550xp or Echo equivalent?

[john p]

If you were to consider stihl the 241 is a brilliant light saw on a 14, love mine

[Spruce Pirate]

I've had a look at Echo saws on the shelf, but never used one, they seemed heavy for the size and I didn't particularly like the look of them. I love my Dolmar though - wouldn't hesitate to recommend one, although I've never used the equivalent size you're looking at.

 

Then again, I like my 560 too, been a brilliant saw for me.

[JimM]

I ran my first "early" 550 on mix. Like the others back then it was a pig to hot start, a nightmare to start after refuelling and eventually shuddered to a halt.

Since then the replacement 550 has been run on Aspen from the get go. As has my 540's and 560. All start well, run well and, touchwood", have given me no problems for quite some time now.

Has anyone else run these saws exclusively on Aspen and had problems?

[Eddy_t]

A brake band is a consumable but considering how often i put the brake on under load, it's very disappointing.

 

I saw the data after it was reset the second time and the dealer explained a few things.

How did I set the saw up? Well, I asked the dealer how to run it and he said just run it normal and hard. Don't let it idle.

I never let my saws idle anyway because I know how fast the engine gets hot.

So, none of it makes sense but both saws are a bit rubbish. The 560xp is a bitch to start 60% of the time. My t540xp is a hog to start 100% of the time and regularly stalls of its own volition. It's power is also poor.

 

BTW, my fuel and oil quality and mixing is good.

 

 

When I say set the saw up, I mean how do you calibrate the carb?

As most of us are aware, the saws 'tune' themselves, but the initial setup is very important.

The system works on a magnet attached to the throttle, which activates one of two magnetic circuit gates, either WOT or idle. It doesn't tune the saw on part throttle, which, if anything, screws up the system, as neither circuit is completed.

If the magnet and gates become mis-aligned problems quickly set in. It was a documented thing on arboristsite where one guys linkage had done this, registering the throttle as 6% open at idle and 94% at WOT, making the saw only partially tune itself.

I set the high rpm by allowing to tune with no load, don't blip the throttle to warm the saw, as rpm is falling as it registers WOT, and rising at idle (causing the machine to register an over-rich at WOT, and over-lean at idle), about 30 seconds of free-load run time should set high rpm.

Allowing the saw to idle for 3 minutes before shutting off the engine causes the calibration to reset to factory settings on a 'safe' mode (over-rich).

 

I have seen the problems described with the 540 on each one I've handled, but the climbers who use them insist they know better than my advice on how to run said saw...

-Pull the spark screen if you have not already.

-Make sure the air filter is cleaned DAILY.

-Don't let the saw idle for too long between cuts, >2mins turn the saw off.

 

If your saws have passed the warranty period, get a muffler mod, after 50 hours of run-time, my 560 had .5-1mm of coking on the exhaust port (before it was ported), which is an excessive amount in the given hours, but due to emissions regs, the mufflers are heavily restricted (the outlet is about 8mm diameter, the same size as what people are drilling into the ms150, a saw 1/3 of the cc). Given how tiny the 560's outlet is, I dread to think how small it is on the 540. This also aids the cooling of the saw!

In fact, you can see the coking of the port and where I'd scraped it off with a carb screwdriver. It's also worth noting that when I wasn't using the saw in my employment workplace, I was using aspen, which helps remove any coking!

And as a comparison, the added outlet on the muffler is only an inch diameter.

 

What oil do you use? As I was running on Stihl hp ultra at that time, if you're running on hp, husky HP, or any Jaso FB oil, you're probably going to have a much worse build up.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

When I say set the saw up, I mean how do you calibrate the carb?

As most of us are aware, the saws 'tune' themselves, but the initial setup is very important.

The system works on a magnet attached to the throttle, which activates one of two magnetic circuit gates, either WOT or idle. It doesn't tune the saw on part throttle, which, if anything, screws up the system, as neither circuit is completed.

If the magnet and gates become mis-aligned problems quickly set in. It was a documented thing on arboristsite where one guys linkage had done this, registering the throttle as 6% open at idle and 94% at WOT, making the saw only partially tune itself.

I set the high rpm by allowing to tune with no load, don't blip the throttle to warm the saw, as rpm is falling as it registers WOT, and rising at idle (causing the machine to register an over-rich at WOT, and over-lean at idle), about 30 seconds of free-load run time should set high rpm.

Allowing the saw to idle for 3 minutes before shutting off the engine causes the calibration to reset to factory settings on a 'safe' mode (over-rich).

 

I have seen the problems described with the 540 on each one I've handled, but the climbers who use them insist they know better than my advice on how to run said saw...

-Pull the spark screen if you have not already.

-Make sure the air filter is cleaned DAILY.

-Don't let the saw idle for too long between cuts, >2mins turn the saw off.

 

If your saws have passed the warranty period, get a muffler mod, after 50 hours of run-time, my 560 had .5-1mm of coking on the exhaust port (before it was ported), which is an excessive amount in the given hours, but due to emissions regs, the mufflers are heavily restricted (the outlet is about 8mm diameter, the same size as what people are drilling into the ms150, a saw 1/3 of the cc). Given how tiny the 560's outlet is, I dread to think how small it is on the 540. This also aids the cooling of the saw!

[ATTACH]187793[/ATTACH]

In fact, you can see the coking of the port and where I'd scraped it off with a carb screwdriver. It's also worth noting that when I wasn't using the saw in my employment workplace, I was using aspen, which helps remove any coking!

[ATTACH]187794[/ATTACH]

And as a comparison, the added outlet on the muffler is only an inch diameter.

 

What oil do you use? As I was running on Stihl hp ultra at that time, if you're running on hp, husky HP, or any Jaso FB oil, you're probably going to have a much worse build up.

 

What a load of hassle!

[Mesterh]

What a load of hassle!

 

What a load of shite more like

[Old Mill Tree Care]

When I say set the saw up, I mean how do you calibrate the carb?

As most of us are aware, the saws 'tune' themselves, but the initial setup is very important.

The system works on a magnet attached to the throttle, which activates one of two magnetic circuit gates, either WOT or idle. It doesn't tune the saw on part throttle, which, if anything, screws up the system, as neither circuit is completed.

If the magnet and gates become mis-aligned problems quickly set in. It was a documented thing on arboristsite where one guys linkage had done this, registering the throttle as 6% open at idle and 94% at WOT, making the saw only partially tune itself.

I set the high rpm by allowing to tune with no load, don't blip the throttle to warm the saw, as rpm is falling as it registers WOT, and rising at idle (causing the machine to register an over-rich at WOT, and over-lean at idle), about 30 seconds of free-load run time should set high rpm.

Allowing the saw to idle for 3 minutes before shutting off the engine causes the calibration to reset to factory settings on a 'safe' mode (over-rich).

 

I have seen the problems described with the 540 on each one I've handled, but the climbers who use them insist they know better than my advice on how to run said saw...

-Pull the spark screen if you have not already.

-Make sure the air filter is cleaned DAILY.

-Don't let the saw idle for too long between cuts, >2mins turn the saw off.

 

If your saws have passed the warranty period, get a muffler mod, after 50 hours of run-time, my 560 had .5-1mm of coking on the exhaust port (before it was ported), which is an excessive amount in the given hours, but due to emissions regs, the mufflers are heavily restricted (the outlet is about 8mm diameter, the same size as what people are drilling into the ms150, a saw 1/3 of the cc). Given how tiny the 560's outlet is, I dread to think how small it is on the 540. This also aids the cooling of the saw!

 

 

What oil do you use? As I was running on Stihl hp ultra at that time, if you're running on hp, husky HP, or any Jaso FB oil, you're probably going to have a much worse build up.

 

Thanks Eddy, great reply.

 

I didn't know any of that stuff about calibrating the saw. My dealer obviously isn't doing what he should and I will tell him how he can improve.

 

I'll do what you have suggested and see what happens.

The warranty is valid on both saws until January and February so no Mods until then. Actually screw that, I'll send the t540 to Spudulike soon!

 

I have been using HuskyXP 2 stroke oil. Is there a better option?

I thought the warranty is void if incorrect oil is used!

[Old Mill Tree Care]

What a load of shite more like

 

Please explain why?

Thanks

Al.

[Eddy_t]

Thanks Eddy, great reply.

 

 

 

I didn't know any of that stuff about calibrating the saw. My dealer obviously isn't doing what he should and I will tell him how he can improve.

 

 

 

I'll do what you have suggested and see what happens.

 

The warranty is valid on both saws until January and February so no Mods until then. Actually screw that, I'll send the t540 to Spudulike soon!

 

 

 

I have been using HuskyXP 2 stroke oil. Is there a better option?

 

I thought the warranty is void if incorrect oil is used!

 

 

You're using the jaso FD oil, which is the highest grade, although I would believe that TCD's favourite oil would be the best option as it is a racing oil (which saps the heat away better).

 

As a note, there's a heap of updated parts coming for the 540 soon, so you might want to hold off the porting until then!

[Eddy_t]

What a load of shite more like

 

 

Go on then, point out what's wrong with it.