Modern equal to mythical Stihl 026 chainsaw?

[Jstpssng]

To me a mythical saw was the Partner 5000. It was the perfect saw for most of the uses I have.

 

[5030]

Old thread but i was searching 026.
Today, Stihl offers Homeowner..ranch and farm....and professional grades of saws. Was the 026 a Professional saw or a farm and ranch?
A friend of a friend just dropped off two. He tells me that the Dealer says he wont even look at them because he cant get parts. I was told they ran great and then didnt run next time he reached for them. Saw #1 had crack in the gas line ,at the carb. Trimmed it back while I replaced the Metering diaphragm in the carb. 1 hour and it runs great.
Saw #2 very hard metering diaphragm. Replaced it Walbro WT series carb parts. It runs great too. He was going to scrap them both. I just came back from sneaking back to his front porch. I would love them but in clear conscious I had to return.

Still have and use my 026 on a regular basis and every part except the hard nylon chain buffer that fits inside the outer cover is still available, though not at a Stihl dealer. I get all my replacement parts from Sawzilla actually. Just replaced the fuel, impulse and tank vent lines and a new sprocket as well. Bought the saw new in the mid 60's. Mine is the rare Arctic model with the heated handle. I run a 20" Carleton bar with a replaceable sprocket nose (greaseable) and 325 full comp chain. Bought it as well as an 090 G and an 075 and I still own both of them as well. The 90 and the 75 are shelf queens only.

The 026's have very little plastic on them. Only plastic is the top shroud, everything else is magnesium alloy.

The 026 is a great saw. It's an RPM saw and mine flat screams. I recommend them and with normal care they will last and last. No electronic anything, just a mag and points. Other than a couple spark plugs and replacement air filters (Sawzilla again), that's it for consumable parts. Original carb too. It's light and well balanced and IMO, the best mid range saw, Stihl ever produced. I found out much later on that the Artic model I own was only produced for 2 years.

I run syn gas in it as well as my other saws (the 2 Echo's). My Timber Bear has been modded a bit externally with a Red Beard velocity stack, oiled foam air cleaner, I pulled the limiter caps, cut of the plastic tang and reinstalled them so I could better tune it and I modified the muffler, opening it up, removing the top baffle and redirecting the top exhaust shroud so it didn't blow on the full wrap handle and melt the overcover. Echo has a habit of setting their saw too rich from the factory and without removing the limiter caps and cutting off the plastic tang, it's impossible to lean them out enough so I did that as well.

Got it set so it just 4 strokes at WOT a tad, free revving. At some point I may replace the ignition coil for the larger displacement saw for more rpm, but I may not as it runs just fine the way is is. I run a 20" echo bar (greaseable nose) with 325 again. I was considering going to 404 but it works fine with 325.

Again, I consider the ancient 026, the best saw that Stihl ever produced.

Everything is on syn gas for a couple reasons. One, lead free is kind of hard to get around here and 2, because they sit alot, syn gas don't make for gummy carbs and brittle fuel lines and I run Echo Red Armor 50-1. I can let them sit for a long time and they fire right up, no issue.

 

[5030]

As an aside I owned and sold an MS261 to my woodcutter neighbor. I had too many saws and he needed a new saw so I sold it to him. The MS261 was never a high rpm screamer like the old 026 is. I got in almost new second hand and sold it to him for what I gave for it. Threw in an extra loop as well. For me, 3 runners and 2 shelf queens are more than enough.

 

[jyoutz]

Cases too!

I have one of those for my old 036 saw.

 

[JeepHead]

I have an old 026 as well. Good saws! I just completely overhauled mine and getting parts for it was easy.

 

[xyz123]

I've learned alot on 026's I never even wanted to know over the years. Great old school saws. IMO down on power compared to other guys.

Muffler mod makes them night day difference alone. Then I had one ported too..

 

[5030]

Never ported mine, the muff mod was enough for my use. Stihl's all seem to have constrained muffs, even more so today that back then, but then so do Echo's. Not a clue about a Husky as I don't own any. I see them sitting at the local TSC all the time but have never even picked one up, Not interested. FYI, when I bought my 026, it came with the chain brake protector handle but wasn't attached to anything and had no brake at all. Just an ornament.

 

[5030]

Neither does my 090 or my 075 have a chain brake either. Handle is there but that is it. One nice thing about the older saws is no 'flippy caps'.

 

[JeepHead]

Never ported mine, the muff mod was enough for my use. Stihl's all seem to have constrained muffs, even more so today that back then, but then so do Echo's. Not a clue about a Husky as I don't own any. I see them sitting at the local TSC all the time but have never even picked one up, Not interested. FYI, when I bought my 026, it came with the chain brake protector handle but wasn't attached to anything and had no brake at all. Just an ornament.

The ones sold at TSC aren't worth picking up. Gotta go to a dealer to get the real deal.

 

[5030]

The ones sold at TSC aren't worth picking up. Gotta go to a dealer to get the real deal.

Not ever gonna happen, don't need anymore saws for one and two, working part time an an Echo dealer, I get my echo's at his cost. Curious, is there any diff between the TSC saws and a dealer sold saw? Sure look the same to me...