Throwaway Saw

[rogue60]

A dead standing Ash that i took down gave me the chance to use 2 entry level saws that I like/have and work on for customers.
Now the ms 170 is not the current version (2 mix engine) but is more or less new even though its a 2002 yr saw. This one qualifies as the "Throwaway" part of this post as it came to me for nothing after it had sat for yrs with old fuel in it and the customer just didn't want to pay to have it fixed. Sold him a bigger saw anyhow as his needs had changed .
The idea was "Just to go and cut some wood" (swapping back and forwards between them) with 2 bottom of the range sort of saws that most just have no interest in using.
View attachment 190123
The Starting point.
The max was 300mm down to 30mm ...just the typical UK sort of a tree for firewood.

View attachment 190124

View attachment 190125

The End ...after 2/3rds of a tank through each saw.
There are differences between even these two lowly saws ..but...there were no dramas , no problems with stopping and starting on a 26 c day in the sun. Just 2 well mannered (both only have a stock looking exhaust mod ) decent cutting , cheep to buy and run saws.
This was never about if one was better than the other ....they run different and feel different ..."because they are a different design"
They are just a example of what Dolmar and Stihl do/did as the starting point.
If you can try both for yourselves then you will see and feel how different things can be ..even at the bottom.
I cut wood...I enjoyed the process ...I have wood to burn ...job done.

Cool I actually enjoy running my cheap little saw's on weekends at home cutting abit of firewood and old jobs like fencing or building.
The narrow chain on the ms170 you can cut neat as right next to the line when cutting timber for building sheads and the like and heaps faster than a handsaw lol
This is my ms211 a few years ago when it was still stock.

 

[rogue60]

On the topic of my ms211 I've only just got it going again last week, a few month's ago it just cut out and stopped in a cut.
I worked the problem out no spark the coil failed runs really good with the new coil better than it ever did kind of makes me think the old coil was always abit funky.
Cost about $70 for the new coil I got it from overseas didn't even bother getting a price off the dealer for one here lol

 

[Simondo]

Cool I actually enjoy running my cheap little saw's on weekends at home cutting abit of firewood and old jobs like fencing or building.
The narrow chain on the ms170 you can cut neat as right next to the line when cutting timber for building sheads and the like and heaps faster than a handsaw lol
This is my ms211 a few years ago when it was still stock.View attachment 190128

Yea..me to with cheep small saws. I think there is "cheep crap" and ..."How the hell can they make something as good as this for the money,cheep ?" though Lol.
The Dolmar runs a very narrow kerf chain as standard with micro cutters, Oregon 90 PX 1.1mm 3/8 lp on a 14" bar.
Very good on tree pruning for clean non ragged cuts.
That car must be a outback ride only ! ??

 

[Simondo]

On the topic of my ms211 I've only just got it going again last week, a few month's ago it just cut out and stopped in a cut.
I worked the problem out no spark the coil failed runs really good with the new coil better than it ever did kind of makes me think the old coil was always abit funky.
Cost about $70 for the new coil I got it from overseas didn't even bother getting a price off the dealer for one here lolView attachment 190129

They often change the advance/retard setup on coils ..you may well have ended up with the new version that is used these days. How is the saw from cold now.

 

[Simondo]

Cool I actually enjoy running my cheap little saw's on weekends at home cutting abit of firewood and old jobs like fencing or building.
The narrow chain on the ms170 you can cut neat as right next to the line when cutting timber for building sheads and the like and heaps faster than a handsaw lol
This is my ms211 a few years ago when it was still stock.View attachment 190128

By the way..you may not have Dolmar saws easy to get in Aus but you have the same saw in Makita form.
My Dolmar ps-32 =Makita ea3200s.

 

[rogue60]

They often change the advance/retard setup on coils ..you may well have ended up with the new version that is used these days. How is the saw from cold now.

It's running really well actually and dare I even say it's a way smoother saw with the new coil?.
It used to seem like it was hitting a limiter before and was hard to tune?.

I will know more the more I use it but so far I like it, it's a way better running saw with this coil swap or it could all be in my head? lol..
Here's a vid from today the saw is a little fat I need some time with it to tune it right on..

I just got a new load of offcuts I stashed a few years ago of Red Ironbark this is some hard chit! generally speaking this Aussie timber when green is like three times harder than White Oak! The drier it gets the harder it gets..
The chain has mods and is very sharp have a look at the dust for chips! Lol...

 

[rogue60]

Yea..me to with cheep small saws. I think there is "cheep crap" and ..."How the hell can they make something as good as this for the money,cheep ?" though Lol.
The Dolmar runs a very narrow kerf chain as standard with micro cutters, Oregon 90 PX 1.1mm 3/8 lp on a 14" bar.
Very good on tree pruning for clean non ragged cuts.
That car must be a outback ride only ! ??

Yeah that old VK Holden think it was around a 1985 model.
It was good for just getting around home in the bush cutting a bootload here and there of firewood..
But I lost her to a rotton stringybark that let go one night at home! was lucky me Husky ride on mower made it out with no damages! lol
No matter I still got me old 2WD Hilux to this day for home firewood duty!..

 

[rogue60]

Ok got the Redmax thingy? running I made one good one runner out of the two.
Here's a vid do not watch if you like to complain about time lost watching some slow ass saw!
But yeah needs a few mods to wake it up I'll be going back in!..
Will make a cutter of it yet it actually feels nice in hand for a cheap saw just needs a few more beans! Lol..

 

[rogue60]

Oh yeah the no pulse on arrival ms170 I'm working on is getting there still waiting on a few parts to show up.
I'm guessing Piltz sbould be worried when this thing hits the street's!..lol

 

[Simondo]

It's running really well actually and dare I even say it's a way smoother saw with the new coil?.
It used to seem like it was hitting a limiter before and was hard to tune?.

I will know more the more I use it but so far I like it, it's a way better running saw with this coil swap or it could all be in my head? lol..
Here's a vid from today the saw is a little fat I need some time with it to tune it right on..

I just got a new load of offcuts I stashed a few years ago of Red Ironbark this is some hard chit! generally speaking this Aussie timber when green is like three times harder than White Oak! The drier it gets the harder it gets..
The chain has mods and is very sharp have a look at the dust for chips! Lol...

View attachment 190413 View attachment 190414

Im sure your right ...Seems to run well and a better pick up from idle cold if im not mistaken.
The timber you have in Au being so hard ....is it a species thing ? or down to the growing conditions? ..or more. Whats you take on it .
I bet its a stern test for all wood cutting kit, be it ..chain ,band or circular saw . Must make milling a costly old job !
I take it you try and process in the green when you can ?

 

[Simondo]

Yeah that old VK Holden think it was around a 1985 model.
It was good for just getting around home in the bush cutting a bootload here and there of firewood..
But I lost her to a rotton stringybark that let go one night at home! was lucky me Husky ride on mower made it out with no damages! lol
No matter I still got me old 2WD Hilux to this day for home firewood duty!..

View attachment 190415 View attachment 190416 View attachment 190418 View attachment 190419 View attachment 190420

I would put Willow over here as the nearest" sort" of tree to that "Stringybark" car killer .
Your Hi Lux show of the scale of that skidder !

 

[rogue60]

Im sure your right ...Seems to run well and a better pick up from idle cold if im not mistaken.
The timber you have in Au being so hard ....is it a species thing ? or down to the growing conditions? ..or more. Whats you take on it .
I bet its a stern test for all wood cutting kit, be it ..chain ,band or circular saw . Must make milling a costly old job !
I take it you try and process in the green when you can ?

You kind of know what you are in for going on species but growing conditions play a big part low rainfall slow growing within the same species makes for a very dense hard timber.
Yes it's best to cut hardwood green it's not as hard on gear in sawmills.
Bandsaws are no good with really hard timber here they are ok if you have one log to cut and have lots of water to keep the band cool and take your time with feed speed so the band doesn't wonder but for a sawmill that cut truck loads of logs a day circular saw's are the norm here cutting hardwoods.

 

[deye223]

Cool I actually enjoy running my cheap little saw's on weekends at home cutting abit of firewood and old jobs like fencing or building.
The narrow chain on the ms170 you can cut neat as right next to the line when cutting timber for building sheads and the like and heaps faster than a handsaw lol
This is my ms211 a few years ago when it was still stock.View attachment 190128

Come on ya slacker there's room on the back seat for more wood ......

 

[Simondo]

You kind of know what you are in for going on species but growing conditions play a big part low rainfall slow growing within the same species makes for a very dense hard timber.
Yes it's best to cut hardwood green it's not as hard on gear in sawmills.
Bandsaws are no good with really hard timber here they are ok if you have one log to cut and have lots of water to keep the band cool and take your time with feed speed so the band doesn't wonder but for a sawmill that cut truck loads of logs a day circular saw's are the norm here cutting hardwoods.
View attachment 190586
View attachment 190592

I cant see any species on the list that I know grow here..recognise some of the names but thats about it. Do you have a coniferous group of trees that are grown ?

 

[rogue60]

I cant see any species on the list that I know grow here..recognise some of the names but thats about it. Do you have a coniferous group of trees that are grown ?

I don't know much about the softwoods pine trees we have but we do have plantations of slash and radiata pine I've cut that it's like ice cream to cut lol.
The only native coniferous I've cut are Hoop pine and Cypress pine but even thay are kind of hard timber compered to the rest of the world's coniferous.

 

[rogue60]

Got the seized ms170 running runs ok so far..
I couldn't afford the real Piltz dog went with a cheap one it was a fail lol.
Tryed a cheap 7t rim/clutch setup that was a fail as well in hardwood to much chain speed the chain jumped about and wouldn't hook up and when it did the saw didn't have the power to pull it at a decent cutting speed.
Running the 6t star sprocket is way better chain bites in and loads the saw and the saw has the power to pull it smoother as well.
This was with the .050 lowpro chisel chain so far I like it deffontly works the two ms170's harder but they seem to handle it in hardwood ok and hold an edge longer than the .043 baby chain although I do like the .043 chain as well I've never had any problems using it.
I run the .050 lowpro on my ms211 I didn't know how well the 170 would pull it but it's good so far.

 

[rogue60]

This is the seized ms170 now running chinese piston and rings and a heap of other parts am I proud of using Chinese parts that would be NO but Stihl leaves me no choice it would probably have cost $500 if I had use oem Stihl parts here in Australia.
I still need to put the carby kit in it when I cleaned out the carb it look clapped in there and do some more tweaks to get it to run as good as my OEM ms170.

This is my old faithful ms170 I'm liking the .050 3/8 lowpro chisel.

 

[CR888]

That commodore boot filled with wood is the best. Ya I got one day out of them Chinese dawgs, like play dough. That two-11 is now singing a sweet tune. Half decent little saw.