-I've never tried a lightweight bar before. I also found a canon super mini narrow kerf bar and a few stihl pico chains that are begging to be used on something. Forgot I'd bought those 4-5 years ago....i think I made a couple cuts with it and switched back when I got into some dirty logs, the paint isn't even wore off yet.


I always enjoyed the 260 class, it's big enough to get the job done, but small enough to be super mobile, and a kickback while still a hazard happens a lot less intensely than it does on a 660....a lot less fatiguing too. Definitely less productivity for some tasks though. It is the first saw I usually think about using.

[lxskllr]

I don't like .325 chain. It just feels weird to me, and I don't know exactly why. Add in the chain management issues, and it becomes annoying. I wish they made these saws with ⅜"lp. That's one of the chains I buy by the reel, and these saws would fly with that chain. I'd like to convert my echo 490 to ⅜"lp, but last time I looked, it didn't appear possible. I should probably look again.

[beenthere]

No complaints on the .325 chain, 18" bar on my MS261. Easy to start, cuts just fine, easy to sharpen, and keeps on cuttin. Is the yellow, not the green.

[KWood255]

I have been running the MS261CM for about 5 years now, essentially problem free with the exception of the chain oiler getting a blockage one time. About 4 years back I opened up the exhaust output with a dremel tool by cutting 3 small louvres. The computer was reset with a quick series found here. The performance improved drastically, and I have not looked back. She's loud, but I don't run saws without ear protection anyway.

I have 5-6 saws always ready to go. The 261 is my "go-to" for performance vs weight. I recently bought a new MS400CM, but seldom seem to have the need for it...yet. I would buy another 261 is a heartbeat 

 

[DHansen]

Wow Kwood255, talk about clean and organized!  Great photo.

[doc henderson]

Kwood.  that looks great...but how can you find anything?   :D :D :D

[KWood255]

Wow Kwood255, talk about clean and organized!  Great photo.

Haha, my shop was becoming out of control. Needed to a place to start organizing. I haven't gotten much further!

[barbender]

 Hey that's my style! Organize one spot and take pictures!😁

[North to Alaska]

Where abouts do you live? I'm in the Talkeetna area.
I've had the 261 cm for 3 years. Never had a desire to use anything but the original bar and chain accept for full chisel. Cuts through spuce, birch, and occasional cotton wood like butter. Of course those aren't difficult to cut.

Really like the mtronic once i got used to it

Did have the mtronic "computer" replaced under warranty first year. But as I recall it was not all that expensive and certainly was easy to replace.

I've been using walmart super tech bar and chain oil. Doubt you have that close by. Been really good for extreme cold weather. It pours nice and -10f or colder. Interesting thing though. It's changed to a red color in latest jugs and is back to flowing better like it was last year. I had a couple of gallons that didn't flow well at low temps this fall.🤷‍♂️

[Arcticmiller]

Where abouts do you live? I'm in the Talkeetna area.
I've had the 261 cm for 3 years. Never had a desire to use anything but the original bar and chain accept for full chisel. Cuts through spuce, birch, and occasional cotton wood like butter. Of course those aren't difficult to cut.

Really like the mtronic once i got used to it

Did have the mtronic "computer" replaced under warranty first year. But as I recall it was not all that expensive and certainly was easy to replace.

I've been using walmart super tech bar and chain oil. Doubt you have that close by. Been really good for extreme cold weather. It pours nice and -10f or colder. Interesting thing though. It's changed to a red color in latest jugs and is back to flowing better like it was last year. I had a couple of gallons that didn't flow well at low temps this fall.🤷‍♂️

I'm up 200 miles north of Fairbanks, it was -32 last night and -27 this morning. I use 5w30 full synthetic motor oil as bar oil in those temps.

The bar oil I have tried- stihl etc basically pours like thick frozen honey at those temps. In an old stihl manual I read years ago for an 026 it said to use motor oil for low temps, so that's what I do. Regular bar oil seems to freeze on the bar and bind the chain, especially on a new bar. I like to switch over to an older "broken in" bar for winter use. Or start a fire, and get everything warmed up a bit before putting it in the wood.

I'm glad you're having good results with the c-m I'm liking how it runs so far, I like tuning a saw, but not having to is something I could get used to.

Hung an old "genuine norlund" axe the other day to use as a new wedge axe. I sure like my old steel.

Getting ready to order up a husky 572xpg to fill a hole in my saws for the bigger jobs. I've been a stihl guy forever, but always wanted to try out the competition. Looking forward to getting a long light bar in it and seeing how it performs.

[barbender]

I just run summer bar oil and cut it with #1 diesel to get it to the right "weight" for winter cutting. I usually tap out around -10 to -15 though🙂

[Arcticmiller]

I just run summer bar oil and cut it with #1 diesel to get it to the right "weight" for winter cutting. I usually tap out around -10 to -15 though🙂

I don't like cutting that cold, but when you have the time to get wood in and it's that temp, I tend to just go.

I'll think about diesel...my great grandfather used to drive semi truck in Colorado, and they'd add diesel to the differentials at -50. If there's something I despise though, it's diesel smells in my clothes and gear.

Although the newer low sulfur diesel doesn't seem to be as permanent as the old red stuff. I'll have to mix up a little bit and see if I can get it "just right"

[North to Alaska]

Where abouts do you live? I'm in the Talkeetna area.
I've had the 261 cm for 3 years. Never had a desire to use anything but the original bar and chain accept for full chisel. Cuts through spuce, birch, and occasional cotton wood like butter. Of course those aren't difficult to cut.

Really like the mtronic once i got used to it

Did have the mtronic "computer" replaced under warranty first year. But as I recall it was not all that expensive and certainly was easy to replace.

I've been using walmart super tech bar and chain oil. Doubt you have that close by. Been really good for extreme cold weather. It pours nice and -10f or colder. Interesting thing though. It's changed to a red color in latest jugs and is back to flowing better like it was last year. I had a couple of gallons that didn't flow well at low temps this fall.🤷‍♂️

I'm up 200 miles north of Fairbanks, it was -32 last night and -27 this morning. I use 5w30 full synthetic motor oil as bar oil in those temps.

The bar oil I have tried- stihl etc basically pours like thick frozen honey at those temps. In an old stihl manual I read years ago for an 026 it said to use motor oil for low temps, so that's what I do. Regular bar oil seems to freeze on the bar and bind the chain, especially on a new bar. I like to switch over to an older "broken in" bar for winter use. Or start a fire, and get everything warmed up a bit before putting it in the wood.

I'm glad you're having good results with the c-m I'm liking how it runs so far, I like tuning a saw, but not having to is something I could get used to.

Hung an old "genuine norlund" axe the other day to use as a new wedge axe. I sure like my old steel.

Getting ready to order up a husky 572xpg to fill a hole in my saws for the bigger jobs. I've been a stihl guy forever, but always wanted to try out the competition. Looking forward to getting a long light bar in it and seeing how it performs.

So happens that the temps got down to -25f last night. Decided to take a video if the super tech bar&chain oil pouring out.
Still pours pretty well.
Super tech bar and chain oil at -25f - YouTube

[barbender]

I haven't found my bar oil to have a diesel smell to it after mixing it. I know what you mean though, I got diesel on a sweater I was wearing. I kept wondering where the stink was coming from🤔🤷

[firefighter ontheside]

I keep Stihl's winter and regular bar oil on hand and use whatever is appropriate for the day. 

[PoginyHill]

I think I got this idea from this forum - I've been using used hydraulic oil rather than buying B&C oil at $12+/gal. No complaints so far and plenty thin enough to pour in cold weather.

[Arcticmiller]

Where abouts do you live? I'm in the Talkeetna area.
I've had the 261 cm for 3 years. Never had a desire to use anything but the original bar and chain accept for full chisel. Cuts through spuce, birch, and occasional cotton wood like butter. Of course those aren't difficult to cut.

Really like the mtronic once i got used to it

Did have the mtronic "computer" replaced under warranty first year. But as I recall it was not all that expensive and certainly was easy to replace.

I've been using walmart super tech bar and chain oil. Doubt you have that close by. Been really good for extreme cold weather. It pours nice and -10f or colder. Interesting thing though. It's changed to a red color in latest jugs and is back to flowing better like it was last year. I had a couple of gallons that didn't flow well at low temps this fall.🤷‍♂️

I'm up 200 miles north of Fairbanks, it was -32 last night and -27 this morning. I use 5w30 full synthetic motor oil as bar oil in those temps.

The bar oil I have tried- stihl etc basically pours like thick frozen honey at those temps. In an old stihl manual I read years ago for an 026 it said to use motor oil for low temps, so that's what I do. Regular bar oil seems to freeze on the bar and bind the chain, especially on a new bar. I like to switch over to an older "broken in" bar for winter use. Or start a fire, and get everything warmed up a bit before putting it in the wood.

I'm glad you're having good results with the c-m I'm liking how it runs so far, I like tuning a saw, but not having to is something I could get used to.

Hung an old "genuine norlund" axe the other day to use as a new wedge axe. I sure like my old steel.

Getting ready to order up a husky 572xpg to fill a hole in my saws for the bigger jobs. I've been a stihl guy forever, but always wanted to try out the competition. Looking forward to getting a long light bar in it and seeing how it performs.

So happens that the temps got down to -25f last night. Decided to take a video if the super tech bar&chain oil pouring out.
Still pours pretty well.
Super tech bar and chain oil at -25f - YouTube

Thanks for posting that! That's some great info, and honestly that pours as well as the 5w-30 I've been using it seems! I'll have to give it a go.

[Arcticmiller]

I think I got this idea from this forum - I've been using used hydraulic oil rather than buying B&C oil at $12+/gal. No complaints so far and plenty thin enough to pour in cold weather.

I've got a few gallons of that without a home as well....experimentation may be in order.