stihl 500 i

[Old saw fixer]

I believe the premix fuels run better because they are alkylate base fuels rather than petroleum base like gasoline.  Gasoline is blended for automotive use, not purpose built like the premix.  It has additives we don't need in 2 stroke engines.  I just wish the premix fuel was less expensive.  I use some Motomix, and would like to try some Aspen fuel.  I have stopped using the silver bottle Stihl mixing oil and now use Shaeffer 9000 mixing oil in Southern States 0% ethanol 89 octane fuel.  No report yet on how it works, I still have a gallon of the Stihl silver bottle mix to use.  Or pour it in the 92 GMC pickup.

[Ohioian]

Since we switched to nothing but rec fuel, 91 octane and no corn, that stuff is for drinkin, all of our stihl products start on the 2nd or 3rd pull. Doesn't matter how old or new, chainsaw blower combi all run better, almost a dollar a gallon more here but worth it for us.

[ehp]

I may pick up another 500i tomorrow if the dealer has one , it will be a spare just incase I need it

[YellowHammer]

I have to admit, since I got my 500i, my other saws are feeling neglected.  I still run them, but pretty much just to keep them up to snuff.  

[teakwood]

Sell them, just have one spare saw. If i could get hands on a 500i i would sell my 066 and one of my 361s. i have 4 saws, 3 would be perfect. lesser is less maintenance, less stuff that goes bad without use 

[ehp]

I bought another 500i with 28 inch light weight bar set up on it today , there hard to find around here but one of my buddies found this one for me . Going to put a 500i on the landing as well as falling timber

[HemlockKing]

Sell them, just have one spare saw. If i could get hands on a 500i i would sell my 066 and one of my 361s. i have 4 saws, 3 would be perfect. lesser is less maintenance, less stuff that goes bad without use

My saw line up is ms170-ms250-026-ms362-500i. And that’s perfect for myself working on the ground, I could use a 200t for climbing. I could never go back to less saws,
I pick the saw specific to each job, whichever is easier on my body and gets job done fastest lol

[teakwood]

you can loose the 250, 026 and have a new 261, that will do for both of them. light and powerfull. the 170 i don't know

i have 260, 361, 361, 066. and a small makita one hand battery chainsaw for the sawmill.

i need two mid size saws for when we fall teak in the plantations, one for me and one for the worker. but i would like to upgrade my saw to a 500i, the trees are getting bigger and the 361 has it's limitations. the 066 i use maybe twice a year, so the 500 could do that, with a 25" bar for splitting the occasional big log and with a 20" light for felling  

[ehp]

500i is good but you got to use the power , I see so many guys just let the saw cut and the saw is running quite rich , if running a 20 inch bar on them gear it up with a 8 pin and push 

[ehp]

One thing thou guys is saw prices are sure climbing and because no saws there are no deals , you pay what they want or the next 10 guys will , for what I paid for this last 500i is the most I have ever paid for a chainsaw ever , with our lovely 13% HST tax added on saw was $1997. 

[HemlockKing]

you can loose the 250, 026 and have a new 261, that will do for both of them. light and powerfull. the 170 i don't know

i have 260, 361, 361, 066. and a small makita one hand battery chainsaw for the sawmill.

i need two mid size saws for when we fall teak in the plantations, one for me and one for the worker. but i would like to upgrade my saw to a 500i, the trees are getting bigger and the 361 has it's limitations. the 066 i use maybe twice a year, so the 500 could do that, with a 25" bar for splitting the occasional big log and with a 20" light for felling  

In my hands I don’t notice too much difference between the 500i and 362 , obviously the 500i rips through woods faster but weight/feel wise not much . I still
End up using the 362 now since I’m trying to leave my 500i for mostly CS milling and the odd monster pine

[HemlockKing]

500i is good but you got to use the power , I see so many guys just let the saw cut and the saw is running quite rich , if running a 20 inch bar on them gear it up with a 8 pin and push

Mine don't like
Small wood, 4 strokes until it bites into something 6-8" +

[ehp]

I donot cut anything that small unless its limbs on the tree I fell, I run 24 inch most times and a hungry chain to stop the 4 stroking

[HemlockKing]

Me neither but like you said you fall a tree and a couple limbs here and there, smaller co leaders etc. 20inch bar here and never cut unless it's burying my feet in large chips 

[teakwood]

In my hands I don't notice too much difference between the 500i and 362 , obviously the 500i rips through woods faster but weight/feel wise not much .

That's exactly what i need, same weight but more grunt!

[teakwood]

500i is good but you got to use the power , I see so many guys just let the saw cut and the saw is running quite rich , if running a 20 inch bar on them gear it up with a 8 pin and push 

Good point, would have to try that out. Teak is very dense, very dense and the saw bogs down alot. and now i get into 14-18" trees and they are getting bigger every year, the 361 with an 18" bar is just not doing it anymore but as we have a nasty hot climate and lots of slopes and with the chainsawpants and the gear on every pound counts.

if they would just sell the 500i here! :'( will have to make a trip to the north to get one or i still waiting for the first of you guys vacationing here and bring me one. but it seems that loggers don't do much vacations :D 

[Skeans1]

@teakwood 
The 500's really need an aggressive chain to keep from 4 stroking even with a long bar. I'd be willing to bet the 462 would fit your needs better it loves short bars the filter is a little better but nothing to brag about in my opinion, but it's more of a screamer.

[Tacotodd]

Whatever you decide upon (if it's a 500I or a 462CM) you HAVE TO KEEP A SHARP CHAIN ON! To many reports of them not, umm, cooperating with even a SLIGHTLY dull chain. The auto correct style saws are very, temperamental about a slightly dull chain.

Just food for thought

[barbender]

What saw isn't temperamental about a dull chain? It surprises me how dull the chain on my firewood processor can be, and continue to cut very well. It has a 38hp Kohler and a 404 harvester saw bar. Idk if it's just that there is that much more power on tap, but even with my Husky 390xp, if you touch a little dirt you will wear yourself out trying to force it through one last cut. Maybe I'm just not as strong as that hydraulic feed on the processor 😁

[ehp]

been running a 462 on the landing for just over a year and its never sharp cause always bucking up in sand covered trees with zero problems . To me I would think the 462 would fit Teakwood better than the 500i , 462 is a pretty nice saw to run but I'm guessing you do not need the Arctic model lol

[ehp]

muffler temp is pretty hot on these new saws so make sure you do not touch it or your going to know it 

[Tacotodd]

 :D

[teakwood]

Back to square one with both of you comments about the 462 being a better saw for me  ???. Ether way there is no 462 or 500i sold in this country, so i would have to try out both in another place. Maybe next year i will do a trip back to Switzerland, there i know some people with saws

[Skeans1]

Whatever you decide upon (if it's a 500I or a 462CM) you HAVE TO KEEP A SHARP CHAIN ON! To many reports of them not, umm, cooperating with even a SLIGHTLY dull chain. The auto correct style saws are very, temperamental about a slightly dull chain.

Just food for thought

There's also a huge difference between sharp and aggressive. You'd have to have a chain more then a little dull to cause an issue with the computer controlled saws all the years I've ran them I haven't had an issue.

[Skeans1]

Back to square one with both of you comments about the 462 being a better saw for me  ???. Ether way there is no 462 or 500i sold in this country, so i would have to try out both in another place. Maybe next year i will do a trip back to Switzerland, there i know some people with saws

Simple fix of DHL. One thing I can say I don't care for the 462 myself I've ran a 32 on it and it will pull it if my chains aren't super aggressive but a 28 is what I'd call max for it. The 500 is full comp square all day 32's and 36's it probably could pull a 42 but it'd never oil it the oiler is lacking in a big way.