Chainsaw Repair

Husqvarna - Stihl - Poulan - Jonsered - Dolmar chainsaws and more => Stihl => Topic started by: roccus on December 02, 2016, 12:08:38 pm


Title: New to Stihl saws
Post by: roccus on December 02, 2016, 12:08:38 pm
Hello all hoping I can get some input... I have had a couple of saws a craftsman and a poulan they were ok saws but have both worn out over the years I mostly cut dead standing trees and laying on ground trees for fire wood for the wood stove. I had bought a Stihl MS290 farm boss 20" bar saw and used it for a day it is ok I like the power it has and ease of starting but it just feels real heavy and large for my use.

Then I came across a package deal on 2 MS260 saws 1 of them 20" bar runs great the other 16" bar has a blown top end. I ran the 260 with the 20" bar for a couple hours and it feels much better to me lighter and less bulky than the 290 and with plenty of power hower it is a **** to pull the starter like it has unreal compression not sure if this is normal for the 260 or not. I see the pro model have decompression valves on them to make it easier to pull the starter so that might be an option? Not sure what to do with the blown 260 to keep for parts or put a new topend on it to sell to recoup some of my money. I will sell the 290 for sure. 

I see lots of top end kits on fleabay real cheap but usually you get what you pay for.... who make a decent kit for these 260's and is their much difference between the 44mm kit and the 44.7mm kit?
Title: Re: New to Stihl saws
Post by: Majorpayne on December 02, 2016, 12:15:54 pm
Price a oem top end first.
Title: Re: New to Stihl saws
Post by: roccus on December 02, 2016, 12:19:46 pm
Looked around have not been able to find one and I have read they go up around $300 that is way more than I would want to put into the saw I don't think either saw is worth much more than that
Title: Re: New to Stihl saws
Post by: Cut4fun . on December 02, 2016, 04:38:45 pm
https://youtu.be/6EDY4xzJV10
https://youtu.be/zzVEiVTe2r8
Title: Re: New to Stihl saws
Post by: roccus on December 07, 2016, 11:12:58 am
I looked into the Meteor top end kit for the MS260 and have been told they were badly flawed and Meteor stopped shipping them... guess this explains why they are not around NWP seems to be getting decent reviews. I had an MS290 and did a carb muffler mod on it... do these same mods work on the MS260? My saw has the 2 adjustment carb on it but I have a parts saw that has the WTE 3 adjustment carb on it thinking of putting that carb on my user saw
Title: Re: New to Stihl saws
Post by: brettl on January 25, 2017, 04:36:10 pm
I'm surprised to hear that about Meteor. I've heard good things about them in the past. I've always heard Hyway is a crapshoot and Golf are junk. NWP?, I don't know. Are you certain your cylinder isn't salvageable? They sometimes are. The 260 is a common saw. You may be able to find a decent used top end for it.
Title: Re: New to Stihl saws
Post by: roccus on January 25, 2017, 04:48:58 pm
I used the NWP top end kit and it works great from what I understand meteor is the best out there except the 260 kit for the 260 NWP is best from what I have found in my research I just polished the ports up a bit did not alter them then did a muffler carb mod and it woke the saw right up might do the squish on it as well that is supposed to give even more power
Title: Re: New to Stihl saws
Post by: 3000 FPS on January 25, 2017, 10:17:49 pm
Yep you can put it together without a base gasket to drop the cylinder down and tighten the squish.   Make sure you measure the squish though before putting it all back together.  Then let us know how it runs and what you think.
Title: Re: New to Stihl saws
Post by: roccus on January 25, 2017, 11:07:13 pm
Well I got a race with my neighbor and his husky 50cc 346xp next spring his saw is stock with 18" bar I have a 16" bar on my 260 I know the huskies are supposed to be fast but want to see if I can beat his new husky with my 25 year old 49cc stihl :) the looser has to buy the steaks and beer for a cookout
Title: Re: New to Stihl saws
Post by: 3000 FPS on January 25, 2017, 11:33:25 pm
You might have a tuff time with that.   Advance the timing by a couple of degrees and it will help increase the rpm's a little.
Title: Re: New to Stihl saws
Post by: roccus on January 25, 2017, 11:40:38 pm
maybe if I show him this pic it will inimedate him and he will just buy the steaks and beers lol... don;t know how to change timing flywheel has a key to shaft.....

(http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah210/kjukeyard/rs1_zpse8ckhwj4.jpg)