767 What's Wrong with my STIHL MS 261 CM? Chainsaw Talk. outdoors firewood 4K
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
- Let's talk about why my STIHL 261 was not performing and answer a few other related questions. I hope this is helpful for folks. Cheers!
#stihl #261 #firewood
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This video is not an instructional video. It is not a sponsored video. It is intended for entertainment purposes only. The creator receives no financial compensation from manufacturers for the production of this video unless otherwise stated.
GP, another very helpful and informative video. Stacking hay on the trailer or Stacking wood at the house . Restacking a hay rack that was half way back to the barn or wood pile that we just did, was a pain. He always said, If your going to do it , do it right the first time. I now know it was a time saver and a safety issue. Cheers !!!
Cheers Ray! have a nice Sunday!
Thanks GP! As I explained in comment section of previous video, my MS261 vapor locks. Based on your comments, I have tried letting the saw idle before shutting it off. BINGO! So far no more vapor lock. Thanks a million!
Morning Richard! That's great to hear - me too. Glad we got it solved. So frustrating being way back in the forest and not being able to start the saw. :)) Have a nice week!
Thanks GP. Great video especially for a newbie. My Stihl blower vapor locks...and now I know why. Thank you!!!
Hello Gord, excellent video, on chainsaw, maintenance and putting the right bar on the right chainsaw.Thanks for all great information!
Hello, I have the 261 just like you do and I can tell you what I know I have the 20 inch bar on there and I can tell you I cut cord of wood and I have no problems with my saw running. It still has the same power, I just wanted to share that with you👍 and I cut 16 cords of wood, no power loss whatsoever
Morning Dean. Thats good info for folks. Another gentleman in the comments said the same thing. No drop in power. Thanks for sharing with us. Cheers!
@@GPOutdoors no problem. Have a great day.👍
@@GPOutdoorsGordy with West Coast Saws has a channel and he works on chainsaws and offers different upgrades. And does go out and fall trees and often tests his upgrades and work he does on chainsaws for people.
You might think about reaching out to him and asking about your 261 and the 20” bar.
Sounds like maybe an idle adjustment issue or maybe you could install one of his muffler upgrades and it often requires a little adjustment to the idle!
I know some will think this is too extreme but as a child about 8 years old and a small family of 10. I was taught how to stack wood. Not just split wood but full rounds as well and mixed wood. Meaning split and rounds mixed. My dad would have me stack a cord 4x4x8 then he would come look the stack over test it and then knock it over. Then he would look at me and tell me to restack it better. I learned if my dad could not knock the stack over it was done right. Now after stacking a cord of wood over and over and over you learn it is better to do it right the first time then it is to keep having to do it.
Now from 12 to 14 I was cutting wood using a stick to make sure each cut was right and each stick used had the size written on it so we knew what we was cutting. After 2 years of that I was pretty good at just what we call eye balling it. I was lucky I grew up back when kids knew to listen to their elders. I have learned many tricks just paying attention to what the older people had to say.
Last but not least. Most people don't know they are doing this in todays world but many waste wood. For example burning wood to stay warm is most likely the cheapest and better way to survive. But if you heat with a wood stove or boiler you don't need to load up on split wood or small split wood every time. If you are sleeping lets say 11 PM till 7 AM load the stove up with mostly round wood it will burn slow and keep everything warm all through the night. You are in bed you are not going to shower 12 times a night between 11 and 7 AM When you wake up check the stove if you happen to wake at 3 AM fine check the stove more then likely for 8 hours you will still have wood burning when you wake. Meaning you have all the heat you want and need and you burned a lot less saving you time and money.
Morning Daniel and thanks for the good memories. Made me smile when you said he would knock it over. :)) Have a nice weekend!
@@GPOutdoors LMAO yeah my Dad was real hard on doing it right. All my brothers and sisters had to learn how to stack wood as well. My farther made sure we all knew how to do everything right from hunting to cutting down trees to making a garden.
Thanx for the tip about Vapor lock because I have that problem with my saw
Great tips. I like to use clean tools when I pick one up just makes for a better time all around. THANKS!
Great tips Gord!
Excellent tips, Gord! Another great video. Thanks!
god all those explanation were helpfull thanks Gord
Great coverage over why your chain was binding and not turning. Smoothed that one out really quick Gord. Thanks for sharing with us and also sharing a few other problems that can ruin a day or fun outing with the friends while getting firewood. Stay safe up there and keep having the fun you all manage to have around there. Fred.
Thanks my friend! I hope your week is going better and thinking about you all each day.:))
Hello again Gord. also worth nothing is that this is southwestern Ontario. We don't need 3' long bars like the guys in BC do. Yeah, as Buckin Billy says it is nice to stand up straight if you are cutting for a long time as he does, but most of us don't making a living from a saw, so its not needed. An 18" bar in southwestern Ontario is basically perfect. I've been doing my own firewood for over 10yrs now, and the rare time I ever come across a tree more than 18" across, I can just finish the cut on the other side of the tree. as for the clogged gear up front, that was VERY interesting. I've not had that yet on my Timber Wolf, but I will most certainly be looking out for it in the future. And yes, although it's embarrassing to admit, I've run out bar oil more than a few times, but that is an easy fix. Cheers.
Morning Andrew!
This is probably going to be one of your most watched videos in the long term. Thanks for addressing several common stihl questions in a straightforward manner!
I personally prefer the Mingo marker. I have a smaller wood burning stove and my wood needs to be 16”. In my experience the Mingo gives the most consistent results.
Morning and thanks Matt. I agree - it does for sure. The Prosizer takes some getting used to but the Mingo always dots on target. Have a nice week!
I work my 251c hard with a sharp chain,let it run 30 sec. after prolonged use is very advisable (vapour lock) ! Good advice mate😊
Cheers!
Gord, very great and informative Video my Friend.
Yes I have had that Happen to myself also. WITH my MS-271 Farm Boss 20inch Bar it can happen Quickly.
I am a STICKLER ON KEEPING MY SAWS IN TIP TOP SHAPE.
Everytime I use it at the End Saw gets Blown Off and the Guide Bar Channel Cleaned A DEFINITE MUST.
When the Saw is Cooled of and Blown off, I use an Electronic Cleaner. Spray it on and get the Saw dust off of it.
Every Month for 1 day it gets a good Check Up, including the Roller Berring Cleaned and Re-Greased.
Thank You my Friend for the information on upkeep of a Saw.Stay Safe out There,well Hydrated and Love and Cheers to you and Everyone. Ron from the Woodyard in Duanesburg NY.
Good morning Ron! Good suff! Always makes for an enjoyable outing when your equipment is well maintained. Have a safe week out there!
GP I’m 69 years old and still mark my wood. I can’t tell the difference between 151/2 and 16 3/4. You keep doing what your doing if it works don’t change it. Be safe my man.
Cheers and thanks Gary!
I run a 18" on the 261... 20" ES light on the 362, its a ripper.. And a 25" ES light on my 500i
Keep on making wood chips!
Love the BIG chips!! LOL!
I check oil flow, by pointing the tip at, preferably, ‘white’ wood (the face of a cut log) and speed the saw up and look to see if there is oil flying off onto the wood. It helps I use coloured chain oil. Cheers!
😊 "it's nice to have that extra couple of inches" Bahaha! Yes I laughed like a highschool kid.
Excellent overview of the chain bars and chains. I had my old poulan saw bar sprocket seized. I had no experience, and ruined the bar. Good to know. Thanks Gord.
LOL! welll...sometimes words just come out when i least expect it. Have a great weekend Ross!
You are absolutely correct about the sprocket I also never leave my saws with tension sometimes small pieces of wood can be stuck in the front of the blade sorry in advance for my writing I'm Norwegian so not fluent in English grammar and so on
Your comment and english were excellent ! Thanks !
Thanks I'm just like you a hobby logger but my father has worked as a professional logger in Norway for several years and they use mostly 15 or 16 inch on a 50cc so I have a sthil 261 cm with a 16 inch and it's a beast my ms 362 is used with a 18 inch hexa chain that also run like a beast I'm still dreaming of the ms 462 that's a really nice saw
I run an 18 inch bar on my 261. I have had that exact issue a few times. Once that happens, you will find it will happen more frequently. A new bar will be coming sooner than you think. I clean my saw regularly, and it's still just a matter of time.
Hey Gordon. Nice video. My dad loved homelight super XL saws. I hated them because of the vibration . Anyway he always used an OREGON bar with a riveted roller tip. He kept it greased and wore them out. Those bars he would have ground and refaced a couple times a year. I don't know if the new bars can be done. When he was fileing the chain he would run a small flat blade screw driver down the channel and blow it out with air each time. Back then you had an oiler button to add extra bar oil when needed. Have a wonderful week
Morning James. Some interesting info. I heard that as well but I am not sure these tips can be replaced on these bars. A good question I will ask my STIHL guy the next time I go in. Have a great week!
Good talk, Gord! I still haven’t pulled the trigger on buying a new saw. The 261 is on my radar, but my Husqvarna 455 is really running great. I’d like more power so now you’ve got me thinking about reducing the bar size from 20 to 18 inches. 🤔
Morning Ed! Sounds like a plan. The other nice thing is having two bars (either size) gives you a spare in case something happens to one of them. Cheers my friend!
I run an 18” bar on my MS261c. Never tried a 20”, but I’m surprised it would make a huge difference if you aren’t cutting larger diameter wood. I can’t speak to dry maple as everything I cut is green, but my bar tip has jammed with chips in larger diameter wood (as big as the bar or a little more) when working with the saw body down near the ground such that the chips can’t flow out freely and some circulate around and come out the top with the chain. The tip of my Stihl scrench is narrowed and works well for cleaning out the bar.
Thanks for the video, along with cleaning out the channel in the bar you can check the width of the channel, sometimes the blade will peen over on the inside of the channel and on the outside of the bar. You can feel the ridge on the outside with your hand and it will drag and catch on the wood as you make your cut. Sometimes you can see the peen over on the inside in the channel just looking at it. To remove the peen on the inside of the channel I use a large bassterd file and run along the top of the blade until I have removed the peen over. I then lay the blade flat and with the file just about flat on the blade I remove the outer peen over. After sharpening the chain I always dress the blade if it needs it and people say the saw cuts like new, they think it's my chain sharpening skills but it's a combination of the blade and chain.
Morning Charles and thanks for the good tip and advice. Have a wonderful week!
Neat program..thx. Cutting solo for firewood I don't want any extraneous devices around though they do work. I measure with perm markings on the saw ( 261 mostly ) for the 20", or 16" bars. Yes I do have to move the saw for cuts sometimes. After awhile the 16"-18" butts get cut accurately. Screw ups as usual do happen when I stop thinking, tired, cold, or snow gets down my back. Life.
I was always told not to use the end of bar so much that it will clog the bar up. So all the years I’ve been using chain saw never had that problem. Just a thought. That’s what my dealer said.
That will do it. I've had the same problem a few times. That's why I clean my bars every so often
I've always put a mark on my bars 16 inches from the tip so you can check length by putting your tip on the last cut. Have a great day.
I had the same problem as you recently had in that the sprocket on the end of my bar was jammed. It is the first time that this has ever happened to me in nearly 50 years of cutting wood. I was able to free it up by taking off the bar and chain and repeatedly pulling the end of the bar over a tree trunk.
I have cut alot of wood with my 20" light bar and chain on my MS 261 C without any noticeable loss of power from when I was previously using an 18" bar.
Morning - thanks for sharing the good info and experience. Interesting on the power - have a good day out there!
Great video!! Thanks for these tips!! Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day
Great talk. Great tips. Thanks. From Mirabel. Quebec. ✨🌸👋🏼 Bought a 261C too. Merci 🙏🏼
Cheers JR!
Great info as always Gordo...Love watching your journeys
Cheers from Niagara Brother
Cheers!
Great video Gord and full of great advice. 👍🏻
I have a Husky and that’s why I said to grease your nose sprocket . I didn’t realize that the Still saws don’t have that option.
Thanks Brian!
The older stihl used to have a grease hole. They said it was removed to prevent sawdust in the bar tip?
I bought my 261 with a 16" bar on it. For the most part it's fine, but I just prefer running an 18" on it, which is exclusively what I use on it now. I couldn't agree with you (or your dealer) more about a loss in performance running a 20" bar on the 261. With a 20" bar, you're pulling 4" more chain than on an 18", which also creates more drag of those drive links through the channel in the bar, which just creates that much more drag on the engine. Not to mention, try to bury the entire 20" bar in a hardwood log with just 50cc's, and more often than not, you'll stop the 261 in it's tracks, regardless of how sharp your chain is.
Great explanation . Thank you GP.
Good information as always Gord!
I converted my 261 CM to 3/8th 0.63 and 16 inch bar. It doesn't cut as well as a 325 but all my saws use the same bars.
Nice vid , tons of info,
Good info. packed vid.
Morning BC!
After 30 years I've just learned chainsaws have a summer and winter use adjustment screw. Better late than never.
Good information Gord .Excellent video.
👍great video
When I first heard the saw in this video I thought I’ve heard this a few times with my ms211c. It only seems to happen when I’m trying to cut small limbs that are under tension. I’ve had it happen maybe twice with my MS462C while also cutting small limbs that are under tension and I’m not going full throttle. I’d like to get a 261C someday!
The vapor lock seems to go away when you open the gas cap alleviating the pressure.
Nice video! You have a new subscriber ☺️
Hey thanks very much for the comments and welcome to the channel! Cheers!
I have a 261 and I use a 16” bar and a 462 with a 20” bar. Power is better, acceleration is way better and the saw are way more manoeuvrable. Less is more when it comes to bar length on chainsaws. Obviously if you cutting large diameter timber you need a long bar, but most of what I see on utube 30 to 50% of the bar is not in the timer.
Great info including starting your day with coffee ☕️! So nerd question: if going to 20” bar has that noticeable decrease in power would you conversely notice an increase if you move down to a 16” bar (if conditions would allow)? I’m glad you spoke of the unstable stacking - I had a 6’ stack drop in my barn (unless squirrels did it) because of inconsistent lengths and this makes more sense to me now. Thanks for helping me be safer.
Cheers
Good morning BLT! Yes I believe so. I used to run a 16" on my 251 but I found it too short quite often. Have a great week!
The ones that guessed oiling issue were correct in my opinion. All these new saws have to follow such strict EPA type regulations that they use way less oil than older saws. They are trying to prevent oil dripping on the ground but less oil causes excessive bar wear and bar plugging especially in dry/dead wood. I know your dealer set your oiler to the middle setting but personally I run all of mine fully open flow year round. The couple ounces more a day of oil can help with these issues. I also drill the oil holes on my bars larger to allow better flow into the bar. Either pay for oil or pay for bars...I choose oil!👍 Thanks for sharing your trials and tribulations as always,Gord! Be safe...
Hey good day Wayne. I have never adjusted it but I appreciate your insights. I am going to try turning it up a bit and see how it performs. Thanks very much. I am not worried about the cost of the oil, but I will give it a try and see. Thanks again!
@LaserNUG You are welcome! It is a real issue with the 70cc and up, newer saws when needing to run 30 inch or longer bars. You can turn the oilers all the way up and still not get enough oil with the strict guidelines they have to follow. Don't be hesitant at all about turning flow all the way up and leaving there!👍 Let me know how your experience goes...
@@waynetharp Thanks Wayne You have always been kind to me. If I may ask, should I start by turning it up a quarter turn at a time, or should I just turn it all the way up at once, in your opinion. Recognizing that I buck hardwood.?
@LaserNUG I do not own a 261, but most saws have a diagram molded in the plastic showing more or less oil. I believe it will be turned right/clockwise to increase. Use a small pocket screwdriver and be easy. They only have about a 1/4 turn adjustment total. If you force it past, the stops either direction. You will damage the pump. Most have clicks so if you are in the middle. 2 clicks will have you full oil. You can handle this,Gord. Just don't force either direction once you feel it stop!👍
@LaserNUG Yes...just go full/max oil. It isn't like oil will be dripping and slinging everywhere. It will just be giving your bar all it can. You will still have plenty of oil left in the reservoir even if you run it completely out of gas.🤠
Make a switch to the Sugihara bar and problems are solved all together.
Good Video GP. Hope your week is good.
Thanks - you too Bob!
20" bar is just too much for the 261 oiler.
I won't run mine over 18" with the oiler wide open and have never had the sprocket lock up.
Of course, those lite 04 bars suck.
Great video
The only way to be truly consistent with length is to measure every piece. We have 3/4” hardwood dowels the we keep tucked in our top hand to measure each piece with.
Or use the bar length and adjust from there based on the bar length
@@Up_north_with_Mike yes that works but when using a larger power saw it is much easier on the body to measure with the dowel. It’s just the way my grandfather and I have always cut our firewood so I’m probably partial. 😜
@@WilleysFirewood Hey it's a wonderful thing that you and your grandpa hung out together bucking firewood. That's pretty awesome. Cheers and thanks!
@@GPOutdoors gramp and I hang out everyday as we do roughly 600 full cords of firewood per year. He is 76 and cuts almost every single stick we sell. I like your channel and look forward to your videos.
@@WilleysFirewood That is pretty cool. You must feel good being able to spend such great time with him. Have a wonderful week and say hi to him for me! GP
👍
You should step up to a bigger saw IMO. 400C is a nice light but powerful saw, especially with a bark box on it. I have a 462 and 661, but I dont think you have trees for 36”+ bars.
LOL! Morning - I have a 462 for the bigger stuff and some bucking but I find the 261 is a nice light everyday carry saw. Cheers and thanks!
Good video going to a 16 from 18 on my 545 husky looking at buying the 562 mark 2 I think I'll put a 18 inch bar on it
Congrats on the new saw!
The problem you had is fairly common in Stihl light bars while cutting dry and rotten wood, saw dust clogs up chain and bar oiling channels and sprocket gets hot and jammed due to lack of oil, because it gets its oil from bar. This is not normal, happens in my ms261 and only there, the problem is that Light bar with that grafics, in Europe name is "light 04"
Great video, thank you for sharing. By the way, are you using a new camera? The Greens seem greener, and the Orange seems sharper. Have a great week.
Good morning Tom. Sharp Eye! LOL! Yes I am - I started using a DJI Pocket recently. Thanks for the feedback on the resolution. Cheers!
GP I use 13 inc. bar.
Wow - I didn't know there was a bar length of 13". Thanks for sharing. :))
I’m wondering if that 20” bar is the correct gauge for that chain. The 20” light bar you used has the green mark on the tail and your 18” has a yellow tail. Just a thought. I’ve pinched my nose several times! Cheers!
Thanks for watching and great point. Here in Canada there is no Green or Yellow chain or bar.( it is a USA regulatory requirement only). I have a mix of US and Canadian bars and chains. We don't have green chains or bars in Canada. Thanks again - have a great week!
This is a good point. I believe the new “light” 16”/18”/20” bars with the fancy logos have a .063” gauge. The regular rollomatic bars we are used to running with the 261 have a .050” gauge. I ran into this issue when I got chains for a 20” bar.
Thanks for another great video. Leaned a lot. Had the same issue with my saw when bucking a fir tree that had been down for a couple years. As I moved toward the butt, the chips became more powdery and I had the same issue as you. Took the chain off and rotated the tip sprocket by hand until it freed up. I was unclear how you forced your chips out. Was the compressed air the whole answer?
Question do you have a battery back up Chainsaw ???
Good mrning - yes.I have a small limbing saw. It works well for small diameter stuff. Cheers!
Can you spray it with wd-40 oil ?
That's a good question - I imagine I could. Thanks Ray!
I have mingo marker but cant order right spray paint😒 our europe sprays have different triggering nozzle i cant find it on amazon where i order mingo marker from and only 1 i can find is 15dolars something like that but 300dolars is shipping anyone have any idea what to do🤔 i actually only need right nozzle to put on spray that i can buy in local store
Would skip tooth chain help with the saw dust on the dry maple?
Good morning - that is a very good question - I have never run one but it might. Thanks Eddy!
@@GPOutdoors 👍thanks for the videos