spudulike

Idle at 2000 is damn low, should be around 2800 - 3000rpm but will make no difference to top end power. 13200rpm is about where it should be on the top end. Sounds like you are putting off the inevitable in changing the top end. Those Chinese ones give you a working saw but that can be about it and sounds like it is in your case. Options are that you can use it as is, make some money and get it sorted or sell it on eBay to the uneducated public.

Sorry, nothing like that. Have listened to the vid and your 026 is holding much lower revs in the cut and that will be down to either the saw being overly rich (check the colour of the plug) or just down to the aftermarket pot not making the power. The OEM parts are a fair bit cheaper now, around £130!

Farmertec manufactures some of the cheapest aftermarket parts, I would say it is damn likely that this is your issue. I would either fit a new OEM top end, fit the OEM top end you have and a new Meteor piston or if funds are tight, go for the Hyway Chinese option. The saw is running and sounds like it is doing it's best! Measuring the compression cold then hot would give you part of the equation but looking at the ports and port durations with a timing wheel and comparing to standard would do the rest!

Happy customers keep me going, glad all worked out well, I really push for 100% but it is damn difficult to achieve!

Here we go again....you need to verify that the cylinder and piston are OEM or at least quality aftermarket. The reason is that the OEM kit will raise around 170psi compression and even high hours machines do this. If the machine has an OEM top end on it then you can get severe skirt wear on high hours machines, usually accompanied with a metallic slapping sound on idle. This would give a lacklustre machine! Lack of power is most likely either a poor top end or a carb that is miles out of adjustment or has issues. The carb should be set to one turn out H&L and if you cant get a decent idle and max revs then you have issues elsewhere. If the saw revs out and idles OK then it is likely the top end is a bit iffy. I have known many Chinese kits make around 140psi and this isn't enough to get decent torque in the cut. It sounds like you are going round in circles. You should always verify that the saw can make good compression, that it has no issues like a nipped/seized piston and once you know the mechanics are good then you can look at the carb and ancillaries. The saws generally cut pretty well and have a fair turn of speed, not a racer but a reliable workhorse! If it is pretty flat then I would be doing the above! Compression isn't the only part as I have seen machines with good compression make no power but a hot compression check usually shows a significant drop in compression. If you don't understand or can't do this then find someone who can!

You have to be careful on aftermarket parts, some are worth having and some are dire. The inlet manifolds and AV Mounts (annular buffers) are in the dire category!

Do it early on a Sunday morning when everyone is in bed or as near dusk as it safe assuming it is a fair distance from homes. You are doing a service, not taking anything and is hardly criminal damage. If anyone asks, just say you are clearing a public footpath. Footpaths outside of towns are rarely looked after and only stay clear because of footfall, I have felt like carrying a hedge trimmer on many an occasion. If you look the part, most will think you are a council worker anyway and will probably be happy some bugger cares!

Had a local guy return a rebuilt 066 with similar, smelt like paraffin coming out of the saw, couldn't start it and as a last resort, filled it with fresh fuel and when it fired, man, the smoke, it literally filled the street with a pea souper, what a stink - got it going though!

Don't wish that sort of failure, just send it in anyway - just shipped one out to Ireland...he will be happy, nice saw!

They are OK, Johnny Birch had one until some scrote pinched it a few weeks later. I believe he was pretty happy with it at the time!

Yes, still running, he looked a bit sheepish and did the off a bit quick

Here we go - Customer - got a MS440 to port...Me - lovely, bring it in......Customer - here it is......Me... Feck - have you tried cleaning the air filter - it may give you more power!!!! He will of course, notice a good increase, made better by the fact that it will be all clean and nice inside and out!

Nice seeing an employer investing in staff rather than shafting them like most others! It is sometimes the easy simple things like a cheap family holiday that mean the most!

Never knew Rip Van Wincle worked for Northern Arb

The 261 having more power can't be the issue as the bearing is locked once the clutch engages over circa 3,500rpm. The Stihl stance on this is typical German manufacturing and I worked for one for over 30 years so know all about that one! They never admitted the early MS201s were utter shyte but there you go - it WAS the way you were using them....all that wood and oil, what do you expect I have never got to the bottom of the 261 issue, something must be wrong as I have never seen anything as bad before and have multiple reports from trainers basically telling their students that their chainsaw is unsafe and unfit for them on their course.....says a lot!!! This isn't me knocking Stihl in favour of other manufacturers but is a comment on finding issues with certain saws showing wear, often terminal in what I would consider relatively new machines!

The other thing that can help is these network extenders. You basically plug your router in to one, it plugs in to the mains and you turn your mains power lines in to a WiFi network - that is what I was suggesting with the TP Link and Devolo ones - simple and effective.

It is a Billion 7800DX, they are pricy but got an eBay steal. The fancy thing about this one is you can tweak the SNR ratio of the signal so the ISP doesn't have the last say on your signal with their DLM (Dynamic Line Management) software. With most ISPs, this boosts marginal signals but TalkTalk introduced new DLM software a year ago that cocked up my setup but that is history! That is what I have and it has been a decent bit of kit.

Reckon the 241 is probably the best of the bunch and will be a bit more punchier than the MS181etc, 346XPs are fab but scarce for good ones now. I guess a fair bit hinges on how much firewood you cut and how much you will miss the punch of the 028 but think it is worth spending a bit more and not regretting it after a few hours cutting. The easy starts and these "Simple" chain adjusters are a but weekend warrior IMO, they exacerbate the possibility of failure IMO and the chain adjusters can be a sod to rebuild if they come apart!

A better bet is to fill the bore with paper towel through the exhaust port, push the towl away through the plug hole and then tap with grease on the tap. Pull the towel out slowly, wind the piston up over the transfers and use an air line to blast the crap out of the exhaust port using the shape of the combustion chamber. done a few like it if I can but you have to be precise and have a knowledge of the ports.

I think Steve probably has it. Sometimes the phone just can't decide whether to get the internet via the mobile signal or Wi Fi so doesn't work. Try upping your Wi Fi signal with Devolo or TP link extenders - that should help or get a better router that pushes out a stronger signal - mine works a good 40 yards away!

Not to fit one of these saws. All the previous Stihls needle bearings last forever....I think it is their way of selling lots of sprocket kits

I think I would be foraging around for firewood at those prices......did the guy in the campsite wear a tricorn hat, brandish muskets and ride a horse called "Black Bess".

Mmm, nice bit of helicoil left sticking out of that hole. Guess the "other guy" was far cheaper, promised the world and produced......the stuff the soil pipe takes away! You pays your money and ...............!!!

No, the bearing is just shorter than the inner bore of the clutch drum by around 1.5mm - it can't help can it! Why have I never changed a clutch bearing on an MS200.....unless some twat has taken it out and then given me the saw to service

Sounds like the carb needs a full and proper rebuild - I am not just talking a few new rubber bits either! If the impulse had come off then the idle would be very fast and not good. The breather - if it has the dual fuel/breather fuel pipe, can be removed and a piece of pipe put on it and either pressure checked or just suck on it as the bishop said to the actress....but we digress Some depends on if the saws idle went loopy and someone has messed with the carb to accommodate it or if the saw just started bogging. Worth checking the throttle and switch control shaft as if they are damaged, there will be little or no fast idle.