stihl 500 i

[ehp]

In my wood the 462 is good with the 20 inch and ok running a 24inch setup . The 500i runs the 24 inch setup better and ok with 28 inch setup but your going to have to baby it fairly good running a 32 or 36 inch bar setup . We're not cutting soft wood .  But for me to run a 36 inch bar setup the tree has to be huge for out here . 6 ft on stump or bigger in diameter . Biggest tree I have cut here was with my ported 372 xt and it was 84 inch on stump hard maple in a deep gut and that was with a 36 inch bar setup and I was surprised that it ran that bar pretty good  but that motor had alot of lathe and porting done to it . 

[John Mc]

Yup - I too can only get what is 'reported to be' ethanol-free gas in the highest octane version - which around here is 91 at the pump unless I mix in some 100 LL (which I do occasionally) at 50/50 ratio along with the 91.

I'm curious what you hope to gain by mixing in 100LL. Once you have enough octane to prevent preignition, more octane does not translate into more power. The only time the higher octane is needed is if you are running a saw that has been modified for higher compression. 100LL does tend to have higher shelf life than non-ethanol unleaded (and both 100LL and E0 gas have higher shelf life than E10 gas). Other than that, the only thing 100LL is getting you is the opportunity to breathe in some tetraethyl lead (a potent neurotoxin) and a chance to build up some sludge in your saw (though sludge and lead deposits are usually not a big issue if the saw is tuned correctly and you don't let it idle extensively).

[teakwood]

Very interesting posts about the bar length, the 20" is probably all i ever need, maybe a 22", but i won´t run around with a 24", the temps and vegetation will give you a hard time.

There's also a huge difference between sharp and aggressive

Very true, i can not use a aggressive chain, it always hooks into the wood fiber and stalls the saw. Maybe with the stronger saw this problem will be less. Also the chain newer stays sharp for a long time, i fell 4-5 trees and you already feel the lack of sharpening, fell 4 more and it´s time to refuel and sharp again. Teak has this natural oil in it which is very tool damaging but also makes the wood insects and weather resistant.

[ehp]

That's just like here cause of all the sand in the bark from the wind blowing in off the fields . Lots of days I cut 10 to 20 trees at best and have to file the chain on the falling saw.  The one 500 I have is from out west and I'm sure has the harder rubber mounts in it . This new 500 is for sure softer in the mounts but nicer to run . The other 500 seems to make my hands go to sleep first couple hitches in the morning . The 462 is aot more saw than a 361 so it should do the job

[Skeans1]

@ehp 
They have the same rubber mounts unless someone put a west coast saws kit on it even then it's still a soft saw. 

[YellowHammer]

I'm not dogging the 462, but I had post recently where I was having trouble with mine.  I finally got it worked out, but traded it for a 500i.  Both are significantly lighter than my 660, both "feel" about the same weight as my traded in 360 something, but the 500i is a much "better" feeling saw than my 462, and cuts nearly as fast as my 660.  It has become my favorite saw, and I use it almost every day on pump gas and Stihl Silver oil.  I use the 25 inch light bar.  

The good news is, the 500i starts very easy, but it does have a comical leaf blower style primer bulb.  That being said, its a lot easier to prime a chainsaw saw with a primer bulb than by pulling the rope.   :D :D

I really like my 500i, it's never more than a 3 pull start after priming, even cold.  When it's warm, it's a one pull.  

[ehp]

my 500i came with the west coast stuff on it and so did Pete's as they came from the island , I never ordered this saw Pete did so I'm not sure what he all got , It works good 

[barbender]

YH, I really don't know why people are so down on primer bulbs. Like you say, I'd rather prime it with a bulb than a pull rope🤷‍♂️

[customsawyer]

I've never cared for the primer bulbs because they dry rot so easy in my neck of the woods. Up until recently my saws rode in the back of my truck most of the time. This let the sun work on all of the plastic. I would have needed several primer bulbs in inventory for how often one would go down. Now that my saws stay in my shop or under shelter it may not be as much of a problem.

[HemlockKing]

I've never cared for the primer bulbs because they dry rot so easy in my neck of the woods. Up until recently my saws rode in the back of my truck most of the time. This let the sun work on all of the plastic. I would have needed several primer bulbs in inventory for how often one would go down. Now that my saws stay in my shop or under shelter it may not be as much of a problem.

As far as I'm concerned, the sun is just as bad as the rain! Even worse when it has rained then strong sun comes out, magnifying the sun

[YellowHammer]

Funny story.

I have had one time the saw wouldn't start, which happened a couple weeks ago.  One of the guys was pulling and pulling on the starter rope.  It would burp and die, burp and die.  So I holler out to the guy in the log yard "prime it!" and he hollers back "I did, its flooded!!"  So he keeps pulling to clear the flood, aka standard procedure for a carbureted saw.  So I walk over there because this is very unusual for this saw.  After a detailed explanation from him about the issues with the new saw, how it wasn't as good as "they" say, I pull out my Sherlock Holmes and open up the gas cap.  Yep....bone dry.... :D :D :D :D :D :D


At that point I have a situation.  The saw has been run dry which is real bad for some saws, like the 462, because it shifts the fuel map and could make it real hard to start and maybe require recalibration.  So I refill the saw, pushed the primer bulb about a dozen times, held my breath, pulled the rope and it roared to life.  Then I laughed, and made a comment about when the saw runs out of gas, fill it up.....      

[teakwood]

I hate when the workers don't get how to start the saw :. pull the cord with the lever full way down, in choke, they don't hear the pop and start pulling a thousand times more  : : : :. of course the saw is flooded now and let her sit or get the plug out 

[Skeans1]

YH, I really don't know why people are so down on primer bulbs. Like you say, I'd rather prime it with a bulb than a pull rope🤷‍♂️

Something as simple as a primer bulb can cost you good money when you're doing production cutting. Say you have that bulb go out now you're hiking out with a broken saw your gear as well as the lost production of that day it could cost you pretty good.

[Tacotodd]

I hate when the workers don't get how to start the saw :. pull the cord with the lever full way down, in choke, they don't hear the pop and start pulling a thousand times more  : : : :. of course the saw is flooded now and let her sit or get the plug out

Maybe they need to have their hearing checked ;D

[doc henderson]

as well the primer bulb should feel different when it is pulling fuel, and of course you can look untill they get dark brown.  some of my smaller saws and equipment have them.  out of fuel should have been apprent while pushing the primer bulb.

[Skeans1]

as well the primer bulb should feel different when it is pulling fuel, and of course you can look untill they get dark brown.  some of my smaller saws and equipment have them.  out of fuel should have been apprent while pushing the primer bulb.

The 500 has a different feel to it because it's not getting hard it's just priming the injector the same task can done by using the pull rope to prime it.

[ehp]

I myself donot really like the primer ball as I know it's going to screw up and crack and suck air before to long  and as far as starting   if I take my old 462 and you take your new 500i and both saws cold and startvat the same time to get them started . I will have my 462 running by the time your done pushing the primer . First start in the morning 3 or 4 pulls total for the 462 and its holds its primer alot better where the 500i does not 

[YellowHammer]

I'm not in that big a hurry to get my saw started.   :D :D

My logs are on the log yard and aren't going anywhere, and if I see one run away by the time I get my saw primed, that would be cool, too. :D :D
      

[ehp]

I like the new 500i better than the first 500i, this new one seems to pull pretty good , muffler was blue/purple color in 3 tanks 

[HemlockKing]

I like the new 500i better than the first 500i, this new one seems to pull pretty good , muffler was blue/purple color in 3 tanks

I have noticed mine was blue/purple and I was worried I was overheating it, that saw really does put off heat?


Another thing I’ll add about the 500i is the chain/clutch cover is plastic, I don’t not like that. 

[teakwood]

does anybody made a muffler mod yet on a 500i? is it possible? if they put out alot of heat a muffler mod would help extremely with the cooling 

[Skeans1]

@teakwood 
Yeah west coast saws does as well Egons they both have covers for them but as a warning it makes they a tad bit loud.

[teakwood]

  So you can buy just the muffler cover already made with twin port and just screw them on? that´s great, the tad more loud doesn´t bother me, i have no neighbors and always use earplugs

[ehp]

Yes . I build my own and no where even close to as loud as the others and I get as much performance if not more out of mine .  Just pounding a hole in the muffler does not mean more power but sure does mean more noise  and some motors if the porting is not changed really donot gain much on just a muffler mod . New saws are not like the old design where most times you gain 20% .   

[teakwood]

Interesting, i did it myself on the 361 , dual port muffler, and it really helped. i would say 15% gain in power and throttle response.
Do you have a foto of your cover?