Bought a new Stihl MS 290 Farm Boss

[StihlyinEly]

you have to much time on your hands

Speaking of that, I have too much time on my hands. Spelling, my friends. Spelling. It's what separates us from the Husky/Dolly/Jonny beasts.

 

[genesis5521]

you have to much time on your hands

You're right. I do. It's just my analytical accounting background kicking in. I like to quantify things. Actually, I was trying to get a ball park figure of actual saw time per year. If it takes approximately 9 hours just to buck 10 full cords, and if I arbitrarily triple that to account for felling, limbing, and saw idle time, that puts me right around 27 hours a year for total saw time to cut 10 cords. I just like to know this kinda stuff.

 

[russhd1997]

You done good on the purchase. Don't let the pro boys ruin your new purchase. Those saws are built to do what you do. That is why they are the #1 chain saw sold. I own a MS290, 029Super, and a 310. I run them all hard and no problems (well only one problem a few years ago of getting straight gased). That is what lead me to this forum. I run 16"-20" bars on mine. The 18" seems to fit it just right. Stick to .325 instead of 3/8. For me it pulls the .325 better.

Good advise here. I run the .325 RMC yellow semi chisel chain and 18" bar on mine. With a MM and carb retune it cuts as good as other saws in it size class. Stihl calls it the Farm Boss for a reason. It will stand up to the various cutting chores that most farmers and homeowners will need a chainsaw for.

 

[genesis5521]

You done good on the purchase. Don't let the pro boys ruin your new purchase. Those saws are built to do what you do. That is why they are the #1 chain saw sold.

Hi sefh3:
The pro boys have been nice, as there's no reason not to. If I needed a pro saw, I would have gotten a pro saw. And I still might some day. I just hope this thread helps someone make an intelligent saw purchase. If they need a pro saw, then they should get one. If not, there's a lot of very fine non-pro homeowner/firewood saws out there.

I got a kick out of joshF's post. On 12-1-11, joshF wrote:
"This post makes me chuckle... in a good way. i work at a stihl dealer and everyday at lunch me and the guys go up to drool over the saw rack. We all only heat our houses with wood so cut no more wood than you but we insist on having thousands tied up in fancy pro saws and we always say we could probably just handle that with a 290. You proved it... just like lots of other people. Just dont tell my wife we could heat our house with only 349.99 worth of saws."

 

[labrax]

gotta like this response in the thread

I ran a 290 for several years as a firewood and light felling saw, and it's one of the best values for the money bought new in the U.S., IMO.

Some points of information. A muffler mod involves drilling or cutting out larger openings in the muffler so more air can move faster through the saw. This increases power enough to notice. There have been a number of threads here over the last few years showing how. It's the work of about half an hour. You also have to richen the H and L screws to compensate for the increased airflow so you don't run the saw too lean. In order to do that, you have to physically pull off plastic limiter caps on each screw (they are plastic), file or cut off a small plastic tab that keeps them from being tuned richer than what the EPA wants (richer mix = more pollution), and put the limiter caps back on the H and L screws. Then, with the muff mod done, you tune the mix by ear (which isn't that hard to do, either, and there are threads here with what a properly tuned saw sounds like.)

So, doing these things will void the warranty, which in your case lasts 2 years. I'd not do it during the warranty period in your case because, even if you want to dig into your saw and do the MM and mixture screw readjustments, at your level you're probably more concerned with getting serviced on warranty if issues crop up than you are with power increases.

You've already gotten good info on the difference between the safety and non safety chains. You've done enough cutting so you should know your way around kickback situations, and should understand the tension/torsion on a felled tree and whether to make your cuts from above or below when bucking.

You will notice a difference in cutting speed between the yellow and green chain. Going carefully and getting used to a new saw is important. I'd say once you have a few tanks through it and are used to it, that's plenty of time to pick up a couple loops of yellow chain and work carefully with that for awhile.

You got a great saw for the money. You'll see the saws in my sig are pro saws, but I got every single one of them used, and I do some wrenchin on my own saws, so that makes it a bit easier to get into the pro saw stuff. Well maintained and properly used, your 290 will do everything you need it to do, and probably more, for many, many years.

Good purchase! :msp_biggrin:

This is one of the best responses - that I have seen to a post in 2 years of being on the site!

I just took my 290 apart, after having to replace the recoil rope, and will be doing a MM soon. The yellow chain for the OP is something he should consider. I bought one shortly after getting the saw and it is a worthwhile thing to do - I would recommend changing out those safety chains for the non-safety chains.

It is a heavy saw, but it will do the job for the occasional firewood cutter (like me). After knowing more - I may have chosen a different saw (Makita/Dolmar 6401), but really can't have any buyer's remorse for how I use it.

 

[dargo]

Hi sefh3:
The pro boys have been nice, as there's no reason not to. If I needed a pro saw, I would have gotten a pro saw. And I still might some day. I just hope this thread helps someone make an intelligent saw purchase. If they need a pro saw, then they should get one. If not, there's a lot of very fine non-pro homeowner/firewood saws out there.

I agree but, for me, I want to make the best out of my ms290. I looked at all my Shindawa and Echo mufflers and they are almost wide open..Then you have this ms290 little opening...I am not a pro and the MM and carb deal will make you money (aka less time) work for you. I could careless on the warrenty since if you build a quality product, it is not needed. I just bought a car and it was, well, high priced and they said do I want the extra warranty? I said do I need it since you build quality cars? They said no but what if...I said do you build crap? Saved me $2500 dollars..

Then again I have flashlights that are more then this saw...

 

[fastLeo151]

congrats on the new saw, I have had a couple 029 saws in the last couple years. I have found that they are to heavy for the power they produce but at 350.00 new Its impossible to complain. I am a huge fan of the ms 250/ 025 size saws. awsome power to weight ratio, I have 2 that i used for firewood saws. what pitch chain are you running on your 290?

 

[texastele]

The guy that I cut with swears by the 290, although I think that I starting to get hm converted with my 391. I think he is going to get another 290/291 in the spring.
Also, I like the yellow chains. The safety chains seem to cut slower, but that could just be me.