Mark_Skyland

You're a better man than me. I've always struggled to rebuild these things. I did one a month or so ago and I've got another one to try and sort out this week. Half of the problem is that the bearings break down so a lot of the parts have moved and arent in the right place. There is a good video on you tube somewhere, ill try and dig it our for the OP. You need to make sure that you have the right bearings as there are two types, they are installed the correct way, the springs are installed correctly and that you have the splined shaft installed correctly as it has a circlip that makes sure it moves when you extend the pole. IIRC! I think one of the issues is that the stihl diagrams are misleading and they don't show how its properly put together. Ill try to take some photos when I put the next one back together.

TBH I havent worked on any machines that have had a big end failure. Do you mean the main bearings?

If you cant get your hands on a 2nd hand saw before buying it then its a bit of a lottery IMO. On a big saw like the 661 you can get away with a few issues, even a knackered engine if its cheap enough. I wouldn't pay more than 500 maybe 600 for a second hand one unless you know the operator or can try it before you buy. Don't forget, on big saws bars and chains aren't cheap, you need to factor that in when comparing 2nd prices to new.

It might not be causing the issue. As I said the vid looks like its oiling as it should. If the chain isn't constantly getting slack and the chain doesn't look dry then its probably ok. I would still expect some splatter of oil off the end of the bar though.

I have customers that do have to swap from mineral to bio oil. It doesnt usually clog up but then I do advise them to drain the tank before filling up. I think its more likely to go rancid when its left for some time in the tank then you fill up with mineral oil. Do you have three saws that now have oiling issues?

If the carb is leaking once you fire it up it will pour out smoke and run really rough for a bit. A 15 euro carb is definitely not genuine and its hit and miss if they are any good. Worth it for a last ditch attempt before binning a machine though. Its around £100 for a new carb over here.

Try Micks advise first and scrape out the bar groove. The amount of oil coming out looks fine but is it consistent if you run it for a minute or two? The Pump on those machines is only small, its the same one fitted to a lot of the old home owner machines like the 017, 018 etc they can fail in that they pump some oil but not enough, you sometimes see air bubbles or the oil just stops for a bit. If the oil filter is the same setup then you usually cant remove it from the oil tank you have to strip a few bits off on the sprocket side and take the oil pipe out that way to get at the filter. It may be different on your machine but I haven't had to strip one down so I cant say for sure. The pump is lubricated by the chain oil and bio oil can coagulate when mixed with mineral oil and cause a few problems. You could try emptying the oil and flushing it out with petrol. You need to put some fuel in, really shake it up, pour out and repeat a few times. All that will do it clean the filter a bit at best. That sometimes works but tbh its more of an out on the field last chance saloon attempt at a quick fix.

Is it the c be version with the easy start? If so check the starter mechanism, its a bit more complicated than standard starters and it might be causing the issue that you have.

Yes, they use the same drive shaft and drive tube. Just undo the pinch bolt and swap the whole thing over including the guard.

Ive seen the same issue with the impulse pipe on the 026, I put it down to worn av rubbers causing too much movement. As you have said forceps plus time, patience, lots of swearing and glasses for me.

We had a partial shipment of the 1/4" the other week which we weren't expecting as when we asked where they were (ordered last year) we were told about the delay etc. If anyone wants the 1/4" version you can find them on our web site £3.5 Thousand English pounds and 53 Pence. Bargain!

I cant say 100% but it looks correct as the red wire is longer so it fits the furthest connector. TBH it wont make a difference as all the kill switch does is make a circuit so it wont matter which way around the wires go.

It is surprising how it has taken off, the rest of the echo range is nowhere near as much of a seller. Right product at the right time I suppose. The Echo rep was saying that echo have such a huge global market share of top handle saws that they are building a plant dedicated to only producing the 2511. Which is why there is no more stock available until July/August this year.

A very opened question due to personal preference but, the echo CS2511TESC seems to be the most (best selling) favoured top handle saw bar none. Ropes and harnesses, you need to try them on and see what works best for you, just like boots and trousers. Maybe not try a rope on, match the rope to your ascender, depending on what you want to use. There's just too much choice these days!

It sounds like you may have an issue with the carb. If a check valve is faulty it will draw air in through the carb rather than fuel. Its worth checking the carb diaphragm for tiny holes as this can cause the same issue. You may need to hold it up to a light. Have a look here

I'm surprised to hear about the drive shafts stripping probably because I have a few walk in customers that have the 525 and they haven't had any issues with drive shaft failures but the hot start may just be down to the carb needing a bit of a tune. Ive had to tune a few but its mainly been down to poor running. Its always worth giving the primer bulbs a few pumps as that can help with a hot start. Its probably the best part of a £1000 to swap over to Stihl with the accessories so it might be worth investigating the issues on the 525. The Stihl kombis are fairly reliable though and I dont recall replacing any drive shafts. Its mainly drive shafts on the bent shaft strimmers that fail, usually down to old age or using the strimmer without a guard.

The gear head will fit but the thrust washer and plate are different, the 460 has a spline shaft whereas the 461 has an oval shaft. Pic of the thrust plate Stihl Thrust Plate - 4148 710 3801 SKYLANDEQUIPMENT.COM Replacement Thrust Plate for a range of Stihl Brush Cutter machines listed below. This Thrust Plate also includes the Protecting Disks - 4148 710 1000. FITS BRUSH CUTTER... The deflector guard is also different. I had a machine in not that long ago where they had a 461 head on a 460.

An 026! That must be 20+ years old. Treat it to a new bar and chain, maybe a new spur sprocket. I cant comment on the bar and chains setups that you've listed but tbh, Stihl bars and chains are tough and long lasting, you cant go wrong with oem in this case.

Hi compression on the cheap machines!

Its worth noting on these machines that have a plastic crankcase dont overtighten the bolt, it can pull the stud out of the crankcase. Ive seen it happen on quite a few of the little echo 2511's and a couple of the 170/171 stihls.

This is what I would recommend. Empty the fuel into a clear jug, let it settle for awhile, you will see any water and bits of sawdust etc settle to the bottom. Pour the clean fuel back into the tank and dispose of the crap. Swill the fuel about in the tank and do the above until you have removed all the water and crap. If you have an airline you can save a bit of time by draining the tank and blowing it out. Start the saw up and leave it to idle until it dies, job done. If you haven't changed the fuel filter in a while you may as well do that now. Just remember to get rid of your mixed fuel if you wont be using it for a couple of months as it will go off.

Take the carb off and check the black plastic splitter that fits into the carb body where it attaches to the rubber intake pipe. This plastic piece had a small hole that gets bunged up if the machine is ran without an air filter or if it's used with a damaged air filter cover as it doesn't seal the air filter properly. I've seen it plenty of times, the saw won't tick over and runs poorly. It could also be the solenoid. As they show the same symptoms but I would check the above first. £300 seems is a bit steep for a new carb and 5 minutes of work! You just put the carb on and that's it. Maybe do a reset if it's not running properly but you don't need a pic to do that.

I agree with you on that. Battery tech needs a major advance before it will replace petrol machines. They do have their place though, hedge trimmers seems to be top of the list from customer feedback. Although the top handle battery saws are also getting good feedback. Its going to be quite awhile before you can replace a 084 with a battery machine

The 300 is a fairly powerful saw TBH, I have only had a bit of a demo with one and I haven't ran one next to a 261 or 550 but they cant be that far off in terms of power. They were available to buy in 2023 IIRC. I've seen the promotion videos but it would be interesting to see a real world comparison. Someone in here must have a 300 and a pro 50cc saw that they can do a quick vid of them in use.

£160.