Stihl MS 290 Lemon

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Clodhopper

Clodhopper

Member
Nov 14, 2009
54
NE PA
Here's a little rant that I'll conclude with a request for suggestions for a better saw. I bought this 290 less than 3 years ago and it has never been a good saw. I got it after I thought my 24 year old 029 seized up (turned out to be a piece of the muffler fell into the cylinder while I was cutting overhead). After I fixed the 029 I went back to running that most of the time because it runs better. It never seemed like anyone could get the carb on the 290 adjusted to where it would keep running if you set it down for 30 seconds, unless it was set so the chain ran all the time. Plus it would stall if I didn't take it real easy with the throttle. Which, with all the restarting, it didn't come as a big surprise that the recoil failed in a way that meant replacing the whole recoil unit (a week after the warranty was up). This fall I'd had enough of the carb problem again and took it back in. The dealer said it needed a new one so I went with that. Still ran poorly, so I took it back in last week. They just called me to say that the cylinder wall is badly scored (what would cause this?) and it will either need a rebuild, or I might be better to just buy a new saw. This saw has seen so little use that it is only on it's second, or maybe, third chain. The service guy says Stihl won't do a thing to stand behind the saw since it is out of warranty. Even the guys in the dealer's shop admit that Stihl saws ain't what they used to be.

So long story short, I think I'm done with Stihl saws, although I am toying with the idea of buying an older used one. I think I'd like to get something with a little more power. Anyone have any suggestions as to where to go from here. I use it to cut up a tri axle of logs per year plus for regular use around the farm. I see there is a Stihl 034 AV SUPER on my local craigslist that I'm thinking of looking at.
Thanks for any advice, and for putting up with the rant.
Pete
 
Hi Clodhopper
The saws you have are homeowner saws.But they are OK saws there are lots out there making firewood.The used one you are interested in is a Pro saw.The difference is the construction of the saw.Pro saws you can remove the cylinder without taking the complete saw apart.
All saws that are Pro Grade saws will have that feature.If you don't work on your own saws then you should find the best dealer and get a saw from them.
A couple of other makes are Echo,Dolmar/Makita,and of course Husky.
If you are done with the Stihl saws and want to get rid of your scored saw let me know.
If you repair your own saws you can get complete engine assembly for your 290,where you just use the external parts of your old saw.Most parts should interchange with your 029 from you 290.
Good Luck
Thomas
 
Sounds like you either got a lemon or the saw wasn't properly tuned. Probably running lean which caused the cylinder scoring. Actually sounds like a tuning problem - didn't the dealer tune the saw correctly??

A lot of guys are praising Echo for the best bang for the buck these days. I know they are good saws, but I don't have any dealers here.
 
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I really like my Echo 590 so far and it is reasonably priced. I also like my Stihls but they are older except the lil 170. 590 comes with 5 year warranty also
 
If you are not afraid of older saws try a Husqvarna 272. You will not be disappointed.
 
A stihl 290 is a farm and ranch saw. A step above homeowner. That is odd the 290 is like that because they are actually pretty good saws. My dad has a 029 super and has had it at least 16 or 17 years and have had no problems at all and it has cut a lot of wood. I have always been a stihl fan but have notice the quality for the money has gone down hill. Im not saying my 441 is bad by any means, but with a new price tag of $950, stihl is getting a little over priced. My father in law has used dolmar saws for years so i decided to buy a ps421 and couldnt be happier. The price was outstanding for the quality and power of the little beast. It will definately give a 290 a run for its money. So it doesnt hurt to shop around and i have been around still all my life.
 
I'm surprised about your 290. While I'm not a fan of them for their lower power-to-weight, they are very durable and reliable. They've never given me issues. If properly tuned from the beginning and using quality fuel mix they should last a long time. Believe it or not, some dealers aren't as good at tuning saws as others. I'd look to another Stihl dealer.

Lots of folks perform a muffler mod on these, but you have to pull the limiter caps on the carb screws to get it tuned properly.

If the saw needs a new P&C, I'd get the kit form Baileys to make it a 390.

http://www.baileysonline.com/Chains...Stihl-Chainsaws-029-039-MS290-MS310-MS390.axd
 
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Not a fan of the smaller Stihl saws, as I have had a bunch and they just haven't been as powerful/reliable as the little husky's.
The big Stihls are awesome, but I think you get what you pay for. My rule of thumb (more of a guideline) stick with the small Husqvarna and the Big Stihl.
my 10 cents worth of free opinion......
 
Clodhopper said:
Here's a little rant that I'll conclude with a request for suggestions for a better saw. I bought this 290 less than 3 years ago and it has never been a good saw. I got it after I thought my 24 year old 029 seized up (turned out to be a piece of the muffler fell into the cylinder while I was cutting overhead). After I fixed the 029 I went back to running that most of the time because it runs better. It never seemed like anyone could get the carb on the 290 adjusted to where it would keep running if you set it down for 30 seconds, unless it was set so the chain ran all the time. Plus it would stall if I didn't take it real easy with the throttle. Which, with all the restarting, it didn't come as a big surprise that the recoil failed in a way that meant replacing the whole recoil unit (a week after the warranty was up). This fall I'd had enough of the carb problem again and took it back in. The dealer said it needed a new one so I went with that. Still ran poorly, so I took it back in last week. They just called me to say that the cylinder wall is badly scored (what would cause this?) and it will either need a rebuild, or I might be better to just buy a new saw. This saw has seen so little use that it is only on it's second, or maybe, third chain. The service guy says Stihl won't do a thing to stand behind the saw since it is out of warranty. Even the guys in the dealer's shop admit that Stihl saws ain't what they used to be.

So long story short, I think I'm done with Stihl saws, although I am toying with the idea of buying an older used one. I think I'd like to get something with a little more power. Anyone have any suggestions as to where to go from here. I use it to cut up a tri axle of logs per year plus for regular use around the farm. I see there is a Stihl 034 AV SUPER on my local craigslist that I'm thinking of looking at.
Thanks for any advice, and for putting up with the rant.
Pete
Click to expand...

Nothing worse than heading out wondering if your saw will embarrass you. Your 290 experience sounds exactly like my 290 I bought off CL. Mine was eventually stolen. Since then I only buy pro saws. I only have two saws but they are impressive and take care of business for all my needs. Never any issues. I love my pro saws.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I'm starting to realize that for a guy who spends a fair amount of time running a saw, I don't know a whole lot about them. I am most likely going to get one of the Bailey kits that a couple of you mentioned and see how I make out with that. Any suggestions on where to learn how to properly tune the saw after I get it back together? The 029 that I have I never needed to touch the carb adjustment, so I didn't. It's even still has the original spark plug. I did screw around with the carb on the 290 a little after reading up about it in the manual, but was never able to make it run any better, so I tried to put it back where it was before I started.
Pete
 
Clodhopper said:
I did screw around with the carb on the 290 a little after reading up about it in the manual, but was never able to make it run any better, so I tried to put it back where it was before I started.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately there is every possibility that you caused the engine failure by tuning it a bit too lean.

The basic sequence of tuning steps suggested by Madsen's is fine, but I never found their audio recordings to be much help at all. I can tune most saws by ear now, but for a while I had no idea how to recognize the "four-stroking" sound you're supposed to listen for. It took a while, but a year or so ago I finally found a YT video that made it more obvious. I'll post a link if I can track it down.

If you get frustrated wondering why so many people on chainsaw enthusiast's sites seem to find it so easy, remember that the saws they're typically tuning are easier to deal with. Small saws, rev-limiting ignition coils and the catalytic / baffled mufflers common on unmodified newer saws all make it harder to do.

Something to keep in mind is that newer saws (like your 290) are manufactured with stops that limit how far you can turn the carburetor screws, and those stops make it harder to tune by ear. Most people knowledgeable about working on small engines will mutter some slur about the EPA and then tell you to remove or modify those stops/limiters to facilitate proper tuning.
 
It happens, every manufacturer is capable of building a lemon, some build more than others. Leave's a bad taste in your mouth, but doesn't mean the brand is no good.

I bought a new Husqvarana 562 a couple years ago, and it died after just a couple tanks of gas. Dealer diagnosed a lean seizure, called it a lemon, and gave me a new one that's been going strong for nearly 3 years now.
 
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Fiziksgeek said:
It happens, every manufacturer is capable of building a lemon, some build more than others. Leave's a bad taste in your mouth, but doesn't mean the brand is no good.

I bought a new Husqvarana 562 a couple years ago, and it died after just a couple tanks of gas. Dealer diagnosed a lean seizure, called it a lemon, and gave me a new one that's been going strong for nearly 3 years now.
Click to expand...
Now thats a good dealer
 
Since the dealer likely knew about the faulty carb issues on early AutoTune models, the dealer had little choice but to take it back and especially if it were still in the warranty period.
 
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Go check out the 034 Super (Same as 036, MS 360). Awesome power to weight ratio. It will pull a 20" chain through anything, & not breathe hard. I have an 034, & I love it. You can swap the cylinder & piston on these saws without cracking them open too. Parts are readily available. I love mine
 
Sorry to keep beating this horse, but what would be considered low compression on this saw? The service guy told me that the cylinder was scored and that it had low compression. When I took the muffler off I could see what was maybe a little scoring, and if I am testing compression correctly (pulled the cord till the gage stopped going up, maybe 5 or 6 times) I came up with 150lb warm, which is about 30lb higher than my 24 year old 029 that runs great. I'd love any advice on where to go from here.
 
150 should be fine.
 
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Clodhopper said:
Sorry to keep beating this horse, but what would be considered low compression on this saw? The service guy told me that the cylinder was scored and that it had low compression. When I took the muffler off I could see what was maybe a little scoring, and if I am testing compression correctly (pulled the cord till the gage stopped going up, maybe 5 or 6 times) I came up with 150lb warm, which is about 30lb higher than my 24 year old 029 that runs great. I'd love any advice on where to go from here.
Click to expand...
If your 029 is at 120, it's probably getting close to rebuild time. The good news is that parts are still easy to get for them. 150 lbs is good, but the problem is that if its scored, it will continue to get worse. Depending on the severity, you may be able to hone it & put in new rings, but that's the exception, not the rule. Personally, I'd say if you can't do the work yourself, you'd be better off finding a guy on Craigslist who rebuilds saws & swap your 290 & some cash for one that he's rebuilt. There's like 2 guys around where I live that do that. The 034 Super would be a great one to get. They're beasts for their size........or trade him the junk 290 in trade for making your 029 like new again.
 
Check available over sized rings for your model. A bore and hone to an oversize gives you a bit more displacement and just needs to be broken in. I have never done it on a chainsaw but have used oversize bores on old school 2 stroke motorcycles. They do work fine.
 
Oldman47 said:
Check available over sized rings for your model. A bore and hone to an oversize gives you a bit more displacement and just needs to be broken in. I have never done it on a chainsaw but have used oversize bores on old school 2 stroke motorcycles. They do work fine.
Click to expand...

Not feasible. Chainsaw cylinders are plated. Boring one out would destroy it.
 
I'm not convinced that this isn't a carburetor adjustment issue. I don't know much about tuning a saw yet, and I'm suspicious that the service guy that's been working on it doesn't either. I've got a tach ordered, and have been reading up as much as I can on carb adjustment. Watched some youtube videos as well. If anybody got good sources for this info I'd like to see them. The manual says that the max RPM is 13,500. Is it safe to assume that if I keep the high setting adjusted below that that the saw will not be set too lean? I'm not too confident that I am going to be able to tune it by ear.
I ran the saw for about a half hour this afternoon cutting up some Ash logs, and it ran pretty well until I'd set it down for a minute or so, then it seemed like it was loaded up when I'd hit the throttle. As long as I took it easy with that first gunning it wouldn't stall. It's fine when I let off the throttle for the 5 seconds it takes to move down to the next cut.
Thanks again for the help.
 
Last edited:
That sounds like a low speed mixture problem. The low speed mixture screw is the one closer to the cylinder, further from the air filter. If it's loading up at idle, try leaning it out by turning that screw clockwise a bit.
 
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Note that the low- speed adjustment affects the high-speed as well, so after you get it idling and accelerating well you might need to richen the high speed mixture a touch to compensate.
 
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