You all need to recycle your carburetor based chainsaws and get the 500i

[ballisticdoughnut]

And just where do you get a 500 I ? They seem to be hard to find.

We get them in here and there at my shop. They don't stay on the shelves long though.

 

[ballisticdoughnut]

One of those MS460's came from the classified ads on a different forum. It was already ported.
I even took the cylinder off of it to remove the base gasket and the porting looked pretty good so I left it alone and just did a good muffler mod on it. I think he just wanted a quick sell for what he had in it.
View attachment 952209

I'm diggin the double barrel action.

 

[Chris1044]

The difference is @SAWMIKAZE can relatively easily diagnose his dead coil, pick one up from the local Stihl shop & fix it himself in a few minutes for the cost of a coil.
With the 500i you have to have the dealer plug it in to diagnose anything to do with the fuel or ignition system. On top of that the service manual states that if replacing the control module (coil equivalent) data from the original must be transferred to the new unit or it will not be able to be tuned & may seriously damage the saw!
Wonder where that leaves you if said controller is dead & won't talk to the analyzer... or maybe that won't ever happen

Right. Go to 1996 with fixing a car and you're at the complexity of these saws.

Maybe I'm bias as I was a full cert mechanic and have a full tool chest still...but these are not rocket science

 

[scor440tk]

This is just the fact of life.

It’s a chainsaw not Raquel Welch!

 

[Moondogg73]

Why not just have it all. Keep all my classics and get a 500i also. problem solved.

 

[J D]

Right. Go to 1996 with fixing a car and you're at the complexity of these saws.

Maybe I'm bias as I was a full cert mechanic and have a full tool chest still...but these are not rocket science

Agreed, but with 98% of vehicles post 1996 you can plug in a standard $50 diagnostic tool or short a couple of terminals to get 98% of your diagnostic information... & failing that you can swap parts out to eliminate problem components. To do ANYTHING (fuel or ignition related) to the 500i you need Stihl's diagnostic interface & software

 

[BerkshirePaws]

Guys an *******

And then will be pissin’ and moanin’ when people want to outlaw diesel.

 

[BerkshirePaws]

Any chance of aftermarket diagnostic tools?

 

[Canyon Angler]

And then will be pissin’ and moanin’ when people want to outlaw diesel.

Good luck with that. You might as well try to outlaw shipping, or, like, wheels.

 

[gyp69]

my buddy out in Cali was working after the fires, cutting, and he ran the same filter all season without cleaning it, seeing when it would blow up. mind you it was a Max air flow filter too. he said it was leaning itself out for sure, but kept on chugging.

Your buddy out in Cali was trying to blow up a saw? A500i? He went all season cutting fire damaged, charred trees without cleaning his filter? Anyone who has ever cut fire damaged timber knows how nasty, dusty, and dry, ashy that stuff is, I am a big fan of maxflow oiled filters but lets just say this I would have to see personally to believe it.

 

[BerkshirePaws]

Good luck with that. You might as well try to outlaw shipping, or, like, wheels.

Yeah, no more chance than outlawing leaded gas or mandating catalytic converters or forcing ethanol fuel blends. Not saying ships, trains or even heavy equipment/ trucks. First it will be cars, then light trucks and so it goes. Kind of like guns. First goes full autos. Then evil black guns. Then high capacity mags. All the thin edge of the wedge, the slippery slope. Idiots posing s**t to YouTube acting like idiots with firearms is as damaging and stupid as coal rolling. Sorry for the thread drift. Actually much more interested in my question about aftermarket diagnostics and software above.

 

[NYWoodsman]

This is just the fact of life.

I did see a video on YouTube with that crazy Canadian Buckin Billy putting one to the test and it was impressive. But I love fine tuning my stuff and I'm pretty sure the price tag would give me dizzy spells

 

[user 122190]

Your buddy out in Cali was trying to blow up a saw? A500i? He went all season cutting fire damaged, charred trees without cleaning his filter? Anyone who has ever cut fire damaged timber knows how nasty, dusty, and dry, ashy that stuff is, I am a big fan of maxflow oiled filters but lets just say this I would have to see personally to believe it.

Yeah, even if it was a work saw (not his own), I'd think the guy was asking to be fired. Tools are expensive.

 

[DND 9000]

Any chance of aftermarket diagnostic tools?

Forget it!

 

[Canyon Angler]

Yeah, no more chance than outlawing leaded gas or mandating catalytic converters or forcing ethanol fuel blends. Not saying ships, trains or even heavy equipment/ trucks. First it will be cars, then light trucks and so it goes. Kind of like guns. First goes full autos. Then evil black guns. Then high capacity mags. All the thin edge of the wedge, the slippery slope. Idiots posing s**t to YouTube acting like idiots with firearms is as damaging and stupid as coal rolling. Sorry for the thread drift. Actually much more interested in my question about aftermarket diagnostics and software above.

Not really a very good comparison. So far, I haven't seen anybody devote an entire political career to banning diesel cars and light trucks -- as many DC politicians have done with guns -- or buiild their entire presidential campaign platform on "diesel control," as Al Gore and to a lesser degree Biden did with guns.

Although diesel has no constitutional protection like the right to arms, it's not even remotely as endangered as gun rights, which are restricted and targeted with about 10,000 times more restrictions even than the lame practice of "rolling coal."

Lastly, if you're under attack from a criminal predator, an invading enemy army, domestic insurrection or a tyrannical national government, gun rights might just save your life. Diesel fuel...not so much.

BZZZZT, sorry, it's a mulched metaphor. But I agree that doing stupid sh!t and putting it on YouTube is generally a bad idea.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

I don't want a saw with a bulb , I'll pass .

 

[PakProtector]

Being in a few of these 'groups', I use an aftermarket diagnostic kit to settle my pre-'06 TDI's. It is only a question if there will be enough 500i customers to justify one being created. I have the tooling/machinery available to me to fettle a partial kit and make it spit lead. As for diesel fuel itself, the only question I have is how much fighting you gonna do if trucks are not spreading the food supply around? I have a neighbor who could, as they are directed to keep a large supply of food on hand as an Article of Faith.

As far as a shooting War goes...be careful, you might get what you ask for and discover it is not to your liking. MCRD PI, 1985, June-August.

This 500i beastie looks entertaining, and with easily available diagnostics, it should pose no issues( I know no TDI enthusiasts who buy a car without plugging it into their VCDS ).
cheers,
Douglas

 

[Canyon Angler]

 

[Husky77]

Amen. Here's a quote I wrote following my service to a pair of Stihl saws that a user's father brought in: "Your dad indicated that neither of these saws ran, so I was expecting much worse condition and performance. It appears that saw dust, dirt, grime, and blocked filters accounted for most of the problems you encountered..."
Both saws ran fine after I cleaned them up and did minor tuning. They were literally packed with sawdust inside the carb cover. Imagine filling the carb cover with sawdust and then ramming it back into place. That's what it looked like when I first started to work on them.

I had a good one similar, fencing contractor said his saw will only start on choke and wont rev, shut off choke it dies. Yes I know what your thinking I was too. But when I looked at the saw first glance rakers were filed right down and a nice round edge where a cutting edge should be. Instead of sharpening he would file rakers down....... it gets worse. Took the carb apart and was amazed at how tight the gauze filter was packed with very find dust, never seen one this bad but the filter in the tank was no better. when i gave it him back it was running like a new one but I made sure he knew what he had done and suggested he learn how to use a saw & look after it before he cuts his leg off. Plenty like this out there, they all know what to do or so they think. Last I heard he was still filing down rakers :-(

 

[rwoods]

Why not just have it all. Keep all my classics and get a 500i also. problem solved.

Beyond a McCulloch 125C or two, I am not sure I own any classics. I regularly run a McCulloch ProMac 800 (82cc). My 500i comes the closest to a similar broad rpm range performance than any "modern" saw I have run (which is limited to a few models of Stihl and Husqvarna).

I'll agree with the OP.

I have carb saws and will keep several of them around, but they don't leave the shelf like the 261, 462, and now the 500i do. Most guys that feel like the new saws don't perform like the older saws try to use the new saws like the old ones. Dog them in and lean on them hard bringing the RPM's down. Old saws liked that, they made their power down low. New saws do not. They make their power up high in the RPM range where chain speed is high. Let her sing high in the RPMs and have a chain that cuts. It's a lot easier on the body after a full day of cutting. The 500i I can cut all day and feel pretty good. The old 661 I cut all day and I'm wiped. Even though they probably cut the same 'speed'.

I really like my 500i and its broad power range. Other likes are the fact that it is easy to handle, runs great and is light enough that I don't feel the need to swap to a smaller saw as the day wears. If I could change anything beyond the overly stiff decomp on mine, it would be something to address what feels like a dry cylinder on the first pull or two. I would also prefer a wrap handle, but at the time I got mine you bought what you could get.

I will never understand the need to dog in a saw and lean on it.
Grew up running 242's and 254's, without even so much as a bumper, dogs just get in the way. But my background is pulpwood, and even firewood around here is very light on bark.
Dad was on a saw for pulpwood production from 1954-1998, one of his rules was, if you have to lean on it, it isn't sharp enough. I have a feeling I wouldn't be disappointed in these new generation saws, but I can't justy the price, especially when I have enough 2 series alone to last my lifetime and I don't make my living running them.

Regularly cutting large diameter wood with a large saw will bring an appreciation for spikes - better control of saw, less operator fatigue, and yes, assisting getting the job done with dull chains. Maintaining a sharp self-feeding chain while bucking big stuff, particularly dirty big stuff, sometimes is less productive than powering through with a less than ideal chain. Years back there was an eastern hardwood logger here who had a running debate with advocates of full chisel chain over his use of semi-chisel which provoked him to add to his signature - "Faster by seconds and slower by minutes." - a summary of his experience that semi-chisel in the sand laden wood he was cutting put more logs in the pile at the end of the day because it was still cutting while the chisel chain was being sharpened or changed. I primarily use full chisel (some round ground and some square ground) and there are times when powering through to get to a good stopping point is quicker than addressing the dull chain. This is not without cost - more strain on the motor and more bar wear.

My 500i actually is hard to start. It tends to die out after 2 seconds for the first or 2nd attempt. No problem once it runs more thana 2 seconds.

If you are using the de-comp, when the saw dies check to see that is closed. If yours is like mine, it will still be open. Other than that, I find the first pull of the day to be pretty hard as if the cylinder was dry. After the first start, my 500i starts easily and consistently, but so do my saws with carbs.

And just where do you get a 500 I ? They seem to be hard to find.

As to your question, I got mine from a John Deere dealer a year ago. With 25" lite bar under $1150.

As to the video, I say too close to categorically say that one model tops the other. Side by side, I expect my 500i will slightly outperform my PM800 in most situations. I understand from a Mac expert that a Dolmar 7900 holds a slight performance edge over the 82cc Macs so I don't doubt that the 500i and the 7900 are close. The weight of the 500i and resulting less wear and tear on me and more productive use of my limited energy is why I took a chance on the 500i. Performance differential was unknown to me at the time and is just a plus. Its extra power over the old Mac 82cc saws alone wouldn't have been enough to justify my purchase.

Ron