Trailoftears

Sounds VERY trying ☹️ Bit of a wildcard but nothing to lose,try the later recalibration- STIHL M-Tronic technology is designed to make sure that your tool delivers an optimum performance, all day, every day, by making automatic adjustments to regulate the fuel and air mix to the machine. However, there are a couple of instances where you may need to reset your M-Tronic machine. Firstly, if you carry out any work on the fuel supply system, such as changing a solenoid valve, replacing or cleaning a carburettor or even just replacing an old fuel filter, you will need to do an M-Tronic reset. For newer M-Tronic machines (such as the MS462 chainsaw) the process is different so check your Owners’ Manual to make sure that you are following the right procedure. The procedure for newer models is listed below: Remove the scabbard Ensure the chain brake is engaged (on) Put the machine in the ▲ Cold start position Start the machine and run it in the ▲ Cold start position for at least 30 seconds but no more than 60 seconds (the period marked as A in the diagram below) Do not touch the throttle or accelerate the saw during this time Disengage/release the chain brake Open/squeeze the throttle fully for at least 30 seconds (B in the diagram) Engine speed varies noticeably during calibration As soon as the engine speed drops noticeably (C), release the throttle back to the idle position When the engine is back to idle speed, engage the chain brake and switch off Your saw is calibrated and ready for operation

Basically, these 'new' stihl branded mowers are simply re-branded versions of their old sister company/subsidiary viking range which were marketed as 'high-end' domestic mowers.They at least seem to have learnt one important lesson-you can (possibly),rebrand/sell much the same mower range as you did 5 years ago but DITCH THE SHITE B&S motors.

Interesting looking 'up' into the nxt series of stihl mowers-series 4-same engine/plastic decks+a smaller cut too.Interesting 'upgrade'!

I may be wrong on this issue but gradually easing into makita o.p.e tools which are rated afaik as showeroroof-xpt standard.Personally they go under cover/into the car during lunchtime/ thundery downpours etc.Cant honestly comment on other makes in fairness.I do note all other trades equally panic on new builds in wet weather conditions re: drills/impact drivers/circular saws etc,whether xpt rated or not.

I can only refer you to pleasants earlier reply.Battery tools are basically electric tools, heavily vented due to potential overheat issues.I'm glad they work for you.Personally,I would feel no confidence in exposing electric motors exposed to heavy rainfall in hostile environments.To put it another way,leaving aside plugs/socket connection issues.Would I go out with an electric motor in a huge downpour-say a drill,or impact driver?Not a chance tbh.But again,glad it works for you.

Battery powered tools are a whole different ball game imo.In spite of owning many makita battery-powered o.p.e.which I believe are rated as 'shower proof',As soon as it drizzles,I immediately suffer a panic attack/get them straight back in the car due to not only the mech cost,but also the horror of lion battery costs too!Not an issue that those that evangelise the brave new World of battery tools tend to dwell on frankly.But given the purchase costs-you'd do well to factor it into your purchase decisions.

I'd not fret too much about the rain tbh.A decent Honda based mower has the sp.plug well-recessed so when hot will laff in the face of rain (unlike kakky briggs engines which leave the sp.plugs obscenely exposed).As to hedges when wet-rake/bash them over with a lawn rake to force them to shed rain pre-cutting.A decent stihl b/cutter wont even notice rain-well-sealed sp.plug,also the wet cools the gearhead.If you must leave them out,say over lunch-up end a bucket over your hedgetrimmer/brushcutter engine.As to your mower,place the grassbox o er the engine over lunch/work gaps-better still,just drape a tarp over the m/c.

I'd not fret too much about the rain tbh.A decent Honda based mower has the sp.plug well-recessed so when hot will laff in the face of rain (unlike kakky briggs engines which leave the sp.plugs obscenely exposed).As to hedges when wet-rake/bash them over with a lawn rake to force them to shed rain pre-cutting.A decent stihl b/cutter wont even notice rain-well-sealed sp.plug,also the wet cools the gearhead.If you must leave them out,say over lunch-up end a bucket over your hedgetrimmer/brushcutter engine.As to your mower,place the grassbox o er the engine over lunch/work gaps-better still,just drape a tarp over the m/c.

Not sure if this helps you but there's different procedures for recalibrating/resetting mtronic versions/software vers.Is yours a v.3 for instance?

Interesting debate.I have a vintage 038 dating back to say,the early 80's? And it was classed as a 'farmer/landscaper' saw back in the day-i.e. a stihl budget saw- super farm boss type.I also own a newish ms261 ' pro' saw too+a ms441 pro saw.The old 038 is crude by today's standards I guess,but incredibly robust,with a forever filter,both sides of the case magnesium.Solid metal wrapover metal handle.It will start on a sixpence even after sitting under my workbench partially filled with no use for 6 months.The 261 is lovely too,but much more plastic involved,less magnesium-plastic starter recoil cover/handle,also the air filter isnt as good/cleanable either.Progress?The ms441 weighs the same as the old 038 and is about 5cc's more powerful with various luxuries-decomp valve etc,but quite bulbous I would say.My conclusions?Stihl made effin good saws back in the day and the old budget saws can hold their own-and more with today's pro versions.Be interesting to see will my 261 still be running like a mad dog in 40 odd years time....The 038 certainly does.

Yep,the gx engine in my book is one of the finest small engine units money can buy,If you ever bought a generator-thats the engine you want to see on it.Q..shocked Honda are withdrawing in the U.S.A.,where their engines/mowers sold pretty well-environmental issues/fines I guess?

I fully agree having a honda unit bolted on your mower is a great basis for longevity.You will tend not to find the GX ohv unit on any but the top price mowers.But the domestic gcv ohc unit is tried and tested on an innumerable amount of mowers of all brands.while its always a good plan to regulary oil change,I believe the GCV engine has an internal belt bathed in oil-so v.important to watch your oil level/qualityI would imagine.

Just for anyone looking for a decent pro backup mower.Theres a lot to like about the stihl 253 t s.propelled mower.Light as a feather with a tin/steel deck,20+" cut,also a brisk forward speed.Theoretically at least it can be found for a sub £400 price which I find acceptable.Also has single point height and a readystart engine.box has full indicator-which works. (thankfully no longer a b&s.'engine').Ideal for domestic use too+useful for biz use where steps/narrow access is a problem.Its 27 odd kgs-compared to my kubota kazz mower of 63kgs its like using a childs pram! One or 2 faults-the solid box @50l is undersized,also the clip together box needs a couple of.s.tapping screws to keep it strong. Overall tho,its decent value for a budget mower.Just change the engine oil@5 hours/then 10 hours and you should get a few years out of it!

It depends of course on many factors-rootstock/variety/available space/customer requirements and so on.I see so many Apple trees that have been 'clipped' on their top growth until they resemble elevated witches brooms.Always a good starting point-dead/diseased/badly placed branches-remove.Also ideally,allow as much light into the interior of the tree as possible to facilitate ripening of the interior fruits.Also ideally,you need to 'know' the individual-does it fruit heavily but with low-grade fruit?In which case,less is more-its far better to have 80 top quality apples as opposed to 250 mediocre fruits for most people.Also,a healthy Apple tree will react aggressively to over-heavy pruning.Look at the shape, don't shorten branches-but rather, within reason remove them entirely with a view to the heart and shape of the tree.Then be prepared to revisit the tree nxt spring to regulate and thin the inevitable unwanted basal shoots.

It does look fungal-rust being the obvious culprit.It saddens me that peeps now seem to equate Rhodies with evil.Yes,Ponticum needs careful management/monitoring-particularly on the West coast of the U.K.Even so,its one of the few large shrubs that will flower well even under heavy shade in say,dark beechwoods.The worse thing you can do with ponticum is cut it right down-then it will re-trench and spread swiftly.If you want it gone,cut it down and immediately dig it out-shallow-rooted so easy to do. The saddest thing I've seen working in fairly historic Gardens is where new owners come in,heavily chop down beautiful hardy hybrids and don't understand they have just let the the old ponticum understock run riot.Whilst Rhodies are generally 'uncool' these days. There is no finer sight than Mrs furnival/pink pearl/sappho,nobleanum etc,etc at their peak on the edge of a woodland glade.

I foolishly bought a ms 250 a few years back thinking it looked good on paper.An absolute pig,never ran properly or reliably in spite of going back to the stihl dealer more than once under warranty.A friday afternoon built saw/or just a pile of junk?Who can say,just shows Stihl products can occasionally be dismal too!

Admittedly being a happy owner I have a dog in this race,but I find the 261 an absolute pleasure to use,reasonably lightweight,flexible with suprising power for its 50cc class.Its also a nice bonus to be able to buy the older picco super kit really cheaply and again it races thru most wood types on that particular setup.

Just to repeat many comments on this thread,they got hold of me years ago-pushy salesman/expensive etc.Glad I didnt go down that road!Frankly,if you're in the place of being newish/keen to drum up business etc.Print out a couple of hundred flyers,give up an evening or so distributing them locally,from then on word of mouth will swiftly do the rest.

A 1 bar stud setup will be more than adequate for your saw.You're right,the tooless system DOES feel sloppy.I think these plastic covers as fitted on stihls budget saws dont deal at all well with the inevitable heat build up over use and deform slightly.

So I note with interest that the heavier stihl clearing saws now come with 12 point? Splined solid shafts as opposed to the square ended shafts as previously supplied in older generation stihl clearing saws.As an ex engineer,I find it hard to see why this is actually anywhere as robust as the old square,female,male shaft system?Also,the new sealed gearbox with no proviso for end-user lubrication makes me somewhat nervous given the heat/ workloads these gearheads can be exposed to?

What I do know,the 4 wheel mowers drive/gearboxes rarely fail-if ever.If anything fails,it will be the friction clutch/ plate system,and that will rarely happen unless your regularly driving them up cliff-like slopes on a regular basis.I work mine hard on slopes and most do a good 3/4 year regime before the clutch slip becomes annoying.Even then,a clutch pair is about £35 on fleabay- no drama in my book.Had zero gearbox issues in spite of regular incline work in fairness.

That may be true re:the rear roller models-I wouldnt know,but I would never buy ANY rear roller lawnmowers anyway-heavier/more complex rear axle/gearbox systems.Amusingly,some manufacturers recommend you push them gently to start-v.amusing in my book!Buy a £1000 mower and gently push them to start-methinks not.

As an acterthought re: the mowers,honda-back in the day did an (almost) equally legendary series of mowers-the hr series-loads of parts still available for them-cables/carbs/blades etc.The kaaz mowers were/are better in 3 respects I would say, 1:open top viewable grass box with dust cover. 2.a much stronger hexagonal drive shaft. 3:a metal faced plastic impeller above the blade-so fan-assisted grass collection-important in the wet.Sadly,the cables aren't q. The same-but can be 'adapted' lol.However,the blades,carbs,air filters are all interchangeable.

All I can comment on is the kaaz/sarp 4/stroke lawnmowers all made in Tokyo,Japan-rebadged+ re-coloured for lawnflite/danarm/kubota etc,etc.Basically the best mower(s) you can buy-hugely thick alloy deck,direct-drivechain,proper friction clutches and 2 speed,The finest honda engines-gx series.Not cheap but you'll probably never buy another mower.

Speak as you find,the rotatech chains seem absolutely acceptable to me.Possibly/arguably they stretch a tad more on initiall use,but for most people they are absolutely fine.Also they are half the price of say,Stihl chains,if your just doing small fells/firewood/cleaning up trees,I doubt you'll be disappointed.