Ms400 very grabby. New yellow chain...

[stihlms400guy]

Hello everyone, I've been lurking on here for some time since I got my saw.
Long story short. Bought a new Ms400 last year, ran maybe 1 tank of gas through it before I watched enough videos and reading on here to decide I wanted more.
I advanced the timing about 7* and opened up the muffler a little more, in the opening shroud area. Saw felt like a raped ape. I've pretty much only been cutting standing dead ash trees as I have an abundance of them here.
After some sharpening of chains and trying different chains, I noticed the saw seems to grab very easily, as if there is no "Grey area". It's either cutting with not pushing, letting the saw do the work, or, the second you start leveraging the spikes, it's grabs immediately.
So I have bought a few new Yellow chains, (same chain that's recommended for it) and even with a new chain, I experience the same thing.

Only reason why this is so bothersome to me is, I literally just did the exact same work to my buddies ms362, and his saw has no issues in the cut. Same chain. You can apply pressure and the saw gradually loads up before stalling out the chain.

I feel like there is no torque in my saw, and I was blaming the chains I sharpened, but now I'm feeling like it might be the saw.
I can post pictures and videos when I get a chance. Thank you for the help!

 

[KostasVolos]

Have you re-tuned the carb after the muffler and timing mods ?

 

[farmer steve]

Have you re-tuned the carb after the muffler and timing mods ?

More than likely it's an mtronic saw.

 

[KostasVolos]

Then he could try to reset the M-Tronic ,if already has not.
Most probably the whole issue has to do with the M-Tronic feature.

 

[ballisticdoughnut]

Are you running RS or RSF chain? 20” or 25” bar?

 

[huskihl]

What size dogs are on it?

I actually like my chains to cut like that. Dogs are for felling, since the saw has no gravity pulling it sideways through the cut. If you’re bucking firewood logs, the saw should fall through the cut without using them

 

[oldbuzzard]

Have you re-tuned the carb after the muffler and timing mods ?

MS400 is Mtronic.

 

[user 122190]

If the 400 wasn't enough saw for you there are alternatives. You start messing with timing and mufflers, well that is on you.

 

[bwalker]

Advancing the timing tends to decrease torque in some cases.

 

[lohan808]

Rakers a little low, sounds like

 

[Patrick1903]

@stihlms400guy any update to this?

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

So I have bought a few new Yellow chains, (same chain that's recommended for it) and even with a new chain, I experience the same thing.

Only reason why this is so bothersome to me is, I literally just did the exact same work to my buddies ms362, and his saw has no issues in the cut. Same chain. You can apply pressure and the saw gradually loads up before stalling out the chain.

I feel like there is no torque in my saw, and I was blaming the chains I sharpened, but now I'm feeling like it might be the saw.
I can post pictures and videos when I get a chance. Thank you for the help!

Did you burn the clutch/clutch drum?

Could the cylinder have overheated? Take off the muffler and post up some cylinder and piston pictures.

I'm at 8* with reasonable muffler work on a fairly new-ish MS400C.

 

[lone wolf]

Hello everyone, I've been lurking on here for some time since I got my saw.
Long story short. Bought a new Ms400 last year, ran maybe 1 tank of gas through it before I watched enough videos and reading on here to decide I wanted more.
I advanced the timing about 7* and opened up the muffler a little more, in the opening shroud area. Saw felt like a raped ape. I've pretty much only been cutting standing dead ash trees as I have an abundance of them here.
After some sharpening of chains and trying different chains, I noticed the saw seems to grab very easily, as if there is no "Grey area". It's either cutting with not pushing, letting the saw do the work, or, the second you start leveraging the spikes, it's grabs immediately.
So I have bought a few new Yellow chains, (same chain that's recommended for it) and even with a new chain, I experience the same thing.

Only reason why this is so bothersome to me is, I literally just did the exact same work to my buddies ms362, and his saw has no issues in the cut. Same chain. You can apply pressure and the saw gradually loads up before stalling out the chain.

I feel like there is no torque in my saw, and I was blaming the chains I sharpened, but now I'm feeling like it might be the saw.
I can post pictures and videos when I get a chance. Thank you for the help!

After sharpening, you noticed this? Are you using a 7/32 or 13/64 files?

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

Did you burn the clutch/clutch drum?

Could the cylinder have overheated? Take off the muffler and post up some cylinder and piston pictures.

I'm at 8* with reasonable muffler work on a fairly new-ish MS400C.

View attachment 1158911

Didn't you buy the saw with an 8 degree advance and a mild muffler mod ?

 

[Sidecarflip]

Regardless if you focked up the saw by modding it, I'd say your depth gages (rakers) are too low. You need to get yourself a raker gage.

A sharp loop with correct raker height, you don't need to bear down on the bucking spikes at all. A properly sharpened chain and depth gages, the chain will self feed.

 

[ZeroJunk]

Old thread I just noticed.

 

[Sidecarflip]

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