wyk

In practice the Makita 7900 is significantly more powerful than even the 372, let alone the 365. It also costs quite a bit less from @shavey Keep in mind the XT version is a bit more weight than this non XT Husky:

You still over in Enniskerry? I'm parked across the way in Bray for a bit now.

Husqvarna suggest using 32:1 in their manuals as well as 50:1. I can not find a suggested ratio for milling as milling is not even mentioned in the owners manuals I have here. Modern chainsaws are not designed for milling. Mills are designed for milling. Chainsaws are designed mainly to idle, and then occasionally make a few cuts at WOT, idle some more, repeat(and, if you like to run Sabre at 100:1 - seize up somewhere in there). Chainsaw milling is WOT for very long cuts. Let's do some sitting and thinking here... which operation will produce more heat? CSM, of course. Anyone experienced at milling will either run more oil in the mix, or tune their saws to run richer(lower top RPM, which means more oil in the mix reaches the engine per rpm), or both. 40:1 full synth and 11.5-12K rpm on an MS660 or 288xp/3120xp is very typical. That is much more oil than MTronic is going to suck in to the saw at 50:1 with a WOT closer to 13.6K RPM. On top of that, MT and AT are going to be running at 14.7 or so to 1 VS maybe 13.6:1 - a far leaner AF ratio, which means higher temps for milling. What you are trying to do with milling is not only lubricate the engine, but also keep it cool as possible. With an mtronic or AT machine, you don't get to tell it what rpm to top out at(yet). You have to run more oil if you want to introduce more oil in to the chassis. How much more? Fucked if I know - I don't dare mill with an electronic carb saw...I even see folks that do chainsaw carving set their saws up very rich since they often are at partial throttle. Yes, you will foul plugs occasionally, especially when you are on the front of the curve. But a 5 pack of NGK BPMR7A's is a tenner. A 3120XP isn't. The idea of lean seems to originate from folks that do not understand the fact that oil BURNS in a chainsaw, or maybe have never used a chainsaw before uh.. 1997 when 30 and 32:1 were common. Maybe someone in the modern courses is talking shit? I dunno. What you need to come away with is the fact that oil doesn't always shear out of the mix in to the chassis. Thus, a good part of the oil makes it to the combustion chamber. When you tune a saw, you are tuning for fuel air mixture. Much of that oil in the mix is in that fuel that reaches the combustion chamber. If the saw is lean, it's due to the tune, not to the mix.

https://www.chainsawbars.co.uk/product-category/sugihara-light-type-bars/ or use the bar selector: https://www.chainsawbars.co.uk/

Yes. He's wrong. As are all folks who use the 'lean' idiology. It ignores the most basic part about chainsaw tuning. It is the air to fuel mixture that allows the chainsaw to idle correctly, climb in rpm and to four stroke at peak rpm(when tuned right) - not the oil to fuel mixture. Oil has little to do with chainsaw tuning. If your saw is tuned right, you can run nearly any ratio. That is how saws ran at 16:1 for decades before, and at 25:1 and 32:1. 50:1 is the leanest ratio manufacturers have found that will work in modern saws using fully synthetic oils. The leanest ratio they dare to use, not the optimum ratio they use. This was done to pass EPA mandated emissions. Why? Because oil burns in the mix, and introduces loads of hydrocarbons to the exhaust. In other words, oil does not lean out the mix - it is part of the mix that burns. Leaning the mix out is a myth. If it wasn't, then manufacturers would be suggesting 80:1 100:1, etc. Which, of course, they don't. When I was young, like back in the 70's/80's, no one I knew had a lean seizure(and I worked in wild land fire fighting with chainsaws in the 80's using non synthetic oils). Nowadays - common. Here is a copy of my statement from the Echo 352 thread: At a mix ratio of 32:1 vs 50:1, you have a difference of 1.125% more oil in the fuel mix - 3.125% VS 2%. 1.125% less petrol is not going to cause your engine to over heat or seize. However, the over all amount of oil that enters the engine at 32:1 is over half again more vs 50:1. So, at 32:1 VS 50:1 you risk an air/fuel ratio compromise of about 1% in order to get at least another 50% more lubrication in to the engine(but you really don't, as some of the oil makes it to combustion) - which is about 14.52:1 air to fuel VS what is the agreed upon 14.7:1 as the optimum fuel/air ratio for most petrol motors - assuming you do not tune your engine for your mix, and you then go from 50:1 to 32:1. Autotune and mtronic (and you, if you know what you're doing) will tune this out as you tune for RPM or 'four stroking' and idle, which is a result of the air to fuel mixture, not the oil to fuel mixture. But, as is obvious, even if you do not touch your carb controls, chances are your mixture will be more affected by a change in weather than a change in your mix unless, as Steve has stated, you start to go down to crazy ratios. At the end of the day it is called mix for a reason. The oil is now part of the fuel, not a separate entity as it is metered in to the saw. Not all of the oil will shear from the fuel as it goes through the engine - only part of it does - otherwise your saw would pour oil from every orifice after a few days of hard use. Much of it is burned, which is obvious if you look at the emissions tables on 2 strokes VS about anything else aside from diesels - the carbon emissions go up drastically when you go from 50:1 to 32:1 - which make sense. If the fuel to air ratio leaned out dangerous from 50:1 to 32:1, you would have to see far, far less carbon emissions vs more. If you want to avoid seizing, carbon build up, etc etc - simply use a good high-quality fully synthetic oil designed for air-cooled non-marine application two strokes at a decent ratio, and make sure your engine is tuned properly.

Few people mill using less than 25:1 or 32:1. I think a guy I knew in oregon uses 16:1. Milling is the toughest thing on a chainsaw you can do short of giving your saw to me back when I was 19.

But with a 39mm stroke on the 572, I wonder if a 52 or 54mm top end is possible.

At a mix ratio of 32:1 vs 50:1, you have a difference of 1.125% more oil in the fuel mix - 3.125% VS 2%. 1.125% less petrol is not going to cause your engine to over heat or seize. However, the over all amount of oil that enters the engine at 32:1 is over half again more vs 50:1. So, at 32:1 VS 50:1 you risk an air/fuel ratio compromise of about 1% in order to get at least another 50% more lubrication in to the engine(but you really don't, as some of the oil makes it to combustion) - which is about 14.52:1 air to fuel VS what is the agreed upon 14.7:1 as the optimum fuel/air ratio for most petrol motors - assuming you do not tune your engine for your mix, and you go from 50:1 to 32:1. Autotune and mtronic (and you, if you know what you're doing) will tune this out as you tune for RPM or 'four stroking' and idle, which is a result of the air to fuel mixture, not the oil to fuel mixture. But, as is obvious, even if you do not touch your carb controls, chances are your mixture will be more affected by a change in weather than a change in your mix unless, as Steve has stated, you start to go down to crazy ratios. At the end of the day it is called mix for a reason. The oil is now part of the fuel, not a separate entity as it is metered in to the saw. Not all of the oil will shear from the fuel as it goes through the engine - only part of it does - otherwise your saw would pour oil from every orifice after a few days of hard use. Much of it is burned(which is obvious if you look at the emissions tables on 2 strokes VS about anything else aside from diesels). If you want to avoid seizing, carbon build up, etc etc - simply use a good high-quality fully synthetic oil designed for air-cooled non-marine application two strokes at a decent ratio, and make sure your engine is tuned properly.

Dave did a test on the 550 and a bit with the 572 in another video. The new 572 comes with more vents cut in to the top cover than the 560 used to. The newer top covers on all their saws appear to all have more vents to help reduce the issues from over heating. Also of note, after looking at the most recent photos there, it appears there really should be a partition between the two areas there, the intake and the cylinder. The new 572 has one, I dunno how the 560 and 550 go about this, or whether he is simply missing it or if it was never there to begin?

I will not run a saw with a cat. In my opinion, it is one of the worst things you can put on a 2 stroke engine. Even if it improved the power, I would remove it because any extra heat on the exhaust side of a 2 stroke will shorten it's life, and a cat is a LOT of extra heat. But you may not want to hear that. So... A cat does take time to heat up depending on the application. So if you shut off the saw every time you set it down, use it in cool outside temps, and do not run it for more than maybe a minute at a time, it may not be bad. But the cat will still decrease exhaust flow. This is what a STIHL cat looks like once it's warmed up:

They used to race those on the lake near me in Texas up in Marble Falls. Like many races, one of the best parts is the insane names some of the boats had. The ones with inboard motors are mad. Some of them pumping out 5000HP. The noise is horrific.

How is it for fines, tho? I found the non HD filter actually works better for filtering than the HD one on my own 044.

Yes. They are the exact same ones I use. I have several. The double D's can also be modified to fit if you're so inclined. Also the pacman one will work as well. It's just a lil sloppy in the hole. Kinda like a girl I recall dating back in college.

And the mods begin.... I have a cute little Echo CS390ESX, a rebadged Shindaiwa CS390SX, really. One of the main points folks like Mitch Weba had with it's bigger brother when he did mods on the 500 and 501 and 490's is the air flow. So I cut up the screen in the carb and poked holes in the lid so it can get air. Then added another hole in da muffleurrrz. Just work yer average joe could do to improve their Echo. Has a bit better response and power now.

I am sticking with the non HD on my 044. The HD was terrible for fines. I had a sock on mine most days.

Dave, Wes here, left you a PM here, too. Have u got a pic of the muffler work? I am wondering how its designed. Cheers

The old 241 is heavier than the new from what I have heard. Whether you get a new one right now or not, I dunno. The clutch cover looks different I am told. But I haven't seen a new one in person. The power levels are similar, as in they will both cut about the same speed. The 241 will feel more zippy, tho. Assuming it doesn't have the stall off of idle mine always had(even after I ported it). But the ms241 is electronic carb, whereas the cs390 uses a Walbro WT series mechanical carb, which is a main reason of why I went with it instead. My 241 has had solenoid issues twice now(so take my advice on the 241 with a grain of salt). I am about to replace the solenoid with a newer version. We'll see if that fixes things. But my little saws live a much rougher life than most as I use them for firewood on a large estate. So lots of long cuts in hard woods, over and over for hours. If you use it for trimming, it should last longer. If you already have Stihl saws, the 241 should be a strong candidate. Except... Another reason I went with the 390ESX instead is the freakin' size of the 241. It's huge for a 40cc saw. Yeah, the 241 is a pound lighter than the 261. But the 261 has 25% more displacement(and itself not known for being a lightweight in the 50cc saw realm). It is drastically more powerful than the 241 for just one pound more weight. And if you remove the baffle on the 261 exhaust, it cuts another 30% or so faster. That's barely an hours work if you know what you're doing. Then there's this: That's a 550XP on the right, and it is slightly smaller in stature than the 241cm on the left. It also doesn't weigh much more. And, again, has much more power. The Echo CS390ESX is tiny compared to a 241, and is much lighter than my old 241. Normally, I wouldn't be comparing a 40cc saw to a 50cc saw, but in this case, the 241 is often priced the same as a 261(which makes sense, it probably cost nearly the same to produce either, and has lower demand than the 261). Regardless, this means it is competing with it's 50cc brethren. In which case, you have to ask yourself how much difference a pound makes, and how much difference another HP makes if you choose Stihl. And the 241 weighs nearly the same as a 550xp. So, it is in direct competition there as well. If you don't want to stick with Stihl, there are saws that are lighter, smaller, and cut nearly as well or the same, for much less money - most of which are not electronic carb as well. The Zenoah/Redmax 43cc comes to mind(or, if you would like to pay more for one and use your local dealer, get the Husqvarna 543XP version of said saw), Echo/Shindaiwa 390 series, Dolmar 421, etc etc. You can get the Echo CS390ESX from RObD and the Dolmar 421 from Shavey for far less than a 241 would cost you. My needs are specific. I have an Echo CS390ESX because it is powerful enough, tiny, robust and light. It fits easily in the tractor behind the seat(most 50cc saws are pushing it and the seat threatens to crush them), and I can carry it long distances without any strain as I often have to hike out to remote parts of the estate. My next size up saw is an 044. So it does a good job filling a big spot.

Howdy, Folks. Wes here again for a follow up review on the Echo CS361WES and CS390ESX saws I purchased from @RobD at Chainsawbars.co.uk now that I've got a bit of work out of them. It's been three months now and I have to say that I am impressed. Most of the work I do with these saws is firewood or land clearing and clean up on a large estate in Waterford, Ireland. Both saws have had their exhausts modded a bit and retuned. I was intending to port both saws after they broke in, but they both perform so well, I haven't yet bothered. One of the things I noted earlier on was how tight the saws were out of the box. They didn't seem to want to rev as eagerly as some other saws do. After a bit of break-in, the CS361WES is as responsive as any saw, and pulls surprisingly strong. I'm not used to such a lightweight saw having so much power. This saw replaced an MS180 in use here, and it's just so much better in every way. In fact, I prefer it to my MS241CM. It recently handled a gunky laurel removal job with ease, which also had us removing a few good sized pine and larch along a fence line. At first I thought the 15" bar might be asking a bit much of it on either saw, but it's been nothing but a joy to use, and both saws pull them with authority. The CS390ESX punches above it's weight cross cutting. It cuts side to side with my MS241, even though it gives up 3cc's to it. I think the trick is the coil advance curve on the CS390, the porting(not much exhaust timing with stunningly little blow down due to how low the exhaust is at opening, which grants a lot of scavenging at mid RPMs), and the fact the stroke is the same as many other 50cc saws(33mm vs the MS241's 30mm). This is not a nervous high revving snedder like the 242xp or the 444se were. This is meant for replacing a 40-50cc saw in felling and cross cutting, which is does rather well. Don't get me wrong, I am never snedding with this thing and thinking I am wasting my time. It's just not a crazy high revving machine like some might be used to in a sub 40cc saw. It acts more like a 50cc saw, but weighs much, much less. As far as robustness, I haven't had any issues yet. No failures or factory born issues. The fuel cap issue I saw mentioned a few years back with it sticking on occasion seems to be remedied. The plastics are all PA6-GF/30 like both STihl and Husky(and a great many others) use. Both have professional chassis construction. No exhaust burning anything it isn't supposed to. And no odd wear or tear on the bars or chassis. For how light these things are, I am very impressed with how robust they are and and well they work.

The ms241 is a small mount bar. AKA the 3001, a074 or s174 mount. The 360, an excellent saw, uses the standard d025/3003 Stihl mount. There is not a huge difference in weight between the 261 and 241, and often no cost difference, but the 261 has 25% more displacement and significantly more power. With a quick muffler mod, the 261 is rather potent. I went with the Echo CS390ESX from RobD to replace my old MS241. It's a pound lighter still, and not much difference in power. I am rather fond of it after a few months use so far. If it is for light usage the Echo CS361 is an impressive little saw.

I had a saw do something similar. Turned out it had a very small nick in the wiring that would only ground when it got wet, or the saw vibrated enough to push it against the chassis. Very annoying.

Hey good folks, we're all on the same side here. It's like a brexit debate or sumfin here sometimes Anywho, it's a great deal of factors go in to performance. An 880 has a 43mm stroke and loads of displacement. It is not designed to sned or run terribly fast. And, quite frankly, you probably wouldn't want a 120cc saw running like a raped ape. What you want it to do is pull a 40-48 inch bar buried in oak rather well. Saws are like any other tool. Use the correct tool for the correct job and life is easier.

The MS180 has a muffler with a louvred cover screen on it, and a spark screen underneath. You could increase the opening of the louvres by prying them apart carefully and remove the spark screen if it is present. If you have a dremel or some such, you can maybe open the muffler a bit more before replacing the louvre. The last one I was looking at had a fully clogged spark screen in it. I would stick with the picco/LP chain on that 180, tho.

Got a VAT#? https://www.chainsawbars.co.uk/product/echo-cs-361wes-echo-cs361-wes-14-echo-sprocket-nose-bar-14-sugi-tough-quarter-tip-carving-bar-2x-chains/

Stihl has come out with two new models of fuel solenoids. They appear to be universal for the Mtronic carbs. I'll see about replacing the one on a 241 shortly here and let ya know how it goes.

With semi chisel, using save edge files, I rarely need more than a swipe or two to bring it back. Semi chisel nearly scrapes the wood out instead of slicing through it. So it doesn't rely on a sharp chisel point. Even a lightly rocked chain often will still cut. I have hit several nails and even bullets and the chain just chugs right along. Sharpening is a snap free hand. http://www.madsens1.com/bnc_teeth_types.htm This is what's left of an oak trunk we pulled out of the mud. I never bothered to clean the mud off. 99 links of semi chisel on a 30" bar in front of a ported 281xp. I got it all chopped up for the splitter and never had to sharpen the chain once.