hawthornheavyhorses

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Subcontract a horse logger working on a tonnage basis!

My MS260 did this from nearly new, bothered me for years. I bought a new filler cap when I got some other spares about 6 months ago and that cured it. It was about £4 from memory. Funny thing was is really didn't look like it was coming from there, and the cap looked perfect! However I'd exhausted all the other possibilities, so it had to be that!

Thanks All. I'm not too keen on the screw types, I've seen one flip a ring in a previous job and it wasn't pretty. Also really I need it to be self powered and split 3ft long logs for billets, so think it's a hydraulic ram for me. Also thinking about it a trailed splitter would be very handy, and my wood piles are all over so could take it on the back of the landy and stack straight into the pick up to take them to the yard. Anyone know of any that have a cradle to aid lifting, I've seen them at shows but don't know who makes them. Cheers, Matt

Hi Guys, I'll try and take a pic tonight when I go up to the workshop. I tached it to about 13400rpm at the top, no bogging, rev's very nicely. Plug is definately more black than the old plug (replaced it when the saw stopped working when had carb issues), the old one was light brown and looked more as I would expect. It's done about 3-4 hours work since I set it up. Last thing I did with the saw was fell, sned and crosscut a 30ft hornbeam, so was working quite hard, but I certainly didn't "plug chop". Was just checking out of curiosity as I always check them on my old landy as an indicator for the mix, but guess 2 strokes aren't quite the same. As you say, probably not far out and at least it's not running lean and it works! I'll give it a little tweak and perhaps you can hear it running when I see you next Spud and give me your expert opinion! Cheers, Matt

Hi. Good question, that would be quite important!! Needs to be self powered really access to a tractor can be difficult. Needs to be able to split logs up to 3ft to make it worth doing. The wood is a real mix of sizes, some bits are really hefty. I know you can get some horizontal splitters with a cradle for loading, but I'm struggling to find suppliers or anyone who have used one to recommend. Budget ideally would be around £1500. Thanks!

Hi All, I've been selling firewood for about 18 months on a small scale where I work with the horses, selling about 30 cubic meters in nets. I've hired in local contractors with a processor to split my wood for me, but is a bit limiting and difficult to organise. I am applying for a grant to help me buy a splitter so I can up production next season and hopefully start local deliveries. My question therefore is what splitter I should go for? The timber is 80% hornbeam with the rest being ash/oak/maple/sycamore mainly. Lovely stuff. It varies in diameter from 15" to 4". Any suggestions for makes/models and suppliers would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Matt

Hi All. Since rebuilding the carb on my MS260 and tach tuning it with my new Tiny Tach, it has been running brilliantly, seems to have more power than before, starts perfectly and generally makes me smile when using it. Barrie is sending me out a new limiter cap for the H screw which I removed to tune it properly because I'm a bit worried about the H screw working loose without it as it has no retaining spring like the L. However before I fit it I thought I'd check the spark plug colour, and the electrode is mainly black with a little brown round the edges. Clearly the saw is running a bit rich, so probably need to have another go at tuning it. It's certainly a better situation that before when the plug was white/grey. Just wondered which screw I should start with? My thoughts are: Lean up the L a little, reset the idle, and then tune the H. But any thoughts appreciated. Seems a shame to mess with it again as it is running so nicely but want to get it right! Guessing it only needs a tiny tweak as it is running so well. If it was running really rich I am guessing I would have starting issues etc. Cheers guys. Matt

Spud or GardenKit will be able to advise However from my newly aquired knowledge of carbs it doesn't take very much at all for them not run. Also it is very easy to put the gasket and membranes back on the wrong way round, thankfully I noticed before I put it back in. . For the sake of a tenner I would take the carb back out and out a full new (genuine) rebuild kit it. Also make sure you have the correct kit !!! (see my MS260 thread) Also have you taken off the Exhaust and checked the piston for scoring?

Hi Guys, You were absolutely right spud, reset the L again the then the H was running a bit rich, so then adjusted that too. Spent half hour cross cutting some timber this evening and it is cutting really well, mix of small and large logs, no bogging or signs of the original problems. Started up perfectly from hot and cold. It sounded and even smelled right. I'll spend a day cutting with it to make sure, but think this one is solved. I will put a limiter cap back in once I'm 100% sure all is ok. Thanks for all your help, it's been very interesting sorting it out, and much quicker than the 8 week wait at the dealers!

Thanks guys, will try resetting the L tomorrow then. It's running really nicely and seemed to be cutting really well, so think it's nearly there. Will be interesting to see what the plug looks like tomorrow. Barrie, are you able to supply the limit cap? It's part number 6 on here: Select a Carburetor or Component [Frontstep Customer Center 5 Frontstep, Inc.] Helpfully there is no part number though! As you can see from the drawing there is no spring to hold the needle in place so that would expain why it moves more easily. It's a tiny little red plastic cap, that fits into the alloy collar.

Pulled the cap off today, and tuned, just needed a tiny tweek on the H to bring the revs down, sounds much more "normal", guess that must be the four stroking sound, think I am am getting an ear for it now. Tached it to around 13200 which seemed to be a sweet spot, but might just bring that down a little. Put it to work on a big log for a bit before I came home, will check plug colour when i go back to work tomorrow. Luckily I have a yard where I can tune my saw where the noise is not going to upset anyone! Fingers crossed all problems are solved, but just two more questions. 1. The H screw seems to move quite easily now the cap is off, much easier than the L. I damaged the little red centre part a little, but once I am happy should I get a new one and put back in to stop it working loose? 2. Adjusting the H lowered the L speed down to about 2650-2700 rpm. Should I bother bringing this up to 2800? If so should I lean the L, or bring it up on the LA? Seems to idle very nicely anyway. Many thanks for all your help as always.

Thanks guys, limit cap comes off in the morning then! Yes chain is on and tensioned up, but best to check! Will let you know how I get on.

Ok, my Tiny Tach arrived in the end today, I've set up the idle as Barrie described and it is now idling very nicely at 2800. However it on WOT it is reving to 14400+, so is running a bit lean! So I have 2 choices, I can take off the limiter cap so I can rich it up a bit, or I can pull the carb again and lift the meter arm a little. One thing I did remember today, was that the limiter cap may not be set to 100% factory setting, because after I ran the saw in my instructor at the time put a tach on it and it was running a bit lean and he couldn't adjust it out, so I took it back to Stantons and they removed, tuned and put it back in again. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Thanks Barrie, very helpful and really appreciated, will have a play tomorrow and see what happens! I certainly don't intend to use it until the carb is set up properly, but am I likely to do much damage adjusting it and testing it on a log? Any precautions I should take?

Thanks Barrie, will send you a PM about some other bits too. I tried the saw quickly again today, but after trying a plunge cut and pulling the plug it actually seems to be running a bit lean as it looks a bit white/grey. More worried about this as I don't want to damage the saw now it's running, so really want to get a tacho on it. Not sure I trust my ear on it, I can hear it picking up as I screw in the H, but not sure I can detect it 4 stroking (possibly too many years playing in bands as a teenager!!) Out of interest, the handbooks gives you the standard settings for the H and L screws, but is there a standard setting for the LA screw? Guessing that this needs to be correct before adjusting the L.

It lives! Put the carb back in this evening and it started on the second pull! However needs a serious tune up! Still seems to be running a bit rich but am a bit concerned about playing with the H screw too much. I'd like to get a Tacho to do it properly,can anyone recommend a budget tacho that would do the job? I don't anticipate tuning 100's of saws, just checking my saws every so often, so just needs to be basic. Also if I take the limit cap off the H, will I need to put i back in? Has it got a spring like the L screw to stop it from moving? Cheers all.

Hi Barrie, Carb kit arrived this morning! What service! Many thanks for all your help, will let you know how it goes, fingers crossed! Matt

Hi Both, Thanks for this, am a bit annoyed as I told the supplier the carb number and they said it would fit! Won't be using them again! The Walbro site info is very useful, they list a WTE-5 for an MS260 which must be the closest, and as you say a K10 WTE kit. I'll PM you Barrie, and we'll go from there. Cheers, Matt

Thanks Garden Kit. Anyone know where I can source a K10 WTE kit? A google search only gives me US sellers.

Ok, so took the carb off again and took it home this evening with a view to changing the inlet needle. Looking at it, it does not appear to be moving very smoothly. The carb kit I bought was an aftermarket one that advertised that it was suitable for all WT carbs, and unfortunately the inlet needle on mine is about half the size of the one supplied in the kit, so looks like I might have bought the wrong kit. My carb has WTE 503 stamped on it, does anyone know which kit I should have bought? Also on closer inspection the "nipple" on the metering diaphragm seems to be bigger, which could explain the over fueling, however the gasket seems slightly thicker, so could be compensating. The symptoms before/after fitting the new diaphragm were the same, so might not have made any difference. Bit confused now! Spud, do you have carb kits for these? Will put it back in tomorrow but if it doesn't work it might be best to run it over to you after Christmas!

Thanks Spud, didn't get to look at it today, hopefully tomorrow. If in doubt I may be popping over to see you! Will let you know how I get on.

No messing with the H screw before the problems started (in fact I've never needed to adjust them). I checked the screw settings after, the H screw actually has a limiter on so it can only turn 3/4 of a turn anyway! It's actually a Walbro WT carb fitted to mine, not sure if that makes a difference? Cleaned under the diaphragm cover when I took the carb out, nice and clean. I'll double check the fuel line tomorrow, does sound as though it could be similar.

Thanks for that. Original Spark Plug looked fairly good, a tan colour I would say. The new one hasn't had a chance to get a colour as yet, but is definately getting fuel. I've changed the airfilter for a new one, and no change, so suspect that's not the culprit, but will double check tomorrow. I also tried running the saw with the breather partially off to rule that out, again no change. I got a needle valve with the carb kit, so will try changing that over. Any tips on setting the hight?

My first post on this forum! Hello All! Hoping someone might be able to help on this. My main coppicing saw is a 2006ish MS260 which I have had from new and has been pretty faultless. However last week I was using the saw and it cut out and wouldn't run. I was using it at a bit of a strange angle trying to clean up a cut on some hornbeam coppice. Took it back to the workshop, cleaned the air filter which seemed to have a lot of fuel on, and it ran fine. Next day the saw ran fine for 2 or 3 tanks, and then cut out again whilst the saw was in a similar strange angle. Took it back to workshop again and cleaned airfilter as before but still couldn't get it to run. It would fire cold with choke and run rough for about 10 seconds, but would die and then not restart until cool. So I then did the following: 1. New air and fuel filters 2. New properly gapped spark plug. Checked and good strong spark. 3. Took out carb, cleaned with carb cleaner, and replaced the metering and fuel pump gaskets/membranes. Didn't touch needle valves etc. 4. Took off the exhaust and checked the piston. It looks very good, no visible scoring etc. It also feels fine pulling it over by hand, plenty of compression. 5. Fresh tank of fuel from another can (known good) Still no luck, running just as before. So took to local chainsaw specialist and they gave it a brief look and confirmed all the above, and also couldn't start it. They say it looks as though it is overfuelling, and therefore flooding, but would need it in to be looked at properly and they have an 8 week wait!! Relucant to leave it in as I need it so thought I'd try and get it running myself over Christmas, so wondered if anyone had any experience or advice that I could try. I'm thinking it must be carb related. Thanks! Matt