Advice: What to build MS361, MS440, MS660

[dswensen]

Firewood cutting with a 660 is by no means a true test of durability on a saw such as that and overkill to boot. But that is sort of point right? The China kits put a neat saw that is otherwise unaffordable or monetarily unjustifiable for most into your hands.

The skills gained building it from pieces are worth the cost of the saw alone. China kits make wonderful homeowner duty saws. Pros will put 5-7+ hours a day on a saw so I think there is a reason they are not investing in these kits whether by building them themselves or buying them assembled. Too much risk and not enough return on their dollar.

I’m not bashing the China kits but I am pointing that there seems to be two groups of people against them. Pro saw users and pro saw mechanics.

That last sentence is absolutely true. These are NOT pro saws. They are kits that are fun ... and educational ... to build. The fact that they work is a bonus for me. I use them occasionally and they work fine. If I made my living using a chainsaw, these would not be my working tools of choice. But I don't, so they work just fine for me. Did I find some parts that were manufactured incorrectly and had to be sourced separately? Yep. The worst one was the 044 kit, but it really didn't take much.

People who think they are professional grade, and then are surprised and angry when they fail .... come on, really?

I have built three kits - 380, 044, and 066. The 066 was the best kit for parts fit, ease of assembly, and fewest parts I had to source separately. I had a blast putting these kits together and then running the final products. Worth every penny spent - to me.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I think part of the problem is that people are buying/building these kits and putting Stihl decals and stickers on them and people buying them later think they are getting the real thing. I've been around Stihls for quite a while and might not know the difference. The Chinese are pretty good at cloning..

 

[paul99]

I think the last 3 posts about sum the kit saws up perfectly and I too have reservations about people profiting from assembling a kit purely to sell on especially if their not being clear about the fact it's a clone.

Balanced well reasoned posts like these are worthwhile and actually seek to help the OP come to a decision but the latest spate of stay clear, their crap type posts purely because the poster doesn't like the ethics of the business or has a different view on the quality they should expect for their money I find quite infantile and does the poster or the forum no favours at all.

I'm not quite as sure about the 660 clone being overkill for firewood or firewood not being a good test of a saw though... when an ever increasing percentage of available wood is looking like this...


A 660 makes life a bit easier. I'm probably a long way from being the average firewooder however...

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I think the last 3 posts about sum the kit saws up perfectly and I too have reservations about people profiting from assembling a kit purely to sell on especially if their not being clear about the fact it's a clone.

Balanced well reasoned posts like these are worthwhile and actually seek to help the OP come to a decision but the latest spate of stay clear, their crap type posts purely because the poster doesn't like the ethics of the business or has a different view on the quality they should expect for their money I find quite infantile and does the poster or the forum no favours at all.

I'm not quite as sure about the 660 clone being overkill for firewood or firewood not being a good test of a saw though... when an ever increasing percentage of available wood is looking like this...
View attachment 613931

A 660 makes life a bit easier. I'm probably a long way from being the average firewooder however...

Well put. As for the saw, I'd be tempted to buy a 660 clone for my personal use if I had the need for a bigger saw. I've had the 660s apart for the last two summers so doubt I'd learn much from assembling a kit however. One thing not in dispute is that you'd be working with something clean, something of a new experience for me...most saws that come in here are filthy...

 

[hseII]

I️ have a MS440 with some AM parts.

The Plastics- not bad, & 1/4 of what OEM goes for.

Fuel Tank- $45 opposed to $130. 1 year warranty, & I️ just verified that because my original was leaking.

Clutch Cover- meh.

In other words, the externals are AM, but the crank case, crank, seals, bearings, piston, piston rings, cylinder, flywheel, coil, hoses/lines, oil pump, clutch, carb, Are all OEM.

Consider going that route if you plan to use it long term.

 

[Jackbnimble]

Hey boys, I know this is off topic but I hate to start a new thread for this one simple question. How hot does your chainsaw guide bar get when you mill with it? What is the hottest it should ever be? I've noticed sometimes mine is warm and at other times it is a little bit too hot to hold my finger on.

Have a MS 660 and luvin it. She is a bodybuilder, a power lifter, and a sleek beauty.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Hey boys, I know this is off topic but I hate to start a new thread for this one simple question. How hot does your chainsaw guide bar get when you mill with it? What is the hottest it should ever be? I've noticed sometimes mine is warm and at other times it is a little bit too hot to hold my finger on..

Warm is fine. Hot is too hot. Need the high output oiler or an auxiliary oiler or a shorter bar or all of the above with longer bars in excess of 36". Usually the wood I am milling is wet and that also helps keep things cool.

 

[dswensen]

I think part of the problem is that people are buying/building these kits and putting Stihl decals and stickers on them and people buying them later think they are getting the real thing. I've been around Stihls for quite a while and might not know the difference. The Chinese are pretty good at cloning..

I completely agree with this too. But then again, deliberate misrepresentation of anything for sale is slimy - always.

 

[Jackbnimble]

Warm is fine. Hot is too hot. Need the high output oiler or an auxiliary oiler or a shorter bar or all of the above with longer bars in excess of 36". Usually the wood I am milling is wet and that also helps keep things cool.

Thanks earthgoat2. Appreciate your response. So hot is too hot. Good to know. I don't think it is my oiler because its output remains the same, but the temperature varies? The 28" bar does tolerate lengthy runs into wet timbers.

Maybe that was my problem today. Was cutting through Poplar that's been outside drying for 2 years. But, I'm not sure about that.

Running with a new chain and I may have tightened it too much? Also, I've only used it a few times and the beautiful thin strips of wood were just flying off of her until a certain point today. I started getting powder mixed in after about 20 minutes. Hadn't contacted anything that could have dulled it. Maybe by then the over-tightening was generating noticeable excessive heat?

Also, I've been touching up the chain about every other fuel filling--maybe 6 times now. But, if my touch ups were not working, it wouldn't have spit off tons of shavings, right?

 

[Keaton85]

Update: With the sale on Huztl, I decided to try a MS660.

Why? because I ended up finding a 268 & 272 carcass that I am going to build with a 52MM cylinder kit. So I will have the small, medium and large range saws to mess with.

 

[Jackbnimble]

Good luck with your projects. I could have all the parts needed to build a genuine OEM Stihl MS 660 and would be lucky to get a pencil sharpener out of it.

 

[Dieseldash]

Update: With the sale on Huztl, I decided to try a MS660.

Why? because I ended up finding a 268 & 272 carcass that I am going to build with a 52MM cylinder kit. So I will have the small, medium and large range saws to mess with.

Nice!! You're gonna love the 660. Those will be some fun projects. I did the same with a 61 and 52mm jug and it turned into a great saw too.