HillyJohn

I have similar land and have cleared an acre or so of mature brambles. The best tool that I've found is a brushcutter with an Oregon 12 inch universal mulching blade; this needs more than a 1KW strimmer, I use an Echo SRM-3611U. Battery would be much more expensive, the Stihl FSA 200 costs more for the body alone, and needs £350 batteries, which last half an hour. I've the earlier FSA 135 which is not really up to large scale bramble clearing, it just about manages a 10 inch mulching blade.

One other thing with these saws is to check that the choke flap in the air filter is closing for a cold start. The linkage can get bent or dislodged, making cold starts very difficult. Found this out the hard way!

Stihl MSA 160 and above have a physical brake band around the outside of the drive sprocket, with a similar mechanism to their smaller petrol saws

I'm a fan of the Stihl/Pferd 2 in 1, it let me sharpen 1/4 inch electric saw chain before I learnt the art of hand sharpening it. Can I ask a dumb question? Is the sharpener the right one for the chain? I agree the tooth shape looks odd.

Another way to check fuel supply and main jet check valve is to use a medical type syringe. First try and fill from the carburretor intake hose, if hard to draw then check tank air inlet and fuel pipe, should be no bubbles, unless there is a split in pipe. Then draw from pipe connecting carb to primer, if check valve faulty lots of small bubbles in fuel. After use pull syringe apart, spray silicone on rubber seal, store in 2 parts or it will stick fast!

If your BIL's woodpile is near a mains socket, then wired electric saw is better than an MS 181 for power and noise. I bought mine to work near the house, rather than a nimble Stihl MS260. Worth paying extra for inline motor instead of models where the motor sticks out at the side, then easier to use a saw horse and generally more nimble, still fits within your budget.

Manual sent

Don't worry about 7 tooth spur sprocket on 3/8 lo-pro. 2 years ago I ordered a 6 tooth from my local Makita dealer for my EA4300, which is very similar to your saw. Makita supplied the 7 tooth, when my dealer queried this he was told by Makita that they were only doing the 7 tooth in 3/8 as it worked better. Took so long to arrive I bought replacement .325 bar and chains instead.

The Carburettor swap should be no problem, designed for same fittings, may give a power increase. Apart from the simpler "open" cylinder on the 341, the other significant difference between the two is in the exhaust, which has a restriction tube on the MS341, and is a different part number to the MS361. The later MS361 exhaust has lost this tube and is a direct swap, worth considering. The ignition is supposed to be different, but my MS341 can rev to 14 thousand, which is more than needed.

Maximum power rpm is only part of this tale, the two Makita engines have identical bore and stroke, 2 stroke makes maximum power at 9,500rpm, 4 stroke 7,500. The 4 stroke power output is only 50hp per 1000cc, pretty pedestrian for a petrol engine. I think limitation might be having the valves running in the same line as the cylinder, so restricting gas flow. This is a consequence of having the cylinder head and bore in one casting, which avoids the weight and sealing problems of a head gasket, but forces a bathtub shaped combustion chamber.

4 stroke could have more torque, but problem in real life is best shown by Makita. Their 42cc 4 stoke motor produces 2hp, and is 5.5KG for bare motor, while an EA4300 chainsaw is also 42cc, 3hp, 4.9kg for whole machine. To their credit, Dolmar/Makita tried hard to get a four stroke chainsaw to work, but never sorted it.

Stihl MSA 220 will not deliver full power with an AP300 battery, which does not deliver enough current, needs AP300S or AP500S. Even my MSA200 pulls better with a higher capacity battery than the supplied AP300.

I'm in same age group so understand your dilemma. Clue to Stihl MSA300 intended use is in their own description as designed for demanding professional use. So is well made, but heavier than your Husqvarna 450e when battery in place. Also needs several batteries if cutting more than 20mins at 50cc saw power output. 3 years ago when my 42cc saw died I got a MSA 200 (best available at that time) to partner a 60cc MS341. I've been pleasantly surprised at what it can cut, more torque than small petrol saws, suggest that you try a MSA 220.

Yes, it is the impulse line, connects to a little plastic elbow on the clutch side of the cylinder, below the fins. You need to take the top cover off, which needs the primer pump removing, and is easier if the carb too. Even so, awkward to get to, good luck!

Nothing better than the Stihl chain available, which if sharp, works well on this saw. The only possible alternative might be the Oregon Speedcut nano, which needs it's own sprocket, not currently available for Stihl electric saws. I doubt the little motor in this saw would drive the larger chain. I've found it hard to sharpen the small chain on this saw, solved by using an Stihl easyfile. The chain oil may be Bio friendly vegetable oil, which is more runny than mineral oil.