upgrading a small machine

John Vander

This is a long shot, but what upgrades can be done on a MS230? I'ts a small machine, but with alot of beef. Any suggestions?

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"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

Eric Frei

Sure, trade it in.

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Rob Chace

yup.

i'ld say you want 260,200T, then depending on size of wood a 361/660 or somewhere in between. It may sound crass but if ou are professional, you should use professional tool. IMHO

John Vander

Roger that. I'd love to own a bigger machine, but first of all, an MS260 is about an entire month's salary for me, and I don't know what I'm gonna cut with it. Trees available for firewood in Japan isn't very big. Imagine shooting a pigeon with a 45ACP. Cutting a 20 year old Oak (which is quite small) with a huge chainsaw would be the same. Huge trees are only found at shrines and temples. (Cutting them will get you arrested!)

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"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

Eric Frei

Does it already have a dual port muffler? Like two holes in the front of the muffler?

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Tony Knight

You'd have to be fairly close to hit it as the accuracy of the big auto slug isn't that flash at range.

Tony

John Vander

No it doesn't. I'll see if I can find one. Eric, concerning the 200T, I know it's a saw for working up in the trees, but can it be used for groundwork too?, or is that a stupid idea? Sorry, I'm trying to learn from you guys as much as I can.

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"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

John Vander

That's true. Off course, at the price for ammo (for a 45cal.) I wouldn't want to waste it! Imagine the look on that pigeon's face when you draw that size gun on it.

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"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

Eric Frei

It can be, but it is an expensive way to go really.

See you have an 023, Stihl also make an 025 ... such small increments in the lower end saw scale clearly to satisfy the power/needs of home style people. But if it was just a matter of "hotting" up a saw a little then Stihl would have done that just like car manufacturers do.

Fact remains that hotted up saws might jump up a category or two, but why not just buy that category.

You do not have to get a dual port muffler, just drill a 1/4" hole in the front cover and retune the saw. But the cover may "burn out" soon.

If that is not good enough then buy a bigger saw but I consistently say avoid to 290/310/390 models (or their latest versions), I still say no matter what any wannabe reckons that they are the PIGS of the Stihl range.

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John Vander

Thanx a lot Eric. I can see the wisdom in this. Better to do it right the first time. (I'll stay away from the PIG range.) Thank you very much for the advice I receive from your website. I have seen much improvement in my machines and my working skills because of what I have learned here.

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"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

ScottyAFoster

The can get better performance with a good sharp chain A dull or poorly maintained chain make a decent saw seem like it gutless

Eric Frei

Yeah, what sort of bar/chain combo are you running? I think the 023 runs a 16" bar using 0.325" chain.

If so, switch the drive sprocket to 3/8 picco (0.050" gauge) and 16" bar same (3/8 - 0.050" gauge). I have run MS250 with this, no worries and cuts faster and cleaner. The pro series MS200T and 201T use this chain too. It's a narrower cut. If you get a choice of drive sprocket sizes go for the smaller one, like for my HT75 I had a choice of 6 tooth sprocket or 7 tooth sprocket .... the 6 tooth will give a slightly slower chain speed but more torque so it's like going up a hill (load) in 2nd gear rather than chugging in 3rd gear.

I really do not like those 0.325" pitch chains, you simply have a wider cut with more teeth in the cut = more load on the saw.

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John Vander

Cool advice Eric! Thanx!I'll be doing my homework. Currently I'm running my saw on the standard stuff (standard as I bought it from the dealer), but I will be seriously looking into making some changes. I keep the 16" bar right? So I just replace the sprocket and chain? Eric, where can I learn more about chain types, bar types, which to apply where etc? This is really cool stuff!

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"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln