Chainsaw Repair

 Has anyone come up with a solution on the 261 saws not running right and starting hard if they start at all. My saw sure acts like a carburator issue, the # S178D      128A .   I would like to replace the carb. on it. I'm lookin for some experienced help here to guide me in the proper direction for a good reliable replacement.  Would one off a 260 bolt up?  Any help would sure be appreciated.

I will try adjusting the carb to your specs. tomorrow.  I think mine is a model MS 261.  I don't see anything else telling me it to be something else.  Serial # 288966632    Thank you for your help   greatly appreciated.

Here's a update.  I checked all the things DNX 800 said to check out carb settings, fuel filters, crankshaft seals, fresh fuel, clean air filter, clean spark plug and a few other things I'm probably overlookin.    I'd  pull on that starter rope 8 times or so on full choke before it would fart, go to warm up position and pull any where from one to 10 pulls before it would start, once to this point I could cut wood till I run out of gas.. Than run out of gas, fuel up and than I might pull 3 times or 20, it might start or I would get mad and grab another saw.   To try to make a shorter story out of this and also explain the sympthoms for other people experiencing the same thing, I did try another carb still hard starting. I finally decided to try a different spark plug out of a easy starting saw it started the first pull. I feel so stupid, 40 years as a mechanic and it comes down to a spark plug. I have 7 Stihl saws I have never had a plug do this in my life time, either they fire or they don't.  I just hope from my bad experience and lengthy article that I may have helped a few people out there to go try a $3.00 dollar plug first, than go from there

Glad that you did find the mistake. Thanks for giving us an answer on your problem.