I bought my MS 261 last week and ran it over the weekend. Definitely going to check to make sure mine is on winter mode before i cut again. Thanks for sharing the video!
The more I use it, the more I like it. I'm hopeful that I never have any issues with the m-tronic carb, but I think the risk of potential future trouble is well worth the ease of use now.
Check your filter more often when in winter mode or if your guide is missing. The fly wheel will pull air, dirt and sawdust in as it cools the engine and this debris will blow into the carb compartment. This is especially true on the 1123 and 1127 series saws due to people removing the parts to access the spark plug and misplacing them.
I just got a used MS 270. Very similar to your 261. I think my plate is missing for the summer/winter haha. Manual says to turn it. Ain't nutten there to turn! Might just be different saw, different way of doing things, hence why I'm lurking around on YT. Thanks for the insight & video!
Tom B. Haven’t played with a 270 so wouldn’t know how to help lol. I could see how mine could easily get lost though, it’s not attached so could be left lying if I were careless.
My ms270 is a 2006 model and the shutter is between the air cleaner cover and the engine cover. Look at the split between these covers and you should see a snowflake and a sunburst. You slide your screwdriver down between and rotate the shutter to snowflake ❄️ or sunburst. Hope this helps.
Make sure you do have it in there, check manual or schematics online. Cutting without it in summer is the same as being in winter mode and your engine can overheat due to less air flowing over the fins.
My MS - 261 uses a white paper disposal filter. It's not washable. I just use compressed air and blowing it from the inside outwards only. My saw does not have the m tronic. Carburetor only.
Has a larger what? I’m a little confused as the 250 is a smaller homeowner saw? I’ve worked on one a few times, though I don’t think I got the camera equipment out for it.
My ole 024 Manual says the same thing, however it also says, winter mode keeps the carb. from icing up. I've never had any problems leaving it on summer mode. Seems to me if it's running good, or ( if it ain't broke, don't fix it). Then why induce warm air into an air cooled eng.? Yes that won't hurt it if it's below 50, but if you forget you left it in winter mode and next year, when now it's warmer, above 50F. Yep happened to me. And i've never had any carb. icing up unless it was like in the high teens and any way, who want's to be out then? Unless maybe it's your job. In which case, they already (been thar an done that). My saw is 30 some yrs. old, i bought new, and i've used it a lot, Great saw, better shape than me, and i'm only 29, well then 39 sounds better. Has any one had a problem with or without Summer/Winter mode?
I've never run into any issues with the carb icing up, but I actually prefer to cut in colder weather lol. I do cut a bit in the summer months, but I prefer being able to just remove a couple layers to stay comfortable over pouring sweat regardless of how little I'm wearing. Definitely important though to remember to change it back in the warmer months if you do use winter mode!
@@HoosierHomesteaders I also cut in cold weather, However if the carb isn't icing up, then why put it in winter mode? That's what i guess i'm trying to say. If the carb starts to freeze up, You will know. That's when it's a good time to engage winter mode. However you will find that the wood is probably frozen. And so are you! that's no fun either. Like i said, if the saw is running good, why then fool with it? Air cooled engs.consume large volumes of air. Again why then run it hotter? Are you trying to get better fuel economy?
I don't really worry much about fuel economy. I guess I use the winter mode primarily because it's still under warranty and the manual says to. Honestly it shouldn't make any difference leaving it be even when its cold outside, as the newer models like mine have the electronically controlled carb. It will adjust for the change in air density on its own, so tuning isn't even really a concern. I really didn't even know they had the "winter mode" before I bought the 261, as all my other Stihls were bought used and didn't come with the manual. I never would've thought of it. I may do a little testing with it this winter while I'm out cutting anyway and see what, if any, differences I can find running it with or without the warmer air routing.
@@HoosierHomesteaders Seems not to many stihl owners are even aware of the winter mode, but then again neither do the dealers. I took my saw to a dealer because i couldn't figure how to do mine. I asked the parts guy if he could show me, he couldn't figure it either. Got the mechanic and owner involved, they wouldn't let me look over their shoulder to watch. I showed them the manual too, well i got the saw back after a few, with the part separated from the saw. This saw has a plate that flips up. They told me to come back when it got warmer out and they would put it back together. I ended up fixing it myself. I never ran it in winter mode any way, just tried it once. Only one time the carb iced up, and so was the wood. Have you ever cut frozen wood? It's no stroll in the park.By the way, you can down load or view any stihl saw manuals on their website. Good saw, but the non-ethanol gas has done it no good. As well as all my small engs. That's a good subject for you to tackle. A lot of headaches there!
You're not putting in hot air, the air is heated up about 10-20 degrees more, so if its negative a few degrees it's just warm enough so its above freezing. You're not blasting hot air in there, you're overestimating how much heat air takes from the engine fins :P
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I bought my MS 261 last week and ran it over the weekend. Definitely going to check to make sure mine is on winter mode before i cut again. Thanks for sharing the video!
Awesome tidbit of info. New MS261 owner here. Appreciate your video👍
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks for putting this together. I read the manual but did not understand why the hole had to be pointed in for winter mode. Now I do. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Thx. Never bothered to read the whole manual, and have been wondering about this.
Thank you! I was having trouble figuring it out from the manual.
I have collected several stihl saws
The 261 is a powerful saw and easy to handle.
The more I use it, the more I like it. I'm hopeful that I never have any issues with the m-tronic carb, but I think the risk of potential future trouble is well worth the ease of use now.
Thanks because the pictures in the manual were useless.
Glad to help!
Yes they are......which is why I'm here. The "illustrations" in the manual aren't even oriented correctly.
Check your filter more often when in winter mode or if your guide is missing. The fly wheel will pull air, dirt and sawdust in as it cools the engine and this debris will blow into the carb compartment. This is especially true on the 1123 and 1127 series saws due to people removing the parts to access the spark plug and misplacing them.
Good tip! Thank you!
I just got a used MS 270. Very similar to your 261. I think my plate is missing for the summer/winter haha. Manual says to turn it. Ain't nutten there to turn! Might just be different saw, different way of doing things, hence why I'm lurking around on YT.
Thanks for the insight & video!
Tom B. Haven’t played with a 270 so wouldn’t know how to help lol. I could see how mine could easily get lost though, it’s not attached so could be left lying if I were careless.
My ms270 is a 2006 model and the shutter is between the air cleaner cover and the engine cover. Look at the split between these covers and you should see a snowflake and a sunburst. You slide your screwdriver down between and rotate the shutter to snowflake ❄️ or sunburst. Hope this helps.
Make sure you do have it in there, check manual or schematics online. Cutting without it in summer is the same as being in winter mode and your engine can overheat due to less air flowing over the fins.
I’m just wondering if you have to reset the saw when switching from winter to summer mode?
THANKS FOR SHARING ! Great Vid !
You're welcome! Thank you, thanks for watching!
Thanks for sharing great video
Thanks for watching
..sorry meant.. there is a recessed spot on the orange plastic tab that the scewench fits in perfectly so you don't having to reach it from behind..
Thank!
A THIRTY SECOND intro? Really? Just get to it. BTW - Thank you for the info.
My MS - 261 uses a white paper disposal filter. It's not washable. I just use compressed air and blowing it from the inside outwards only. My saw does not have the m tronic. Carburetor only.
MS 250 has a larger one, about 3 times the size
Has a larger what? I’m a little confused as the 250 is a smaller homeowner saw? I’ve worked on one a few times, though I don’t think I got the camera equipment out for it.
@@HoosierHomesteaders Its a blue shield goes in front of the carb. one side has screen the other not.
@@RhinoRider2006 ahhh that makes sense!
My ole 024 Manual says the same thing, however it also says, winter mode keeps the carb. from icing up. I've never had any problems leaving it on summer mode. Seems to me if it's running good, or ( if it ain't broke, don't fix it). Then why induce warm air into an air cooled eng.? Yes that won't hurt it if it's below 50, but if you forget you left it in winter mode and next year, when now it's warmer, above 50F. Yep happened to me. And i've never had any carb. icing up unless it was like in the high teens and any way, who want's to be out then? Unless maybe it's your job. In which case, they already (been thar an done that). My saw is 30 some yrs. old, i bought new, and i've used it a lot, Great saw, better shape than me, and i'm only 29, well then 39 sounds better. Has any one had a problem with or without Summer/Winter mode?
I've never run into any issues with the carb icing up, but I actually prefer to cut in colder weather lol. I do cut a bit in the summer months, but I prefer being able to just remove a couple layers to stay comfortable over pouring sweat regardless of how little I'm wearing. Definitely important though to remember to change it back in the warmer months if you do use winter mode!
@@HoosierHomesteaders I also cut in cold weather, However if the carb isn't icing up, then why put it in winter mode? That's what i guess i'm trying to say. If the carb starts to freeze up, You will know. That's when it's a good time to engage winter mode. However you will find that the wood is probably frozen. And so are you! that's no fun either. Like i said, if the saw is running good, why then fool with it? Air cooled engs.consume large volumes of air. Again why then run it hotter? Are you trying to get better fuel economy?
I don't really worry much about fuel economy. I guess I use the winter mode primarily because it's still under warranty and the manual says to. Honestly it shouldn't make any difference leaving it be even when its cold outside, as the newer models like mine have the electronically controlled carb. It will adjust for the change in air density on its own, so tuning isn't even really a concern. I really didn't even know they had the "winter mode" before I bought the 261, as all my other Stihls were bought used and didn't come with the manual. I never would've thought of it. I may do a little testing with it this winter while I'm out cutting anyway and see what, if any, differences I can find running it with or without the warmer air routing.
@@HoosierHomesteaders Seems not to many stihl owners are even aware of the winter mode, but then again neither do the dealers. I took my saw to a dealer because i couldn't figure how to do mine. I asked the parts guy if he could show me, he couldn't figure it either. Got the mechanic and owner involved, they wouldn't let me look over their shoulder to watch. I showed them the manual too, well i got the saw back after a few, with the part separated from the saw. This saw has a plate that flips up. They told me to come back when it got warmer out and they would put it back together. I ended up fixing it myself. I never ran it in winter mode any way, just tried it once. Only one time the carb iced up, and so was the wood. Have you ever cut frozen wood? It's no stroll in the park.By the way, you can down load or view any stihl saw manuals on their website. Good saw, but the non-ethanol gas has done it no good. As well as all my small engs. That's a good subject for you to tackle. A lot of headaches there!
You're not putting in hot air, the air is heated up about 10-20 degrees more, so if its negative a few degrees it's just warm enough so its above freezing. You're not blasting hot air in there, you're overestimating how much heat air takes from the engine fins :P
❄️👍🤠
Camlocks.
Yes! Lol thank you, doing the videos late at night it can be hard to grasp the words I'm looking for.
BAN 1 CAI STIHL 261
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