Statements said involving saws

[StihlEchoingHusky]

As I travel this new journey with chainsaws I've come to the conclusion that 1 of if not the most said statement is. I don't know? it ran fine before I let my buddy borrow it. I think I might pick up a homeowners saw and label it for buddy if needed. Maybe I'll install a (break glass in case of emergency box) right next to where I store it. But instead of a fire extinguisher it will have oil seals and new rings.

I do have a question to add to this post for the saw gurus. Which saw would you recommend that is light weight,starts easy(by that I mean spring assisted starter) Preferably capable of running a 20 inch bar and something that is not to balls to the wall powerful. (The not to powerful part is my paranoia) Something that a disabled veteran can use. (His arms and legs are not what are disabled so a def leopard drumset isnt required) he currently has a 80volt atlas which the weight and simplicity of starting it he likes but dislikes the battery. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Husqvarna,Stihl and echo all have dealerships roughly the same distance from where we live just in different directions. So dealership distance isn't a issue

 

[Woodwackr]

Stihl 261

 

[bogieboy]

I would look at a stihl ms251c.... not as powerful as a 261, but you get easy start, which was on your list of wants.... if memory serves correctly, thats the biggest easy start that stihl offers at the moment...

Sorry i cant help you on other brands LOL i have worked at stihl dealers for the last 10 yrs....

 

[farminkarman]

I would look at a stihl ms251c.... not as powerful as a 261, but you get easy start, which was on your list of wants.... if memory serves correctly, thats the biggest easy start that stihl offers at the moment...

Sorry i cant help you on other brands LOL i have worked at stihl dealers for the last 10 yrs....

If the spring assisted start is a must, I would add a +1 to the above. I have done muffler mods & timing advance to two 251’s…they aren’t very sporty stock, so should be very manageable.

 

[StihlEchoingHusky]

Funny y'all said those 2 models. I was just handed a 250 for a repair and a 260 for port work. I think the universe is trying to hint at something here

 

[Woodwackr]

I hate that assisted start thing. Just my .02. I had to work on one...a piece of crap...
Frankly, if you can't pull start a 261, call a tree service or...learn how to drop-start a saw.

 

[StihlEchoingHusky]

It's not that he isn't strong enough. He can start my big bore 660 which has the decomp plugged off. I'm buying this as a gift for him. Assisted start is something I've made a requirement because Last month he tore his right rotator cuff and he is a boomer. Stubborn as hell..

 

[StihlEchoingHusky]

The simplicity of starting is because in his words. I always flood it ! because I have stupid fingers!!!! (robot devils voice from futurama) reality is Tinnitus is pretty bad. the burp during start up he cant distinguish it from the normal pull starting sounds

 

[farminkarman]

I hate that assisted start thing. Just my .02. I had to work on one...a piece of crap...
Frankly, if you can't pull start a 261, call a tree service or...learn how to drop-start a saw.

I agree on this. My Dad has bad wrists and he thought he wanted one of the easy start saws. I got him a 261 and he loves it. He had a little Husqvarna 435, and he could t get it started fwiw.

 

[damifino]

Echo 4910. I'm a 66 year old worn out plumber and I think the 4910 is easy to start. I think it's lightest in its class.

 

[IffykidMn]

The simplicity of starting is because in his words. I always flood it ! because I have stupid fingers!!!! (robot devils voice from futurama) reality is Tinnitus is pretty bad. the burp during start up he cant distinguish it from the normal pull starting sounds

If he cannot hear the burp and always floods the saw brand or model is not going to matter.

 

[hacskaroly]

The 251 with the easy start might be the best Stihl option, if I remember correctly it also has a primer bulb too that would help with starting.

If the guy has problems flooding a Stihl and it has three lever options (choke, warm start and idle) tell him from a cold start to pull three times on choke, 8 times on warm start the 5 times on idle. If it doesn't start during or after that sequence, repeat it. If at any point the saw started to flood, this sequence will clear it out and minimize the chance of flooding.

I have had many customers who can't hear or just miss the pop have good luck starting their saws this way without flooding it.

 

[Sloughfoot]

If he cannot hear the burp and always floods the saw brand or model is not going to matter.

May be the reason he's got a battery saw.

 

[StihlEchoingHusky]

The 251 with the easy start might be the best Stihl option, if I remember correctly it also has a primer bulb too that would help with starting.

If the guy has problems flooding a Stihl and it has three lever options (choke, warm start and idle) tell him from a cold start to pull three times on choke, 8 times on warm start the 5 times on idle. If it doesn't start during or after that sequence, repeat it. If at any point the saw started to flood, this sequence will clear it out and minimize the chance of flooding.

I have had many customers who can't hear or just miss the pop have good luck starting their saws this way without flooding it.

He has kinda gotten the hang of starting my 271 pull trigger in and hold,thumb choke all the way down,release trigger, pull 2, flick choke pull 1 and it's usually running. No it's not stock lol base of cylinder has been mildly cut, exhaust widened slightly, intake lowered a hair(going around impulse line) and Ive added finger ports.

 

[StihlEchoingHusky]

He has kinda gotten the hang of starting my 271 pull trigger in and hold,thumb choke all the way down,release trigger, pull 2, flick choke pull 1 and it's usually running. No it's not stock lol base of cylinder has been mildly cut, exhaust widened slightly, intake lowered a hair(going around impulse line) and Ive added finger ports.

Oops my bad I meant to say after final pull blip trigger

 

[bogieboy]

He has kinda gotten the hang of starting my 271 pull trigger in and hold,thumb choke all the way down,release trigger, pull 2, flick choke pull 1 and it's usually running. No it's not stock lol base of cylinder has been mildly cut, exhaust widened slightly, intake lowered a hair(going around impulse line) and Ive added finger ports.

How exactly do you cut the base of a clamshell saw? Base of the cylinder goes all the way down to clamping the crank bearings.... just curious, because that seems like a lot of extra work... you would have to remachine the bearing journals, along with the seals, and the bottom of the cylinder, and keep them all perfectly inline....

 

[farminkarman]

How exactly do you cut the base of a clamshell saw? Base of the cylinder goes all the way down to clamping the crank bearings.... just curious, because that seems like a lot of extra work... you would have to remachine the bearing journals, along with the seals, and the bottom of the cylinder, and keep them all perfectly inline....

It is quite an undertaking to do it well...and that is with proper machining equipment. Some clammys have the bearings held in a rubberized cup, so a person could fudge things a bit and get away with it...not the case on the 271s. The bearings are directly clamped by the cylinder & bottom half of the crankcase.

 

[bogieboy]

It is quite an undertaking to do it well...and that is with proper machining equipment. Some clammys have the bearings held in a rubberized cup, so a person could fudge things a bit and get away with it...not the case on the 271s. The bearings are directly clamped by the cylinder & bottom half of the crankcase.

I am well aware of the 271 design, i am a certified stihl mechanic... LOL thats why i asked... also because i have 3 blown up ones sitting in the shop attic that might be fun to play with, if they can be modded decently.. i pretty much wrote them off due to being clammies that scored up bad...

 

[farminkarman]

I am well aware of the 271 design, i am a certified stihl mechanic... LOL thats why i asked... also because i have 3 blown up ones sitting in the shop attic that might be fun to play with, if they can be modded decently.. i pretty much wrote them off due to being clammies that scored up bad...

I don’t know about the strato version of the 271, but the non-strato ones respond pretty well to widening the exhaust, adding some intake duration, muffler mod, and timing advance.

 

[StihlEchoingHusky]

How exactly do you cut the base of a clamshell saw? Base of the cylinder goes all the way down to clamping the crank bearings.... just curious, because that seems like a lot of extra work... you would have to remachine the bearing journals, along with the seals, and the bottom of the cylinder, and keep them all perfectly inline....

Well I guess you can say shortened it by a Dall hair or so lol forgive me im still extremely new to chainsaws and modding them. I honestly didn't think about that when I did it. What I used was the "poor mans lathe" same thing I've resurfaced countless v8 and lawn mower heads,with the exception of them not being overly warped, A big piece of clean glass with 120grit ceramic sandpaper attached via spray adhesive.

That 271 was my first chainsaw and first time modifying one. What I did may have not changed anything drastically in port timing but it did reduce squish by a little. I did have alot more secuess doing that to a big bore 660 come to think of it. But that time I used 60grit ceramic sandpaper and worked my way up to 320. I did spend entirely too much time doing that tho about 5 hours continuously pushing the cylinder back and forth