My old 041 Farm Boss has been on the shelf for years. Today cutting fw with my little Echo and wanting a touch more grunt for small 8-10" logs without needing to swing around my increasing heavy 044, I was wondering about a 60cc range saw. A little later on I remembered my trusty but old (doesn't even have a chain brake) 041 and looked it up on my phone. Hmm, 61cc. It was fully operational when I set it down, ? years ago. Would it make sense to ship it to one of the FHC saw Dr's and have it gone over and "massaged" a little to fill this void? I was surprised to read that "they" said that it's one of the saws that "made Stihl what it is today". Edit; there's also a 028 Wood Boss up there. I didn't check the cc's of that one.
I have the 028 Wood Boss and I really like it, here are some specs I found. Stihl 028 Chainsaw Specifications Model Name Stihl 028 Engine Type single-cylinder two-stroke Engine Capacity 47cc, 2.86 cu.in Cylinder Bore 44mm, 1.73 in Piston Stroke 31mm, 1.22 in Ignition Type Breakerless magneto (later models) Spark Plug Type Bosch WSR 6 F / NGK BPMR 7 A Spark Plug Gap 0.5mm (0.02in) Carburetor Type Tillotson HU-40D / Walbro WT-16 Fuel Tank Capacity 0.5 litre Fuel Mixture 50:1 with Stihl two-stroke oil Weight 5.7kg (12.6lb) Catalytic Converter No Chain Lubrication Type Automatic oil pump Oil Tank Capacity 0.3 litre Stihl 028 Chainsaw - Specs and Review - Mad On Tools
I have three 041's with two of them being very clean survivors. Also have one 041 super. Incredible how they never fail to start and cut. That being said I would stick with the 044. Much better power to weight. Get that 41 running and enjoy it for what it is.
Agreed. The 041 FB is not going to be a breath of fresh air compared to the 044 when it comes to power, weight, or vibration. A modern 60cc class saw would make it seem, well, old. Nothing wrong with that, just not what you're asking for. I think I'd recommend a current generation 50cc instead if power/weight and comfort are priorities. Not cheap however.
That's the part I questioned (old and heavy). My little Echo, CS490 I mentioned is in the 50cc class. It's cheap, reliable and light. I've read a little about guys wakeing them up some. I love my old 044 for walking through the bigger logs, but I sure can't throw it around like I used to, at least not for long. Any builders (here) have any input on tweaking the cs490 ?
Barcroftb did a MM on his... think there’s a thread somewheres. Edit to add... Here’s the link within the CS490 thread Brad started. Echo 490
Let me know how that 501 responds. I needed an new 50 cc and bought one last summer. Have a half dozen tanks through it stock. Numb as chit until last couple tanks it started waking up. Time to do something with it.
Dealer said the only difference between the 490 and 501 are the top handle and hp rating. Didn’t know how they did more hp supposedly exact same engine.
Seems like there are some port shape differences inside. Possibly limited vs unlimited rpm ignition also
Let me know when you get it figured out. If it’s worth doing more than the muffler I d spend a little on it. Seems like a decent small saw.
I had an 041 as my larger saw for several years. Then I got the 391 from my brother and did a MM on it and it woke WAY up from that. I was thinking about working on the 041 also, but the older saw already had a much more open muffler than the newer saws so it didn't look like I could get much gain from it. I ended up selling the 041 because I found myself reaching for it less and less since it didn't cut as fast as the 391. Not having antivibe on it wore me out with tingling hands after a short time cutting with it also. The 041 had a lot of low end grunt, but just never had the screaming top end. I hated selling it, but it went to a nice home of a young fella and his wife that were just setting up housekeeping. He had a small saw and needed a bigger saw occasionally but couldn't afford a nice new one. They reminded me of myself 25 years ago when I got the 041 used... I like the nastalgia and the sentiment / memories attached to the older saws, but when it comes down to going out and cutting firewood or opening up canopy for better formed trees, I'll reach for a more modern, lighter, faster, saw to get the work done.
I started with my grandpas 041 farmboss. Loved the saw, and for a few years it worked great. I then bought a newer saw, a 029 farmboss and realized how much saws had improved with anti-vibe, weight reduction, and top end speed. I still have it sitting on a shelf, I thought about using it on a processor if I ever build one.
