Stihl MS 291 burnt out after 1 hr

[SteveSS]

Dull chain+sap+no bar oil= melted plastics. POS saw not worth the plastic it was molded in.

Where does bar oil come into play in this scenario? Pretty sure that the sprocket drum isn't lubricated with bar oil and neither is the brake band.....especially at the point where the two meet. Usually breaking surfaces forgo lubrication......it diminishes the actual braking function.

 

[ckelp]

i'm not going to be like the others, busting your nuts over buying something less then a pro saw.
if you don't mind the look of toasted plastic replace as needed parts like the worm gear for the oil pump. you should have it back together for less then $100 (all oem).
i know it sucks. cut your losses and move on. to make you feel better about getting denied for warranty, the husky dealer by me won't even put it in for review and say they denied it

 

[Andyshine77]

Sorry but this one is obviously the OP fault 100%. Look at the color of the clutch!! Operator error and abuse. I'd think the crank seals got pretty hot too.

 

[juttree]

Where does bar oil come into play in this scenario? Pretty sure that the sprocket drum isn't lubricated with bar oil and neither is the brake band.....especially at the point where the two meet. Usually breaking surfaces forgo lubrication......it diminishes the actual braking function.

Try running your saw without bar oil, there's gonna be lots of heat.

 

[Andyshine77]

Try running your saw without bar oil, there's gonna be lots of heat.

I find the chain locks up and starts to sound dry long before you'd get that much heat. Sorry the OP simply doesn't have a clue. If the break wasn't on with the saw on high idle, he was cutting with the chain on backwards, while leaning on the saw with all his weight. I've heard these stories in person, if even half of the story is true I'd be surprised.

 

[Rockjock]

Has the OP verified that it is melted plastic?

 

[RandyMac]

I find the chain locks up and starts to sound dry long before you'd get that much heat. Sorry the OP simply doesn't have a clue. If the break wasn't on with the saw on high idle, he was cutting with the chain on backwards, while leaning on the saw with all his weight. I've heard these stories in person, if even half of the story is true I'd be surprised.

wow Mr wizard, gosh thanks for sharing

 

[pro94lt]

If you run a saw with the brake on just hang it up. Hire out whatever you need cut...

 

[HuskStihl]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding. Are you bragging that you got a whole hour out of an MS 291, or upset that you only got an hour out of an MS 291?

 

[Andyshine77]

wow Mr wizard, gosh thanks for sharing

???

 

[Brettl]

Wow, no love for the op. Hang in there op, there's some good people on this site, and some are just dicks. A real **** can tell you exactly what happened and declare you a liar just by your thread over 1 thread. Amazing, ain't it?

 

[AKDoug]

Tre

Hard to tell from the pics if it's accumulated tree sap that boiled and burned, or if it's blistered plastic from running with the brake on. If I were a claims adjuster at Stihl Corporate, I'd need more definitive proof. Like, toss it in an ultrasonic cleaner and show me before and after pics to prove the tree sap theory. Without real proof like that, I'd be in the "ran it with brake on"camp. Not saying that the OP is a doofus though, because like someone else said......winter time, gloves, loss of sense of feel, etc. It happens. I'd be more inclined to fix it myself than pay labor fees though.

Once again, tree sap or brake on, neither are Stihl's fault. They won't honor the warranty because there is nothing to warranty.

 

[Andyshine77]

Wow, no love for the op. Hang in there op, there's some good people on this site, and some are just dicks. A real **** can tell you exactly what happened and declare you a liar just by your thread over 1 thread. Amazing, ain't it?

Not so. Look at the clutch, that doesn't just spontaneously happen, the plastic doesn't melt under normal operating temperatures. To get the results we see in the OP pics, takes stupidity, or at least severe neglect. No dealer or manufacture will cover that type of damage. I'm calling it as I see it, you don't have to agree, that's fine with me.

 

[west041]

Not so. Look at the clutch, that doesn't just spontaneously happen, the plastic doesn't melt under normal operating temperatures. To get the results we see in the OP pics, takes stupidity, or at least severe neglect. No dealer or manufacture will cover that type of damage. I'm calling it as I see it, you don't have to agree, that's fine with me.

Thanks, you've already stated your opinion, so why don't you move along now? You, and several others on here, are contributing absolutely nothing to the thread.

I've already established that the chain was moving and the brake was off when the overheat happened. I know they bump on easily; this is not what happened.

And for all those addressing the cleanliness of the sprocket area - are you kidding me? What do you see in the picture besides a tiny amount of sawdust and a bunch of melted plastic? There isn't anything in there. It's not my fault the plastic POS melted. The chain was moving, the brake was off, and I wasn't overrevving. End of story as far as I'm concerned.

I was there, you all weren't.

 

[west041]

I've been on several other forums and this one is the crappiest by far. This is literally my first topic on here. How is this fun at all for anyone?

 

[Andyshine77]

Where did the heat come from that melted the plastic?

 

[AKDoug]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sure appears the brake band is broken at the 4:00 position. If that is the case, it only happens one way.

 

[AKDoug]

Never mind, it that brake band might be behind the "keeper" plastic at that position. Need a better pic.

 

[Brettl]

If warranty fails, I hope you can fix it yourself without putting to much into it. With costs of new saws and warranty issues being what they are, I prefer to buy used. Ive found a lot of older Stihls of good design for $20 or $30 that don't need much work, several 025/250s and 026s for example. Depends on the area but in Kansas I can find good 029 Supers and 039s between $200 and $250. Oklahoma is even cheaper usually. Just something to think about. Good luck.

 

[Andyshine77]

Never ask a question unless you're prepared to hear the answer, as you may not get the answer you wanted.

If I were the OP, I'd take this as a expensive learning experience. Move on to fixing or replacing my saw, and learning how to prevent this from happening again.