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I had to start fresh after a devasting house fire took everything from me last year, @Matt308 ended up with the 500i, I hope it's still going hard if your reading this mate!
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Attachment 224138
I had to start fresh after a devasting house fire took everything from me last year, @Matt308 ended up with the 500i, I hope it's still going hard if your reading this mate!
How's this for a Hot Saw!
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(Ravaged MS661c)
Pick your tool for the job. Battery saw for a few cuts when you just need it done, petrol for a lot of work and match the size and weight of saw to the job. Biggest issue with battery saws is you can never have enough chargers and batteries, and the buggers end up being more hassle and weight and parts for the convenience of not having petrol! For a little job of a few cuts where you won't need three batteries the cordless saws are gold. No petrol and oil loafing, no mixed fuel going stale if you don't use it quickly enough, etc etc. But, the cordless saws use smaller bars and chains which is annoying as you end up with another size of files etc. That's the best thing about petrol, you can run a small bar on the 60cc size saws but 3/8 size chain same as the 70-90cc size range saws. Much less sharpening kit required...
I bought a Stihl battery saw last year. Magic wee saw within its limitations.
Oh, and I now have 3 file sizes in my collection.
Recently had a mate clear fell a BIG banksia tree for me. I currently cannot climb trees/ladders. He cut all limbs from an extension ladder using a MSA 220. Large Husquvarnas and Stihls left unused in the wagon until time came to finally lower the tree.
Most impressed, soon after went and bought a battery saw, regretably not a 220 though but horses for courses.
Haven't needed an extra battery. Matched the saw battery series later on to a Stihl battery weedeater. That is magic as well. Rarely get my 30cc commercial jobby out except to belt heavy stuff with the steel disk fitted.
A comment from @Tentman on his experience may help XR500.
Very efficient machines
Chain condition controls performance here, leave raker depth at or shallower than factory to maintain chain speed, chain tension to be slightly looser than normal
Leave the top plate/cutter at 30 deg and Drop your down angle to 50 degrees
This gives a smooth fast cutting chain that’s razor sharp and self feeds, these chains need to keep their speed elevated in the cut
Dress your bar when need be to keep the chain parallel in the guides, run the best bar oil
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That's basically good advice for any smaller saw - not just battery jobbies. Keep the chain sharp however you prefer to sharpen them haha and the rakers at spec and they'll cut like little troopers. Also a good comment about the chain tension on the smaller bars - they definitely do not like being as tight as the bigger 3/8 gear.
The biggest disadvantage in my guesstimate from petrol to the battery saws is the little battery jobbies are heavier and the balance is just different. But then if you've used an electric saw the same comment applies - balance is just different to the petrol equivalent. With a good, freshly charged battery the battery saws are bloody good - but if you grab it after a few months and the battery isn't holding it's charge yeesh what a pain in the arse. Again though with petrol you have to be careful with storage life and having to fart about mixing fuel - no free lunches.
Slightly looser chains on small saws makes sense as a lot of them are quite slim top to bottom at the bar tip (tight corner ahead) plus some don't have rollertips.
If you want to see loose chains look at the Youtube guys Is_woko running super loose chains on their 395 and 881. Annoys the hell out of me.
I haven't had any balance troubles except when I pick up and arborists saw. I don't own any like that though.
My battery Stihl is a year old and the battery is used on both the chainsaw and the weedeater (wife's). Have had no issues yet with a stored battery having lost charge (in theory it should happen) but always throw the battery on the charger in prep for work. Sometimes it doesn't even top up. Maybe as it gets older.
Because my chainsaw petrol does sit a while I dose it with STA-BIL. I probably wouldn't bother to do this except I bought the STA-BIL to treat my fuel in my Honda generator. It can sit for months without being run. I always shut the fuel off and run it out but some fuel may remain in the system.
Six months is generally fine with 96 or non-ethanol 98 treated with stabilizer, I normally drain the bowl on engines where you can get to it without having to run them out. Two stroke usually has a stabilizer of some form in the oil, but I normally don't store it and drain the fuel when I'm finished with the tool...
Jeez I don't know how I manage to lug around 3 sizes of sharpeners (I use the Sthil ones on everything) much less cope with the mental anguish of inventorying the spare files and chains . . . .
I do run 3 batteries but the only time I've ever gotten to the third battery in the same day was . . . Well never unless I forgot to charge. That's doing rail work, cutting both sides of each post and both ends of 200x75 macro - we do 32 rails a day (I have a special round posts/two square rails style that is popular round here). Tree work is different, but I can fill the 1.6x3.6 cage trailer to its max with one battery on trees like 300mm at the base cherry's etc.
I've been running my Sthil 200 for 5 years now, when I got it the balance of the Husky equivalent was poor, and the Makita worse. I think the latest Husky feels a lot better . . . But I won't run a tool (or rifle haha) that isn't properly balanced and "feels right" in the hand.
You're doing better than me - but batteries do work better if you use the tool, have a short period for the cells in the battery to re-equalise and then use it again. This is the cordless grinder thing, it shuts down and give it 5 mins and you can get another 5-10mins out of it. Start it straight up again and it'll turn straight off again.
My best effort on a cordless saw is using a battery, plugging in the second and then having to grab lunch while I wait for the first to charge. But that is literally continuous cutting only stopping to fill the bar oil and tickle the chain, on Avo prunings piled up ready to go for bucking. In that scenario, a petrol saw is better simply because you can 'recharge' it quicker over the course of the job (although it takes less time to swap a battery). Avo is a little unique in that it's usually soft enough that it doesn't dull chains much at all. I can (or could before I did the ribs) do about 8m3 of avo in half a day bucked, it takes a lot longer on the splitter though. Quicker to put the saw through some bits than split them, knotty crap in the crutches.
FYI. Stihl runs the usual 15% off special, code OWNERS15
not sure how they know but discount doesn't apply to stuff that I like or want.
@WaikatoBushman that 500i cuts like a demon, it’s ruined me haha no tree is too big, I just cut them all up
I have a T435 here
Quite good saws but a rear handle is better for firewood
I've used top handles, do their job but don't feel as nice and balanced in the cut as the normal saw designs. That Stihl model that came out with the chain brake activated by releasing the rear handle was weird as well.
muffler modded mine straight out as the original was shockingly restrictive
16inch bar and full chisel chain
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Come on guys you do not need big saws
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That's gonna take more then one tank of gas:D
Chain, bar, saw...
On the other hand it is a Stihl so it's probably going to be trying to start while it's lying in state...
If your only doing vertical cutting consider removing the dogs
They only slow the cut as they hang up or force a bar angle change
You still need a oil tank protector/slider, made an alloy one here
You get another 2 inches of usable bar too :)
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Keep ‘em sharp so you can throw the axe away
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Thats a very bashed-in looking muffler 7mmsaum!
It’s not meant to look like that :)
Ahhh I thought someone had one on here - yours would be the third one I've seen in nz along with one other parts saw... One got sold on tm a while back, if it was cheaper I would have got it out of curiosity!
I don't have that issue for sharpening, I built a doohickey to tension the chain with the powerhead off the bar. Fitting it up basically saves enough time by not working around the powerhead that it's worth doing.
I like a big set of dogs. Helps prevent the front from getting bashed in like 7mmsaum's haha! Not sure why all husky's are sold new with teeny a little dog on only one side of the bar.
pretty sure its almost a standard feature these days,plurry good when working with someone holding wood for me to cut,the instant I loosen my grip the chain stops so way less chance of accident,it also means the chain wont turn when starting..I detest setting chain brake and when my mate does it to my saw it rarks me up somewhat....that saw makes it a non issue as does it itself LOL.
OMG. Chinese parts...
Sorting out a MS360 at the mo, assumption that all would be somewhat OK in it considering where it came from - the engine runs mint and the rest of it is pretty good. A bit variable on carb, but hey it's probably 25 years old and the linkages etc aren't new.
Anywho, it's had a Chinese parts bin thrown at it as it 'wasn't pretty' and the guy who had it decided it would make a nice tart up project. New set of hoses, clutch kit and drive side freshen up - what a pain in the arse that has been.
Was running like a scaley dog so off with the carb, full of half a tree. Clean that up, back into it no stopped again wouldn't run at 1/3rd tank. WTF? Look in the tank, all parts there check. Hmm, let me look in there again, yep all parts check but fark me the inlet filter had dropped off so the thing was starving at 1/3rd of a tank. Lesson learned there, make sure the bits are attached not just a quick present-sweet as. Sort that out, retune, back into it. All good but it stopped oiling - by this time its the worst run I've had out of a Stihl I've done anything on - What the actual F?
So off with it's side and yep burned out the drive worm, Chinese part. I had a spare Stihl OEM, threw that in and nothing else fitted. The slinger washer was binding up on the worm and clutch. Hmm, lets have a look here - no, parts are in correctly but not fitting. Check the slinger washer out, Chinese and the part off a larger saw. Riiggghhhhtttttttt... Replaced that, checked it out again for clearance and still not enough clearance. Right WTF? Chinese clutch was the next culprit, comparing it the recess for the hub LH thread was cut deeper by about 1/2 a turn on the thread - just enough for it to screw in and bind up. Blue air moment. I had a worn out Stihl clutch with a good center spider, that fitted the Chinese clutch so made up a franken-clutch that sorted the spacing issue, reassembled and rechecked the clearances and finally right and working as it should. I don't know where those parts came from, but from my experience to date for Chinese clone bits is that they are usually identical to the Stihl versions but just not as nicely finished or as well marked. After this experience if I use any again I will be damn sure to double and triple check fitment that's for sure...
Helping keep Taupo spic and span with the mighty Shindaiwa.
Yes, I know the chain is loose.
@No.3 have you had anything to do with the blue ones yet?? the chinese made pretty much direct knockoffs of Stihl???? watched a few video reviews and looked promising but a kick in teeth to the real deal....