Stihl 026

schoolsout · Jun 12, 2012

Furu said:
You might want to replace the fuel pickup body and lines as well as the oil tank lines not knowing how well it has been taken care of. No point in letting your new saw suffer from the lines if they have been abused. They are not that expensive and many replace the pickup body once a year as routine mx.

I'll look into that...thanks!

milkman · Jun 13, 2012

schoolsout said:
Any way to tell when the saw was made using the serial number? I'd be interested in knowing just how old it is.

You can go on the Stihl website and in the "contact us" you can send them your serial # and they will tell you the approximate build date. I bought a used 026 and with the serial #, Stihl said it is an early '90s saw, sure runs good. The difference in the 026 and the 026 PRO is, the PRO has compression release button and adjustable oiler, other than that, same. You'll like that saw for a long time.

yomax4 · Jun 25, 2012

I thought the Pro saws had a metal crank case and the regulars had plastic. I have an 026 Pro and it has a metal or aluminum case. Very nice saw with 16" bar it cuts amazing. I have an older 034 Super with a metal case and an 039 with a plastic case. Anyway I nearly always use the bigger saws and am going to sell the 026 Pro simply because it mainly just sits on the shelf. As far as chains, I enjoy the 3/8 skip tooth over anything else. The .325's didn't seem to make big enough chips.

trihounds · Jun 25, 2012

Awesome saw and you got a smokin' deal!

My 026 has been running for 20 years and has cleared over an acre of solid forest - including bucking up fallen timbers and all the limbing.

Only problem I have had was the fuel line degraded and gummed up a bit, pinching off the supply when it was most needed. Easy fix. Still starts on the second or third pull from cold. Enjoy that work horse!

JohnnyW · Jun 26, 2012

I have a number of Stihl saws. The 026 is not my favorite (066 and ms 200 are my favorites) but it is the most versatile saw I own. I find myself using it most of the time. It is light, can use it all day, and it is very durable. I use a 3/8 half skip RS Stihl Chain with an 18 inch bar. Keep the chain sharp and the 026 has no problem with the length or size chain. I have all of my saws set up for 3/8 chain..so there is only one roll to buy and stock.

kco · Jun 26, 2012

I don't know if it is similar, but I have a 028 which I think I bought in 1994 or earlier. It still runs as if it was new, and cut about 6 full cords per year. I take it in to the local shop for a tune up every couple of years.

When I bought it the shop owner said "this will last you the rest of your life". I was only cutting about 1 cord a year for the first 10 years I had it. We had a log builder staying at our place and when I got it home he said, "this will last you the rest of your life".

It has been an amazing saw for me, and I swear it out performs my neighbour's more powerful, and MUCH louder Husky. Then again, I think I'm a little more careful about dirt and rocks, and sharpen my saw more often.

So here we are 18 years later, and both still doing not bad.

Kind of reminds me of that song, My Grandfather's Clock.

mountainlake · Jun 26, 2012

The 026 is a nice light 50cc saw and will cut faster in bigger wood with a .325 setup. If just used for small softwood the 3/8 might cut a bit faster. Every time I've switched from 3/8 to .325 on a 50cc saw I've gained quite a bit of cutting speed in bigger wood. Steve

D7E · Jun 26, 2012

mountainlake said:
The 026 is a nice light 50cc saw and will cut faster in bigger wood with a .325 setup. If just used for small softwood the 3/8 might cut a bit faster. Every time I've switched from 3/8 to .325 on a 50cc saw I've gained quite a bit of cutting speed in bigger wood. Steve

I agree 16 inch .325 is best for a 026

wrooster · Jun 26, 2012

yomax4 said:
I thought the Pro saws had a metal crank case and the regulars had plastic. I have an 026 Pro and it has a metal or aluminum case.

The 026 and 026 Pro (and MS260 / MS260 Pro) differ only in the addition of the compression release and manual oiler. All other mechanicals are the same.

The primary difference between Stihl "occasional use" and "pro" models is the style of construction of the engine.

All odd-numbered saws (in the old numbering system) such as the 021/023/025/029 etc are occasional use and employ "clamshell" engine construction. All even-numbered saws (again, in the old numbering system) such as the 024/026/028/036 are termed "pro" models and employ traditional "jug-on-case" construction.

About 10 years ago Stihl revised the numbering system, such that they could append a "series" designation to the end of the model number.

Hence, the 026 became the MS260, which eventually was improved upon and subsequently released as the MS261, and so on.

In the case of the "new" numbering scheme, if the middle number is odd, it is an occasional use saw with a clamshell engine: MS210, MS230, MS250, MS270, MS290, MS291, etc ...

Similarly, in the case of the "new" numbering scheme f the middle number is even, it is a pro saw with a jug-on-case engine: MS260, MS261, MS360, MS362, MS440, etc ...

Wrooster

ps: Since you are now probably wondering, "what's a clamshell engine?", I attach a picture of my little old 021 internals. You will notice that when looked at "end on" to the crankshaft, the crank bearings are captured by two mating pieces: the plastic lower housing and the jug/cylinder casting. When taken apart, the two pieces can be thought of as a clamshell.