I Want To Like My Stihl MS250 Again

[82F100SWB]

Chain looks much better now.
Very jealous of that nice vise.
Here's a little something that may make life easier for you. I file the easy side first, then flip the saw for the "hard" side and the rakers.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Book an appointment at the local hospital before you use your chainsaw...


...because you’ll need your grin surgically removed after.



Confirm the depth gauge height is correct after sharpening the teeth and you’re good to go!

 

[jonshonda]

I'll make you the offer I occasionally have to others: send me 1 or 2 chains, cover postage both ways, and I will clean them up for you to try.
Or just try a new chain.
Send me a PM if interested.

Philbert

I appreciate the offer, but I have serious issues with having people do work for me (pride, arrogance, ignorance, joy?). I am the type who at least needs to try for a while to get the hang of it, but if I still suck after a few attempts I will be in contact!!

This bar peening is caused by cutting with a dull/improperly sharpened chain. The chain links just hammer the bar instead of gliding down it like it is supposed to do. A flat file will work temporarily but you really should invest in a bar rail dressing file. Both Oregon and Stihl have one. This will also guarantee the rails are both flat and perpendicular to the bar.

It must be an optical illusion. Bar edges are clean, and flat w/o peening. I did check and the bar looks nice and straight, but it would be interesting to check out the bar dressing file.

View attachment 878666

Philbert

That is an interesting gadget. Thanks for the link.

Contained in the packaging with your new chains you should find an instruction sheet with the specs and filing angles on it for that specific type of chain. Obviously you should save these for future reference.

I will make sure and read through them, thanks for the tip. I admit I am guilty of not looking at the instructions with my new 26RS chain. But it has yet to be mounted, so no harm no fowl.

Much improved sir. I like your vice and the tape helps a good bit, the chipper chain is a fair cutting type but the chisel is where it is at in clean wood. The hook under the top plate along with the proper set of the depth gauge will take much strain out of cutting with a chainsaw. The chain will self feed, no pushing necessary and the engine will pull with less drag on it.

I am looking forward to the "yellow" chain!

Chain looks much better now.
Very jealous of that nice vise.
Here's a little something that may make life easier for you. I file the easy side first, then flip the saw for the "hard" side and the rakers.

Great idea!

I have a small collection of vises.

The two on the left are 6" Prentiss! I am waiting on an updated garage workbench build before I mount one of them. I also have a nice Reed 214R and Prentiss No 52 on other benches.

20191207_095556 by Jon S, on Flickr

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I appreciate the offer, but I have serious issues with having people do work for me (pride, arrogance, ignorance, joy?). I am the type who at least needs to try for a while to get the hang of it, but if I still suck after a few attempts I will be in contact!!

It must be an optical illusion. Bar edges are clean, and flat w/o peening. I did check and the bar looks nice and straight, but it would be interesting to check out the bar dressing file.

That is an interesting gadget. Thanks for the link.

I will make sure and read through them, thanks for the tip. I admit I am guilty of not looking at the instructions with my new 26RS chain. But it has yet to be mounted, so no harm no fowl.

I am looking forward to the "yellow" chain!

Great idea!

I have a small collection of vises.

The two on the left are 6" Prentiss! I am waiting on an updated garage workbench build before I mount one of them. I also have a nice Reed 214R and Prentiss No 52 on other benches.

20191207_095556 by Jon S, on Flickr

Most of us here have CAD- chainsaw acquisition dissorder.

Seems you have VAD - Vice acquisition disorder! They are stunning, great stuff.

 

[jonshonda]

Most of us here have CAD- chainsaw acquisition dissorder.

Seems you have VAD - Vice acquisition disorder! They are stunning, great stuff.

I have had a lot of different acquisition disorders. There is just something I like about old iron, and in this case these two vises are late 1800's, early 1900's.

While I have been flirting with the idea of getting the MS261, mostly due to the appreciation for high end construction....I just don't cut enough wood to justify the price. So for now I will stick with tinkering with the MS250, and convince myself to be happy with it. I need to SAVE money to fund the addition of our garage (currently a 20x25, hoping to make it a 20x80), working on the toys that fill said garage addition, house upgrades, vehicle work, blah blah blah!!).

If I keep straying from the path, I will never reach my destination.

 

[82F100SWB]

You could always find yourself a decent 026/MS260 and fix it up.... LOL

 

[jonshonda]

You could always find yourself a decent 026/MS260 and fix it up.... LOL

Are they the same power and build quality of the MS261?

 

[82F100SWB]

The 026/260 are the 261's predecessor. Not quite 261 power level stock but still stronger than an 025 by a good margin, and magnesium crank case pro saw construction.
Personally I like the balancing and handling of the 026 better than the 26. I have both. I always grab the 026 first.
Ported the 026 can be a very mean little guy.


The 026 comes in 026 and 026 Pro versions. The differences between the two are small. Decomp valve on the Pro, adjustable oiler, and the oiler is clutch driven rather than crank driven. 260's did come with a 44.7mm bore on later saws rather than the 44mm of the earlier saws. The 44mm is actually a better candidate for porting.
Both will run very well stock.

 

[Clyde85]

I have a ms250c 16" .325. 45 cc stock, and a Jred cs2145 15" .325 45 cc stock. Both are homeowner saws and the still beats the Jred by 2 seconds on a 9" diameter popular cookie.

 

[Clyde85]

I forgot to mention I freehand file my chains as well.

 

[Clyde85]

My ms 260 only beat the 250 by 1 second. The 260 is also 16" .325.

 

[Clyde85]

This sucks because the Jred was my first brand new saw. My uncle gave it to me 16 years ago and I love it.

 

[82F100SWB]

Later 260's had a much more closed up muffler and the power rating dropped from 3.5hp to 3.2 mainly due to this. The 025/250 is 3.0hp. Not suprised they were close in that case.
Not hard to get that power back by drilling a couple holes to make it equivalent to an earlier muffler cover

For your Jonnyred, I think that is one of the ones you can put a 346 top end on if memory serves. Never really played with 3 series outside of the 365/372.

 

[Clyde85]

Later 260's had a much more closed up muffler and the power rating dropped from 3.5hp to 3.2 mainly due to this. The 025/250 is 3.0hp. Not suprised they were close in that case.
Not hard to get that power back by drilling a couple holes to make it equivalent to an earlier muffler cover

For your Jonnyred, I think that is one of the ones you can put a 346 top end on if memory serves. Never really played with 3 series outside of the 365/372.

When the Jonny is wore out I think I will put the Husqvarna 350 top end on it. They have the same platform I think.

 

[Clyde85]

When the Jonny is wore out I think I will put the Husqvarna 350 top end on it. They have the same platform I think.

The 260 has has been slightly modified. My brother in-law bought it for 20 dollars in a box. He put gasket set and crank seals in it done the slight modification and give it to me for helping him out with firewood and hay so much.

 

[82F100SWB]

When the Jonny is wore out I think I will put the Husqvarna 350 top end on it. They have the same platform I think.

If you can do the 350 top end you can do the 346 top end. Last I looked at buying one price on an OEM one was very good.

 

[jonshonda]

The 026/260 are the 261's predecessor. Not quite 261 power level stock but still stronger than an 025 by a good margin, and magnesium crank case pro saw construction.
Personally I like the balancing and handling of the 026 better than the 26. I have both. I always grab the 026 first.
Ported the 026 can be a very mean little guy.

The 026 comes in 026 and 026 Pro versions. The differences between the two are small. Decomp valve on the Pro, adjustable oiler, and the oiler is clutch driven rather than crank driven. 260's did come with a 44.7mm bore on later saws rather than the 44mm of the earlier saws. The 44mm is actually a better candidate for porting.
Both will run very well stock.

Man that thing rips! Is that balsa wood? haha

 

[BangBang77]

Balsa wood. Hahahaha. I was going to ask the same thing...

 

[pioneerguy600]

Punky maple.

 

[HarleyT]

Punky maple.

That was my nickname in college!!!