Some 041's for your assesment

[shinnlinger]

Hello,

For some reason people keep giving me 041's and I now have 3 examples, but as you can see they came from different era's of production.  I assume the one on the right is the oldest and the one on the left is the newest.  Are these saws particularly desirable?  They all sort of run and probably could be made to run with a carb rebuild and other freshening up.  I might take one on as a restore project just cause. 

Any pointers?

[gspren]

   I still have the 041 that I bought new in the mid-late ? 70s. Mine is not the AV so it gets to my wrists if I run it much. I keep it thinking someday I'll fall into a good (cheap) deal on a Lewis Winch and I think it would be ideal for winching. It is dependable.

[sablatnic]

I was given one too, a couple of months ago, a runner.

[HolmenTree]

The reason Stihl never sold as a  70cc and under pro saw in our logging areas back in the 1970's .
The Stihl 041 couldn't compete with the Husqvarna 162 and Jonsereds 621 and 70E

[HolmenTree]

I should have included this in my last post.
The 038 introduced in 1980 made a bit of ground in our area but still didn't match the 162 Husky.

In 1982 the Husqvarna 266 and 181 along with the Jonsered 630 sunk the Stihl ship. The 034 Stihl introduced in 1984 with the side tensioner ,easy access air filter gained some Husky and Jonsered loyals respect.
But not until 1986 the 064 and 084 gained alot of respect but we still didn't have a competitive 70cc and under Stihl yet. That changed in late 1988-early 1989 with the 044.

[sawguy21]

The 041 and 041AV were popular in our area with the farmers and wood lot owners, I started on saws in the mid 70's and saw a lot of them. Some loggers used them for bucking and slashing. The 'laydowns' were good but couldn't compete with Husqvarna, too slow, too heavy and maintenance intensive. A lot of guys cutting big fir and cedar did go with the 051AV and 075AV because of the torque, Husky didn't have anything that would run the long bars and .404 chain. Jonsered is virtually unknown in western Canada.

[HolmenTree]

Yes the 041 Stihl market definitely was poplar in the farming communities as I remember my boyhood farm life.
Husqvarna did well in the 1970's with the 2100 on the west coast of BC first introduced in 1974 as the 1100.
Jonsereds found a few loyal pro loggers in that area with the 111

[HolmenTree]

The 041 was revolutionary as first of a kind as this 1969 ad shows
Notice the Oregon Sawchain logo.


 

[drobertson]

My first saw was the 041 farmboss, not an AV, it was a fine saw, just lots of vibration, and when the 038 supers came out, well, this one was put away.

[HolmenTree]

My first saw was the 041 farmboss, not an AV, it was a fine saw, just lots of vibration, and when the 038 supers came out, well, this one was put away.

You may be referring to a 040 without the AV first introduced in 1966. But 1966 was the first year Stihl developed AV.
The 041 always was a AV model first introduced in 1968, then in 1969 as a 041 AV Electonic.


 

[shinnlinger]

Those ads are great.   It appears I have an early one.    I will clean it up.    1969.  The year a 20 lb saw was "feather light"

[shinnlinger]

I have seen the claim of 5.5 hp before with with these saws but I will go on record as saying that is a tad optimistic....

[gspren]

My first saw was the 041 farmboss, not an AV, it was a fine saw, just lots of vibration, and when the 038 supers came out, well, this one was put away.

You may be referring to a 040 without the AV first introduced in 1966. But 1966 was the first year Stihl developed AV.
The 041 always was a AV model first introduced in 1968, then in 1969 as a 041 AV Electonic.


 

   My 041 Farmboss is Not an AV and I have seen others so not all 041s wereAV.

[drobertson]

It was an 041 farmboss, not an av, a good ole saw, not that light, but a good brute for the time, of course, I've never spent days in the timber like many have, just enough to know it's for big boys ;D  back in the early 80's it did seem like Dolmar and Jonesred were big items around here.

[Scruboak]

When i was still on the farm my grandfather had a pair of O41's that looked just like the one on the far left in the above pics!!  Those things would scream thru the wood!!  In the spring we took the bar off of them and put an auger bit on and tap maple trees for syrup. Just a quick blip of the throttle and you had a nice spile hole    Ah the memories!,

[HolmenTree]

My first saw was the 041 farmboss, not an AV, it was a fine saw, just lots of vibration, and when the 038 supers came out, well, this one was put away.

You may be referring to a 040 without the AV first introduced in 1966. But 1966 was the first year Stihl developed AV.
The 041 always was a AV model first introduced in 1968, then in 1969 as a 041 AV Electonic.


 

   My 041 Farmboss is Not an AV and I have seen others so not all 041s wereAV.

AV means "anti vibe" . 
Can you post a pic of your non AV 041 ?

[HolmenTree]

Let me re- phrase my last post . Some times Stihl adds a new name to a certain saw model and will drop the AV [anti-vibe] like they did with the 038AV, the 064AV but the saws still had anti vibe.

Your 041 Farm Boss may have lost the AV logo but didn't lose its AV...all 041s had AV.... confusing isn't it? :D

[shinnlinger]

I don't know about that.  The 041 AV clearly has rubber mounts at the end of its trigger handle and a 041 Farm Boss does not.  Whats the difference in the two saws if they both had AV?

[shinnlinger]

Web search says the AV version came out in 67 and went to 86? but the FB didn't come along until 76.   I wonder what the price difference on the two saws was.  I will look at my serial numbers.  I have an early one for sure but the left ones seem to be newer than the late 70's versions.

[beenthere]

Bought my Stihl 041 in June 1975, and it doesn't have any anti-vibe.
Was hard to get used to the AV in the MS361, as I thought it wasn't cutting when I couldn't "feel" the teeth in the wood. Couldn't figure out for a short while why I thought I had to push the saw into the wood.
The 041 served me well and still runs, but I seldom use it anymore.
Am told it is a collector with that Stihl logo on the side. Don't know anything about that.


 

[sawguy21]

That is definitely an 041. They were not as popular as the AV but did have a following in the farming ranching community due to price. I liked them for the weight but they have put on a paunch (like me) over the years. ;D

[drobertson]

HT, I gave the ole saw to an ole friend, wish I had kept it now I suppose, but at the time it was the right thing to do. It was a good saw, just stung the hands and arms after a tank of gas.  I thought it was the best til I ran an 038 super (av)  like beenthere said, weird to go through a log and not feel anything :D  kinda nice!

[HolmenTree]

Thanks for the pic Beenthere. I learn something everyday ;D
Sorry about my ignorance on the matter guys. I should study up more on the consumer saws.

I understand the cost saving in the non anti vibe Farm Boss.

[beenthere]

Not a problem HT.
That saw was $300 in 1975. 

Four years later (1979), I was in Austria and Germany, and the 041's were selling for about three times that price in US dollars in their retail markets (IIRC).

[sawguy21]

I remember a customer who bought an 041AV at an auction. Couldn't get it to run so brought it to me, the p&c were toast. I got it up to speed and he left happy but was now within 50 bucks of a new one. A few days later he came back, stalling in the cut. It worked fine for me so I watched while he tried, he dropped it on the log then squeezed the trigger.  : He grew up in a logging family, I had assumed he knew how to operate it.
A week later he was back with the saw in a box, the carburetor was about all that was salvageable. Seems he came across his buddies trying to drop a big pine with a small saw, they had gone around the tree and left a bolt in the middle. He sez I can do that and went into their cut, tree went the wrong way so he dropped the saw and ran. It took out the saw and his truck. He was good natured about it, nothing really bothered him.