New Saw Recommendation

/ New Saw Recommendation #81  
Why are your saws hard to start? My still 261 starts every time. After 3 pulls. Is your gas going bad? What are you using for gas and are you using any stabilizer additives?
I am another fan of the MS261. To me it is a very powerful and lightweight Pro saw (The reason I bought it years ago) and with a good sharp 20" chain it flys through anything I am cutting.
It does always take at least 3 pulls and often 5 if it's sat for a month or more. I use E0 89 or 91 depending on which station I go to. So far I have always used Stihl 2 stroke oil and Amsoil Quickshot fuel treatment to prevent issues.
 
/ New Saw Recommendation #82  
I am another fan of the MS261. To me it is a very powerful and lightweight Pro saw (The reason I bought it years ago) and with a good sharp 20" chain it flys through anything I am cutting.
It does always take at least 3 pulls and often 5 if it's sat for a month or more. I use E0 89 or 91 depending on which station I go to. So far I have always used Stihl 2 stroke oil and Amsoil Quickshot fuel treatment to prevent issues.
4 pulls yesterday and 3 this morning.
Trufuel in every tank.
 
/ New Saw Recommendation #83  
Do get you some more bars. Amazing the difference in bars in right length for uses.

No need to haul around a 32 when only need a 20 or 24.

I keep 16 20 24 32 around.

20 24 32 shown.

I've been looking at another Sugihara but in 24". The Sugihara that's on the saw seems like a decent bar.

When I was on the volunteer fire dept, we had 044's on the Engines with 20" bar. I think a 24" would be a good setup for my property based on that expierience.
 
/ New Saw Recommendation #84  
I've been looking at another Sugihara but in 24". The Sugihara that's on the saw seems like a decent bar.

When I was on the volunteer fire dept, we had 044's on the Engines with 20" bar. I think a 24" would be a good setup for my property based on that expierience.
Great bars too. Japan made and great rails just like Tsu Japan made.
 
/ New Saw Recommendation #86  
The Stihl MS 261 is certainly a nice saw. It would be one of the saws at the top of my list for the OP if he were looking to replace his 029.

However, it would not be my first choice for someone looking to step up in size from an 029, as the OP mentioned. The 261 is a step down in cc's, and only about a 10% increase in HP over the 029. It's just too close to what he already has to add much capability to his collection.

For a step up, in the Stihl line, I'd be looking at a 362. It's a significant step up in power. There are similar saws from other manufacturers that would be just a good a choice.

He could go even bigger, but I'm guessing that the 26" - 31" diameter logs he is cutting up are not something he's going to be cutting every day for hours at a time. It may not be worth the extra expense of an even larger saw.
 
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/ New Saw Recommendation #90  
I have a Jonsered (Husky) CS2240, an Echo CS-590, an Echo CS-501P, and a Husqvarna 562XP Mark I. The last two are bona fide pro saws. I'm not including pole saws and cordless.

There is a lot to be said for the CS-590. Although it's a consumer saw, it has a lot of pro guts. It's not a plastic clamshell you throw away after two years. On the down side, it has a nutty hole in the main jet that will prevent you from tuning it properly, so you have to accept an inferior tune or push the jet out and replace it.

I wouldn't let choked-up carbs slow you down. I doubt saw manufacturers expect serious people to run their saws as they come from the factory, with ridiculous EPA exhausts. The 501P has a muffler part you can literally lift out and throw away after removing some screws. They didn't make it that way by accident. As for other saws, you can do them a lot of good by drilling holes in various areas of the mufflers. Information is all over the web.

I modified my 590 quite a bit, and it is very good now, but it only has a 20" bar. It might not be enough for OP.

Whether you would be concerned about violating your warranty with mods would depend on your dealer and your confidence in your ability to do your own work. Those warranties aren't great anyway. I mod at will, because I know how awful the local repair places are.

The Husqvarna is a pain to start due to overheating issues caused by a poor design, hence the "Mark I" and "Mark II." The Mark II is supposed to be better. The saw I have is somewhat faster than the Echo even with the Echo's mods.

If I were cutting big trees, I would strongly consider an Echo 7310. They are old-fashioned compared to fancy saws with electronics, but the simplicity means you can understand them and fix them without wacky software.

Vibration is something to consider. The older you get, the more you need to think about permanent damage. They say Husky is best, but I wouldn't know.
 
/ New Saw Recommendation #91  
I've always used Stihl. Currently on my 4rth MS251 and 3rd MS261C, Not sure I like the automatic choke on the latter, but I keep buying them - go figure. Both types last me about three years - enough for the warranties to expire. I keep the old ones for parts. Next time the 261 dies I'm going to replace it with a 251. I like to keep two working saws on hand, but don't need the heft or cost of the 261 any more.
 
 
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