Mik the Miller

I don't use Instagram although I can imagine that there is a lot of nonsense on there as it's a Meta owned, American photo and short-form video sharing platform. It'll be full of 'look at me I know everything' types, best avoided IMO FYi, I am not looking to make any of my saws heavier and louder or to "add more sharp bits that reduce effective bar length" however I do aim to make the saw easier to handle and provide a quicker pickup with (if possible) more available power. Reducing the effective bar length is also not on my agenda and fitting the matching, Stihl, outer bumper spike will (again IMO) assist in keeping the saw level when cutting at the maximum depth as well as reducing paint damage to the front of the crankcase below the exhaust.

Needle cage, 7T rim sprocket kit, upper internal cover, rubber guard, bumper strips, chain catcher, spark plug (it's a tiny one ...), exhaust gasket, outer bumper spike, inner side plate, HD2 air filter, 2 filler caps, worm gear and spring ... Extras: Full wrap handle (yet to arrive) Barkbox exhaust cover (Chinesium, also yet to arrive) The previous owner hadn't done a great deal of maintaining, had lost the chain (more than) a few times and the saw was pretty messy and chewed up in parts. A hand skoosher of Gunk and a pressure washer got rid of most of the saw dust, chippings, grass, mud and oil followed by 1/2 an hour of digging out the remains from nooks and crannies etc. It starts and runs as-sweet-as and with a 20" bar is ready to go. Starts much easier than my 660. I will change the 20" bar for a 25 when the chains expire (next year probably) although I like to undersize The first job will be bucking a lime that I dropped and limbed a couple of weeks ago, the owners son wants the rounds for firewood, mine is not to question....

Yes .... No .... i've just bought a used 500i (and spent £250 on bits - inc the full wrap - to get it up to spec)

And they still are ... here's the latest from Stil Customer service. Basically - we won't sell you a full wrap handle because you don't need one. You should only fell trees in zis vay !!! \\ Good afternoon Mr Bartlett, I have further consulted with our Training Team Manager and Field Trainer who advise as below in relation to your comments: Wrap-around handles are a feature most commonly found on chainsaws sold in the United States and Canada, particularly on larger professional saws designed for forestry work. These handles are not available or supplied by STIHL with chainsaws in the UK, largely because there has been no (historical) demand for them. Forestry practices and the types of trees commonly worked on in the UK have not required the wrap-around handle. In North America and Canada, wrap-around handles are often used for felling very large trees, especially on steep or uneven terrain where cutting techniques such as the Humboldt cut are preferred over more common British methods like the standard fell, split-level, dog tooth, or Danish pie cuts. However, it’s worth noting that the wrap-around handle is only beneficial during the felling stage. Once the tree is on the ground and needs to be processed the extra handle can actually become cumbersome, getting in the way and making the saw bulkier to manoeuvre. For this reason, most UK operators prefer the standard front and rear handle configuration, which offers better balance and simplicity for the majority of tasks typically performed in British forestry and arboriculture. There are no plans to import the wrap-around handle into GB and as such I'm afraid that it's not something that would be available through STIHL GB. I trust this provides further clarification into the reasons we do not supply this in the STIHL GB market. Kind regards, Dan STIHL GB Andreas Stihl Limited // Ian did say that they aren't easy to source, he quoted approx 4 to 5 weeks. I think @Stihl123 is right, it would be quicker and easier to import one from a US reseller. I did get back to Dan at Stihl GB and said that his Training and Field Manager sounded like a 'right pair of textbooks' (which is from my 'How to win friends and impress people book') and asked if Stihl would sell me 100 pieces. Which I fully expect them to say "NO" to, after all all, who wants £10K's worth of business handed to them on a plate ?

I had a slightly more sensible response from Dan @ Stihl GB. Still doesn't make a huge amount of sense and I think it shows how much 'out of touch' Stihl GB is from it's customers. \\ Good morning Mr Bartlett, Thank you for your further email. The part you are enquiring about is used on the Rescue Saw version of the MS500i which is not supplied or brought into the GB market for numerous reasons. I am sorry for any disappointment caused, however should our ongoing market research deem a need for this specific machine in the future, we are happy to review it's introduction at a later date. Kind regards, Dan STIHL GB Andreas Stihl Limited //

Thanks. I contacted Ian and ordered one.

Or Brexit ... probably

So what is going on here ? Stihl dealers tell me that there isn't such a thing available ... It's part No: 1147-790-3701 I say brightly .... That part number doesn't exist (i'm told by L&SEng's) I drop a wee line to Stihl UK ... I know, i'm innocent On their website I contacted Stihl Customer Service and asked if I could get a full wrap handle (part number 1147-790-3701 ) from them. To further proof I attached this ... I get a plethora of responses from Andreas Stihl Limited We have received your request. We will get back to you asap, meanwhile look on the website .... etc etc and then ... this Dear Mr Bartlett, Thank you for contacting us at STIHL Customer Service. Please kindly note that indeed, that MS 500i full wrap handle part is not available in our market. We have different market requirements in different countries. These include licensing requirements, purchasing power, demands for comfort and modernity, working methods, and other factors. For this reason, we offer the right product range tailored to each country. When products or parts are not available in a specific country, it is also important to consider that dealers may not be trained on those products, and spare parts might only be delivered with a delay. This approach ensures that customers receive the best service and support for the products available in their market If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Kind regards, STIHL GB Andreas Stihl Limited Phone: +44 (0)1276 20202 www.stihl.co.uk I replied ... Dear Anonymous Thankyou for your swift response. From your reply I understand that the reason you do not supply a full wrap handle for the 500i is that your (UK) dealers are not trained on this product ? They are trained on other models though, (the 300 and 400 series) for example, and that these full wrap handles are deemed fitting and meet the requirements of Licensing, Comfort and Modernity for these saws, but not for the 500i ? Have I understood your response clearly ? Perhaps you meant that there is no demand here in the UK (I would beg to differ on that point and would steer you towards the internet, the Arborists forums and your dealer/supplier network) ? Or is it that Germany can’t make them fast enough to supply other than the US market ? Any other specific reason I missed ? Best regards I await their response with baited breath, although given the "We're Stihl, how dare you question us" attitude of their initial response I have a feeling i'm not going to hear back.

The Stihl MS261C is a great saw however, new, it is expensive, although there are a few available pre-loved (used) at the right price (IMO). Stihl MS 261 C-M Petrol Chainsaw | George Carr Power Products | Bristol GEORGECARRPOWERPRODUCTS.CO.UK Very light, handy and powerful professional chainsaw. The electronic self-tuning engine managemen... https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/1130082743?iid=187586474057

Yes. 3/8" is the pitch wheras the 0.050 and 0.043 are the gauge. The width of the rail on the chainsaw bar will determine the gauge of the chain and the pitch needs to be the same as the nose and the drive sprocket. Chain, guide bar and sprocket identification - Chainsawbars WWW.CHAINSAWBARS.CO.UK Identifying a chain, guide bar and sprocket on a chainsaw can be tricky. Use our guide to easily take you through how to...

Thats a lot of wear on a modeately used saw. Something isn't right I suspect. Is it the right sized sprocket ? Does the chain move easily on the bar ? Is the chain over tight ? Is the bars nose sprocket ok /free spinning ? The Difference Between Stihl Chainsaw Rim and Spur Sprockets | L&S WWW.LSENGINEERS.CO.UK

James. Why would anyone deliver to you free logs ? It costs in fuel to get to you. The firewood guys pay for good clean wood. The bio-mass guys pay for off cuts. Only the tip charges for disposal of brash ridden branches and scrub. Where is the advantage in dropping off logs to you ? If I could dispose of a 20 x 3.5m Leylandi hedge would you be happy with that ?

Big bastard bough sticking out @ 45 degrees on a fallen Broad leafed Lime tree. Took a nip out of the side as I wanted it to fall away from the wee oak tree and .... CRACK the bough split ending up with a super pinch. Crack creak it went for 10 mins as I tried to ease the pressure and make it fall away. Of course that didn't work either .. Nearly new bar too .....

I have a 25" on the 881 for X cutting and a 36" in the van if i need it. Nominally with a 30 degree chain. I also use the 36" and or a 48" for milling (mainly the 48" to be honect), both with 10 deg ground ripping chains. I do have a skip chain for the 48" but it's only been used when i've blunted the std. My goto saw is a 362 with an18" bar I also have a 261 which I have a 14" bar and ripp[ing chain on which is used to cut big rounds into cheese wedges (so I can lift them).

Cheers for the replies. The 'sloppiness' was cured by tightening up the screws on the handle and the chain catcher. Have ordered some bits from L&S, cleaned up the clutch and brake and feel more comfortable with it now.

Bought a used MS261CM from the Bay of E. Chain catcher was mangled as was the inner side cover, it was obvious the chain had come off at one point, possibly more. The bar was lipped and blued at the back but OK overall. Lots of compression and it starts and runs well. New bar, 2 chains and some bits from L&S and i've a good wee saw for ripping rounds into cheese triangles making it easier to move and hump onto the log splitter. £430 in all, lot better than £800 +vat for a new one.

Hi Anyone with an MS261 CM ? Could you end me/post a picture of the stop (anti vibration) buffer on the clutch cover side ?? Here's a pic of one I bought (used) recently, it looks 'not right' to me ... ?

Buy a new one .... Husqvarna chainsaw guidebars - Chainsawbars WWW.CHAINSAWBARS.CO.UK Other sellers exist ...

Wash your mouth out with soap ....

It's Lidl stuff. Should be ok for occasional/light use.

We (here in the UK) are somewhat addited to owning our own property. It's almost a sense of failure if we don't however in lots of other countries, rental is 'normal'. I have friends in Denmark who aren't in the slightest bit interested in buying. Les hit it on the head. As long as your incoming is greater than your outgoings you are doing well. Don't fall into the PCP trap, buy with cash, if you don't have enough cash, find something cheaper. You really don't need a TV contract @ £70 a month. You don't need a phone @ £40 a month. You don't need a £2000 holiday. Borrow 'business money' from the bank, their reality check will stop you overstretching and not being able to pay back. Work hard and diversify when you can ... you could fix that gate for £50 and relay those slabs, unless you are so busy that you haven't got time, in which case you are making money ...