First auto tune saw

[hedgerow]

Took the big leap last Thursday. Hadn't bought a new saw in six years. 461 was the last new saw. I looked at a 661 last fall and ended up finding a low hour like new 660 so I bought it. The next several years we are going to be cutting a lot of hedge {Osage Orange} so a lot of brushing is going on. For smaller saws I only have a 330 Echo top handle that I normally use in my bucket lift. Myself and my two wood helpers are getting older. I don't have any Stihl dealer's real close as I live on a farm. I thought I wanted a MS261CM saw so I started shopping on the phone. Most dealers are 25 to 60 miles from me. Started calling and all were the same price and some had that model some didn't. Then I remembered my John Deere 20 miles away started selling Stihl called him he was $60.00 dollars cheaper than the rest but didn't have one I said do any or your other 26 stores have one. He looked and one 60 miles in the other direction from me had one. So I called them and told the guy to hold it and I would be there that afternoon. So I went and picked it up and he gave me a six pack of oil and the extra year warranty no charge for me driving the 60 miles to get the saw. So Saturday we had a wood cutting party and a buddy of mine put around six hours worth of run time on it and he is really liking that lighter saw for brushing. The only think he said was normally after the 461 is warmed up it will start first pull and the 261 has been taking two pulls after its warmed up. We will see how it acts after its broke in a little. So far so good. 

[doc henderson]

I have an almost 2 year old 261.  they have been a great saw.  second time in the shop.  first time I was told the air cleaner was dirty.  not.  now they will replace the fuel solenoid or I will ask for my money back.  they have up graded so hopefully it will fix the problem.  if not, I will never buy another 3 position start Stihl.  I think my mechanic is good and he said hw will test it.  it is an intermittent problem so as usual they think it is ok when they see it.  told him to fix it before the warranty is out.  It always take 1 or 2 pulls warm.  occasionally it will bog down and be flooded and not start for a day.

[doc henderson]

update:  so I called the owner of my shop.  was checking in with my mechanic, and he was at lunch so I spoke with Keith.  He said the early and mid ones did have issues, but the later ones are doing well.  He said he may just upgrade me to a new saw if my intermittent problem is not found.  thanks for lighting a fire!

[barbender]

My Stihl (my first Stihl btw) 261cm has been basically flawless. I every once in a while when I fire it up after the weather changes, it will bog a bit while it readjusts. Way faster than I could grab a screwdriver and readjust. It fires up warm for me first pull if I remember it's a Stihl and not a Husky, i.e. just pick it up and pull the cord because the switch resets to "on" automatically.

[hedgerow]

Just a update on the 261. Have burned threw the six pack of mix oil that they threw in to extend the warranty. So far the saw is running fine and seems to be getting a little more power as it is breaking end. I wished it oiled a little more. Even with the oil turned all the way up I think it should oil a little better than it does. We are cutting hedge so it's getting a work out. 

[doc henderson]

I got my 261 back and so far so good.  the mechanic could not make the solenoid misbehave, but they upgraded to the newer fuel metering unit.  we will see.  Hedge, you prob. know, but Stihl also makes a winter oil that is thinner and flows easier.  designed for cold temp, but may work to get more oil on the bar and chain.  same cost I think but in a blue jug.  not silver or orange.

[old guy]

Hey Matt, I have a new regular carb 261 ported by chainsaw Jim, you know I'me a rabid husky fan,but this saw is a jewel, starts 3 pulls cold, 1 pull warm.
 It oils the 16'' .325 well enough, I don't know about longer bars. I think your gonna like that saw.

  

[Real1shepherd]

Osage Orange...man, that takes me back! That was all over my farm in MO and most of the fence posts were that crooked stuff. Horrible looking fence rows but the stuff was impervious to rot.

Kevin

[realzed]

So far the saw is running fine and seems to be getting a little more power as it is breaking end. I wished it oiled a little more. Even with the oil turned all the way up I think it should oil a little better than it does. 

I found as others have - that it does gain a noticeable amount of torque as it breaks in.. and I found also that the oiler did seem a bit 'stingy' especially with a 20" bar I have on it.    The fix for that for me was to mix in some Tractor Supply cheap Winter grade bar oil with the regular Stihl lighter stuff and it seems to thin it - yet still keep some of the characteristics needed to stick well to the chain.. actually if anything, mine may pump out a bit too much bar oil now if anything - so the mixture traits can be tweaked some as needed, from my own experiences!  

[hedgerow]

Osage Orange...man, that takes me back! That was all over my farm in MO and most of the fence posts were that crooked stuff. Horrible looking fence rows but the stuff was impervious to rot.

Kevin

In my area there are pockets of it. The hedge we are dealing with on this 160 acre farm was planted in the 30's by the WPA crews and between it and cedars,locust and elms trees had taken over this whole farm. I bought it about 15 years ago because we owned the farms on both sides of it. We went in first and took out all the cedars and then got the 120 acres of the farm ground back in production and now are down to cleaning the 40 acres pasture up. That's were most of the hedge was planted. We are only keeping the straightest of it for post and rest is getting made into firewood for my Garn.

[Real1shepherd]

Osage Orange...man, that takes me back! That was all over my farm in MO and most of the fence posts were that crooked stuff. Horrible looking fence rows but the stuff was impervious to rot.

Kevin

In my area there are pockets of it. The hedge we are dealing with on this 160 acre farm was planted in the 30's by the WPA crews and between it and cedars,locust and elms trees had taken over this whole farm. I bought it about 15 years ago because we owned the farms on both sides of it. We went in first and took out all the cedars and then got the 120 acres of the farm ground back in production and now are down to cleaning the 40 acres pasture up. That's were most of the hedge was planted. We are only keeping the straightest of it for post and rest is getting made into firewood for my Garn.

Those were the other noxious trees...cedars & locusts volunteering all over the fence rows. I've seen locust thorns over two inches long broken off in my implements' tires. Everything got cut and dumped into sink holes.....which eventually went out of sight. That was the MO way...outa sight, outa mind, baby. :D

We had old tobacco allotments and all kinds of weirdness.

Kevin