Not sure of the price but in talking with my Stihl guy he told me most of the time it is just the module?. He also said he doesn't see many Mtronic saws come thru with problems. This guy is good,if he can't fix a saw it's probably junk.
Another one of the reasons i dont want it in my saws. Works great...when it works, but costly to fix.
Your 460 could outlast you with proper care and maintenance. I don't own a stihl saw that doesn't start with a zero. They all run very good.
Ok, mtronic, the op is obviously a fan and so am I. My best friend who has done tree work his whole life feels the same way about the new technology. He has never tried it, but has convinced himself that etronics don’t belong on a saw. Can’t work on autos anymore and they are doing the same thing to saws. damm puters on everything. Years ago I was on a dirt bike forum and the same discussions were had when mx went 4 stroke, Ecu, fi.... I have old and new mtronic Stihls and my old ones are spending more and more time in the shed. The Huskies never leave the shed. Jk simmer down. I’m not disputing that there are some who encounter issues with mtronic. There may be some in my future. I do tree work full time. At work we have an mtronic that is used more than any other saw. It’s used like a borrowed mule, it’s taken by others for side work. It’s used 100,000x more often than anyone’s firewood saw. It’s yet to have a problem. FI and computers are the future of saws, but it’s also great that old Stihls last forever.
There isn’t really much circuitry involved in these self tuning saws. The “brain” is the coil. They still have a carburetor, but the screws are controlled electronically by a solenoid, which is powered from a couple wires from the coil. They still require cleaning or a carb kit every once in awhile, but probably 9 out of 10 mtronic problems can be fixed with a new solenoid and fuel filter kit for about $50. Takes maybe 15-20 minutes to install both
Like any new technology there will be glitches, my guess is there's gonna be a sweet spot in these saws for a decade or so where they perform really well. Think Mid 90's to Mid 2000's cars & trucks. Very reliable & long lived for the most part. 2010 to 2019 models have lights on & weird issues at lower mileage that just shouldn't happen on a newish high dollar machine. I'm betting the same happens with saws.
Like you said modern cars are the same a very small broken wire or bad connection could make you stuck. I prefer bad fuel mileage and being able to fix something without a computer. But this is the world we live in...
This discussion although entertaining is really missing the point. This is really not new vs old technology. What the autotune saws are really about is the saw manufacturers ability to meet the EPA requirements created by politicians. The regulations are just a whim picked out of the air by extremist liberals in Washington. Do you really believe that us firewood hacks running a few gallons of gas through a chainsaw are going to destroy the earth and mankind as we know it? Well the EPA regs are written in such a manner as to say so. The bottom line in any autotune saw is to run it absolutely as lean as possible in order to knock down emissions. Well in my mind, lean equals death in a two stroke. A carbureted saw running a tad rich will easily last many hundreds of hours. The reason many of the big box store carbureted saws burning down shortly after purchase is for two reasons, A. No dealer set up and the saws are set so lean they burn down. OR B. They have no screws to tune because of the EPA or the carb adjustment screws can't be adjusted due to most not having the correct tools to tune it. If you believe autotune saws are a step forward, then you also believe that "The Govt. is here to help you".
I have been doing some more research and reading on the solenoid and I think I will give that a try on the concrete saw that I have. Good suggestion. Also the fuel filter will be another good place to start, especially being a concrete saw. I can pour a little mix down the throat of the carb and it will fire off easily. That is how I know it is a fuel issue.
I’m assuming it’s the same solenoid that’s on a chainsaw. If so, ask for the kit, which is about $50. The white solenoid and orange fuel filter are about $80 purchased separately
I have had Husqvarna Saws for almost 30 years now, bought my first Husky, my 266XP in 1991, my Sig Line will give you an idea, NEVER ONCE, I have Ever needed Husqvarna’s Warranty I grew up running my Dad’s McCulloch Super Pro 60, a hellava saw for the early 70’s, you saw a lot of PNW Loggers carrying Yellow and Black back then, by 1991, Mac had been bought by Black and Decker, and wasn’t the saw I learned on any more, so I talked to people I knew with Stihls and Husky’s, ran some of each, looked at a LOT of saws at Dealers, and Decided that they BOTH made Excellent Saws, but I got more saw for my money with HUSQVARNA. The 266XP fit my needs the best, and I have Never regretted that choice Someone wrote “Good Saws aren’t Cheap, and Cheap Saws aren’t Good” I won’t disagree with that, Husqvarna saws certainly aren’t cheap, but IMO, Stihl saws are Overpriced. If you want to spend too much for a saw, it’s your money, your choice, as long as you’re Happy, that is all that matters Doug
