026 PRO.......How do they rank in the world of smaller saws?

[STIHL-KID]

I'm interested in purchasing a used 026 PRO. I have read several comments about how people liked the "power to weight" with them. I have also heard rumors that they are dogs without a good muffler mod. What can I expect from this saw model for performance and overall reliablility in stock form? My purpose is to have a smaller-sized Stihl saw that will easily cut up to 15" to 20" logs.

 

[THALL10326]

I'm interested in purchasing a used 026 PRO. I have read several comments about how people liked the "power to weight" with them. I have also heard rumors that they are dogs without a good muffler mod. What can I expect from this saw model for performance and overall reliablility in stock form? My purpose is to have a smaller-sized Stihl saw that will easily cut up to 15" to 20" logs.

You say used. That needs to be a carefull purchase. Many used saws are more than used, they sometimes are shot. The 026Pro has been out for years and years. Its a reliable saw as any out there, maybe more so than some. By today saws the 026Pro may lack the vib system but to date I've never had a complaint about vibration. Seems only the real picky folks on this site even give vibs a concern at all. Customers I deal with have never made memtion of vibration levels of any saw and that's thousands of customers over the years, not a few.
Power wise its ample, not a speed buggy but gets the job done just fine. I got a 026 thats 11 yrs old now, maybe 12 and its never seen a repair of any kind. If your buying used make sure the saw in good condition. The 026 is a good saw regardless of the hoop la blah blah ya read about it. The sales of that saw and the number of years its been on the market proves beyond the critics whether its a good saw or not, it is. A handfull of critics and 100's of thousands of buyers, who ya gonna believe.

 

[OLY-JIM]

You say used. That needs to be a carefull purchase. Many used saws are more than used, they sometimes are shot. The 026Pro has been out for years and years. Its a reliable saw as any out there, maybe more so than some. By today saws the 026Pro may lack the vib system but to date I've never had a complaint about vibration. Seems only the real picky folks on this site even give vibs a concern at all. Customers I deal with have never made memtion of vibration levels of any saw and that's thousands of customers over the years, not a few.
Power wise its ample, not a speed buggy but gets the job done just fine. I got a 026 thats 11 yrs old now, maybe 12 and its never seen a repair of any kind. If your buying used make sure the saw in good condition. The 026 is a good saw regardless of the hoop la blah blah ya read about it. The sales of that saw and the number of years its been on the market proves beyond the critics whether its a good saw or not, it is. A handfull of critics and 100's of thousands of buyers, who ya gonna believe.

Well said!

 

[PA Plumber]

I have an 026 (Pro has adj. oiler and decomp.) and have been very happy with it. It's over 10 years old and absolutely no issues. (Uh Oh, hope I didn't just jinx my saw!) I never gave vibes a thought until I got a 441. I still run the 026 a lot for limbing and firewood cutting. Great, dependable saw. The word of caution about a used 026 is sound advice.

 

[dc59222]

My boss just bought a 260 Pro for company use. I ran it today in some 12 to 16 inch white oak and it did not have any trouble what so ever. My dolmar ps5100 s will out cut the 260 any day of the week, but the dolmar is noticeably heavier. Although the 260 is not the fastest or strongest saw in the 50cc range, it runs well and I think it is noticeably lighter and more maneuverable than the competition

 

[West Texas]

Look at my signature block below; its says it all. Great saws.

 

[Lakeside53]

+1, and more..

 

[Erick]

Yep

 

[hvy048]

Great little saw!

Nothing bad to say about the 026.
I have had one for about 12 years, and lots of use with no problems. As said earlier....not overpowered, but a workhorse for sure...and it's light!
hvy048

 

[SawTroll]

I like the 026/MS260, but the anti-vibe and air filter system is not good by todays (Husky 346xp and 353) standards.......

If you buy used, beware of the MS260s with fixed high-speed jet.......

A 50cc saw would not be my choise if most of your wood is close to 20", enter the 361, which is a newer and better design......

Just had to........

 

[MikeInParadise]

I love my MS260 pro. I don't see this anti-vibe issue and I don't think it has a vibration problem.

I use it far more than the 361 as it suits what I cut better as it is lighter and it is very good on fuel.

I don't cut many hardwoods and the MS260 is very happy with its 16 inch bar buried in the wood that I cut.

I tried it with the 20 inch bar for a while out of curiosity and for my needs it was acceptable performance with that as well.

It starts every time, works hard all day, doesn't complain in the cold(unlike me).

To me it has the best feel in my hands of any of the saws that I have used including the MS361.

 

[peter399]

I have a 026 and I think it's an OK saw. I've had some issues with it.
Broken fuel tube, leaking fuel caps and clutch problems. But for the age of the saw I think it must be considered ok. It's not comparable to newer Huskys in the 50cc range IMO. Every time I grab the 353 after the 026 I feel good. A lot smoother (anti vibe) , same or little more power, less fuel consumption and A LOT better air filtration. It depends on how much you plan to use the saw if that bothers you. You could also consider a new 350 or so at the price of a used 260. Or a 346/353 and you will never look back

 

[tek9tim]

Yeah, the 26 pro is a decent small saw. But, I hands down prefer the 5100. Better power and anti-vibe, worse weight. Doesn't really matter to me, it's still way lighter than my other saws.

 

[Goicoechea]

I use a MS 260 Pro and a 441 together and I really like the 260 for limbing and cleanup. In a pinch I have even bucked some larger pieces, it took a little longer but it did it. It is light and has enough power. People say 3/8 chain sucks on one but where you are at you shouldn't have any trouble. I cut mostly ponderosa pine, some larch, aspen, cottenwood.

Tim where is the closest Dolmar dealer?

 

[tek9tim]

I've got one in Grangeville, looks like there's one in Pullman there. I got mine really cheap new on ebay, and haven't needed any parts so far, so haven't dealt with a dealer yet, so I can't say one way or the other about how well they work.

 

[B_Turner]

Yeah, the 26 pro is a decent small saw. But, I hands down prefer the 5100. Better power and anti-vibe, worse weight. Doesn't really matter to me, it's still way lighter than my other saws.

I like running my 5100 better because it is stronger and smoother than my maybe 14 year old 026, but I don't really understand why some folks beat up the 026 so bad. Reasonably smooth and a decent performer. Mine has been incredibly reliable, starting in two pulls even when not run a while. Taken a licking and still ticking.

 

[B_Turner]

I like running my 5100 better because it is stronger and smoother than my maybe 14 year old 026, but I don't really understand why some folks beat up the 026 so bad. Reasonably smooth and a decent performer. Mine has been incredibly reliable, starting in two pulls even when not run a while. Taken a licking and still ticking.

As an afterthought, the one gripe I have with my older 026 is the air filter gets real dirty real fast. Two tanks and it's absolutely covered with dust, even with a sharp chain. Don't really understand why, as none of my other saws get that dirty that fast.

Hopefully Stihl has fixed that sometime in the last 14 years.

 

[hvy048]

"As an afterthought, the one gripe I have with my older 026 is the air filter gets real dirty real fast. Two tanks and it's absolutely covered with dust, even with a sharp chain. Don't really understand why, as none of my other saws get that dirty that fast."



Ditto!!

 

[Lakeside53]

O.k., it's dirty in two tanks.... but does the saw lack power because of this?

 

[peter399]

O.k., it's dirty in two tanks.... but does the saw lack power because of this?

Yes!

Also:
The idle changes along with the status of the air filter, very annoying.
Dirt gets into the engine.

I have the same problems with my 026. But as someone said, it's 14 years old.