stihl oil and fuel caps

[lawson's tree s]

wish stihl would bring the older style caps back on there saws. the new style caps are a pain to get on if sawdust etc gets behind them. really hate it when the guys fill the saw up and send it up to me and the cap falls off. and to hear them say i had it on.. nothing worse than gas or oil all over you..

 

[begleytree]

yeah, most cutters hate them.
if it were not so, then there wouldn't be a new "I hate stihl's caps" thread every other week.
stihl screwed the pooch with those caps. not counting the $17 replacement cost
-Ralph

 

[treeman82]

I sent them an e-mail a while ago saying that this new cap style was junk. Got a response back that I was a minority and that most people love the new cap style. They said it's easy to use once you get the hang of it. I've had this type cap for a couple years now on my climbing saw and still can't rely on it to close properly all the time.

 

[sawinredneck]

THEY SUCK!!!!!!

I keep hearing rumors about bayonet fittings that lock in and allow you to use the old style caps, but have yet to see them

 

[sperho]

I'm a weekender and have no problems with them at all on the 2 pieces of equipment I have that have the newer style; a third piece of equipment has the old style. It must be a statistical problem - use them for 2000+ hours/year and a mishap is going to happen.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

2000+ hours/year and a mishap is going to happen.

That's about it. They seem good as a concept, but become a problem under field conditions.

Like MacNamara's M-16, it was good for the airport guards, but when they went into the mud on patrols they became a liability.

Well, maybe that is a bit too stiff of an anology, but I need to bring the M-16 up at least twice a year some where.

 

[Castenea]

I'm a weekender and have no problems with them at all on the 2 pieces of equipment I have that have the newer style; a third piece of equipment has the old style. It must be a statistical problem - use them for 2000+ hours/year and a mishap is going to happen.

I actually like the new style caps.:greenchainsaw: Less hassle and no cracking or stripping of the cap with the T-wrench. However, they are a problem if there is anything to interfere with the sealer ring. You think it's on but the cap has not sealed, with the old style caps it did not fit, no doubt that there was something in the way.

 

[OTG BOSTON]

they do suck

THEY SUCK!!!!!!

I keep hearing rumors about bayonet fittings that lock in and allow you to use the old style caps, but have yet to see them

This is something I'd like to have

 

[antigrassguy]

Ditto on the caps suck. Maybe those of us that are in the minority could get a online petition and let 'em know???

 

[begleytree]

Ditto on the caps suck. Maybe those of us that are in the minority could get a online petition and let 'em know???

Nahh, us poor dump cutters don't know whats good for us. imo, nothing but sagging sales will change anything. since we are all not going to drop stihl, we are waiting on an aftermarket company to make a better cap to replace the flip outs.
OTOH, my left leg will never rust.
-RAlph

 

[Blinky]

The old screw caps were fine, nice and simple. Why change them for some hyper-engineered, trick cap?

I think the manufacturing quality is spotty... and I got one of the crappy ones. I do have mine under control now and can get on tight every time... after soaking myself in oil in 25 degree weather and spending almost an hour figuring the stupid thing out and freezing my butt off.

On mine, there is a grey pin (boss, stop, I don't know what to call it) that governs the 1/4 locking turn after the cap is seated. Whenever I open the cap, that pin gets stuck because it flexes out slightly and doesn't drop into the little slot it's supposed to be in. With a pocket knife or a screwdriver tip I can nudge it back into the slot and pull the sealing ring up tight, then the cap works the way it's supposed to. It doesn't take sawdust or anything to make it stick, it does it every time... the plastic is just out of spec.

I gas and oil my saw before I go up just so I don't have to try and explain that to whoever's on the ground. Fortunately I'm not taking down many big trees so a tank full is plenty.

I don't know if they're all like mine but I think Stihl needs to get a grip on their quality assurance. The design seems good, but the execution is lame.

Ps.
About having Stihl tell you that only a minority are pissed about the new design... How the hell do they know? Do they have more correspondence from people who like the new cap than from people who don't?

 

[maxburton]

I agree that they can be a pain, but I still prefer them to the old style, which requires a tool and eventually strips no matter how careful you are. I've also had them crack on me after a well-intentioned groundie overtightened them. I expect that either Stihl or the competition is developing a no-tool cap that will close reliably.

 

[tawilson]

To me, they seem to latch better if I don't fill to the brim or overflow, which never happens.

 

[treeman82]

Ps.
About having Stihl tell you that only a minority are pissed about the new design... How the hell do they know? Do they have more correspondence from people who like the new cap than from people who don't?

They told me that almost everybody they had heard from loved the caps and that I just had to learn how to use them properly.

 

[Treeman587]

Are you freakin kidding me? I don't like the caps on my saw. Listen here Shirley, The only one I have had a problem with is on my 200T. And if you pay attention when you close it, it doesn't come back open. Better than having to pull out the skrench everytime. Just my 2 cents

 

[turnkey4099]

Are you freakin kidding me? I don't like the caps on my saw. Listen here Shirley, The only one I have had a problem with is on my 200T. And if you pay attention when you close it, it doesn't come back open. Better than having to pull out the skrench everytime. Just my 2 cents

Okay, just a 'harry homeowner' here but I have been at it for over 30 years through multiple saws (mostly used) and have never once had to use a scrench to close/open a cap. Why do people do it? The few used saws I had that showed signs of that, IMO, equipment abuse wouldn't close tightly at first but after a few uses the gasket swelled, reseated or sumpin and I had no further problem. In all that time, I have also never had a cap come loose while in operation.

I have been wondering about it since I got on the internet but have never seen an explanation.

Oh yes, I am also not a fan of the new ones.

Harry K

 

[matty f]

why ?? dragging a saw around a tree or the woods they will get knocked come undone so the need to be tight...plus the wrench style caps would get holes in the bottom and you would have to buy new ones every 6 months..i got covered in more oil and petrol on the old syle when people did not do them up with wrenchs...or they got over tightened and split...I think ive had to replace one new style filler cap on an 020 so i like em!

 

[yooper]

Most of my saws are Huskies, but I do have a couple of the new stihl's with what i refer to as having Jesus caps on them. I cant stand em especially in the winter. nothing worse than haven cold oily hands when its 20 below. Make sure to never over fill them.
I have never used a scrench to tighten my caps either and never have had to much of a problem with them opening doing climbing or working in the logging industry,sometimes have had to use the scrench to get em open though.

 

[DonnyO]

Okay, just a 'harry homeowner' here but I have been at it for over 30 years through multiple saws (mostly used) and have never once had to use a scrench to close/open a cap. Why do people do it? The few used saws I had that showed signs of that, IMO, equipment abuse wouldn't close tightly at first but after a few uses the gasket swelled, reseated or sumpin and I had no further problem. In all that time, I have also never had a cap come loose while in operation.

I have been wondering about it since I got on the internet but have never seen an explanation.

Oh yes, I am also not a fan of the new ones.

Harry K

Most of my saws are Huskies, but I do have a couple of the new stihl's with what i refer to as having Jesus caps on them. I cant stand em especially in the winter. nothing worse than haven cold oily hands when its 20 below. Make sure to never over fill them.
I have never used a scrench to tighten my caps either and never have had to much of a problem with them opening doing climbing or working in the logging industry,sometimes have had to use the scrench to get em open though.

And matty F

Three people commenting who have OBVIOUSLY never owned a MS200T:bang:

 

[Treeman587]

Damn, all of this over some caps. I was just playin earlier calling ya'll girls names and stuff.

And why is it the only one that has trouble is the 200T bar oil cap?

I like the new caps. I have both styles, I like those.

Also, if you do not have the coordination to close a flip cap, Why are you holding a chainsaw?