Bob R
ArboristSite Lurker
21 years ago, my wife and I purchased a 7 acre woodlot we hoped to some day put a vacation/retirement home on. It was a tangled mess of trees and we needed a chainsaw. We had never owned or used one before. Since she had more free time, she volunteered to research and purchase one. I recommended that she go to Sears(one of my favorite tool stores) and get a not too expensive one. A week later, she came home with a Stihl 024AV with a 16" bar she purchased at a dealership where one of her friends worked. I was a little miffed that she spent about three times what I had planned to spend on a saw, but she said that this saw would do what we needed AND last us 20 years, so "it was a good deal" (plus her friend spent a LOT of time answering questions and training 2 newbees on the proper use of a chainsaw). She was absolutely right!
That Stihl saw has been one of the best buys we ever made and the various Stihl dealers we have dealt with over the years have been great. The saw is going on 22 years old. It has cut down many, many trees and is still running like the day we brought it home. It has never been in the shop. It has the original air filter. The spark plug has been changed a few times and we are on our second bar. Rather than sharpening chains ourselves, we bought five RM2 chains right away and swapped them when dull. When we had a few dull chains, we would get them professionaly sharpened. Most of them have worn out and we have discovered the new and Much improved RMC3 chains.
We have two sons who have also used the saw quite a bit over the years. If the saw can survive them, it has to be a tough unit!
The sons have grown up. One's a farmer and the other is in the Army serving in Iraq. Recently the farmer decided he needed his own saw, but he did not have much money, and was looking at the Poulans at Walmart. My wife and I could not let him waste his money like that - we we gave him the 024 - it made his whole week!
I'm going to miss that saw with so many family memories, but it's still in the family and being used by someone who appreciates it. It also put me in position of having to get a new saw (poor me LOL!).
Of course, it had to be Stihl. If the MS240 was for sale in the US, I would have bought one in a heartbeat. Since that was not a choice, I looked hard at the MS260 Pro at our dealership. My dealer knows that I am a little bit of a "tightwad" and recommended the less expensive MS250, he also mentioned that it was a little lighter - since 'I'm not getting any younger' (I'm surprized he did not recommend the easystart!).
I told him that I heard about a new MS261 coming out and wondered it he would be getting one of them in. He said he had it on order and should be in soon. I said I would be back in then.
In the mean time, my wife and I talked, and decided to go with the pro saw that would probably last the rest of my life and part of my children's lives (she is a Good Wife!). The MS250 seems like a fine saw, but the 260/261 are better. Also, the 260/261 can interchange bars and chains with the 024 that is still in the family.
The MS261 came in and my dealer called and I ran down to check it out. As soon as I held it, I knew it was the one. It is a bit bulkier and heavier, but not bad at all. I figure, when I'm too old and weak to use a MS261, I'll give it to the kids and set back with a cold one and watch them cut trees!
The MS261 with a 16" bar and RMC3 chain is Awesome. It flies through 8" hardwoods. My son now uses RMC chains on his 024 and says that they work a little faster than the RMC3 chains. I'm going to borrow his RMC chain and try it on my 261, although I have no complaints with the RMC3 chain.
My dealer set the saw up and it runs great, but naturally, when one gets a new toy, they tend to play and tinker with it. I purchased a tach to check settings. The HS topped at about 14,200, a little above the manual rec. of 14,000. There is a limiter cap on the high speed jet that wont let you turn it down. I asked the dealer about this and was told since it runs good, give it a few more tanks of gas through it (I'm still on my second tank), and if I want him to turn the High speed screw down, he will. In the mean time, he is going to order some limiter caps because if you pull one off it must be replaced with a new one. Bottom line on this MS261 saw - every time I use it and am putting it away, I'm alreadly looking forward to using it again ASAP.
PPE:
When I first got my 024, I was too cheap to buy chaps. I was lucky for five years and then had a turning chain briefly touch my left knee. $300 to get stitched up at the ER loosened up my financial "tightness" a little and I purchased a set of Stihl apron chaps and have worn them for the last 15 years. Thankfully, I have never tested them to see how they protect, but they have worn well and I gave them to my son with the 024.
I then purchased a set of Labonville full wrap competition chaps and love them. I also purchased a Husqvarna forestry helmet with facescreen and earmuffs and it is great. (The Stihl one is just as nice but did not fit my head very well.) My family gives me crap for running around with a Stihl saw and a helmet that say Husqvarna, but I have always valued comfort over fashion.
This has been a long first post - thanks for bearing with me. I hope it has brought back many saw memories for you. I have enjoyed reading the many informative posts on this forum. Regards,
Bob R.
That Stihl saw has been one of the best buys we ever made and the various Stihl dealers we have dealt with over the years have been great. The saw is going on 22 years old. It has cut down many, many trees and is still running like the day we brought it home. It has never been in the shop. It has the original air filter. The spark plug has been changed a few times and we are on our second bar. Rather than sharpening chains ourselves, we bought five RM2 chains right away and swapped them when dull. When we had a few dull chains, we would get them professionaly sharpened. Most of them have worn out and we have discovered the new and Much improved RMC3 chains.
We have two sons who have also used the saw quite a bit over the years. If the saw can survive them, it has to be a tough unit!
The sons have grown up. One's a farmer and the other is in the Army serving in Iraq. Recently the farmer decided he needed his own saw, but he did not have much money, and was looking at the Poulans at Walmart. My wife and I could not let him waste his money like that - we we gave him the 024 - it made his whole week!
I'm going to miss that saw with so many family memories, but it's still in the family and being used by someone who appreciates it. It also put me in position of having to get a new saw (poor me LOL!).
Of course, it had to be Stihl. If the MS240 was for sale in the US, I would have bought one in a heartbeat. Since that was not a choice, I looked hard at the MS260 Pro at our dealership. My dealer knows that I am a little bit of a "tightwad" and recommended the less expensive MS250, he also mentioned that it was a little lighter - since 'I'm not getting any younger' (I'm surprized he did not recommend the easystart!).
I told him that I heard about a new MS261 coming out and wondered it he would be getting one of them in. He said he had it on order and should be in soon. I said I would be back in then.
In the mean time, my wife and I talked, and decided to go with the pro saw that would probably last the rest of my life and part of my children's lives (she is a Good Wife!). The MS250 seems like a fine saw, but the 260/261 are better. Also, the 260/261 can interchange bars and chains with the 024 that is still in the family.
The MS261 came in and my dealer called and I ran down to check it out. As soon as I held it, I knew it was the one. It is a bit bulkier and heavier, but not bad at all. I figure, when I'm too old and weak to use a MS261, I'll give it to the kids and set back with a cold one and watch them cut trees!
The MS261 with a 16" bar and RMC3 chain is Awesome. It flies through 8" hardwoods. My son now uses RMC chains on his 024 and says that they work a little faster than the RMC3 chains. I'm going to borrow his RMC chain and try it on my 261, although I have no complaints with the RMC3 chain.
My dealer set the saw up and it runs great, but naturally, when one gets a new toy, they tend to play and tinker with it. I purchased a tach to check settings. The HS topped at about 14,200, a little above the manual rec. of 14,000. There is a limiter cap on the high speed jet that wont let you turn it down. I asked the dealer about this and was told since it runs good, give it a few more tanks of gas through it (I'm still on my second tank), and if I want him to turn the High speed screw down, he will. In the mean time, he is going to order some limiter caps because if you pull one off it must be replaced with a new one. Bottom line on this MS261 saw - every time I use it and am putting it away, I'm alreadly looking forward to using it again ASAP.
PPE:
When I first got my 024, I was too cheap to buy chaps. I was lucky for five years and then had a turning chain briefly touch my left knee. $300 to get stitched up at the ER loosened up my financial "tightness" a little and I purchased a set of Stihl apron chaps and have worn them for the last 15 years. Thankfully, I have never tested them to see how they protect, but they have worn well and I gave them to my son with the 024.
I then purchased a set of Labonville full wrap competition chaps and love them. I also purchased a Husqvarna forestry helmet with facescreen and earmuffs and it is great. (The Stihl one is just as nice but did not fit my head very well.) My family gives me crap for running around with a Stihl saw and a helmet that say Husqvarna, but I have always valued comfort over fashion.
This has been a long first post - thanks for bearing with me. I hope it has brought back many saw memories for you. I have enjoyed reading the many informative posts on this forum. Regards,
Bob R.
