Mythbusters: the ms200t

[spudulike]

I don't use one as a tool of my trade but in the eyes of a repair technician, the MS200T is best in my opinion, that good that it barely changed in design from 020 - MS200, easy to work on and in its modified state, runs rings round the latest saws!

 

Just saying:sneaky2:

[glark]

Agree about the 540, not up to real work IMO. The first 201's were pants too unless you started drilling holes or knew how to mod saws properly. Got a new 201 the other week but still too soon to tell whether any improvements have been made.

[CJM]

I have a 200t and recently picked up a 540. I've got to say, I think the 540 is a great saw. Loads of poke, well balanced and seemed to go forever on a tank of fuel. The 200t is great and I'd happily take either up into the tree, but given the choice, I'd have the Husky. More than anything, it's probably me being a Husky fan more than a Stihl fan. Both very good saws IMO. I wonder whether talk of the saw disintegrating is just down to heavy handed users? I'm careful with mine as they cost a lot of money, but I've seen others not giving two hoots about the saw and bashing it about. Probably because someone else paid for it.

 

 

I've got to disagree with that, mine and many other 540s have failed. I buy my own saws I look after to them to certain extent.

But they're not made for professional use. If I put loads of useless strops/pulleys/krabs on my harness and turned into a nancy climber it might of lasted but who knows

[glark]

I've got to disagree with that, mine and many other 540s have failed. I buy my own saws I look after to them to certain extent.

But they're not made for professional use. If I put loads of useless strops/pulleys/krabs on my harness and turned into a nancy climber it might of lasted but who knows

 

 

Love the last sentence. Seen chaps put on harnesses with all manner of things hanging off them.

[skyhuck]

I've got to disagree with that, mine and many other 540s have failed. I buy my own saws I look after to them to certain extent.

But they're not made for professional use. If I put loads of useless strops/pulleys/krabs on my harness and turned into a nancy climber it might of lasted but who knows

 

[Bob The Dog]

I'm no Nancy climber. I just take care of my kit. I don't have loads of the latest Gucci crap dripping off me either. I've been using hand and power tools for many years, and the one thing I have learned is to look after your kit, else you'll just keep spending money replacing it. I've seen plenty of guy just dropping saws onto bungees and letting them crash into branches, and then wondering why the plastic bits snap. Doesn't take many more seconds to carefully lower your saw instead of letting it fall.

[MattyF]

Agree Bob that and getting caught in falling branches ,jammed and wrenching it hard is going to finish a saw quick.

I've pulled off a few 200 carb boots in my time smashed a 201 handle but my 540 is still intact... This is maybe because I gave up on 200ts and brought one of the last run of 338's that had the upped cc to be bigger than the 200t but still the same construction as the 540 ... I ripped the plastic holding the carb mount on, lesson learnt and if any thing you learn by your mistakes my 540 is intact after two years and it's with out a doubt the most powerful topper I've used.

Had a 200 on for 5 minutes last week smokey ,lacks power/sluggish and the vibes are bad in comparison.

[skyhuck]

I'm no Nancy climber. I just take care of my kit. I don't have loads of the latest Gucci crap dripping off me either. I've been using hand and power tools for many years, and the one thing I have learned is to look after your kit, else you'll just keep spending money replacing it. I've seen plenty of guy just dropping saws onto bungees and letting them crash into branches, and then wondering why the plastic bits snap. Doesn't take many more seconds to carefully lower your saw instead of letting it fall.

 

When people have been using an 020 for 15+years, with no damage issues, its not unreasonable, IMO, to expect the 540 to be able to be used in the same manner without it disintegrating.

 

My 540 was under 6 months old, the rear AV mount snapped and the saw tore in half

 

The fuel tank was already leaking from a split joint and the top handle was cracking at the thin point where the switch and triggers are.

 

IMO, they are simply not fit for purpose.

[MattyF]

Dave I had loads of issues with 200ts maybe you are lucky with having dick on your door step to sort them but my dealer was hopeless and charged me full whack for carbs or repairs!! I think I had around 5-6 carbs replaced that I paid for and they always seemed to play up on critical jobs.... I even have one on the bench not working now.

Carb boots splitting and Earth wires and the chain brake dog bones failed oh chain brakes snapping off... Always carried spare chain brakes and I know you claim to not brake one so you know I must be rough on saws mate.

The early ones always had issues with fuel breathers and cracked exhausts,filter covers falling off.

One good thing is I can strip and rebuild a 200 in half an hour from the experience.

[wicklamulla]

MS200T was/is prolly the best climbing saw out there but the new Echo 360TES and the 2014 or any updated MS201T is gonna be an excellent saw too. If i had to buy another climbing saw in the morning it would be a new 201T. I'm not too rough on kit so i've been lucky so far.