Stihl should be ashamed of themselves.

[Canyon Angler]

I have never been accused of proper maintenance, especially when it comes to chainsaw air filters, but all of this talk about fines and the 500i made me curious - so I took a couple pictures tonight of my 500i which I have had since October 2020 and probably 50 to 75 tanks ran through it with to my recollection only one thumping of the filter against a stump last spring. Despite my dull chains and mucho dead ash dust this is how it looks tonight. FWIW from what I see either mine is tighter than most, or some folks have a dud.

Some guys seem to think that you need to take out the air filter after every tank and beat the sh!t out of it with an axe handle...I suspect they get more "fines" than most people.

I also hear people say that if you don't take out the filter element every 5 minutes and beat the sh!t out of it with an axe handle, you'll burn up your saw, but it seems like a plugged filter would choke the engine, not lean it out...

 

[Huntaholic]

After reading this thread, I took the cover off of the one we use every day just to see what the fuss was about and honestly, IT WAS CLEANER THAN ANY STIHL IVE EVER LOOKED AT! The old 460s and 461s were 1000 times worse than the new 500i.

 

[SamT1]

After reading this thread, I took the cover off of the one we use every day just to see what the fuss was about and honestly, IT WAS CLEANER THAN ANY STIHL IVE EVER LOOKED AT! The old 460s and 461s were 1000 times worse than the new 500i.

Check it again when you’ve run it enough to know what it looks like under the air filter.

 

[Dennisthemenace]

Nothing fancy used this for couple decades never had an oil related problem/failure and a crap ton of fines don't seem to bother anything? even with high silica content timber. burns clean for the hrs no carboned up exhaust ports excellent ring seal throughout a saws life. Run it at 25:1 and tuned in 090 076 066 660 661 088 880 hard-working work saws over the years.
View attachment 960097

Great info from a man who really works his saws as compared to those of us (me!) who baby them.
I've noticed that the older, more experienced blokes, ex hand fallers from when there was such a thing, aren't real finicky about oil brand but they stick to 25 /1.

 

[Huntaholic]

Check it again when you’ve run it enough to know what it looks like under the air filter.

Huh? Im pretty sure after over 50 years of being around chainsaws and using them for 45, that I know what it looks like under an air filter. There wasn't enough fines on the intake to even feel with my fingers, butterfly was spotless and so was the area behind the filter.
Saw was used when we got it and I doubt it had been cleaned recently, if at all. We have ran it 2 weeks now in the log woods and a thimble would have held the sawdust on the OUTSIDE of the filter.

 

[gyp69]

I was at a Stihl shop today, a good one that sells more saws than any other in their region, I mentioned to one of the owners when we were looking at a 500 that people were complaining about this issue (the filter) he told me that these saws were meant to be ran like a concrete cutoff saw, he says you aren’t supposed to take the filter off and knock it out every few tanks, you are supposed to leave the filter on and replace it every 3 months or so. 3 months for everyday falling and bucking scenario. This is what he told me.

 

[lone wolf]

I was at a Stihl shop today, a good one that sells more saws than any other in their region, I mentioned to one of the owners when we were looking at a 500 that people were complaining about this issue (the filter) he told me that these saws were meant to be ran like a concrete cutoff saw, he says you aren’t supposed to take the filter off and knock it out every few tanks, you are supposed to leave the filter on and replace it every 3 months or so. 3 months for everyday falling and bucking scenario. This is what he told me.

So seal it up with silicone ,let dry and replace months later would be one solution?

 

[gyp69]

I should add before I get called an idiot and so forth that I am simply telling you what I was told by a Stihl dealer. I am a true blue maxflow guy myself

 

[user 122190]

I was at a Stihl shop today, a good one that sells more saws than any other in their region, I mentioned to one of the owners when we were looking at a 500 that people were complaining about this issue (the filter) he told me that these saws were meant to be ran like a concrete cutoff saw, he says you aren’t supposed to take the filter off and knock it out every few tanks, you are supposed to leave the filter on and replace it every 3 months or so. 3 months for everyday falling and bucking scenario. This is what he told me.

There is a Swedish video during the early days of the 500i, and they ran some 100 liters of fuel thru the saw over a 3 month period, and never did any maintenance on it. The air filter was jammed with filth, yet when the filter was taken off for the camera, it looked remarkably clean down the throat of the intake. Again there is something going on with the OPs saw that is NOT typical of these 500i's.

 

[KarlD]

I’ve run one for well over a year now and had zero issues with the filter. I keep my chains very sharp and generally cut live wood so I don’t bathe the saw in dust. I tap the filter ‘clean’ at the end of every week

 

[rwoods]

Out of further curiosity about the effectiveness of Stihl filters, I took some pictures of my MS361 and my 036Pro. These pictures aren't for the faint at heart just fodder to the scientists among us.

MS361

Outside after the cat knocked the saw over (some of the spillage can be seen on the cover and glove below the saw.


Filter removed - nice and clean. Doubtful that all would go through the carb if there had been infiltration around the filter.


036Pro - outside.


Inside - main throat area is clean but note the square inlet.


Filter looks to have oily fines inside.


Ron

 

[Huntaholic]

Out of further curiosity about the effectiveness of Stihl filters, I took some pictures of my MS361 and my 036Pro. These pictures aren't for the faint at heart just fodder to the scientists among us.

MS361

Outside after the cat knocked the saw over (some of the spillage can be seen on the cover and glove below the saw.
View attachment 960218

Filter removed - nice and clean. Doubtful that all would go through the carb if there had been infiltration around the filter.
View attachment 960219

036Pro - outside.
View attachment 960220

Inside - main throat area is clean but note the square inlet.
View attachment 960221

Filter looks to have oily fines inside.
View attachment 960222

Ron

Now THAT looks like every other stihl Ive ever had!

 

[rogue60]

If a filter needs tapping out our hit with air just do it it's not hard work complaining a filter needs cleaning after a few months is getting ridiculous lol I personally wouldn't go by what the manufacturers say if a filter needs cleaning clean it.
Cutting dry hardwoods ya tap the filter every tank of fuel no big deal.

 

[Wow]

SamT1: You have every right to be pi$$ed. A poor design on a pro-grade saw is bad ju-ju in this day and age. With the availability of the internet and almost unlimited access to information, one would think that this will come back and bite Stihl in the a$$. Shame that your dealer isn't helping more...

JQ

I'm old and slow. I don't run saws like I used to BUT.. I Do run my Echos and my Sthils sit in the barn..Sthil is like a beautiful girl that took her looks for granted..She never knew she was getting old until one day no one wanted her.. The technology in Echo keeps most of the dirt away from the air filters.. My Brother is a Sthil man. It's like a religion with them..Frankly,,,, I have never been one to be concerned about brand.. Nearly every brand has some lemon designs for EXAMPLE the cheesy chain catcher on Echo cs352.. BUT...i've only broke one off the side place and it was on a NEW saw.. Dealer basically said shove it.. I bought two replacements clutch covers, glued the old one with super glue then heat welded it and Bingo.. never broke again..TELL ME that NEW saw was NOT defective..Probably had a cracked chain catcher day ONE.. I might drop a chain while bucking in heavy brush once a year.. SO fans of Echo, don't bar b que me over MY OPINION......IT WAS; NOT my fault..ok..go tell momma if I made you mad,, Daddy don''t care.= Otherwise.. Have a great day...Smile.

 

[Laslabjohn]

I saw that one on the thread mentioned above. I think they are still on back order. I’ll buy one when I can, if it doesn’t loose compression first.

Egan has them back in stock, Just ordered one and a strait shot.

 

[Chris1044]

I’ve run one for well over a year now and had zero issues with the filter. I keep my chains very sharp and generally cut live wood so I don’t bathe the saw in dust. I tap the filter ‘clean’ at the end of every week

Same experience with mine...1 year of use and probably 10-12 gals of fuel through it. I have an outerwears mesh and blow the filter off with light compressed air after long cutting weekends.

Ditto the chain sharpness. Mostly oak, pine, cottonwood cutting. I took mine off a few times initially because this "problem" was posted a year ago as well...never saw any issues. Haven't pulled the filter since, maybe if I cut this weekend I'll check.

Either way, still happy with my saw as of now.

 

[Dennisthemenace]

If a filter needs tapping out our hit with air just do it it's not hard work complaining a filter needs cleaning after a few months is getting ridiculous lol I personally wouldn't go by what the manufacturers say if a filter needs cleaning clean it.
Cutting dry hardwoods ya tap the filter every tank of fuel no big deal.
View attachment 960241View attachment 960242

Yep, a lot of this thread has been much ado about nuthin

 

[gyp69]

Yep, a lot of this thread has been much ado about nuthin

I agree however most threads are much ado about nothing. Just guys weighing in on this or that with their opinions, observations just blah blah blah blah, interesting to hear people’s opinions though.

 

[SamT1]

Egan has them back in stock, Just ordered one and a strait shot.

I’ll check that out.

 

[lone wolf]

I saw that one on the thread mentioned above. I think they are still on back order. I’ll buy one when I can, if it doesn’t loose compression first.

What is the compression reading of the saw ?