Chicom junk.....
Interesting that you use that term in the title of a thread about a Stihl cylinder, yet you fail to use that term in your thread about a 361BB cylinder that you got for free, The said BB cylinder have cylindricity problems pointed out by you.
It is so easy for those that have never been involved in manufactring to pass judgement on quality.
Brad, have you confirmed that the cylinder makes measurably less power than a Mahle cylinder, or confirmed with a flowbench that the casting marks cause measurably less flow?
If you were manufacturing saws, would you pour a great deal of capital into a model that will soon be unsellable in your largest market?
Have you stopped to think that maybe Mahle's unit price was to high to keep the MS260 at the price point Stihl needs?
Don't get me wrong, I agree that the appearance is not top level, but it is a tool, not a work of art.
Maybe you should buy the book Stihl: From an Idea to a World Brand to discover some of the obstacles Stihl has overcome to get where they are.
This thread has generated 5 pages in two hours so I would say your main objective is met.
I wonder though, can you define the root cause of the "crappy cylinder"?
What is your short term and long term countermeasure?
Maybe you will do an FMEA?
If I remember correctly, manufacturing is not your field of expertise, so maybe we should view your judgement as that of a layman.
Think about this Brad, You have built yourself a mighty big soapbox here on AS, So you may want to take care with what you say.
John Given
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