Haha the old Timber Mouse😂. I had a hell of a time getting mine to run right when I finally did it actually was pretty darn good and smooth cutting. I was really surprised. I’d love to get a hold of the person I sold it to see how it’s still doing for him, but I did do a few little mods to it quite a few actually.
The Timber Mouse is the worst saw I have ever had, even worse than the Poulan 25's and Wild Thing and Wood Carp, and that's saying something, as they are pretty terrible too. After just about 4 hours of use, I had to replace the bar and chain and do a full rebuild on the fuel system. It was totally useless for the type of work I bought it for. I gave it to my Dad, and everytime the saw would get hot, the chain would come off in a cut, and wouldn't restart when hot either. He gave it back, and I threw it out in the most remote part of my shop, and forgot about it. Years later I found it when I was looking for another piece of treasure-junk. I got it running and did a couple of videos with it, then threw it back out to a remote spot in the shop again. It has maybe 6 hours of use, simply disgusting !
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I know when I got mine it was with that six free saws that I picked up and it was maybe used aboat three times you could tell it was damn near brand new and I believe it was a 2001 model. I faught and faught with that thing to get it to run right and finally figured it out and then I gave it the torture test. I cut a full cord of wood with it and I worked it as hard as I could. I leaned on the bar really hard letting off the throttle it just absolutely ran flawless and I actually kind of liked it in the end. I think I sold it for 150 bucks with the case brand new spare chain and some other goodies. You’re right though what a disgrace compared to what quality Homelite used to be they didn’t have to build them quite that cheap.
Sounds like you got a factory reject, one that was actually put together properly at the factory. I think most of them were assembled by high school dropouts on drugs !
That pound and half makes a big difference lugging them up and down steep ground 8 to 10 hrs a day and of course the power! I bought a new husky 550mk2 and its like going from Pintos to a Porsche far as performance amd chain speed! For 50cc its much faster than my 60cc 036 super and has plenty of torque! The antivibe is night and day compared to the older saws as ive got white knuckle so bad from the older saws so thats a huge plus for me as within 5 minutes of cutting with my 031 my arms start to go numb and i don't even notice it with the new saw! Don't get me wrong i love my old saws but they don't love me lol. Good stuff as always see ya next time!
Always enjoy your thoughts and comments. Since I have never been a pro woodsman, the old stuff has been more than adequate for my purposes, and I don't have physical issues caused from vibration from the older saws, as I am never out using them eight hours a day. The 031 is an excellent farm/homeowner saw for firewood cutting, and many have commented that they were their favorite small saw. I like the good balance of hp and torque. I like the power of the 034, but it is really cheesy, and hard to start . All saws have their goods and bads!
The new Stihls are not made very well compared to the old ones. The farm/homeowner saws are really cheaply made, many with plastic crankcases. I would never buy a new Stihl saw or other power equipment. Vintage is for me.
If you look closely the right side case of the 031/032 are the same but left side case isn't. There's 2 different recoils for the 031 also. The ground wire for both models is quite long & runs between the fuel tank & the motor. It'll ground out eventually. As for starting the 031/032, take a piece of a board, slip it thru the handle & put your foot on it, that should work just fine.
Stihl making small changes with parts that are not interchangeable on the same model of saw always baffles me. Good tip on the kill wire. As for the hard starting, the problem is when the saw hasn't been used for a while, so I just prime it and it always starts in a couple of pulls. If I am out using it, it usually starts pretty good. Sticking a board through the handle helps.
I don't really understand your wonder about the difference between the two saws. A old Stihl 034 weighs about 1.5 kg less than the age-old 031. Furthermore, the motor on the newer saw performs more and rotates faster which means it cuts through your wood faster. A lower weight also means that plastic is used where possible. If you need spare parts for an old Stihl saw, it is usually still possible to buy them today from a dealer. The new Stihl chainsaws last incredibly well, even though the manufacturer now uses even more plastic parts and, not least, the price of a new saw is much less than it was in the good old days.
I am old school and prefer tools of quality, and the new plastic farm/homeowner saws from Stihl and Husky are not very good, don't last and are hard to work on. You are wrong about getting parts for older Stihls from a dealer. When I was given my 031, it needed starter parts and a gas cap. Even though the 031 was a huge seller, these parts were not available from Stihl. The dealer checked the West coast parts warehouse, and also the East coast warehouse and nothing was available. The fuel cap was the same one used on saws and other Stihl power equipment, which means that millions of them were sold, but one can't buy a lousy gas cap from Stihl. No starter parts or fuel cap were available for my 075 either. Simply not acceptable. I was given a Stihl 025, and did several videos on it, showing what a poor performer it was in stock form, and it is a cheap piece of crapola also. The original owner had nothing but trouble with it, and talked about what a lousy performer it was. You obviously don't have much experience with modern non pro saws.
Good overview. I'm with you, I much prefer the vintage metal saws. That said, the West German Stihl saws, plastic and all, are solid runners. It's a strange feeling working on a plastic saw. I constantly feel like I'm going to break something. Give me Old. Give me Metal.
I really like the metal saws, even though my first saw was a McCulloch Pro Mac 610, which has a lot of plastic on it, but the main chassis is metal. I bought it when it was 2 years old, in 1980. It is still on the job. My favorite all metal saw is my Mac Pro Mac 700 of 70cc. It is a real powerhouse, light and easy to start, and I run a 28" bar. You are right about working on the plastic saws, as they always feel like they are going to break. Old saws are my favorites for sure !
Sing the praises of the 610 all day, I'll listen. I love that saw. I've been looking at a Pro Mac 700, it's pretty rough, but as you said, it's a powerhouse. I may have to pull the trigger on that one! @@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156
My ol Mac 610's have just been excellent performers over many years for me. Even though they are ugly and heavy, they just keep working. Durability is a key feature that I like. as well as the excellent performance from the hogs. Pro Mac 700's are hard to find these days, as most were used in commercial service and used up. I would suggest adding it to your collection !
You and I share the same view on tools/chainsaws. I don't care what a tool looks like, if it gets work done for me day in and day out, It's a winner. I've had the Pro Mac 700 and SP 125 on my short list for some time. I may need to hunt down the guy with the 700...ha ha. Thanks for the nudge!
The 034 was a gift from a close friend, so it will stay in the collection. It was purchased new by his dad so it has sentimental value to him. He knew that if I had the saw, that I would fix it up and use it in my videos. I also told him that if he decided that he wanted it back at some point, all he would have to do is ask for it, and it would be returned.
I've tried 3 different Stihl dealers and none of them have even heard of the starting shoes like yours. Were they special order? I ended up making some out of an old pair of Nikes. A neighbor of mine wanted a pair too but with being left handed, I had to work smart.. I modified 2 pair of shoes, one for them, one for me. The only mistake was that I modified the left and right from my own pair then went to get a pair for her and found that her feet are smaller. She was ok with this but the second problem was that Clarkes Shoes didn't have any the same color. I ended up with one blue pair and one tan pair. I have a blue left shoe and tan right, she has the opposite. They seem to work but I'd much prefer it if both were Stihl orange. Do yours have a part number? If I have no luck I might just buy a bigger saw. Thanks.
The best way to solve the issue with certain STIHL chainsaws not having a big enough foot pad in the handle, and not finding the elusive STIHL starting shoes, is to get a McCulloch chainsaw. Problem solved !!!
We did a new video, but we had no audio, and we didn't have enough time to get the problem solved and make the video over. Will be back on track for next Tues.
The air filter on the 031 must be the same found on the 025/021 and MS 250. The 024/026 are completely different. The choke is in the air filter on the 026 and 024, making the carb easy to remove but these air filters fail over time causing problems. Can’t tell you which design I like the best. As for not being able to put the engine cover on with the spark wire connected - cut a slot in it, so it will go on. I am pretty use to the idiosyncrasies of the various Stihl saws that I own. Never owned an 031 or 034 but they would not fool me. I only have one Stihl bar with a lubricating hole for the sprocket nose - my 026 original bar. I just put new Stihl Oilimatic bars on them and forget it.
Every Stihl saw I have has a different air filter, with no interchangeability. That is what I call bad, or better yet, lack of engineering. As for the best of my smaller saws, the 025, 031,and the 034, the 031 is the best made and engineered. If it had the performance of the 034 it would have been outstanding, but as is it is quite good. The reason I purchased a Tsumura bar for the 034, was the fact that I couldn't find a decent price on Stihl bar, and saved $30 by buying the Tsumura. On many of the arborist websites, the Sugihara and Tsumura bars are rated better than the Stihl bars. I will find out when I get some time on the 034 and see if it is true. Will be interesting.
You ought to get a 036/MS360. It is much bigger than your 034. It is 62.5 cc. Everything has gotten cheaper over time. The 036/360 is all metal, except rear handle and top cover. I don’t remember how many starter pawls my 360 has but I have never had a problem with the starter. It does have a deco valve. My 360 has a rimless sprocket, RS chain and 20 inch bar. I have several saws with a single starter pawls on them. I have replaced a few starter pawls when their ends got rounded off. I don’t have a problem getting my foot in the rear handle on any of my saws. I wear size 11, usually Sketchers. My low cut boots or military boots are a pretty tight fit on some saws but I can usually get them in the rear handle. Bore to stroke relationships get complicated. If you increase the bore and stroke it will take an NFL football player to crank it. That’s the problem with the MS 250 - it will take your arm off, at least mine. And, no deco valve. My 360 is a pro saw. Stihl stopped putting the grease hole in their bars in the 1990’s. I have one Stihl bar with the grease fitting. It is on my 026. The rest of my bars are Oilimatic that don’t need greasing. I have only had one Stihl bar that the sprocket tip locked up on and it was on my MS251 and I have done a fair amount of bore cuts.
I would bet that an 036 is just a much better saw than the 034, as it has the features the 034 is lacking. The Stihl Rollomatic bars are pretty good, but I think the Tsumura bar I just put on the 034 is better, and it has a grease hole. It will be interesting to see how it holds up.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 just watch those Tsumara bars, they are soft. I have a 20” Total bar and it got ate up when I got the 036 in some sand bucking up so 25” hickory. I need to dress it down but have not got around to it, yet. It had all kind of scallops on it after getting in the sand. Light bars are nice but the metal is generally soft. I will straighten it out when I get a chance. Those up and down hollers and humps do not let the chain run smooth on the bar. It has been cold, here. I have been working on my winter garden. Going to plant some onions in it, today. My knees and shoulders have been killing me in this cold weather. I sure have not felt like playing around with saws
That is interesting about the TSUMURU bars. It will be interesting to see how it compares to my Stihl bars. The best bars I have ever used were the ones that came on my McCullochs.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 the 036/360 is a good saw. Mine will cut with anything near its size and is much lighter than equal sized saws. I think it weighs about 15# without B&C. Mine is a 360 and not an 036. I built it in 2019 and it has been my go to saw for 20 inch wood. I have cut 25” wood with it but also got it stuck a few times, too, and had to cut it out with another saw when bucking big wood.
I own two 030AV, Two 031, and two 034 stihl chainsaws. And you are very good my friend! One of the 034 i have has been ran until the flywheel started making a trench around the flywheel due to the bearing and seal is so washed out! I show people what happens when you don't replace worn out parts and you keep running it. I can't believe it ran with a air leak as bad as it was! I always ask guys who think stihl is the only thing worth buying, have you ever worked on a stihl? I think they are an over priced plastic piece of crap that has become the throw away models! They won't work on any of them if you take them to a stihl dealership, enstead they will do everything possible to sell you a new one and convince you that it's cheaper to just buy a new one from them, scandalous bastards if you ask me! I have about five Sachs-Dolmar saws that I think were better pieces for a saw made in Germany.
Stihl has certainly done a good job of fooling buyers into thinking that their products are the best, but in reality they are some of the worst. Long term parts availability is not available, and parts prices are idiotic. In many cases, they are hard to work on and require a bunch of specialized tools to repair them. No new Stihl products will ever show up here on the homestead. I have never had a Sachs-Dolmar saw, but those that have them say they are excellent.
Stihl could have been like Mcculloch. They took the ten series saw, redesigned it with a bunch of plastic, and gained weight. I'm not cussing them. They are some of my favorite saws to run, but it was funny to me.
All companies made mistakes ! The Mac 1-10 of 54cc'c was an all metal saw that weighed about 16 lbs in 1968, and was the basis for their saws up to 82cc's, and they all weighed about the same. Then the Mac 605, 610 and 650 came out with all that plastic on them, and didn't share much in the chassis department with any of their other saws, and became semi porkers anyway. It is a good thing that they are super durable and are really good performers, and are my most used saws and have been for a very long time. Mac made a super 55 and 60 all metal saws that are real performers, but were not anti vibe, and seldom seen today, but there are tons of the ol 610's and to a lesser degree 650's still out there, go figure !
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I love them all. I've got a 10-10 on the bench right now waiting for crank seals. I've got two 610's and a 605 that are three of my main go to saws. I would like to find a 650 worth the money, but people have put an inflated value on them.
The 650's weren't sold for that many years, so they are harder to find. Having both a 650 and 610, the 650 is more powerful. McCulloch said 30% more power, I think it is actually less, but still a noticeable difference. Mac also sold a Super 610 for a short time, that is the same as the 650. What the difference is from a standard 610 is that the exhaust port is larger and the cylinder has an extra port.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Yeah, since we all have this little computer in our lives, it's hard to find someone who will deal on one, and with Buckin talking, anything yellow has went up in value. Luckily Homelites,and Pioneers are still reasonable.
Carry each one around for a day will give you a hint as to why the plastic BUT also they charge a FORTUNE for those plastic replacement parts....another reason for it. They weren't counting on the Chinese selling replacement parts for near nothing. STILL stihl is not bright enough to sell their replacement parts without mortgaging the house. ALSO....put a foot long piece of 1x3 strapping or board through the handle and stand on each side of the board
Fortunately, I am not a pro logger, so I don't care much about a saws weight since I am not running the saw all day or week. My main saws in the mid displacement range all weigh in around 20 pounds with 24" bars, and I have been using them for 40 plus years, no problem. Buying new parts for Stihl saws is highway robbery. Trying to find parts for older Stihl equipment is also a challenge, as they don't keep parts available for very long. Good idea of the board through the rear handle. I am amazed that they would make the rear handle opening too small to put a normal size shoe in, have no compression release on this extra high compression engine, and no purge valve on this saw. With those items, the saw would have been a winner instead of a weiner ! Then the only downside would be the no-torque powerband, which was corrected in the 034 Super.
Along about the time the 034 came about all the saw companies decided there should be cheap homeowner garbage and tha mostly metal pro stuff that they charge an arm and leg for. And Stihl parts are ridiculously priced.
When I first received my 034, I thought for sure it was just another cheapo plastic saw for light farm and homeowner use. STIHL actually sold the 034 as a pro saw, even with all the substandard parts and poor design. You are right about absurd parts prices too. I would never buy any new STIHL power equipment.
I have an 030 and 032 but no 031. I really like the 032. It feels solid and runs smooth. The timber mouse is a piece of crap. I had one briefly that was Included in a lot saws.
I would guess the 031 and 032 were similar in performance. The 032 had a slightly bigger displacement. The Timber Mouses are what I would say are the worst chainsaw ever made. I have some other crapola saws like the Poulan Wild Thing and Wood Shark and a few other late model plastic small Homelite,s, but they are all better than the Mouse saw, although not bye much !
They weren’t thinking. Finance Departments run cooperations these days and they are pressed by investors to make things as cheap as possible. I am a graduate of a School of Arts and Sciences and when you flunked out of it you went to one of two places - the school of Education and the School of Business Administration. Need I say more? Our kids can’t read and write and corporations are building junk!
![แค่บอก - Atom ชนกันต์ [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kgwhtg8bAxY/mqdefault.jpg)
Always enjoy watching your videos and hearing your thoughts. As with much of our world anymore, they don't make them like they used to!
So much stuff today is just not very good for sure.
Haha the old Timber Mouse😂.
I had a hell of a time getting mine to run right when I finally did it actually was pretty darn good and smooth cutting. I was really surprised. I’d love to get a hold of the person I sold it to see how it’s still doing for him, but I did do a few little mods to it quite a few actually.
The Timber Mouse is the worst saw I have ever had, even worse than the Poulan 25's and Wild Thing and Wood Carp, and that's saying something, as they are pretty terrible too. After just about 4 hours of use, I had to replace the bar and chain and do a full rebuild on the fuel system. It was totally useless for the type of work I bought it for. I gave it to my Dad, and everytime the saw would get hot, the chain would come off in a cut, and wouldn't restart when hot either. He gave it back, and I threw it out in the most remote part of my shop, and forgot about it. Years later I found it when I was looking for another piece of treasure-junk. I got it running and did a couple of videos with it, then threw it back out to a remote spot in the shop again. It has maybe 6 hours of use, simply disgusting !
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156
I know when I got mine it was with that six free saws that I picked up and it was maybe used aboat three times you could tell it was damn near brand new and I believe it was a 2001 model.
I faught and faught with that thing to get it to run right and finally figured it out and then I gave it the torture test. I cut a full cord of wood with it and I worked it as hard as I could. I leaned on the bar really hard letting off the throttle it just absolutely ran flawless and I actually kind of liked it in the end.
I think I sold it for 150 bucks with the case brand new spare chain and some other goodies.
You’re right though what a disgrace compared to what quality Homelite used to be they didn’t have to build them quite that cheap.
Sounds like you got a factory reject, one that was actually put together properly at the factory. I think most of them were assembled by high school dropouts on drugs !
That pound and half makes a big difference lugging them up and down steep ground 8 to 10 hrs a day and of course the power! I bought a new husky 550mk2 and its like going from Pintos to a Porsche far as performance amd chain speed! For 50cc its much faster than my 60cc 036 super and has plenty of torque! The antivibe is night and day compared to the older saws as ive got white knuckle so bad from the older saws so thats a huge plus for me as within 5 minutes of cutting with my 031 my arms start to go numb and i don't even notice it with the new saw! Don't get me wrong i love my old saws but they don't love me lol. Good stuff as always see ya next time!
Always enjoy your thoughts and comments. Since I have never been a pro woodsman, the old stuff has been more than adequate for my purposes, and I don't have physical issues caused from vibration from the older saws, as I am never out using them eight hours a day. The 031 is an excellent farm/homeowner saw for firewood cutting, and many have commented that they were their favorite small saw. I like the good balance of hp and torque. I like the power of the 034, but it is really cheesy, and hard to start . All saws have their goods and bads!
I have both old metal stihls 075AV and a couple of plastic ones I agree
The new Stihls are not made very well compared to the old ones. The farm/homeowner saws are really cheaply made, many with plastic crankcases. I would never buy a new Stihl saw or other power equipment. Vintage is for me.
Thanks for all the great information!!! Appreciate the history 🪵⛓🪚👍👏🇺🇸 Rick
Thanks for watching and the nice comment.
😀😊😇 Thanks Again Mr & Mrs Obsolete 🎃
Thank you too!
If you look closely the right side case of the 031/032 are the same but left side case isn't. There's 2 different recoils for the 031 also. The ground wire for both models is quite long & runs between the fuel tank & the motor. It'll ground out eventually. As for starting the 031/032, take a piece of a board, slip it thru the handle & put your foot on it, that should work just fine.
Stihl making small changes with parts that are not interchangeable on the same model of saw always baffles me. Good tip on the kill wire. As for the hard starting, the problem is when the saw hasn't been used for a while, so I just prime it and it always starts in a couple of pulls. If I am out using it, it usually starts pretty good. Sticking a board through the handle helps.
I don't really understand your wonder about the difference between the two saws. A old Stihl 034 weighs about 1.5 kg less than the age-old 031. Furthermore, the motor on the newer saw performs more and rotates faster which means it cuts through your wood faster. A lower weight also means that plastic is used where possible. If you need spare parts for an old Stihl saw, it is usually still possible to buy them today from a dealer. The new Stihl chainsaws last incredibly well, even though the manufacturer now uses even more plastic parts and, not least, the price of a new saw is much less than it was in the good old days.
I am old school and prefer tools of quality, and the new plastic farm/homeowner saws from Stihl and Husky are not very good, don't last and are hard to work on. You are wrong about getting parts for older Stihls from a dealer. When I was given my 031, it needed starter parts and a gas cap. Even though the 031 was a huge seller, these parts were not available from Stihl. The dealer checked the West coast parts warehouse, and also the East coast warehouse and nothing was available. The fuel cap was the same one used on saws and other Stihl power equipment, which means that millions of them were sold, but one can't buy a lousy gas cap from Stihl. No starter parts or fuel cap were available for my 075 either. Simply not acceptable. I was given a Stihl 025, and did several videos on it, showing what a poor performer it was in stock form, and it is a cheap piece of crapola also. The original owner had nothing but trouble with it, and talked about what a lousy performer it was. You obviously don't have much experience with modern non pro saws.
Hello Sir! I found out about the plastic Pawls recently myself! The newer saws are alot different for sure!🙂🙂
I saw your video on the cheesey plastic pawls in the Stihls, and two are a lot better than one for sure !
Enjoy your video full of knowledge thanks for your time
Thanks for watching.
Both great saws in my opinion
The 031 is a better made saw , but the 034 is a little hot rod, even with the cheapo features.
Good overview. I'm with you, I much prefer the vintage metal saws. That said, the West German Stihl saws, plastic and all, are solid runners. It's a strange feeling working on a plastic saw. I constantly feel like I'm going to break something. Give me Old. Give me Metal.
I really like the metal saws, even though my first saw was a McCulloch Pro Mac 610, which has a lot of plastic on it, but the main chassis is metal. I bought it when it was 2 years old, in 1980. It is still on the job. My favorite all metal saw is my Mac Pro Mac 700 of 70cc. It is a real powerhouse, light and easy to start, and I run a 28" bar. You are right about working on the plastic saws, as they always feel like they are going to break. Old saws are my favorites for sure !
Sing the praises of the 610 all day, I'll listen. I love that saw. I've been looking at a Pro Mac 700, it's pretty rough, but as you said, it's a powerhouse. I may have to pull the trigger on that one! @@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156
My ol Mac 610's have just been excellent performers over many years for me. Even though they are ugly and heavy, they just keep working. Durability is a key feature that I like. as well as the excellent performance from the hogs. Pro Mac 700's are hard to find these days, as most were used in commercial service and used up. I would suggest adding it to your collection !
You and I share the same view on tools/chainsaws. I don't care what a tool looks like, if it gets work done for me day in and day out, It's a winner. I've had the Pro Mac 700 and SP 125 on my short list for some time. I may need to hunt down the guy with the 700...ha ha. Thanks for the nudge!
You bet !
Do you think you would trade that saw after you do more videos about it?
The 034 was a gift from a close friend, so it will stay in the collection. It was purchased new by his dad so it has sentimental value to him. He knew that if I had the saw, that I would fix it up and use it in my videos. I also told him that if he decided that he wanted it back at some point, all he would have to do is ask for it, and it would be returned.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 that was a very nice gift
Most definately !
I've tried 3 different Stihl dealers and none of them have even heard of the starting shoes like yours. Were they special order? I ended up making some out of an old pair of Nikes. A neighbor of mine wanted a pair too but with being left handed, I had to work smart.. I modified 2 pair of shoes, one for them, one for me. The only mistake was that I modified the left and right from my own pair then went to get a pair for her and found that her feet are smaller. She was ok with this but the second problem was that Clarkes Shoes didn't have any the same color. I ended up with one blue pair and one tan pair. I have a blue left shoe and tan right, she has the opposite. They seem to work but I'd much prefer it if both were Stihl orange. Do yours have a part number? If I have no luck I might just buy a bigger saw. Thanks.
The best way to solve the issue with certain STIHL chainsaws not having a big enough foot pad in the handle, and not finding the elusive STIHL starting shoes, is to get a McCulloch chainsaw. Problem solved !!!
What happened to your new video? Are you ok or did weather interfere with it?
We did a new video, but we had no audio, and we didn't have enough time to get the problem solved and make the video over. Will be back on track for next Tues.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I can understand that.
The air filter on the 031 must be the same found on the 025/021 and MS 250. The 024/026 are completely different. The choke is in the air filter on the 026 and 024, making the carb easy to remove but these air filters fail over time causing problems. Can’t tell you which design I like the best. As for not being able to put the engine cover on with the spark wire connected - cut a slot in it, so it will go on. I am pretty use to the idiosyncrasies of the various Stihl saws that I own. Never owned an 031 or 034 but they would not fool me. I only have one Stihl bar with a lubricating hole for the sprocket nose - my 026 original bar. I just put new Stihl Oilimatic bars on them and forget it.
Every Stihl saw I have has a different air filter, with no interchangeability. That is what I call bad, or better yet, lack of engineering. As for the best of my smaller saws, the 025, 031,and the 034, the 031 is the best made and engineered. If it had the performance of the 034 it would have been outstanding, but as is it is quite good. The reason I purchased a Tsumura bar for the 034, was the fact that I couldn't find a decent price on Stihl bar, and saved $30 by buying the Tsumura. On many of the arborist websites, the Sugihara and Tsumura bars are rated better than the Stihl bars. I will find out when I get some time on the 034 and see if it is true. Will be interesting.
You ought to get a 036/MS360. It is much bigger than your 034. It is 62.5 cc. Everything has gotten cheaper over time. The 036/360 is all metal, except rear handle and top cover. I don’t remember how many starter pawls my 360 has but I have never had a problem with the starter. It does have a deco valve. My 360 has a rimless sprocket, RS chain and 20 inch bar. I have several saws with a single starter pawls on them. I have replaced a few starter pawls when their ends got rounded off. I don’t have a problem getting my foot in the rear handle on any of my saws. I wear size 11, usually Sketchers. My low cut boots or military boots are a pretty tight fit on some saws but I can usually get them in the rear handle. Bore to stroke relationships get complicated. If you increase the bore and stroke it will take an NFL football player to crank it. That’s the problem with the MS 250 - it will take your arm off, at least mine. And, no deco valve. My 360 is a pro saw. Stihl stopped putting the grease hole in their bars in the 1990’s. I have one Stihl bar with the grease fitting. It is on my 026. The rest of my bars are Oilimatic that don’t need greasing. I have only had one Stihl bar that the sprocket tip locked up on and it was on my MS251 and I have done a fair amount of bore cuts.
I would bet that an 036 is just a much better saw than the 034, as it has the features the 034 is lacking. The Stihl Rollomatic bars are pretty good, but I think the Tsumura bar I just put on the 034 is better, and it has a grease hole. It will be interesting to see how it holds up.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 just watch those Tsumara bars, they are soft. I have a 20” Total bar and it got ate up when I got the 036 in some sand bucking up so 25” hickory. I need to dress it down but have not got around to it, yet. It had all kind of scallops on it after getting in the sand. Light bars are nice but the metal is generally soft. I will straighten it out when I get a chance. Those up and down hollers and humps do not let the chain run smooth on the bar. It has been cold, here. I have been working on my winter garden. Going to plant some onions in it, today. My knees and shoulders have been killing me in this cold weather. I sure have not felt like playing around with saws
That is interesting about the TSUMURU bars. It will be interesting to see how it compares to my Stihl bars. The best bars I have ever used were the ones that came on my McCullochs.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 the 036/360 is a good saw. Mine will cut with anything near its size and is much lighter than equal sized saws. I think it weighs about 15# without B&C. Mine is a 360 and not an 036. I built it in 2019 and it has been my go to saw for 20 inch wood. I have cut 25” wood with it but also got it stuck a few times, too, and had to cut it out with another saw when bucking big wood.
I own two 030AV, Two 031, and two 034 stihl chainsaws. And you are very good my friend! One of the 034 i have has been ran until the flywheel started making a trench around the flywheel due to the bearing and seal is so washed out! I show people what happens when you don't replace worn out parts and you keep running it. I can't believe it ran with a air leak as bad as it was! I always ask guys who think stihl is the only thing worth buying, have you ever worked on a stihl? I think they are an over priced plastic piece of crap that has become the throw away models! They won't work on any of them if you take them to a stihl dealership, enstead they will do everything possible to sell you a new one and convince you that it's cheaper to just buy a new one from them, scandalous bastards if you ask me! I have about five Sachs-Dolmar saws that I think were better pieces for a saw made in Germany.
Stihl has certainly done a good job of fooling buyers into thinking that their products are the best, but in reality they are some of the worst. Long term parts availability is not available, and parts prices are idiotic. In many cases, they are hard to work on and require a bunch of specialized tools to repair them. No new Stihl products will ever show up here on the homestead. I have never had a Sachs-Dolmar saw, but those that have them say they are excellent.
In my mind the 026 was s step up from the 028. Which was inbetween these.
The 026 looks to be pretty much the same saw as the 025. I am unfamiliar with the 028, as I have never seen one or used one.
The problem is the bean counters, share-holders, and planned-obsolescence.
Those same situations caused McCulloch to fail and go out of business.
Stihl could have been like Mcculloch. They took the ten series saw, redesigned it with a bunch of plastic, and gained weight. I'm not cussing them. They are some of my favorite saws to run, but it was funny to me.
All companies made mistakes ! The Mac 1-10 of 54cc'c was an all metal saw that weighed about 16 lbs in 1968, and was the basis for their saws up to 82cc's, and they all weighed about the same. Then the Mac 605, 610 and 650 came out with all that plastic on them, and didn't share much in the chassis department with any of their other saws, and became semi porkers anyway. It is a good thing that they are super durable and are really good performers, and are my most used saws and have been for a very long time. Mac made a super 55 and 60 all metal saws that are real performers, but were not anti vibe, and seldom seen today, but there are tons of the ol 610's and to a lesser degree 650's still out there, go figure !
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I love them all. I've got a 10-10 on the bench right now waiting for crank seals. I've got two 610's and a 605 that are three of my main go to saws. I would like to find a 650 worth the money, but people have put an inflated value on them.
The 650's weren't sold for that many years, so they are harder to find. Having both a 650 and 610, the 650 is more powerful. McCulloch said 30% more power, I think it is actually less, but still a noticeable difference. Mac also sold a Super 610 for a short time, that is the same as the 650. What the difference is from a standard 610 is that the exhaust port is larger and the cylinder has an extra port.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Yeah, since we all have this little computer in our lives, it's hard to find someone who will deal on one, and with Buckin talking, anything yellow has went up in value. Luckily Homelites,and Pioneers are still reasonable.
Carry each one around for a day will give you a hint as to why the plastic BUT also they charge a FORTUNE for those plastic replacement parts....another reason for it. They weren't counting on the Chinese selling replacement parts for near nothing. STILL stihl is not bright enough to sell their replacement parts without mortgaging the house. ALSO....put a foot long piece of 1x3 strapping or board through the handle and stand on each side of the board
Fortunately, I am not a pro logger, so I don't care much about a saws weight since I am not running the saw all day or week. My main saws in the mid displacement range all weigh in around 20 pounds with 24" bars, and I have been using them for 40 plus years, no problem. Buying new parts for Stihl saws is highway robbery. Trying to find parts for older Stihl equipment is also a challenge, as they don't keep parts available for very long. Good idea of the board through the rear handle. I am amazed that they would make the rear handle opening too small to put a normal size shoe in, have no compression release on this extra high compression engine, and no purge valve on this saw. With those items, the saw would have been a winner instead of a weiner ! Then the only downside would be the no-torque powerband, which was corrected in the 034 Super.
Along about the time the 034 came about all the saw companies decided there should be cheap homeowner garbage and tha mostly metal pro stuff that they charge an arm and leg for. And Stihl parts are ridiculously priced.
When I first received my 034, I thought for sure it was just another cheapo plastic saw for light farm and homeowner use. STIHL actually sold the 034 as a pro saw, even with all the substandard parts and poor design. You are right about absurd parts prices too. I would never buy any new STIHL power equipment.
I have an 030 and 032 but no 031. I really like the 032. It feels solid and runs smooth. The timber mouse is a piece of crap. I had one briefly that was Included in a lot saws.
I would guess the 031 and 032 were similar in performance. The 032 had a slightly bigger displacement. The Timber Mouses are what I would say are the worst chainsaw ever made. I have some other crapola saws like the Poulan Wild Thing and Wood Shark and a few other late model plastic small Homelite,s, but they are all better than the Mouse saw, although not bye much !
They weren’t thinking. Finance Departments run cooperations these days and they are pressed by investors to make things as cheap as possible. I am a graduate of a School of
Arts and Sciences and when you flunked out of it you went to one of two places - the school of Education and the School of Business Administration. Need I say more? Our kids can’t read and write and corporations are building junk!
We are screwed !
Looks like people should buy Husqvarna
Better yet, buy a McCulloch !