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routine saw maintenance

Started by Robert R, March 13, 2007, 11:17:56 PM

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Robert R

I have a Stihl 021 that I dearly love.  I wish they still made it.  But this winter, after getting caught out in a rain storm with an hour-and-a-half horse ride home, it got soaked.  It never has run right since.  It will run fine but after you shut it down to move brush or whatever, it won't start back up until it has completely cooled off.  I have never taken proper care of this saw.  Just keeping chains sharp and replacing the bar once.  I much prefer this saw to my larger one just because it is so much lighter.  I decided today to try to do something nice for it and maybe it would run better.  I replaced the air filter and put in a new spark plug.  I haven't had a chance to give it a good work out yet but will tomorrow.  Is there something other that I should consider doing to put some life back into the old fellow.  It may just be darn near wore out.  It was my only saw for a long while and I wouldn't even want to guess how many cords it has cut, not to mention being rained on, getting drop and once being stepped on by Molly.  Any suggestions.
chaplain robert
little farm/BIG GOD

sawguy21

I suggest pulling the muffler and looking for excessive play in the piston or ring lands. You could be right, it might just be tired.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Robert R

Well, he did alright today.  Still doesn't have the umph that he used to.  Pulling mufflers and checking piston things would be homicidal to the saw if I did it.  Since the season is almost over now, I think I will let him take a vacation to the saw spa and see if they can help him out.  I don't have a clue as to what would be the same size Stihl saw out there now for the 021.  Is it the 025?  I bought that saw just to clean up brush after an ice storm before I did any type of firewood or logging stuff and it has been my mainstay ever since.  Got more than the $100 or so use out of it as a homeowner special from one of the box stores.  If it comes to it, what would you recommend replacing it with.  I also have a Stihl 390.  That one I regret.  It is a great saw but I should have ponied up the few extra bucks for the 440.
chaplain robert
little farm/BIG GOD

sawguy21

The 021 is now the MS210. It is not available here, the closest we get is the 40cc MS230. More power with little difference in weight or price. I don't blame you for not liking the MS390, it is too heavy.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Ianab

A ms200 might be a good replacement. Same 35 cc and it's a rear handle version of the very highly respected ms200T. Would make a very nice small limbing saw. Otherwise go up to a MS 260.

The other Stihls in that range are in the same class as the 390, OK saws, but nothing special.

Cheers

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

jokers

I recommend the ms250 in this case. It is quite a bit more powerful than the 021 but doesn`t weigh or cost a bunch more. The 260 is a huge step up price wise and the performance gains probably won`t support the extra cash outlay, especially since my limited exposure to the newest, larger bore 260s shows them to be somewhat sluggish. Maybe they are all like this now that the engine has been changed?

SawTroll

 The 021 is one of the saws that I definately wouldn't want to use, even the 250 is marginal at best........ smiley_hanged smiley_hanged


...Huskys are much better in the class of saws.........smiley_clapping
Information collector.

logger

Quote from: Robert R on March 14, 2007, 09:44:07 PM
Well, he did alright today.  Still doesn't have the umph that he used to.  Pulling mufflers and checking piston things would be homicidal to the saw if I did it.  Since the season is almost over now, I think I will let him take a vacation to the saw spa and see if they can help him out.  I don't have a clue as to what would be the same size Stihl saw out there now for the 021.  Is it the 025?  I bought that saw just to clean up brush after an ice storm before I did any type of firewood or logging stuff and it has been my mainstay ever since.  Got more than the $100 or so use out of it as a homeowner special from one of the box stores.  If it comes to it, what would you recommend replacing it with.  I also have a Stihl 390.  That one I regret.  It is a great saw but I should have ponied up the few extra bucks for the 440.

I don't blame you for regretting the 390.  But if you want a 044/440 size saw, you don't have to get a new one.  Just buy a good used one that is still strong, or if it is weak, then just get a Big Bore kit from bailey's, maxflow air filter kit from them also, and a dual port muffler.  That should be all you would need.  Or you could send it to somebody like dave neiger. :) ;D 8)
220 Poulan            Future Saws         
Stihl MS280             Jonsered CS2171              
Stihl MS440 Magnum Husky 575XP  
Stihl MS460 Magnum   Dolmar PS-7900
Husky 385xp            Stihl MS361  Stihl MS441 Magnum
Stihl 066 Magnum       Stihl MS660 Magnum

jokers

Quote from: logger on March 18, 2007, 02:06:17 PM
.........if you want a 044/440 size saw, you don't have to get a new one.  Just buy a good used one that is still strong, or if it is weak, then just get a Big Bore kit from bailey's, maxflow air filter kit from them also, and a dual port muffler. That should be all you would need.
Before I jumped the gun on buying a big bore kit I would put the same money in an OEM piston kit to rebuild a weak saw. Cylinders will normally take a few re-rings before they are clapped out if they are not heavily scored and you might as well start fresh with a new piston if the engine is tired.

The aftermarket piston kits that I have seen needed alot of work around the pin bosses to clean them up and open them like their stock counterparts, who wants the bother, and if you don`t do it right you can set up stress risers that will lead to a break or just not get the cooling flow through. The aftermarket big bore kits seem to have been made by taking an OEM cylinder and boring it out to use to make the mold to cast the others. The problem with this is that because the intake and exhaust and sometimes transfer ports are normally angled, port timing is affected negatively and the castings of the BB is so thin that you can`t go far with the grinder to restore things, nevermind hopping it up. The cylinder dome area also appears to be larger on some which will create lower compression which of course equates to lower horsepower. There were also some BB kits on the market that had excess chrome spray plating globules in the dome area that broke off during use and destroyed those topends. Be forewarned that you may need to clean up the dingleberries before using one of these cylinders.

Not all big bore kits are bad but buyer beware definitely applies.

I`d also skip the Maxx Flow. Does anyone have PROOF that they actually work to increase performance or is it a psychological thing? I`ve only tried one, on a friends 066 because he wasn`t sure that it was working as planned. We tried lightly oiled with their oil to freshly washed and no oil and the saw never ran as fast as it does with the stock filter. Of course you wouldn`t run the saw with no oil on the foam filter so that test was moot anyway.

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