Bought a Stihl ms261-c

[WoodChuckDad]

The 261 is likely running 0.325 chain, not 3/8". I had one, and it's a great saw. That is also a great price -- I paid more new back in 2012! If I didn't already have too many saws, I'd take a trip up to Richmond...

What are you doing with the pines you're clearing? I just cleared a section and have about 5 tons of pine stacked up (all 16' sticks). A small quantity like this is hard to sell for pulp, and I'd probably barely cover my costs if I transported them to the mill by myself.

I stand corrected. I just went out to the shop and it is .325 74 link .063 18 inch. 30 degree angle.

I had to google "descanting".

As for the pine, I am putting in an orchard. I have an offer on 15 acres of my timber right now...so my forester tells me..I'm waiting for the contract to show up. The area I am cu
tting right now is a hill that will get me to a slope on my land near my build site, where I would like to put in my first 3 acres of trees...the clock is ticking and everything is going slowly.....because of all the rain, and the softened ground, I don't want to have them skid the trees across my pond dam, which seems to be the only way to get those trees out of there right now....So, if it doesn't dry out soon I will probably push those pines down and burn most of them. 5 tons of pine would only get me 40 bucks... I am pretty sure I will have more than that, but realistically I don't expect to generate more than $500 per acre with the pines that I would be removing on that slope....the damage to the dam would far exceed that if I let them skid the trees across.

Darn! I think I just descanted again.

 

[s219]

Thanks for descanting. I will buy a Stihl 'RM' chain to try for myself. Always like new experiences. Swapping sharp for dull chains is not my favorite thing.

I have not found the RS chain to dull sooner, but I am careful to keep the bar away from dirt and sand. With only an 18" bar on my saw, the whole bar is working in >20" stumps as I cut them.

STIHL RM CHAIN LINK: Stihl RM Chain

I think you'll really only notice the improvement with semi-chisel if cutting dirty wood or doing production sawing where you don't have a choice. If you're careful to only saw clean wood, full-chisel will do OK.

My Husky 562 came with full-chisel, and I have been using that until the chain wears out. Was doing a lot of felling a couple weeks ago, and the chain held up fine. Once I started bucking the logs, which had been cabled out, the full-chisel started getting dull real quick, and took a lot of filing.

 

[newbury]

OP -
How's the oiler on that? Can you get it to sling oil off the chain? That has always been my problem with my "newer" Stihls and I've been thinking of getting a 261 size for my son (so I can reclaim use of my 021).

 

[motownbrowne]

OP -
How's the oiler on that? Can you get it to sling oil off the chain? That has always been my problem with my "newer" Stihls and I've been thinking of getting a 261 size for my son (so I can reclaim use of my 021).

They don't squirt oil like the old saws, that's for sure. I use their bio-oil in my saws, it's thinner and seems to flow better, plus I feel better about spreading it over my property.

If I were you, I'd make sure to run them side by side before giving him the 261. It should be quite a bit faster than an 021. I'd let him keep it and keep the 261 for myself, but that's me.

 

[jeff9366]

There is a screw adjustment on the MS-261 to change bar oil flow.

 

[s219]

Even at the max setting, the new Stihl saws are stingy with oil. That includes the 261 I owned, and the 461 I still own. However, neither saw has even given me oiling issues, and they do go through oil at about the right rate. When I mill lumber with the 461, I have to refill oil about 1/2 as much as fuel, and that means every 2-3 boards it gets refilled. So anyhow, even though the oil doesn't sling off the bar like it used to in the old days, the saws are oiling OK. You can sort of see a mist of oil from the tip, but it's not very obvious.

 

[gsganzer]

Even at the max setting, the new Stihl saws are stingy with oil.

I find the same thing with my Husky 550XP. I have it dialed to max and you hardly see any oil . It's working like it should, because it uses about 3/4 tank of oil to a tank of gas but it's not like my old 266XP that used to throw the oil big time. It must be a new environmental thing.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Took down another 30 or so trees yesterday. I really like the way this saw performs.

 

[slaveToHorses]

I have my chains sharpened at the Stihl shop @ $4.00. I used to file chains myself be decided the savings in my time was worth more than $4.00. I have maybe fourteen chains in inventory. 'RS' 67-26 will take many Stihl sharpenings. Once a link has been removed to shorten the chain, which my Stihl shop does automatically when it is time, I only dull the chain once again, then discard.

I can't imagine taking my saws in to be sharpened. Good price though. I sharpen the chains every day, sometimes on all 5 saws, if my minion and I are in full cut mode. But then I don't have the luxury of cutting clean wood too often.
What I did get is a battery powered Dremel tool and the stones they make for sharpening saw chains. Really handy combo. Stihl (pun intended) use the files for finesse work though. I also have one of those bench mount power goodies for sharpening chains off the saw. But generally I only take the chains off for deep cleaning or dropping a link or if the top edge needs an angle clean up.

 

[TomSeller]

I really like my Stihl 261. Best all around of my bunch. I don't get too hung up on the speed of the cut, I more like the overall weight, balance and relative power. I don't like the safety chains but don't need the super fast ones either. Plus it starts real well, sometimes on the first pull.