Another not so good stihl jug

[THALL10326]

My experience with the 361 if this. Look on the clutch side just below the bottom fin, and if you see STIHL it is not a Mahle cylinder. You can see it right there in the shop without removing anything from the saw.

A MAHLE cylinder will have the name right at the base and and is only visable by shinning a strong light on the base of the cylinder and then HLE is visable.

And if it is a Mahle cylinder that doesn't mean its any better than a Stihl made cylinder regardless of popular opinion. How do I know, I've replaced exactly 1 cylinder on a 361 out of 100's of 361's I've sold. Belonged to Volks-man, member on this site. The cylinder had a small pit in the coating of the cylinder wall. You could see it on the intake side looking through the exhaust. The coating had chipped and left a small pit. He didn't like the looks of it and wanted it replaced. It ran fine but that small pit bothered him. It was replaced at no charge. Name on the cylinder, Mahle. Volks posted some nice pics of that thing on this site. Was no up roar though, just a bad Mahle cylinder out of millions made. Why no fuss then, answer is simple.

 

[BIGBORE577]

Why no fuss then, answer is simple.

Why? No simple answers for simple people.

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

And if it is a Mahle cylinder that doesn't mean its any better than a Stihl made cylinder regardless of popular opinion. How do I know, I've replaced exactly 1 cylinder on a 361 out of 100's of 361's I've sold. Belonged to Volks-man, member on this site. The cylinder had a small pit in the coating of the cylinder wall. You could see it on the intake side looking through the exhaust. The coating had chipped and left a small pit. He didn't like the looks of it and wanted it replaced. It ran fine but that small pit bothered him. It was replaced at no charge. Name on the cylinder, Mahle. Volks posted some nice pics of that thing on this site. Was no up roar though, just a bad Mahle cylinder out of millions made. Why no fuss then, answer is simple.

Same with us, I've replaced one P&C replaced on a 361 and it was a warranty replacement , it had a bad cylinder gasket, ran lean and scored the piston badly.

 

[THALL10326]

Why? No simple answers for simple people.

LOL, shames on ya Big.

 

[THALL10326]

Same with us, I've replaced one P&C replaced on a 361 and it was a warranty replacement , it had a bad cylinder gasket, ran lean and scored the piston badly.

Well I took that cylinder and piston home that came off Volks saw. I ruined the jug grinding on it. I pitched it but I still have the piston. His saw had very few hours on it and this piston can be used. However the finnish on this piston is nothing like the Mahle of old. No machine grooves on the skirt at all. It has some minor imperfections as well. I guess Mahle has gone to the dogs, I'm only buying saws now with Stihl made jugs and pistons so I won't have to replace pitted cylinders anymore, dayumm those Mahle's,hahaha

 

[Paul001]

Crappy. I was refraining from posting in the other thread as I was trying to get my head around why something like this might be happening...other than just cutting costs. I haven't posted much, nor have I had the CAD for very long, nor have I read most of the other train wreck, but here's some wild speculation and questions:

-are the 260, 440, and 660 the only saws showing casting flaws? What about the 441, 650, and 880?

-Would it be possible that Mahle is not able to keep up (I think this was suggested in the other thread)? If not, what product are they casting more of that would bump Stihl? I can't see Stihl currently selling more saws in this economic climate than this time last year, but who knows?

-Is it possible that Mahle is re-tooling to cast 50, 77, and 90cc strato saws ala 441? How certain are people that there's not going to be a 261, 461, and 661 right away?

Not trying to defend Stihl; I just have questions, is all. I'm hoping that these examples will be a short term exception and that the quality of the casting either drastically improves with the Stihl cast over time or they go back to Mahle jugs.

I'll be keeping tabs on it as I'm itching for a 90cc saw. Being a "Stihl guy" I was leaning towards the 660, but now that this has come up I'm not so sure anymore.

The 260's are already done. Whats available through the dealers/Regional is all that is left. Production runs are finished (least thats what I was informed 2 weeks ago).

The 460 and 660 will remain in 2010's lineup (agian least as I've been told serveral times, including today).

There was a mailer sent out not six weeks ago, was sorta strange, talking about how stihl refuses to compromise on their quality...regardless of the manufacturing location.

As we've seen with a few of these cylinders from Brasil, that might not be the case...

 

[edisto]

LOL, good try Ed but one problem, go back and look at your posts. Seems you was trying to hammer home a point and you did, unfortantly for you the joke is on you.

Send you a hat, notta problem, I'll supply the hat, you pay shipping, deal?

Wasn't trying to give you a persecution complex...I thought we were playing until you took the ball and left.

Where do I send the shipping? I'm guessing I earned myself a substantial handling charge?

 

[joatmon]

Wasn't trying to give you a persecution complex...I thought we were playing until you took the ball and left.

Where do I send the shipping? I'm guessing I earned myself a substantial handling charge?

Ed,

Pass the shipping money from the back seat up to the front seat and you'll get your GameBoy back.

father joat

 

[THALL10326]

Wasn't trying to give you a persecution complex...I thought we were playing until you took the ball and left.

Where do I send the shipping? I'm guessing I earned myself a substantial handling charge?

Hahaha, me a complex, tant no way.

Shipping to SC would only be about 4 or 5 bucks. If you really want a hat just say so, I'll fix ya up. Gotta run right now, kids are here. I'll getcha a hat, no worries..

 

[scotclayshooter]

I'll be good...if you give me back my Gameboy.

How about a original tetris challange i start that on level 7
If your really good you will tell me how many points for the space shuttle!

 

[scotclayshooter]

Hahaha, me a complex, tant no way.

Shipping to SC would only be about 4 or 5 bucks. If you really want a hat just say so, I'll fix ya up. Gotta run right now, kids are here. I'll getcha a hat, no worries..

O cool SC thats Scotland RIGHT?

 

[edisto]

Ed,

Pass the shipping money from the back seat up to the front seat and you'll get your GameBoy back.

father joat

How much could it cost to ship to the back seat?

 

[Fastcast]

opcorn:......

 

[Jtheo]

And if it is a Mahle cylinder that doesn't mean its any better than a Stihl made cylinder regardless of popular opinion. How do I know, I've replaced exactly 1 cylinder on a 361 out of 100's of 361's I've sold. Belonged to Volks-man, member on this site. The cylinder had a small pit in the coating of the cylinder wall. You could see it on the intake side looking through the exhaust. The coating had chipped and left a small pit. He didn't like the looks of it and wanted it replaced. It ran fine but that small pit bothered him. It was replaced at no charge. Name on the cylinder, Mahle. Volks posted some nice pics of that thing on this site. Was no up roar though, just a bad Mahle cylinder out of millions made. Why no fuss then, answer is simple.

I did not say that a Mahle cylinder was better. I gave my experience in how to tell the difference on a 361, in response to another members indication that he would like to know before he bought a 361.

Of course I realize that you know much more than me.

 

[edisto]

How about a original tetris challange i start that on level 7
If your really good you will tell me how many points for the space shuttle!

I'm more of a pinball guy when there's not a pool table around. I officially suck at video games!

 

[joatmon]

I'm more of a pinball guy when there's not a pool table around. I officially suck at video games!

Ed,

If you knew how to act in the back seat, I wouldn't have to take your dang GameBoy away all the time and your gaming skills would improve.

Kids!

father joat

 

[edisto]

Hahaha, me a complex, tant no way.

Shipping to SC would only be about 4 or 5 bucks. If you really want a hat just say so, I'll fix ya up. Gotta run right now, kids are here. I'll getcha a hat, no worries..

I'm in! PM me the address, and I'll send you a fiver!

Ed,

If you knew how to act in the back seat, I wouldn't have to take your dang GameBoy away all the time and your gaming skills would improve.

Kids!

father joat

See...all I needed was some positive reinforcement!

 

[joatmon]

I'm in! PM me the address, and I'll send you a fiver!




See...all I needed was some positive reinforcement!

Ed,

The red mark and swelling (positive reinforcement) will be gone before that hats get to you.

Congrats,

father joat

 

[edisto]

Ed,

The red mark and swelling (positive reinforcement) will be gone before that hats get to you.

Congrats,

father joat

Good thing...I want to get the fit right.

 

[THALL10326]

I did not say that a Mahle cylinder was better. I gave my experience in how to tell the difference on a 361, in response to another members indication that he would like to know before he bought a 361.

Of course I realize that you know much more than me.

I didn't mean to sound as though you was making the claim the Mahle's are better. If it seemed that way my bad.

I just brought it up for two reasns, one because there is alot of hoop la floating around the board that somehow because a few cylinders with the Stihl name on them not suiting the tastes of some is somehow reason for all to be alarmed. As with your reply to the poster pointing out how to make sure the saw has a Mahle cylinder on it before he buys it. He is asking because of these recent threads. Thats an indication of how this non-sense has affected some people reading this board. He needed to be aware of Mahle as well if he thought Mahle never made or makes a bad cylinder, they do, I got proof. Reason to be alarmed, not at all, there are bad cylinders out there made by everyone. The % is small but yes there are bad apples outhere from all makers. I guess with Stihl being the biggest name in the saw biz for the last 40 years they will catch more slack than anyone else over a so called bad cylinder. Defining bad seems to be a matter of opinion on some though.

My second and main point in bringing up the cylinder I had to replace on a Stihl 361 saw that was indeed a Mahle puts things back where they belong. As you can see nobody came and started ragging on Mahle over that cylinder. It was not an appearance issue, a casting issue or a performance issue, it was worse, a cylinder with the wall coating chipping off under use, low hours at that. These same folks that found all these so called faults with the few Stihl cylinders have been boasting Mahle. Funny they sure didn't seem to be boasting about Mahle cylinders on one I had to replace. In fact that defective Mahle cylinder was found and replaced over a year ago. Some folks have very short memories. We had a nice thread about that Mahle cylinder replacement. No one jumped up and down, it was what it was, simply a cylinder with wall coating chipping off. It was defective. Quality issue of all Mahle cylinders or quality issue of one cylinder out of millions, I think the ladder. No big deal to me, just a cylinder. I find it funny reading all the non-sense of late knowing the only cylinder I have ever replaced that was actually defective was a Mahle, not a Stihl. Topping that the defect was small and I was gonna use that cylinder myself but it didn't survive under the knife,LOL

On to more brighter things I used my own 361 this morning and made a few dollars. It ran mighty fine as it always does. I even let the man I was doing the job for run it, he was like wowow, that thing cuts great. What brand of cylinder is on it, I don't have a clue, don't know, don't care. Should I look for the name on it or pull the muffler and look for wall coating chipping off, I know I am, righttttttttttttt. I'm a firm beleiver in if its not broke don't fix it.