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Starting a search, Ideas... UPDATE!!

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A.O.:
Ok, my Stihl 260 that I've had for years has been acting up so I finally took it to a Stihl dealer, they told me that the ethanol killed it! Said it needs carb, lines, plug, filter etc, they want $240 to fix it so I'm thinking a new saw might be in my future.
I am a heavy duty homeowner/farm ranch guy not a commercial cutter. I have a little Echo top handle for small stuff, and an MS362 for larger stuff, and at 63 I don't want any bigger. I'm looking for (to me) a mid sized saw to replace the 260. Maybe n 18 or 20 inch bar. I'll cut maybe a dozen or two trees a year to feed the sawmill and the woodstove.
I've not bought or even looked at chainsaws out on the market for at least 5 years so I'm not sure what is out there or Gov regs concerning them so I'm looking for ideas and advice.

Have done Stihls or years, but I keep hearing the Husqvarna's are a decent saw and I also like my Echo. So I'm all ears for a while here. Is a pro saw worth the expense for the small amount I'm cutting? Oh, and I'd like to keep it between $300 & $400.

Whatcha guys think?  ;D

Crusarius:
This is my personal opinion and I know it will ruffle some feathers but here goes.

Find a new mechanic. The saw is new enough it was designed to run ethanol fuel. that is not what killed it. The mechanic obviously does not know what he is talking about so he blames the fuel.

I have always run ethanol in everything I own. I have never had any failures of any kind. and the fuel sits in them more than I like to admit.

Did he say whether your cylinders were scored? or what the final failure mode actually was? Or did he just say it was bad fuel?

Please lets not get into the lifelong ethanol debate. its been hashed out an d beat to death way to damn many times all over the internet. This is just my personal opinion take it for what it is.

A.O.:

--- Quote from: Crusarius on April 02, 2019, 03:11:43 PM ---This is my personal opinion and I know it will ruffle some feathers but here goes.

Find a new mechanic. The saw is new enough it was designed to run ethanol fuel. that is not what killed it. The mechanic obviously does not know what he is talking about so he blames the fuel.

I have always run ethanol in everything I own. I have never had any failures of any kind. and the fuel sits in them more than I like to admit.

Did he say whether your cylinders were scored? or what the final failure mode actually was? Or did he just say it was bad fuel?

Please lets not get into the lifelong ethanol debate. its been hashed out an d beat to death way to damn many times all over the internet. This is just my personal opinion take it for what it is.

--- End quote ---

A second opinion might just be a good idea. This is one of the better Stihl dealers in the area, but who knows right. Apparently they have some sort of computer testing that will tell exactly whats wrong with it but...

He said nothing about cyl scoring, just basically the fuel system.

The saw just got to where I couldn't keep it running..

bandmiller2:
AO, theirs a guy on YouTube  "Steve's small engine saloon" he goes through everything to do with saws. Get a carb kit and lines their cheap and watch Steve you can do it all yourself and have the satisfaction and a wad of cash in your pocket. Good older saw are worth fixing their not burdened with the new EPA crap. Frank C.

furu:
It is true and  factual that ethanol will gum up the carb if old mix is left around very long. (definition of long is the question that people argue about) 
Just don't leave it for more than a month (my saw shop says 2 weeks).  Mix up no more than 1 gallon at a time.
The lines will not be effected by the ethanol as that problem has been taken care of years ago.
Yes,  I am anti ethanol in my saws but if you go through the mix fast enough my shop says that there is nothing wrong with it.  (see above)
Fuel mix age is the enemy. 
The old style lines are eaten by ethanol but a 260 should not have that problem.  Even if it did just replace them. Very easy.

Now the carb. 
If you left old mix sit in the saw for a while or got bad fuel the carb could be gummed up.
Either rebuild it or buy a new carb,  They are not that expensive.  Cheaper than a new saw and not hard to do yourself.

If it will run and then keeps shutting down when warm look at the low speed mixture adjustment.
Does it start and run and then die when warm?

If you give up on the saw, get another MS 26X (I think the 262 is the newest model. 
I was against the new computer saws until I had to replace my climbing saw last July.  I love the little sucker. (201T)

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