68F this morning and sunny. High 89F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
MFW, heard good things about the MS261, but as I understand it, Stihl no longer sells it. Or they sell one with the same model number, but it is computerized. I got pretty confused by all the model numbers and variations at the dealership, and ended up with an MS271. Nice saw, but it doesn't feature a priming bulb which makes starting difficult because I always run the tank dry at the end of the day. Anyway, I'm a bit of a Luddite when it comes to the new electronic/computerized stuff, having been burned by so much of it in the automotive world. Give me an old fashioned carb anytime and I'll be happy. At least until Stihl stops selling parts for them, as they did on the 032AV I used to have...
Rip, hope you're getting things dried out and cleaned up. Drought in the west, floods in the east, signs of the approaching apocalypse?:shocked:
RS, I started off with a Harbor Freight chain sharpener, which worked but wasn't very good at keeping the cuts consistent. Spent the big bucks on an Oregon machine, and I have to confess I don't do a whole lot better with it. Both use a steel finger to position the saw teeth, and for some reason it doesn't seem to be all that repeatable. The instructions say to find the shortest tooth, set the stop for that, and do the rest all the same. But if it's the first time sharpening a chain, why should any of the teeth be shorter than the rest? Can't be that much wear, and a look at the dulled edges confirms it. So I end up getting two or three sharpenings out of a chain before the teeth are too short to use. But at least if I stick with Stihl chain it seems to last about twice as long as the Oregon stuff, so I spend less time changing chain and more time cutting.
It's also starting to sound like you'd be money ahead picking up a used lathe on Craig's List to keep the Simplicity going. Hey, a man can never have too many tools, right? :laughing: And you gotta wonder what sort of cheese they made those shafts and keyways out of. Or if the fit wasn't what it should have been right from the factory? You may get by for a little while with a spot of weld metal on the end of the key, but that slop is still in there and it will end up breaking the weld loose again. Hate to say it, but is it time to pass the Simplicity along and get something a little less complicated?
And don't get me started on what the likes of HD and Lowes big box stores have done to the little mom'n'pop hardware stores that used to carry everything. The big box stores only carry stuff that moves, and that's not little bits like woodruff keys. The mom'n'pop places didn't do enough volume to match the big places' discounts, so they and their complete inventories have gone the way of the dodo bird. If you're in farm country you might get lucky and stumble across a bearing specialty house (we have one called Bearing, Belt, and Chain, cash only so forget about using your Visa) or you can wait a week or two for maybe the right part to show up from Amazon. I guess we're just supposed to throw stuff away when it breaks and shuffle off to the big box store for a crappy new one. Good for the (Chinese) economy and all that.
Drew, congrats on the new boat! Hope we'll be seeing some of your own sunset shots in the near future.:thumbsup:
David, I remember Jerome being a cute little place with streets lined with gift shops. Is it still sliding down the mountain side?
Thomas, sorry to hear about the loss. There's nothing lower than a sneak thief. We have one in our neighborhood that just got is picture in the paper again for ripping off the fire department. Last time it was the other neighbors and the local elementary school. They gave him a slap on the wrist last time; hopefully something more substantial for this round. But they have to find him first. Out here, Roy, it's meth that drives 'em crazy, and the damage it causes to their brains is permanent so there's not much chance of rehabilitation in prison. All they learn there is to be better criminals. The state can't build jails fast enough, or even find the money to pay for all of 'em. I say bring back the old chain gangs. We've got lots of litter that needs cleaning up, and wildfires to fight every summer, and homeless encampments that need razed, plenty of work for weak minds, strong backs and no pay.
Off to fire up the sprayer again before it gets too hot and windy.
Happy day to all you fathers out there!
