pleasant

Yeah....according to Stihl, they have never made a faulty machine when it comes to warranty claims and paying out.

All fair points. Personally, I would have suggested the MS261 but the op specifically didnt want mtronic that was why I suggested the echo...despite its shortfalls

The Echo CS-501SX is a full pro spec saw with a pro spec engine ie, one with a removable head, thus without having to remove a clamshell type engine from the cradle, and no carb electronic wizzardry. Fits your bill and is excellent quality.

I don't have any up to date experience of Echo or Husqvarna, as I ceased being a main dealer for those brands more than 15 years ago and registering machines wasn't even thought of back then. The only other manufacturer that I am a dealer for, that insists a product sale is registered with them via a secure dealer portal is Hayter/Toro- again for the same reasons Stihl stipulate. Both systems work well, particularly if we have a machine brought in under warranty that we haven't originally sold and the owner has mislaid paperwork. With a recognised form of ID we can confirm ownership and crack on knowing we will be paid for our work. Sure, a manufacturer will get a lot of valuable marketing info via us registering machines, but unless we tick a box when registering a machine stating the customer is happy to receive marketing material, then it just doesn't happen and they are not bothered by the manfacturer or their associates Both systems work very well. We have had a few 'dubious' call from people with a nearly new Stihl or Hayter/Toro that they state are under warranty, but they can't find their receipt but can we look at it anyway? We point out to them a receipt isn't necessary, but proof of ID is that matches their details on the database before we can look at it, and we more often that not never see them bring it in. Is that because it's stolen- I don't know, but it could be a deterrent to bringing them in, rather than a deterrent having them stolen in the first place. Authorities do/should know about these invaluable databases held by manufacturers, and the help they provide tracking owners. Your database is a good idea, but I can see members being concerned as to the security of their details and the possible misuse of their data. Admittedly that could be no different from what could happen from a manufacturer, but at least there's a good reason to register a product (the warranty) and manufacturers are held to a legal account regarding data. If a machine is out of warranty and insured, then stolen, it probably has paid for itself and been written down to nothing on the books anyway (I am not referring to large plant here- more your mowers and hand held stuff- the most popular stuff that is lifted) so after three years or more, if it's nicked it's not quite a big deal aside from inconvenience. lets' be honest we rarely get emotionally attached to a chainsaw (well some might) which could be another mitigating factor to register it with you.

As a Stihl dealer we are required as part of our agreement to register all new machines via its unique serial number to the ORIGINAL purchaser with Stihl on a dealer only secure portal. This not only registers the machine for warranty purposes (so you don't need a receipt if you take it back with an issue OR you do have an issue but take in back to the non supplying dealer- again without a receipt, although proof of ID will be required that matches the details on the Stihl database in all cases where a receipt is not available) but also allows for customers to be notified of any safety issues/recalls. This is an EU directive and operates much like car recalls. It is also used by authorised parties to establish ownership- such as the police, should equipment be retrieved. For these reasons IF you decide to purchase online OR purchase a new machine via online auction sites, DON'T be fobbed off by the retailer/seller stating it is up to YOU to register it. It is NOT the consumers responsibility- indeed the portal and means to register is NOT accessible to the public. You may save £100 or so by buying a new machine from an auction site, but come problems it WON'T be registered and warranty is voided. As a dealer we are incentivised via a rebate to register machines, and it is worth noting warranty is NOT transferable- no matter what an online seller selling a nearly new machine will tell you.

Never use outboard 2 stroke oil. It is not the same as air cooled stuff specifically for our type of machinery. Husky oil is a 50:1 mix and not 40. Only thing I didnt read in your post was did you try and start if with the muffler off whilst you were checking the piston? I know you said you removed the spark arrestor, but if it's run on a rich mix then the muffler could be clogged and not allowing the engine to 'breathe' Try that before buying a new module etc

I got my wife a pair of slipper and a dildo for christmas. If she doesn't like the slippers, she can go and f**k herself! 😀👍

True. I don't get much of the really big stuff in. Most of mine is domestic stuff from the weekend warriors or entry level pro stuff from the man in a van gardener trade. I generally get two or three of those in a year lacking power and smoking a lot. Remove the exhaust and away it goes....constant use with an overly rich mix simply clogs the muffler so it can't breathe. Tend to be the old grumbler gardeners who still think you can get 25:1 pre mix from an esso pump dispenser at the petrol station. When they realise they can't they then buy some 50:1 stuff from me and run it for three months at 25:1. Then i see them

25:1 oil......jeez, is that some old stock they're using. I haven't sold 25:1 mix oil for well over 20 years in the UK. All the decent stuff is 50:1 and the even more decent stuff it up to 100:1

Years ago me and a mate heard about a local dogging site...never been to one before, so one night after the pub kicked out we thought we would have a drive down, park up and watch some action. We arrived, and to check we had gone to the right place I turned the interior light on so I could read the address I had on a piece of paper....within 2 minutes my car was surrounded by four or five blokes peering in. Apparently turning the interior light on is a signal to doggers to come over and I later found out it was a gay haunt, so they naturally assumed me and my mate were going to put a show on for them!

I would 'do a back to the future' and go back into time with a sports results book and a few quid in my pocket.

That's the thing that really gets me......you can spend more time on diagnosing the problem than it takes to cure, but when you try and charge out accordingly punters think you should work for nothing. More often than not we have to trim our hourly rate on a machine that is difficult to cure simply because if we charged our normal hourly rate it wouldn"t be economical to repair or customer wouldn"t pay....so we have to make less profit. I don't know many other trades whereby you have to do that. My accountant, solicitor, and other 'professional' service providers certainly don"t do it.

No worries. Just pleased I was right about an air leak. 😁👍Merry xmas to all

Drove to post office at lunchtime yesterday. Had a small jiffy bag packet to send....was going to use a courier but going to northern ireland so the premium was quite dear hence decided to use the post office. Woman at post office window said 'sorry we've been told not to take in any parcels or letters over the counter as they are on strike today and they already have such a back log they dont want you adding to it. Not taking any parcels in until wednesday so bring it back then' ....no love, í'm not jumping through hoops to appease you or the post office, so i went home, printed off the dearer label for a courier and dropped it into them on my way home. Another customer lost.

'both' ......so just the two then?

...agree those breathers had a it of a reputation back in the day. Certainly worth checking whilst changing that hardened pipe he says it has.

It's always nice to know though isn't it? Not from a points scoring perspective, but just knowing we have helped to some degree.

A fair point

Watch this video, and see if his symptoms ring bells with yours:

To be fair, mine needs doing- has needed that 'last cut' for a few weeks, and I would if it were drier.

Symptoms seem to suggest an air leak......the carb seems all over the place

Personally I would start with the easiest and most likely cause which you have already alluded to, and fit a new hose, then check everything else after.

That last video shows it seemingly running very rich

Crack in the mangesium casing, failed o-ring on the filler cap, gasket failure between casing halves, tank vent valve failure, oil hose perished or chafed

Chain oil or fuel leak- can't tell as it's soaked into the cardboard. I would guess chain oil leak given the pic locations, but you never know.