20"-24" Saw Opinions

Safety chain on a 440???

 

X2. Always check the cylinder.

 

That’s an 046. It’s worth that

 

Good price IMO unless beat up or well worn. Any pics?

 

seems about right IMO. Id wanna check the innards too.

 

^^^ pull muffler check cylinder and compression
Then buy it

 

Yes it is. Good catch Kevin.

Yes The Axeman Commeth great buy for an 046

 

This brings up two questions. Thoughts on this Stihl MS261 that was used once and is listed at $500?

Second one, for those that are having port work done, who do you go to? Do jets or anything need to be changed within the carb or is it more or less adjusting the H/L screws? I come from a motorcycle background and am great at tuning two stroke engines, but didn't know how deep it gets on chainsaws.

 

Great buy at $500. Is it a 261C? That model has an electronic controlled carb so no adjustments needed.

 

The sticker doesn't specify nor the listing. I did notice 4 bolts and muffler look a little rusty in the photo. I'll try to look at it in person. Otherwise, I think I'm sold on the 20" Echo 4910.

 

It does have the H/L adjustments marked on the head. Not sure if the C has that?

 

On the pull rope cover it will say "261C" if mtronic

 

Never really checked on mine. Ive owned both varieties of the 261 and a great saw. I paid $500 for my barely used 261c a year and a half ago. My go to saw for average cutting.

 

Personally after having Kevin convert/port a 353 to a 346, I’d go that route on a 24 and run skip if I wasn’t needing to run 24 full time. They are zippy as all get out 18-20” full comp. I’m fairly new to the small saw that run with larger ones due to fantastic porting and mods, but I can say that I get it now…

 

Sausage fingers AKA huskihl can probably port it for you.

That saw looks immaculate but I would still pull the muffler & inspect the piston & cylinder unless you are just a trusting fella or buying from someone you know.

 

Any saw that can be converted to a 346 (several Husky’s and Jonsered models fit this catagory) can be had cheaper, converted and ported than buying a decent 346. I’m all in on mine at $725 after Kevin huskihl did all the work, which includes purchase price of the saw, it did take me a few months to find a good deal on a convertible saw though. However he stuffed it just a about as full of sausage as he could. It’s probably one of the most economical builds bang for the buck with what’s available on the used market for a good price with the cutting you have in mind.

 

Thoughts on a Stihl 261; a solid 50cc saw a pro saw model if you like how a Stihl feels buy it that’s good price. Will do most regular cutting Not 24 inch bar saw in stock form.

ported saws .. see above huskihl

 

I would ask huskihl about the 261. I asked his advice when looking for a 50cc saw. He steered me to the Echo 4910. You can get one new for probably $400 or so, better warranty, and better gains on porting than either Stihl or Husky...
Here is ours cutting oak, .325 LGX chain, rakers filed to .035, 8 pin sprocket...

 

Generally speaking, the carb doesn’t need changed or altered. Some guys do some small stuff to open the flow (thin the butterfly shaft etc) or swap out the carb and intake boot from a larger cc model to gain flow but not necessary. The H and L adjustment can usually provide the extra fuel needed after the port work was done. Autotune/mtron compensates on those saws, making them more user friendly to those that aren’t experienced with tuning.
A well ported 50cc might be able to run/pull a 24” chain but more often than not, at that length, the oil pump struggles to keep the chain wet. This can lead to a very hot bar when used heavy.

 

I had thought of using a 24" bar on my ported 350, but the oiler is not big enough for it. 18-20" is plenty for a ported 50cc saw, and a modded oiler is usually a good idea with those. I have the 372 with a 24/28" bar and an 8 pin rim, and that's a pretty sweet deal. Unless you are just limbing with a 24" bar, put it on a bigger saw.