Why do my MS200's only last a 18 months!

[Al Smith]

Just a thought, do you guys use unleaded petrol ( gas )? maybe the leaded stuff was better as it burned cooler?

 

We have not had leaded gasoline [petrol ] for years and years . I usually run Hi-test or 92 octane rating in the saws .

 

I can't say weather leaded gaosoline burns cooler or not .The tetraethel lead was added as an antiknock compound plus it aided in lubricating the exhaust valves on old 4 cycle engines .

 

However even during the leaded era McCulloch recomended what was known at the time as "white gas" which was lead free but formulated differently that modern fuels . That recomendation was for racing engines but I really don't know how many followed those guidelines .

[Theocus]

Maintenance maintenance maintenance, my 020T is used every day and its 9 years old, it is backed up by a ms200t which again is 3 years old. Only ever replaced the plugs on them and thats it. Blow the saws with a compressor every day and clear out all the snite and when they get wet and stinking, strip them apart and clean and put back together!! Its a two stroke what can go wrong!!!!

[Rob D]

18 months aint bad for a primary saw you could not be with out and is used every day ,they make there money back how many times over, would not expect them to last longer.

what annoys me is when they need new carbs after 8 months!

A tip for making them last longer is to switched to a more powerfull saw when cutting larger timber when felling instead of struggling on and burning out a 200t because its lighter.

 

18 months of daily use would be good but most of my saws only work 2 days a week on average. And I'm pretty good at maintaining them. I just think a saw should really last 3 years of pretty solid use before you have to get into the innards.

 

I spent ages talking to Stihl about the carb issue and in the end they admited having a problem. A dodgy carb is going to cause more wear in other parts of the saw.

 

I know what you mean about using a larger saw when chogging down the larger stuff but even so the 200t should still be capable of doing it if that's what you want to use. I have never burnt out a 200t but I've had loads of idling/running problems with them over the years despite carb kits and the rest.....

[Al Smith]

I spent ages talking to Stihl about the carb issue and in the end they admited having a problem.

 

I think I may have been one of the first to put pictures on the net of the faulty Zama carbs that Stihl was using at the time .Makes no diff one way or the other,they have or had problems .

 

In conversation on another forum a Stihl guru in Pacific north west of the USA ,Andy also spoke out about them .Now weather or not the company has rectified that problem or not I can't answer .

 

As it is now myself nor Andy participate in that forum any longer so I don't know what if anything has been done but I assume something .Those carbs kind of gave Stihl a black eye ,so to speak .

[Littletree]

Yep I have had problems with my MS 211 since getting it .Yet again today its back in to have something to do with the carb sorted .

 

I must of had it back about 5 times so far . I have been quite disappointed with it keep braking down I have maintained it well ever since getting it . its a great little saw but I think it just must be struggling to do the demands that I am placing on it as its only a firewood saw its not use to being worked this hard on the bigger stuff over some hours each time .

 

Not sure if its the same problems that the the 200 is having .

Eastwater

[Mozza]

I wouldnt use a 211 at all in a professional capacity Eastwater, IMO, it just wouldnt have the power, Time for a nice new shiny more powerful saw if you ask me

[Littletree]

I wouldnt use a 211 at all in a professional capacity Eastwater, IMO, it just wouldnt have the power, Time for a nice new shiny more powerful saw if you ask me

 

yep looking at the MS390 what do you think will that be up to the job ?

[Mozza]

yep looking at the MS390 what do you think will that be up to the job ?

 

Ive never used a 390 being honest, I have however used a 361 and it was brilliant, nice and light with really good pwer for its size

[Al Smith]

The 039/Ms 390 is basically a mid sized firewood cutter .They do okay but aren't really a pro grade saw .I have however seen them used in a professional situation and they seem to do fine .

 

Now then with regards to the 211 which I' ve never seen .If the mechanic is not cognisant of what they are looking for it could be over looked real easily .

 

What the problem was on the 200T carbs and perhaps on this model was a tiny crack under the metering diaphragm in the carb body which would expand as the saw heated up thus opening into the carb innards and causing a lean run condition .Unless you have eyes like an eagle it can be very ellusive to find .Sherlock Holmes' spy glass helps .

[Rob D]

What gets me is Stihl knew they had a problem, they told their dealers they had a problem but they didn't tell us the people that use the saws.... and when you're getting frustrated up a tree because the thing won't idle... and you had to send the carb in, wait a couple of weeks before a replacement.... just not impressed really...