Stihl MS261-CM 2020 4 months old scored piston???

[Stihl-Bummer]

The bar is 20 inches. The tree wasn’t perfectly 4 feet wide it was less than 4 feet I should go out and measure the stump that’s in the ground. However there was at least 6 inches wide of tree fiber that wasn’t cut. I had the mouth pointing in the direction I wanted it to fall and I use those fibers in the center to hold it and guide it. Of course before I started cutting I put a 10 ton Or 20 ton rope it’s 100+ feet long and then attached it to an 8 ton cable puller. So when I made my cuts and it was sitting at that moment where it wanted to fall on its own but it was just hanging by the fibers I used the cable winch to pull it When I wanted it to fall. since I was doing all this by myself I wanted to make sure it fell when I wanted it to so the fibers in the middle did a good job at holding it there until I winced it and then it pulled over. The other tree that I cut was 3 feet wide and I have more photos of that. The larger tree I gave away for free someone came chopped it up and took it away as I have no use for all this wood. And besides for that wide one that saw couldn’t even cut it with a 20 inch bar to make it into logs someone else had to come. However the smaller white oaks were fairly easy to cut up into limbs and logs and I’ve been slowly burning it. Heck I have so many blown over trees from hurricanes that was the point of the chainsaw was to get them into pieces and take them to the fire pit to have better access to The land.

 

[Stihl-Bummer]

Just my .02 they are probably doing a full warranty claim at Stihl and throwing a shop pizza party with your $200 of free money.


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I completely agree with you and even if I got my own parts I’d have to buy the tools or if I bought the 50cc craftsman 20 inch chainsaw or echo ect. I would still be around 200+ dollars. So either way I look at it it’s gonna cost me 100$ to $200 no matter what decision I make. What they technically told me is warranty only covers mechanical flaws meaning if they sold me a lemon. here’s the point how do you prove you were sold a lemon I don’t have photos of the first day maybe there was already scoring on the piston and cylinder’s?! I sure as heck will do that this time by pulling off the muffler and looking inside and taking photos. I would completely understand if I buried the chain in the dirt shove the nose first in as deep as I could while red lining covered the cooling fans with my pants didn’t use the right oil used 87 octane with ethanol etc. But like I said I was following the manual I went easy on it because the manual and the dealer specifically tells you the first three tanks of gas do not full throttle! In black-and-white and I only used it for six tanks so I mean I’m lost on how to keep it cool if the warranty tells me not to redline it for the first three tanks. It’s a sticky situation but like I said it would still cost me around $200 to buy a corporate chainsaw or 100 to $200 to buy the parts off Amazon with the tools. I will most definitely invest money at a later time in special tools to replace the cylinder and piston’s as Amazon sells all the parts needed.

 

[Stihl-Bummer]

Again I’m still very glad that they’re repairing it they could’ve just straight up told me it’s all my fault but they’re willing to work with me which is awesome. And of course the manual says offload don’t redline but I was also recommended even while cutting don’t go full throttle the entire time just be a little bit less as the new parts set in for the first three tanks. I read that manual from cover to cover as I honestly love the chainsaw and want it to last for several years. However I will be doing things differently when I get it back the second time.

 

[Stihl-Bummer]

The bar is 20 inches. The tree wasn’t perfectly 4 feet wide it was less than 4 feet I should go out and measure the stump that’s in the ground. However there was at least 6 inches wide of tree fiber that wasn’t cut. I had the mouth pointing in the direction I wanted it to fall and I use those fibers in the center to hold it and guide it. Of course before I started cutting I put a 10 ton Or 20 ton rope it’s 100+ feet long and then attached it to an 8 ton cable puller. So when I made my cuts and it was sitting at that moment where it wanted to fall on its own but it was just hanging by the fibers I used the cable winch to pull it When I wanted it to fall. since I was doing all this by myself I wanted to make sure it fell when I wanted it to so the fibers in the middle did a good job at holding it there until I winced it and then it pulled over. The other tree that I cut was 3 feet wide and I have more photos of that. The larger tree I gave away for free someone came chopped it up and took it away as I have no use for all this wood. And besides for that wide one that saw couldn’t even cut it with a 20 inch bar to make it into logs someone else had to come. However the smaller white oaks were fairly easy to cut up into limbs and logs and I’ve been slowly burning it. Heck I have so many blown over trees from hurricanes that was the point of the chainsaw was to get them into pieces and take them to the fire pit to have better access to The land.

 

[PV Hiker]

You might have understood that wrong. Don't run High rpm without load, run it at high rpm with a load. Need to work the saw in wood that adds resistance lowering the rpm. This will bed the rings, etc. Does not say only run it at part throttle.

Chalk it up as a 200 dollar learning experience and move foward with better knowledge.

 

[kenton.a.frank]

I completely agree with you and even if I got my own parts I’d have to buy the tools or if I bought the 50cc craftsman 20 inch chainsaw or echo ect. I would still be around 200+ dollars. So either way I look at it it’s gonna cost me 100$ to $200 no matter what decision I make. What they technically told me is warranty only covers mechanical flaws meaning if they sold me a lemon. here’s the point how do you prove you were sold a lemon I don’t have photos of the first day maybe there was already scoring on the piston and cylinder’s?! I sure as heck will do that this time by pulling off the muffler and looking inside and taking photos. I would completely understand if I buried the chain in the dirt shove the nose first in as deep as I could while red lining covered the cooling fans with my pants didn’t use the right oil used 87 octane with ethanol etc. But like I said I was following the manual I went easy on it because the manual and the dealer specifically tells you the first three tanks of gas do not full throttle! In black-and-white and I only used it for six tanks so I mean I’m lost on how to keep it cool if the warranty tells me not to redline it for the first three tanks. It’s a sticky situation but like I said it would still cost me around $200 to buy a corporate chainsaw or 100 to $200 to buy the parts off Amazon with the tools. I will most definitely invest money at a later time in special tools to replace the cylinder and piston’s as Amazon sells all the parts needed.

Not saying a $200 rebuild isn’t a good deal, just sounds a little fishy. When I worked for dealerships it usually was all or nothing when it came to warranty. If they are doing new bottom end bearings and your crank is fine with a new oem top end $200 is fair. If they are just slapping a new piston rings and cylinder on it... $200 is overpriced.


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[kenton.a.frank]

Again I’m still very glad that they’re repairing it they could’ve just straight up told me it’s all my fault but they’re willing to work with me which is awesome. And of course the manual says offload don’t redline but I was also recommended even while cutting don’t go full throttle the entire time just be a little bit less as the new parts set in for the first three tanks. I read that manual from cover to cover as I honestly love the chainsaw and want it to last for several years. However I will be doing things differently when I get it back the second time.

My preference on breaking in saws is this.

40:1 fuel oil
Start and idle for 30-60 seconds depending on size of saw. Then cut full throttle and don’t look back if Mtronic.

If it is a stock saw with no port work I then take it up to 50:1 after the second tank of fuel as long as the oil is of high quality and I’m using 91 or greater fuel.


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[RED-85-Z51]

Keep in mind guys he isnt doing traditional milling, hes walking the bar tip back and forth nibbling at it so hes screaming like 14,500 rpms

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[Deleted member 117362]

I would just buy a proper saw for milling. 660/880/394/395/3120. Milling is hard on any saw.

 

[kenton.a.frank]

Keep in mind guys he isnt doing traditional milling, hes walking the bar tip back and forth nibbling at it so hes screaming like 14,500 rpms

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Then it may be best to just go buy a cheap Alaskan mill so it can actually bite off a good bit and load the saw up.


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[Stihl-Bummer]

I completely agree it is only a top end rebuild. What’s odd to me is over the phone they admitted they only pulled off the muffler so I’m not sure how they know the crank and bearings are good down there without pulling the cylinder to inspect. Is it possible to know that the crank and bearings are good by only pulling the exhaust and having smooth pull on the rope and not hearing any garbling or can they crank and bearings down there also become overheated due to the piston and cylinder being scored.

 

[Mad Professor]

Your personal opinion what ratio would you do.

I use a 066 for milling, wish I had a 088

 

[kenton.a.frank]

I completely agree it is only a top end rebuild. What’s odd to me is over the phone they admitted they only pulled off the muffler so I’m not sure how they know the crank and bearings are good down there without pulling the cylinder to inspect. Is it possible to know that the crank and bearings are good by only pulling the exhaust and having smooth pull on the rope and not hearing any garbling or can they crank and bearings down there also become overheated due to the piston and cylinder being scored.

Only real way to know is take the top end off and roll it around and feel/hear for issues. Also would want to inspect the actual crank bearing for overheating by seeing if it is blued or not. Sounds like they did kind of a half *** diagnosis.

No offense to your good dealer but they maybe taking you for a bit of a ride. If all bearings are good then just a top end is probably fine. But, I’d want to be confident knowing the warranty is still in place when they do the work...

Then when you get it back I’d run the piss out of it cutting firewood and whatnot to ensure no issues come up.


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[Mad Professor]

Oil thread?

I've used Golden Spectro in all my air cooled two-strokes since 1974. Never a oil problem, dirt bikes, chainsaws, weed wackers,......

I measure the oil with a graduated clylinder, and gas gets measured at the pump. Some times at the airport

 

[Stihl-Bummer]

Yeah I will know Definitely chop up one of the Longs I have into smaller pieces for the entire day. Of course with a different fuel ratio,different oil, sharp chain, full throttle. And I will Not use this saw for milling and just chalk it up as an experience. However if anything happens in the future I will most definitely be tearing it down and replacing it all by myself.

 

[kenton.a.frank]

Yeah I will know Stefanelli chop up one of the Longs I have into smaller pieces for the entire day. Of course with a different fuel ratio different oil sharp chain full throttle. And I will Not use this song for milling and just chalk it up as an experience. However if anything happens in the future I will most definitely be tearing it down and replacing it all by myself.

For your occasional “milling” I’d recommend finding a good non mtronic saw like a 036/044. That way you can tune it rich and worry less about throttle control and more about cutting.


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[Gord404]

reading all this I think the main cause of failure in a small cc saw like that is over working it trying to use it in jobs ment for a much bigger cc saw, --worked it to death imo.

 

[Stihl-Bummer]

reading all this I think the main cause of failure in a small cc saw like that is over working it trying to use it in jobs ment for a much bigger cc saw, --worked it to death imo.

That is very true I think I used it in a way that it shouldn’t have been used while it wasn’t that thick of wood that I was cutting it’s technically not a mill saw. I think when I hear the Stihl name I think for some reason the internal components are stronger than another brand but in reality it’s still just a 50cc chainsaw.

 

[Stihl-Bummer]

Which is also why I think the dealership is being kind because I was honest with them with everything I was doing I didn’t lie. And they are still willing to rebuild it pay for the parts as long as I pay for labor so like everyone says good learning experience but at the same time it still sucks. but this thread has taught me a lot thank you all.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

Which is also why I think the dealership is being kind because I was honest with them with everything I was doing I didn’t lie. And they are still willing to rebuild it pay for the parts as long as I pay for labor so like everyone says good learning experience but at the same time it still sucks. but this thread has taught me a lot thank you all.

Dealer cost of parts is far from retail cost.