046 air filter options

Has anyone experienced a better performing option than the stock HD filter?

I have been cutting all standing dead recently and it has been fairly dry and dusty and I have been seeing rapid performance loss in the 046. Pull the cover off and the filter is choked with saw dust after 2 tanks. Clean the filter and she is back purring. Note the saw has a dual port muffler so it should be flowing more air than stock.

I have looked around online at various options, but hard to tell from a pic and a claim.

Thanks

 

Max flow was built for dry dusty conditions. You can run without the rain cover also and it helps keep some dust from getting packed in.

 

Is that the one that is a system and runs $55ish?

 

Mike hit the nail on the head. Stihl even offered a system reasonably similar to the MaxFlow for MS460s sold in Australia (dry & dusty). I believe the HD/HD2 filter was still utilized underneath, but then you had a foam filter surrounding it and a backplate to keep it on, thus allowing you to run without the plastic cover.

MaxFlows are oiled, right Mike?

 

Yes. Hlsproparts.com or Madsens is Washington state are around $50. Belray filter oil works well and any air filter cleaner will work even a little bit of dish soap. I have 3 filters and 2 back plates so I can use them on 2 saws at once without the cover. It's something like $13 for extra filters.

 

https://www.hlsproparts.com/mobile/Product.aspx?ProductCode=H51046

 

Nice, I got some sort of email coupon from them the other day. I will check it out this evening.

I would assume k&n oil would work?

 

If you need a code send me a message

I have used K&N but they say Belray or Uni works better.

 

Here's how I run most of my stihls. I can't find a picture of my 46 so the 084 I had will have to do for now.

 

Here is my 046 after cutting up a 18" standing dead white oak that had a sap layer that was getting punky. Used about 3/4 of a tank and was 4 stroking hard in the cut by the end. I cleaned the filter after cutting yesterday, I used almost 2 tanks yesterday and idle was rough even after tapping the filter "clean" by the end.



Bottom

 

That's normal for those filters. It may be a little better if you run that filter without the cover. The cover sort of aims it all into the filter.

 

Yeah, that is what I had gathered from both my; and others I had read, experiences.

What about running without the cover in cold weather? Do you think there is any significant effect? Honestly the coldest I might run it would be the upper teens.

 

I've never been a fan of those OEM prefilters. They're just too dense to start with and tend to clog up very quickly. Personally, I'd get an Outerwears prefilter, or just ditch it all-together as Mike mentioned.

 

As long as it's not raining or snowing it doesn't hurt to run without the cover.

 

Ended up going with the outerwears. option. $15 for two and free shipping. One on the 046 and one for the 066.

The mail got delivered as I was driving out to go cut.

 

Prefer



Myself

 

Yea the outer wears work well. I got one after Dex mentioned them. Use it on the 650 and keeps it pretty clean

 

Orange undergarment....

This for my conditions(oak, cherry, hickory, ash, maple) is the answer I believe...