Thanks for the info and glad you are feeling better. I love my MS261C, and after experimenting with many bar and chain combinations, a 20” light bar running a .325 Stihl full comp chain does work the best for my needs. Easy to keep sharp and I do it after each tank of fuel. Just a touch-up, not a full work over with the raker gauge. I really like your muffler mod and was wondering if you sell them or take in an exchange of a stock muffler for your dual pipe version. I bought Gordy’s(WCS) exhaust port kit to install, but it is tricky to mount on that muffler and the only place that I think is flat enough and not near any plastic is on the bottom of the muffler itself. Chances are that it won’t fit in that small gap but I have not tried because I don’t want to ruin a muffler. Time these days is not on my side and can’t play either. With a Walker muffler and the WCS foam air filter, I’ll bet the incremental gain is upwards of 1hp. Nothing for the redwoods like Gordy tackles but that the 261 is a good all around firewood saw and it is reliable. Thanks Donny, keep on making your videos!
Had a couple early version 261’s and used to go thru solenoids like fuel filters, so switched to 550. But my latest 261 ( ported by you) had no issues other than the needle bearing wear - you’re right justa teensy bit sloppy eh- used almost always as a topper/chunker. Good little saw
I got a v3 ms261c and zero issues. 1 pull saw every time once warm. Great limbing saw i run 3/8 with 25 inch bar skip tooth. Awesome slashing saw and firewood saw. No not burying the bar, just more length
ua-cam.com/video/q0zu3A9Qldw/v-deo.html they're replacing the 362. The new 400 loses the magnesium piston and some horsepower, but it's 300 grams lighter, so Stihl can pat themselves on the back about having the "best power to weight ratio in the 60 cc class" If you're really interested in a 60 cc saw, I would buy the mag piston 400 before they're all gone... or just buy a 462!
“Dull chains and bad fuel ruins saws”….everybody who owns a saw,borrows a saw or is thinking about getting a saw needs those words tattooed on their eyeballs. Things that are so simple are the worst enemy.
Donnie, I heard that a leaking decomp won't cause an air leak because it is above the transfers, just a loss of compression. On one hand it seems to make sense on the compression stroke but on the intake stroke wouldn't it still be sucking in extra air? When I saw that it really got me to thinking.
I don't have a chipper so I slash in my dump trailer. I beat the TAR out of my little 261c. The only thing it eats up are spark plugs, but I'm HARD on that poor saw
Hey Donny, I have one of the first gen 261cm saws, before the slanted cooling fins and new style clutch cover. I've been getting mixed info on what solenoid I need. Some say green, some say white one. Do you know? Cheers mate
The earlier models had black solenoids which leaked under the seat causing issues so we're replaced with green ones, so if you got black go to green or if you're already on green stick with that. The white ones were strong and generally didn't cause any issues,but if you have white, replace with white. Hope that helps.
@Forestryworker awesome thanks. I have black and I thought I needed green but Stihl support literally told me to get white. Why do they make it so confusing?! Appreciate your input!
@@andrewford80 No problem! I've been on their service training courses and it's the information I was given so going off that. Definitely told that black and white weren't interchangeable and the green replaced black which is what you thought. In the UK it was cheaper to buy a service kit which is fuel filter and solenoid, than just the solenoid alone! Should replace the filter anyway if you're going to replace the solenoid. The new ones for the 261 are orange as they have a different micron count to them to reduce contamination entering the fuel system.
@Forestryworker Roger that. I have the original white filter and was gonna get the kit, just got hung up on the solenoid part. Thanks again. I love when UA-cam comments are like this and not just arguments haha!
Thanks for sharing your expertise and knowledge with all of us. Stay safe and praying the weather calms down soon for all of you folks.
Thanks for sharing the common issues and maintenance of these saws
The MS261 has served me well both as a topping saw and for timber stand improvement. Great filtration. Zero issues.
no worries Donny, glad you're back up and at em
Donny, you're one of the best and well appreciated.
Lots of great information in your videos. Thanks Donny. I run 2 MS261'S and 1 550xp mk2.
Thanks for the info and glad you are feeling better. I love my MS261C, and after experimenting with many bar and chain combinations, a 20” light bar running a .325 Stihl full comp chain does work the best for my needs. Easy to keep sharp and I do it after each tank of fuel. Just a touch-up, not a full work over with the raker gauge.
I really like your muffler mod and was wondering if you sell them or take in an exchange of a stock muffler for your dual pipe version. I bought Gordy’s(WCS) exhaust port kit to install, but it is tricky to mount on that muffler and the only place that I think is flat enough and not near any plastic is on the bottom of the muffler itself. Chances are that it won’t fit in that small gap but I have not tried because I don’t want to ruin a muffler. Time these days is not on my side and can’t play either.
With a Walker muffler and the WCS foam air filter, I’ll bet the incremental gain is upwards of 1hp. Nothing for the redwoods like Gordy tackles but that the 261 is a good all around firewood saw and it is reliable.
Thanks Donny, keep on making your videos!
Great stuff Donny! Appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
Another good video to watch. Always picking up little tidbits of helpful info. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing your expertise. I wish I lived closer to you would be nice to meet you. You seem like a really cool guy.
Great discussion of the 261, Donny! I'm really fortunate that in my neck of the woods, we can easily get the manual carb version.
Always good to hear your thoughts on the nuances of the various saws.
Had a couple early version 261’s and used to go thru solenoids like fuel filters, so switched to 550. But my latest 261 ( ported by you) had no issues other than the needle bearing wear - you’re right justa teensy bit sloppy eh- used almost always as a topper/chunker. Good little saw
Good Morning Donny for the second time today another interesting show Once again
Johno 🇦🇺
I got a v3 ms261c and zero issues. 1 pull saw every time once warm. Great limbing saw i run 3/8 with 25 inch bar skip tooth. Awesome slashing saw and firewood saw. No not burying the bar, just more length
I love it when you talk about one of my saws. You know there’s a new MS400.1 C coming out in 2025. I’m so curious about it.
ua-cam.com/video/q0zu3A9Qldw/v-deo.html they're replacing the 362. The new 400 loses the magnesium piston and some horsepower, but it's 300 grams lighter, so Stihl can pat themselves on the back about having the "best power to weight ratio in the 60 cc class" If you're really interested in a 60 cc saw, I would buy the mag piston 400 before they're all gone... or just buy a 462!
Glad you're back Donny!
Great to see ya back up & on your foot 🦶 Donny.
Have you done any videos on the 361 with their typical faults yet?
I meant 362 sorry
More great content, thanks for moving the camera down!
We need more Donny's.
Muffler mod. Great tip. Thanks Is there much difference between the 251C?
“Dull chains and bad fuel ruins saws”….everybody who owns a saw,borrows a saw or is thinking about getting a saw needs those words tattooed on their eyeballs. Things that are so simple are the worst enemy.
Never under estimate the little saw.
Donnie, I heard that a leaking decomp won't cause an air leak because it is above the transfers, just a loss of compression. On one hand it seems to make sense on the compression stroke but on the intake stroke wouldn't it still be sucking in extra air? When I saw that it really got me to thinking.
Don't think their is ever a negative pressure in the chamber, that would be below the piston.
I run the 8 tooth sprocket on my 261 for clearing/slashing jobs. It makes it rip.
I don't have a chipper so I slash in my dump trailer. I beat the TAR out of my little 261c. The only thing it eats up are spark plugs, but I'm HARD on that poor saw
😂😂😂😂😂
well if you get bored or need a rev up RING me buckin got the number
🎉👍
Hey Donny,
I have one of the first gen 261cm saws, before the slanted cooling fins and new style clutch cover.
I've been getting mixed info on what solenoid I need. Some say green, some say white one.
Do you know?
Cheers mate
The earlier models had black solenoids which leaked under the seat causing issues so we're replaced with green ones, so if you got black go to green or if you're already on green stick with that. The white ones were strong and generally didn't cause any issues,but if you have white, replace with white. Hope that helps.
@Forestryworker awesome thanks. I have black and I thought I needed green but Stihl support literally told me to get white.
Why do they make it so confusing?!
Appreciate your input!
@@andrewford80 No problem!
I've been on their service training courses and it's the information I was given so going off that. Definitely told that black and white weren't interchangeable and the green replaced black which is what you thought. In the UK it was cheaper to buy a service kit which is fuel filter and solenoid, than just the solenoid alone! Should replace the filter anyway if you're going to replace the solenoid. The new ones for the 261 are orange as they have a different micron count to them to reduce contamination entering the fuel system.
@Forestryworker Roger that. I have the original white filter and was gonna get the kit, just got hung up on the solenoid part.
Thanks again. I love when UA-cam comments are like this and not just arguments haha!
After 30 years of working in a machine shop 325 totally makes scenes