Annoying Stihl Gas and Oil Caps

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velvetfoot

velvetfoot

Minister of Fire
Dec 5, 2005
10,202
Sand Lake, NY
Is anyone else annoyed with them? I just had a bunch of gas come out of a stringtrimmer and I didn't even notice when it was happening as I was using it. And this was after I thought I had checked whether it was on tight. I've had chain oil all over the floor and have had to replace a saw cap that broke (plastic). Admittedly, you can turn the string trimmer upside down and work on it with no leaking, so when they're on tight, its cool.
 
Plus, if you fill it up too much with oil, then it doesn't go on at all and you (well, I do anyway) have to take out some oil before it will lock.
 
I like mine
 
So are you all talking about the modern flippy caps? Or the older kinds that just thread in? I actually like the flippy caps on my 290. They seem pretty secure.
 
Ah, the infamous "flippy caps". Let the battle begin!
 
Spilled oil on my chaps one time when the saw was pretty new, since then no problems and I prefer them to the screw on caps.
 
I recently got a used ms270. The first time it happened, I guess I just wasn't paying attention. The second and third times, I thought I was. The last time, I thought I was pretty darn sure it was on right, but it wasn't. Gas dumped all over my crotch when I picked the saw up. Looked like I peed in my pants.
 
I am not a fan of the flip caps either. They are easy to use until they break, so now I just make sure that I have spares in the tool box before I head out to cut. I would much rather have older screw in type caps.
 
Having always owned older saws with the screw caps, until I bought a 290 this Summer. There is only one thing that I don't like about the new flippy caps. They trap chips and gunk under and around the flipper and it sometimes falls into the tank when I refill. The old screws caps didn't have that problem because they acted like an umbrella and the chips and dirt stayed outside of the cap.
 
One more thing to try to keep clean is my complaint with the flippy caps, too.
I prefer the old ones. KISS. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
 
Adios Pantalones said:
I have flippy caps on a 260 pro. I get it to work, but sometimes its a PITA. I wonder if they went through design changes that made them better. Mine is I think 8 yrs old.
Click to expand...

Nope, the new ones suck too. Just broke one the other day. Pretty interesting design inside there. Leave it to the germans to take something as simple as a gas cap and turn it in to a 20 part mess. I shoulda bought a 346XP.
 
I prefer the old simple caps.

I have a new stihl line trimmer with the flippy caps and it usually takes me a few tries to get it right - I am getting better at it.
 
I bought a brand new Stihl trimmer this summer and it has screw-on gas cap.
 
My 7-8 year old 290 has the flip caps. I've been expecting them to eff up this whole time but so far they're fine. I still like the old caps better.
 
My 441 has flippy caps ans they took some getting used to. Especially when it is late in the day and your feeling a little tired.
Out of the five saws I own the Echo is the worst, sometimes you need the scrench to get the fuel cap off, what a pain in the ares.
 
Oh I hate the flippy caps.............I ve spilled more oil and gas because of those dang things not closing right. >:-(
 
i always figured those flippy caps were the bees knees. I hate having to open with a screwdriver...
 
I like the screw caps with retainers the best but the worst were screw caps with no retainer !! Drop those caps in the woods and you might spend 10 minutes looking for them . I guess the flippies are in the middle but I have poured gas and oil on myself when they didn't close right and I hate having to take my glove off to flip them.
 
Ah, maybe that is the secret. I don't use gloves at all and seem to really like the flippy caps. I could see how the gloves would make them harder to use. Is that the common thread among the haters? Do you all use gloves?
 
is there a way to drill a hole in the flap and attach a string/strap or something, that would allow you to flip it out with gloves on then loosen as normal? Nothing too long for safety reasons, but something that is hefty enough to be graspable by a gloved hand...
 
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