Chain Saw Chat

CJhaughey

Got out and about outside today, cut some firewood up and gave the saws a run to keep them fresh, I mix Aspen blue bottle with my own oil @40:1 and it really makes a difference to them over time.
Homelite Super XL Auto Oiler, 56cc of hand numbing vibrating saw. fun but not for long.


Zenoah G500AVS, Lots of copies these days but this one is made in Japan,
Before Husqvarna took them over. Tsumura bar on this one.
Smooth and easy to use all day.


Husky 262XPG. 1990 so it qualifies for vintage tax, but will still outcut a lot of newer saws, I rebuilt it some years ago and it runs strong plenty of compression on this one, which is why it has a Stihl rubber start handle.
Good when shutting down as well as it saves on starter wear.
Heated grips are nice in cold conditions as well.

bassy

have uploaded some pics for you jayzeus to take a look,i stripped the carb last night and gave it a clean but to be honest I didn't really see any crap or gunk in it.
also took off the exhaust and gave that a good old clean while I was at it,you can see the piston in picture.
put it all back together.put it on full choke gave quite a few pulls and nothing,so then when it was on full choke I kept my finger pushed down hard on the full choke switch and she took off,turned off full choke she started up and was purring nicely.

I think the carb is not opening enough on full choke and when I pushed down on the switch for full choke seem to be enough of a push there to open the choke more and she gave the noise where you know to turn off the choke and another pull on idle off she went.

it will be interesting later to try it when the saw is cold and see will my theory of pushing down on the full choke switch start her,if it does then it seems the carb is not opening enough by just putting it on full choke.

https://ibb.co/zQLdVgM
https://ibb.co/QPNwkB7
https://ibb.co/3yyfkhJ
https://ibb.co/SsBQ1Gq
https://ibb.co/DQYwrMG
https://ibb.co/Y7g12fD
https://ibb.co/89RY1jx
https://ibb.co/X345B78
https://ibb.co/bWTBGvr
https://ibb.co/xzbWKRS
https://ibb.co/BwvhQ3t

bassy

just tried my saw again from cold and just to confirm it was the choke switch when on full choke it was,nt quite opening the carb enough to fire the saw.
so a gentle push down on the choke switch with my finger and 2-3 pulls it goes to start,then off with the full choke and a pull or 2 and shes running well am happy it was a simple problem.

Good man. Nothing wrong anyway that I can see in those pictures. Saw's nice and clean. Forgot they had an inboard clutch too, but no odds. Glad you got it worked out in the end up.

bassy

JayZeus wrote: »

Good man. Nothing wrong anyway that I can see in those pictures. Saw's nice and clean. Forgot they had an inboard clutch too, but no odds. Glad you got it worked out in the end up.

thanks jay,ye the saw is in great condition very clean and never dogged.
just a pity I did,nt cop the problem before I took off the carb,but sure what harm at least it got a cleaning etc as did the exhaust while I was at it I said I may as well.

and thanks for your kind help,i know I probably frustrated you at times lol thanks again jay

bassy

heres my little wee stihl

https://ibb.co/7SrF13c

CJhaughey

I haven't used the 181 but the 180 was a nice little saw.

Nekarsulm

Have a 170, very handy for fencing and lighter stuff.

bassy

CJhaughey wrote: »

I haven't used the 181 but the 180 was a nice little saw.

There exact same really,think the only difference is that the 181 both fuel and oil tank are a wee bit bigger.

Bullocks

Lads where is the best place for sthil chainsaws around the west. I'm thinking of treating myself to either a 462 or 500i, the price I got was €1250 and €1399 local and I thought I might do a bit better.
Which saw would ye go for? I'm only farming but keep 3 houses of fire wood cut from a lot of big Ash growing and falling around.

Heavy handed

Bullocks wrote: »

Lads where is the best place for sthil chainsaws around the west. I'm thinking of treating myself to either a 462 or 500i, the price I got was €1250 and €1399 local and I thought I might do a bit better.
Which saw would ye go for? I'm only farming but keep 3 houses of fire wood cut from a lot of big Ash growing and falling around.

What shops have you tried. All the shops will vary but most will match prices. Wouldn’t mind a 500i myself but can’t justify one at the moment. Have a ms660 and ms880 along with a few smaller saws

Bullocks

Heavy handed wrote: »

What shops have you tried. All the shops will vary but most will match prices. Wouldn’t mind a 500i myself but can’t justify one at the moment. Have a ms660 and ms880 along with a few smaller saws

Only one in Galway so far, I'm in no rush but would prefer to deal local if possible. €1400snots is more than I should be spending aswell really but I'd hope to have it for a long time

Heavy handed

Bullocks wrote: »

Only one in Galway so far, I'm in no rush but would prefer to deal local if possible. €1400snots is more than I should be spending aswell really but I'd hope to have it for a long time

500i is new territory in the saw world and apart from the odd post you’d see on social media about it there’s not much else. Apparently a great saw and sounds like it would be ideal for big ash. Haven’t had personal experience with the 462 but from the few people I know with them, they all say there brilliant and handle all they throw at them. Mower.ie has the 500i for €1275

ednwireland

Bullocks wrote: »

Lads where is the best place for sthil chainsaws around the west. I'm thinking of treating myself to either a 462 or 500i, the price I got was €1250 and €1399 local and I thought I might do a bit better.
Which saw would ye go for? I'm only farming but keep 3 houses of fire wood cut from a lot of big Ash growing and falling around.

https://robertkee.ie/category/professional-forestry/1/stihl

462 1135

500i 1285

luckily its my local shop

Large bottle small glass

https://www.forestry.com/editorial/equipments/result-long-term-testing-stihl-ms-500i/

There's a 3 month review of the 500i.

I'd wait longer with new technology myself and let others be testing it. Also buying from a local dealer if he was capable would be essential for me.

I'd be asking myself why I need a saw that powerful for non professional use? Would a pro 50/60 cc saw do you if you skilled up?

Bullocks

https://monaghanhire.com/collections/chainsaws/products/stihl-ms-462-c-m-lightweight-chainsaw
I'll ring these lads today. Seems to be the best price online anyhow

CJhaughey

I wonder how long the 500i will be around? It doesn't seem like a saw that fits in anywhere in the plan unless Stihl plan on making a few based on that chassis.
I'm in the market for a 90cc + saw and trying to decide what to go for, I plan on doing a little milling, not much just a Larch and an Oak for now but you never know what you will come across in the future so I am torn between a 390XP and a 3120XP, the 90cc can still be used as a felling saw but the 3120 is a little big for general felling although it would be a fine mill saw.
Don't say get both! I have enough for the moment already.

O.A.P

I have a 395xp and can't fault it . I'm not sure how long I have it 8 maybe 10 years and it's not always brought out on the smaller stuff because its heavy. It has two bars 24 and 30 inch and would mill timber no doubt if I had that kind of work for it.
The 3120xp is for milling only I'd say it's just to heavy for anything else.

3120XP, no question about it.

CJhaughey

I happened upon a very good deal on a 390xp so good I couldn't pass it up.
390xp-395xp and 3120xp are now discontinued so not even available new any longer.
No doubt there will be a 59?xp somewhere in the future but for now I may as well get milling and offset the price of the saw somewhat.
I have to get a B&C for it not sure what size to go for, I know milling loses a little width but I'd like to keep it somewhat balanced as well for felling.

Bullocks

CJhaughey wrote: »

I happened upon a very good deal on a 390xp so good I couldn't pass it up.
390xp-395xp and 3120xp are now discontinued so not even available new any longer.
No doubt there will be a 59?xp somewhere in the future but for now I may as well get milling and offset the price of the saw somewhat.
I have to get a B&C for it not sure what size to go for, I know milling loses a little width but I'd like to keep it somewhat balanced as well for felling.

Would it be worth getting a bar for milling and one for felling? Bit of a cost but maybe better have the right bar for milling anyhow cos it won't be easy on a saw

O.A.P

One third the cc of the saw is a rule I've read somewhere , here maybe.
I got a 30 inch bar for the 395 when I needed more than the 24 inch it came with and it has no bother at all with it. It's a nicer saw to work with when the smaller bar is on though.
It's hardly ever on though so it might be a matter of getting used to it.
That's a long way of saying Bullocks right.

Worth looking for a package deal for bar and chains if you’re considering the Granberg mill. I got mine bundled with a big Tsumura solid bar with replaceable sprocket tips and a couple of Carlton skip chains. Long time ago now but if I remember correctly the bar and chains were about half off with the 36” capacity mill compared to buying separately.

CJhaughey

JayZeus wrote: »

Worth looking for a package deal for bar and chains if you’re considering the Granberg mill. I got mine bundled with a big Tsumura solid bar with replaceable sprocket tips and a couple of Carlton skip chains. Long time ago now but if I remember correctly the bar and chains were about half off with the 36” capacity mill compared to buying separately.

I must have a search around, there are a lot more mills around now and the prices seem to have come down a lot.
I have been looking at the Panther Mills from Rob Dyer in the UK which look pretty good and he has B+C kits as well, I'd like to go for a Tsumura or one of the lightened bars for felling and crosscutting but for the mill I would probably go for a solid as well as being cheaper I feel they are more rigid and less prone to movement compared with a laminated type bar.

zetecescort

not a saw but still 2 stroke.

Will running a strimmer with a cracked primer bulb allow it to draw in extra air and cause damage?

stock>

wont cause damage but will draw air and probably not run................................................

Bullocks

zetecescort wrote: »

not a saw but still 2 stroke.

Will running a strimmer with a cracked primer bulb allow it to draw in extra air and cause damage?

I have a small dolmar that cuts and runs like a demon. The primer bulb perished a few months ago but it still starts and runs no bother. I was expecting it to give trouble but its sound so far and I've cut 4 dump trailers of timber in the last few weeks without missing a beat.
I bought one but haven't got around to putting it in yet

zetecescort

thanks. its starts and runs fine. only used it a little around the house today and will get it fixed once the local dealer opens again

stock>

zetecescort wrote: »

thanks. its starts and runs fine. only used it a little around the house today and will get it fixed once the local dealer opens again

https://eurosmallengineparts.ie/
have a look here you might be able to get one delivered.................................

CJhaughey

You could always join the fuel hoses with a small tube like the inside of a pen or similar as long as its fuel safeish.
It won't start as easy as a primer bulb but repeated pulls will induce enough vacuum after a while.

00wyk

CJhaughey wrote: »

I happened upon a very good deal on a 390xp so good I couldn't pass it up.
390xp-395xp and 3120xp are now discontinued so not even available new any longer.
No doubt there will be a 59?xp somewhere in the future but for now I may as well get milling and offset the price of the saw somewhat.
I have to get a B&C for it not sure what size to go for, I know milling loses a little width but I'd like to keep it somewhat balanced as well for felling.

What did you end up going with on the milling side of things?

CJhaughey

00wyk wrote: »

What did you end up going with on the milling side of things?

I bought a 390xp from a guy in Greece who has sent it, but due to the present situation its somewhere between there and here, I can see by the tracking that it has left Greece but not arrived here yet.
My post mistress told me there is over a million items of post in Dublin waiting! so it might be a while.
I haven't bothered ordering anything else while I wait for the powerhead to arrive.:(
I guess it depends a lot on the frequency of air traffic from wherever you are ordering from, because I have got stuff from the US and UK recently albeit slower than normal.
You still can't send stuff from Ireland to Greece either.
Anyway, hopefully when it arrives I can get started, Looking forward to a brand new saw, never bought one BN before.

00wyk

CJhaughey wrote: »

I bought a 390xp from a guy in Greece who has sent it, but due to the present situation its somewhere between there and here, I can see by the tracking that it has left Greece but not arrived here yet.
My post mistress told me there is over a million items of post in Dublin waiting! so it might be a while.
I haven't bothered ordering anything else while I wait for the powerhead to arrive.:(
I guess it depends a lot on the frequency of air traffic from wherever you are ordering from, because I have got stuff from the US and UK recently albeit slower than normal.
You still can't send stuff from Ireland to Greece either.
Anyway, hopefully when it arrives I can get started, Looking forward to a brand new saw, never bought one BN before.

Oh dear. I wonder is it that Greek guy off the AS site? The one that is an American/Grecian(?) in Greece that is a Stihl dealer?


Anywho, I understand the issue with the shipping side of things. You basically have to deal with the EU and UK only(at least for now) and use private carriers like DHL etc if you want any chance of expediency at all. I have a thing I ordered off of Brezos' site for our tiny whippet to be comfy in the car that hasn't arrived for over a month so far. The little monster is like a big spider crawling about the place while we're driving - it's an emergency don't you know?



Because of brexit, I am in the middle of negotiating with a UK company to carry their stock for Irish sales. As it is, I have to think long and hard about it even though I am currently their only Irish carrier for some items already. We just dunno between Covid and Brexit what is going to happen. Seeing how Bojo is negotiating isn't making any of us confident in a deal.

CJhaughey

Yeah I got it from Dan, in fairness to him it isn't his fault, but no-one expected that there would be a complete shutdown of the postal service.
I can't complain its the same price as a 550XP mk2 is here plus anything north of the 572xp is no longer sold in the EU.
Its not just Ireland but all of the EU so far and probably further away soon.
Most fallers are happy enough with 70cc saws even in the PNW long bar territory so I guess the idea behind the 390-395 and 3120 is that they are just big block dinosaws and will eventually be phased out everywhere with a powerful 5 series 70+cc saw replacing them.

I wouldn't be at all confident about continued trading with the UK, once they are out of the transition phase VAT will be an issue.
And any stuff you can get from the UK will generally be available from the US at lower prices and probably slightly slower postage, although I have found the speed of postage can sometimes be faster than getting stuff in from the UK.
Germany is pretty competitive for most stuff and is the same currency which removes a lot of the uncertainty as well.

00wyk

That's exactly what we're trying to do. Get as much stock over here before tariffs or what not happen. He ships a huge amount, so right now the shipping isn't bad to Ireland. But it may well be in the immediate future. You probably know the site, too. So, hopefully we can work sumfin out and I can start advertising here and other places as their Irish entity while this whole Brexit tornado turns and turns.

As far as 70cc saws - when I was in Oregon and Washington I used four saws that I recall fondly: An 044, an 046, a 372xp and a 385xp. I still own an 044 that I recently ported myself. I just like the feel of the rubber AV. I also have a mildly ported 288 for the big stuff. My finger tips are a bit numb nowadays, tho, from years of bad AV

Here's a few of our saws on the estate I am testing out on an oak log - the 044 and 288 are towards the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icMIwpPKdi8

CJhaughey

Well guess what turned up on my doorstep this morning!

O.A.P

CJhaughey wrote: »

Well guess what turned up on my doorstep this morning!

Fine saw , well ware.

CJhaughey

O.A.P wrote: »

Fine saw , well ware.

Thanks I haven't even put fuel or oil in it yet, need to get a bar or two and some chains and go from there.

00wyk

They are good lil sawrs

893bet

I am expecting a Husqvarna 130. Small saw to compliment the Stihl MS290 that I have.

Last Husqvarna I had was a 435 (I think) and it was a lemon. Hope this one is better.

hopeso

I need a new exhaust for my Stihl 039. I went to my local dealer about a month ago to get one. He told me he would have one in a few days, and phone me when he got it, but that was the last I heard of it....
I went online tonight to see what’s available. I ended up on eBay, where there’s any amount of complete exhausts (including bolts, nuts, gasket) available from China for about €15 with free postage. I’m normally one to buy genuine whenever possible, but I wonder if it would be worth chancing one of these at that money? I imagine the genuine Stihl bolts alone would nearly cost that.....and probably come from China anyway.
Failing that, can anyone recommend an online seller to supply a genuine one?

jmreire

A question for experienced chain saw users ( more experienced than me anyway !!! ) what is your opinion of the Husqvarna 460 Rancher-20" bar? If you had /have one presently, would you be inclined to keep it or change it if the opportunity presented itself?

Heavy handed

hopeso wrote: »

I need a new exhaust for my Stihl 039. I went to my local dealer about a month ago to get one. He told me he would have one in a few days, and phone me when he got it, but that was the last I heard of it....
I went online tonight to see what’s available. I ended up on eBay, where there’s any amount of complete exhausts (including bolts, nuts, gasket) available from China for about €15 with free postage. I’m normally one to buy genuine whenever possible, but I wonder if it would be worth chancing one of these at that money? I imagine the genuine Stihl bolts alone would nearly cost that.....and probably come from China anyway.
Failing that, can anyone recommend an online seller to supply a genuine one?

L&S engineers in the uk is where I get all my parts. If you know the part number you’ll find it on there website. Takes about a week to come if they’ve one in stock.

CJhaughey

jmreire wrote: »

A question for experienced chain saw users ( more experienced than me anyway !!! ) what is your opinion of the Husqvarna 460 Rancher-20" bar? If you had /have one presently, would you be inclined to keep it or change it if the opportunity presented itself?

What are you doing with it?
If its just firewood and general usage, I would say they are fine for that.

That's what they are designed for in any case.
Thats a US market saw though, not an EU model just FYI, thats probably why it has a 20" bar I think they spec 18" on the 455 but the mount is the same K095 as the 455.

jmreire

CJhaughey wrote: »

What are you doing with it?
If its just firewood and general usage, I would say they are fine for that.

That's what they are designed for in any case.
Thats a US market saw though, not an EU model just FYI, thats probably why it has a 20" bar I think they spec 18" on the 455 but the mount is the same K095 as the 455.

Yes, thats a fairly accurate description of what I'd be using it for....a couple of days intense usage a few times a year, and that's about it. Locked up in it's box the rest of the time. I was just curious to know how do they compare with other saw's, and if they can be problematic, Otherwise it's fine for me, ( but like I mentioned in my post, I'm no expert.. :cool::cool: ) never had any problems with it. So Ill hold on to it. Thanks for your help.:)

blue5000

Handy if you need to sharpen the saw out in the sticks.

invicta

blue5000 wrote: »

Handy if you need to sharpen the saw out in the sticks.

For the sake of 15 euros, get a stump vise!

blue5000

00wyk wrote: »

That's exactly what we're trying to do. Get as much stock over here before tariffs or what not happen. He ships a huge amount, so right now the shipping isn't bad to Ireland. But it may well be in the immediate future. You probably know the site, too. So, hopefully we can work sumfin out and I can start advertising here and other places as their Irish entity while this whole Brexit tornado turns and turns.

As far as 70cc saws - when I was in Oregon and Washington I used four saws that I recall fondly: An 044, an 046, a 372xp and a 385xp. I still own an 044 that I recently ported myself. I just like the feel of the rubber AV. I also have a mildly ported 288 for the big stuff. My finger tips are a bit numb nowadays, tho, from years of bad AV

Here's a few of our saws on the estate I am testing out on an oak log - the 044 and 288 are towards the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icMIwpPKdi8

I see in that vid you have an echo. I am looking for a lighter 30-40cc saw and some ppl say the echo runs very hot. Have you found this?

have2flushtwice

Looking for a pruning saw, light use. There's a timberpro on done deal for 180, are they any good?

blue5000

Good video explaining how a two stroke carburetor works.