Another 5100S owner

[John Mc]

That's the spark arrestor screen. It is intended to keep any stray combustion flames or sparks from blowing out the muffler and igniting something. If you remove it, you lessen the restriction on the exhaust, allowing the engine to breathe better, and make more power. Be careful if you go this route. If you are in fire-prone areas, you might be the cause of something nasty.

You may also have seen posts here about muffler modifications. They can accomplish the same thing, typically by opening up additional holes for the exhaust (some add screens to these holes as well). If your saw has a catalytic muffler, you can make it run much cooler and have more power by switching to a non-catalytic muffler (also referred to as non-EPA).

With any of these modifications, you may have to retune your carb a bit.

I'm no expert on the subject. Just picked up a bit here and on other chainsaw sites.

John Mc

[RSteiner]

That's the spark arrestor screen. It is intended to keep any stray combustion flames or sparks from blowing out the muffler and igniting something. If you remove it, you lessen the restriction on the exhaust, allowing the engine to breathe better, and make more power. Be careful if you go this route. If you are in fire-prone areas, you might be the cause of something nasty.

You may also have seen posts here about muffler modifications. They can accomplish the same thing, typically by opening up additional holes for the exhaust (some add screens to these holes as well). If your saw has a catalytic muffler, you can make it run much cooler and have more power by switching to a non-catalytic muffler (also referred to as non-EPA).

With any of these modifications, you may have to retune your carb a bit.

I'm no expert on the subject. Just picked up a bit here and on other chainsaw sites.

John Mc

Thanks for the info. 

The one thing I don't like about some of the new saws that have to meet EPA emission standards is that you can not make adjustments to the carb, except for idle adjustments.  I am not sure if the muffler on the 5100S is a catalytic or not.  In the grand scheme of things I wonder just how much a chain saw engine contributes to diminished air quality, not counting the loss of the rain forest due to poor forestry practices.

Randy

[SawTroll]

Thanks for the info. 

The one thing I don't like about some of the new saws that have to meet EPA emission standards is that you can not make adjustments to the carb, except for idle adjustments.  I am not sure if the muffler on the 5100S is a catalytic or not.  In the grand scheme of things I wonder just how much a chain saw engine contributes to diminished air quality, not counting the loss of the rain forest due to poor forestry practices.

Randy

??? ???
Never heard of a 5100S with a cat (so far), and the carb is fully adjustable, except for the limiter tabs (that you can get around if needed).

[John Mc]

Never heard of a 5100S with a cat (so far), and the carb is fully adjustable, except for the limiter tabs (that you can get around if needed).

A bit off-topic, but...

Speaking of non-adjustable carbs, I see the Stihl MS 280 is coming with their "Intelligent Engine Management" System. It's electronic mixture control. Some blurbs from their advertising:

"Manual corrections of the carburetor's high speed screw are no longer necessary"
"electronically optimizes the fuel mixture over the whole RPM range"
"Fuel-air mixture is automatically and constantly adjusted, allowing maximum operating efficiency under varying conditions, like altitude, outside temperature, and even fuel quantity"

Sounds great, if it works. It does make me wonder if there will be a way to adjust for modifications like swapping to a non-catalytic muffler, or other more involved mods. Will the electronic control take care of this, or will we be stuck with some limited range of adjustment programmed into the electronic system?

Are all Stihl saws going this way eventually?

John Mc

[TexasTimbers]

Just thought I would say that FWIW to any future prosepctive 5100S buyers, can't compare it to a 346xp but this thing rocks. I love the way it feels, handles, and especially chews up logs. Soooooo smooth. If feels like a Cadillac compared to my modded 372xp. Not as fast of course or certainly not as powerful, but it seems to just yawn its way through a log. Like it ain't having to work as hard as you know it must be having to in order to cut like it does.

I have really laid into it a few times to bog it down and can do so as any saw will, but it takes more to do it than i thought it would. I've only run about 6 tanks through it so far too. I assume she will get even stronger. Not doubting y'all who say the 346 is even sweeter, but man it is hard to believe there could be much difference. The power band on this saw is suprising. I just don't get a feeling of a weakness anywhere from idle to WOT. On the top cover of the saw is written

                  14,500
S P E E D

And that ain't no lie. Serilda sings soprano.

[RSteiner]

I know what you're saying.  I thought it was just because it was and new chain that made it feel so aggressive but the saw just cuts through maple and oak like butter.  I took down a white pine for my neighbor two weeks ago and the 5100S cut through those limbs with ease. 

I have a Husky 257 that is 12 years old which is a little bigger than the Dolmar that turns 13,500 RPM even though the Dolmar is a little smaller in cubic inch displacement the RPM's make up for that. 

I have never used the 346xp so I can't say one is better than the other I do know I like the Dolmar.

Randy

[Cut4fun]

When it comes to the 49cc-51cc saws I would say just go with the make you can get the parts and dealer support and service with, plus initial purchasing price.

At the April GTG.
We ran a stock 5100 , stock  NE346xp muffler modded only, stock solo 651, stock P 5000 baffle removed from muffler only. They were so close you had to use a stop watch to tell the difference in timed cuts. They all would do a great job IMO if I was buying one new of the 3 that are offered now.

The Solo 651 was ran in a 8x8 that was alot firmer then what the other 3 cubes was ran in, because we forgot about the saw being there to demo with a 681 also. So we had someone make a timed cut in the cant we were using for the 4 cubes. The 3 cubes were faster times then the 4 cubes because of the firm block, so that says something for the 651 IMO to be able to cut the same times as the other 3 cubes.

Next class was 0-51cc 2 cuts decent 8x8 poplar

1. a5000  4.16 modded racechain
2.  260 DQ 4.25 modded racechain
3.  346 4.62  modded sq work chain
4.  346 5.22 4.90 modded sq chain
5. b5000  5.97 modded sq work chain
6.  5100 6.81 stock
7.  NE346 6.90 muffler mod
8.  651 7.19  stock  timed cut was made in FIRM 4 cube block, not the softer 3 cube cant
9. c5000 8.00 stock without baffle
10.  270 8.69
11.  5100 10.38
12. 180 12.00
13.  2800 15.87
14. 200T 24.03
15. 290 carb issues


Next class 0-65cc 2 cuts FIRM 8x8


1. 357 4.85 modded RC
2.  361 4.88 modded RC
3. 262 6.35 stock with work chain
4.  361 6.75
5.  041 9.28
6.  038AV 11.00
7.  mac5700 13.81

   
   
   
   

[TexasTimbers]

c4f what is the 5000 series in your list? I googled it but looks like it could be anything from an old Mac to a Dolmar. I even saw a refernce to a "Husky 5000". Never heard of any such model for a Husky.

I ran across this vid of a "Partner 5000" which to me looks like a Mac to me although I assume there have been other yellow saws down the years.

Partner 5000

[Cut4fun]

c4f what is the 5000 series in your list? I googled it but looks like it could be anything from an old Mac to a Dolmar. I even saw a refernce to a "Husky 5000". Never heard of any such model for a Husky.

I ran across this vid of a "Partner 5000" which to me looks like a Mac to me although I assume there have been other yellow saws down the years.

I was referring to the yellow Partner 5000 plus like in my avatar.

Here is two nice pics with specs of either side on mike acres site.

http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.nsf/ed1d619968136da688256af40002b8f7/59ded3f9317c0f8088256aff00177c35?OpenDocument

http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.nsf/ed1d619968136da688256af40002b8f7/4b0260e4a13933bc88256bda00561a7d?OpenDocument

[TexasTimbers]

Didn't even notice your avatar. I looked at the pictures. That's one fine looking saw. They were way ahead of their time in the looks department to my eye.

Not crazy about the color, but the design, "sure has great lines" as a car collector might say.  They don't run half bad either, do they. ;D

[Cut4fun]

Do you like Red TT? Jonsered had the same saw as a Jred 490 and bigger bore 590. Be right back with links. Ebay link has great pics in it, Acres links are grey scale pics.

http://cgi.ebay.com/JONSERED-CHAINSAW-490-GAS-CHAIN-SAW_W0QQitemZ190233422711QQihZ009QQcategoryZ20538QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.nsf/ed1d619968136da688256af40002b8f7/ef13ba226761052b88256b6b0018b69f?OpenDocument

http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.nsf/ed1d619968136da688256af40002b8f7/bfd14cfc4f01fa8988256b6b001a6fca?OpenDocument

[SawTroll]

The Partner P5000 probably was one of the best saw designs ever made, for its time - versions of it is still made (in Italy)......

[TexasTimbers]

I have had some ups and downs with this saw. I worked it like a loaner donkey today. It ran like a bat out of hades, but for the third time it started making a weird sound after about an hour of constant use.

If you can imagine small mexican jumping beans inside an empty canteen, then you can hear the sound. The sound also sounds sort of like raindrops hitting a very hot surface. Really like a cross between the jumping beans and the raindrops. Maybe you could call it a mechanical steam sound.  smiley_goofy_face

My hearing is bad. Ooookay. Real bad. I need hearing aids in both ears but just too stubborn to go get them. So don't ask me to pinpoit the exact location of the sound. I can't tell you if it's from the muffler area or chain drive area or Louisiana. It just makes the weird mechanical steam sound.

Besides me needing to quit my LSD habit, is there any explanation for this?

[ladylake]

 There have been some reports of 5100 saws running lean and melting down on long hard pulls. I think the high rpm specs these saws are set at are the result of EPA emissions and they should be set a little richer than what there are from the factory. If I owned one it would get adjusted a little richer. Maybe yours is a little lean and starting to detonate after getting hot or it could be something else .

[sharkey]

Bearing rattle?  What kind of gas are you using?  Reason I ask is the more I look into it the more I find that ethanol gas washes the oil off the bearings so they can skate at high rpm.  If your running 50:1 maybe go 40:1 or use gas from a different source.  Any small airports close to you?  Maybe try the 100 octane low lead that is sold for piston engine aircraft usage.

Best wishes,
Bob 

   

[TexasTimbers]

LL, what do you mean by detonation?

shark, it's not bearing rattle. The sound is only audible after it is shut down. I run the 10%+ ethanol carp they are pushing everywhere now. We do have an airport here I never remember to go get some of that. I run 40:1

[SawTroll]

When it comes to the 49cc-51cc saws I would say just go with the make you can get the parts and dealer support and service with, plus initial purchasing price.

At the April GTG.
We ran a stock 5100 , stock  NE346xp muffler modded only, stock solo 651, stock P 5000 baffle removed from muffler only. They were so close you had to use a stop watch to tell the difference in timed cuts. They all would do a great job IMO if I was buying one new of the 3 that are offered now.

The Solo 651 was ran in a 8x8 that was alot firmer then what the other 3 cubes was ran in, because we forgot about the saw being there to demo with a 681 also. So we had someone make a timed cut in the cant we were using for the 4 cubes. The 3 cubes were faster times then the 4 cubes because of the firm block, so that says something for the 651 IMO to be able to cut the same times as the other 3 cubes.

Next class was 0-51cc 2 cuts decent 8x8 poplar

1. a5000  4.16 modded racechain
2.  260 DQ 4.25 modded racechain
3.  346 4.62  modded sq work chain
4.  346 5.22 4.90 modded sq chain
5. b5000  5.97 modded sq work chain
6.  5100 6.81 stock
7.  NE346 6.90 muffler mod
8.  651 7.19  stock  timed cut was made in FIRM 4 cube block, not the softer 3 cube cant
9. c5000 8.00 stock without baffle
10.  270 8.69
11.  5100 10.38
12. 180 12.00
13.  2800 15.87
14. 200T 24.03
15. 290 carb issues


Next class 0-65cc 2 cuts FIRM 8x8


1. 357 4.85 modded RC
2.  361 4.88 modded RC
3. 262 6.35 stock with work chain
4.  361 6.75
5.  041 9.28
6.  038AV 11.00
7.  mac5700 13.81

   
   
   
   

What does that prove, when the saws have different cutting attachments, and run in only one kind and size of wood - it is totally irrelevant, but I'm sure it is fun!    ;D ;D