My first new Stihl

[StoneyMeadowMaple]

Dad had an 042, my grandfather had 3 031’s and I used 044/440’s in college, but since the early 90’s everything has been Swedish in my family. This is my first time with a modern Stihl. MS400C, 25” lightweight bar, dealer was really pushing full skip chain, so I bought 2 and 2 full comp. He runs a deal, buy one full price, second is half off, buy 2 full price, third is free, and it came with one.
It cuts very well, impressive even, I would say better than my 562xp, but it might be the chain, when my brother comes around I am going to have him bring it along so I can try. It’s light, and the lightweight bar makes a big difference in keeping the balance right.

Things I don’t like, the single level choke/off/run seems flimsy its also upside down (to me), it only came with one puny felling spike on the inside. Needs 2 and bigger. It doesn’t seem to have a 1/2 throttle, no choke option, maybe it doesn’t need it, but I use it a lot. I don’t like that I need tools to get to the air cleaner. And I REALLY don’t like the plastic handle, it feels cheesy and slippery, by the time I walked out with it, 3 extra chains, a bottle of B&C it was north of $1300, and for that I really feel like it shouldn’t feel cheesy, and I shouldn’t have to start ordering parts right away. For that money I could almost have had a ported 562 and used the bars/chains I already had, but after a dozen or so tanks I can reevaluate my first impressions.
hopefully I love it, maybe dad will start using it and be a little easier on himself than slinging the big Husqy.

 

[StoneyMeadowMaple]

Also any opinions on new spikes/dogs?
https://westcoastsaw.com/products/4-pt-pro-safety-felling-dogs?variant=34650644676772
These look pretty good, maybe the 5 spike version? I am not cutting California Red Wood, but the single sided bumper spikes are pathetic.

 

[Mad Professor]

Don't know why you'd want skip chains.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Congrats on the new saw.

 

[StoneyMeadowMaple]

Don't know why you'd want skip chains.

I dunno, he seemed to feel it kept chain speed up. 25” bar doesn’t seem excessive for that saw and I have never tried a skip tooth. I will say it cuts fast. I was cutting 20” oak, it was noticeably fast. I would have to swap to full comp to compare. I have a friend who swears by it. The sawdust seemed large compared full comp.

 

[holeycow]

That multi-switch IS upside down. Totally non-ergonomic and not intuitive whatsoever. Stihl does things differently just to be different.

 

[StoneyMeadowMaple]

Is there an aftermarket half wrap handle that isn’t plastic?
This is starting to sound like a diesel pickup, now that I have paid the exorbitant buy in price I can start buying aftermarket accessories to make it usable..

 

[Lionsfan]

Dad had an 042, my grandfather had 3 031’s and I used 044/440’s in college, but since the early 90’s everything has been Swedish in my family. This is my first time with a modern Stihl. MS400C, 25” lightweight bar, dealer was really pushing full skip chain, so I bought 2 and 2 full comp. He runs a deal, buy one full price, second is half off, buy 2 full price, third is free, and it came with one.
It cuts very well, impressive even, I would say better than my 562xp, but it might be the chain, when my brother comes around I am going to have him bring it along so I can try. It’s light, and the lightweight bar makes a big difference in keeping the balance right.

Things I don’t like, the single level choke/off/run seems flimsy its also upside down (to me), it only came with one puny felling spike on the inside. Needs 2 and bigger. It doesn’t seem to have a 1/2 throttle, no choke option, maybe it doesn’t need it, but I use it a lot. I don’t like that I need tools to get to the air cleaner. And I REALLY don’t like the plastic handle, it feels cheesy and slippery, by the time I walked out with it, 3 extra chains, a bottle of B&C it was north of $1300, and for that I really feel like it shouldn’t feel cheesy, and I shouldn’t have to start ordering parts right away. For that money I could almost have had a ported 562 and used the bars/chains I already had, but after a dozen or so tanks I can reevaluate my first impressions.
hopefully I love it, maybe dad will start using it and be a little easier on himself than slinging the big Husqy.

I dunno what to say. Seems as if you have recently picked apart a 572, a 365 and now a 400c, simply because they are different from the 562xp that you wanted in the first place. Several of us mentioned respected, reliable dealers and porters who could have put you into the saw you wanted for that price point, but you didn't want to hear it.

 

[stihl sawing]

Dad had an 042, my grandfather had 3 031’s and I used 044/440’s in college, but since the early 90’s everything has been Swedish in my family. This is my first time with a modern Stihl. MS400C, 25” lightweight bar, dealer was really pushing full skip chain, so I bought 2 and 2 full comp. He runs a deal, buy one full price, second is half off, buy 2 full price, third is free, and it came with one.
It cuts very well, impressive even, I would say better than my 562xp, but it might be the chain, when my brother comes around I am going to have him bring it along so I can try. It’s light, and the lightweight bar makes a big difference in keeping the balance right.

Things I don’t like, the single level choke/off/run seems flimsy its also upside down (to me), it only came with one puny felling spike on the inside. Needs 2 and bigger. It doesn’t seem to have a 1/2 throttle, no choke option, maybe it doesn’t need it, but I use it a lot. I don’t like that I need tools to get to the air cleaner. And I REALLY don’t like the plastic handle, it feels cheesy and slippery, by the time I walked out with it, 3 extra chains, a bottle of B&C it was north of $1300, and for that I really feel like it shouldn’t feel cheesy, and I shouldn’t have to start ordering parts right away. For that money I could almost have had a ported 562 and used the bars/chains I already had, but after a dozen or so tanks I can reevaluate my first impressions.
hopefully I love it, maybe dad will start using it and be a little easier on himself than slinging the big Husqy.

You bought a nice saw, it will cut anything you need it too. but far as the complaints, it's a whole different animal than the stihls of yesterday. it has a different starting procedure. it works and is easier. far as feeling cheesy, you should have bought an old school magnesium built saw i guess. all new saws are built like it. lots of plastic. but it has the metal where it counts. just use it and see what it can do. it will pull that bar you have with ease. no need for the skip chain either.

 

[StoneyMeadowMaple]

I dunno what to say. Seems as if you have recently picked apart a 572, a 365 and now a 400c, simply because they are different from the 562xp that you wanted in the first place. Several of us mentioned respected, reliable dealers and porters who could have put you into the saw you wanted for that price point, but you didn't want to hear it.

I’m not picking apart anything, just weighing what I liked and didn’t, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about he 572 except that once I had it in my hands it was close enough to the bigger saws in the stable that it didn’t make sense. I had absolutely nothing bad at all to say about the 365 and other than trying to sort out some fine tuning of the carburetor and an inquiry about drooling bar oil in a saw I had no previous knowledge of I don’t really think I said much about it at all.
I can’t really have a good opinion of one model/brand over another unless I try them.
I’ve been a loyal GM owner for decades and my family long before that. Recently I bought a Ford, they seemed to have a pretty darn solid truck with better offerings at the time, now I can honestly have a valid opinion between the 2 (for the record GM has a better truck) but I went in, like this saw, wanting to like it. I may still come to love this thing, it has a lot going for it.
I offered a review of what my personal findings were and asked a couple questions about the aftermarket of a machine I am not familiar with. If I had honestly been desperate for a 562 I would have gone to any of 5-6 dealers that aren’t far and bought one, or ordered one, I wanted to try something different.
Not sure why that offends you.

 

[StoneyMeadowMaple]

You bought a nice saw, it will cut anything you need it too. but far as the complaints, it's a whole different animal than the stihls of yesterday. it has a different starting procedure. it works and is easier. far as feeling cheesy, you should have bought an old school magnesium built saw i guess. all new saws are built like it. lots of plastic. but it has the metal where it counts. just use it and see what it can do. it will pull that bar you have with ease. no need for the skip chain either.

I was thinking I might put the standard full
Chisel on today and give it a try.

 

[stihl sawing]

I put the regular stihl spikes on, unless you are cutting huge redwoods they are fine. they have plenty of power for noodling

 

[StoneyMeadowMaple]

After the first tank I turned the oiler to max, still doesn’t seem to be perceptibly oiling, i
Used to spraying a stripe off the tip in seconds, this took a while to decide if anything at all was happening and consumption is a couple tablespoons per tank. Looking around online i find this video showing swapping it with an MS460 pump. Is this a common issue? I suppose it could be say I over oil, but everything is lubed.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Does the 400 have the pin you push in and then are able to turn up the oiler further? Had to do that on my 500i.

 

[cookies]

If the 460 pump is the same then get the 460 ho pump adjuster and pump piston from your local dealer or order the HO pump...it puts out far more oil. Once I swapped mine the bar and chain temps dropped substantially. They still get hot but not to the point it will blister your skin if you touch them.

 

[Evan]

What do you have thats bigger than your 572.

Glad to see the small spikes have plenty of power for noodling

 

[StoneyMeadowMaple]

What do you have thats bigger than your 572.

Glad to see the small spikes have plenty of power for noodling

385 and a pair of 390’s which were bought as a set for the alaskan mill. I keep flirting with a 3120, but I haven’t done it yet.

 

[StoneyMeadowMaple]

Does the 400 have the pin you push in and then are able to turn up the oiler further? Had to do that on my 500i.

Not sure, didn’t see mention in the manual, i will investigate further

 

[Evan]

572 is a light weight saw in comparison to those. You must have cad

 

[StoneyMeadowMaple]

572 is a light weight saw in comparison to those. You must have cad

CAD?