New to me MS 440

[Foragefarmer]

Picked up an MS 440 today off Craigslist. The guy wanted $500 OBO, but he had misstated the bar length so I beat him up a little and got it for $400. He has had it for 3 years and said he doesn't use it very much and it is a lot of saw.

I took the muffler cover off and piston and cylinder wall look pristine.

The chain was in a sad state so I spent a lot of time sharpening it and the noodled the stump of an oak that fell in my yard with it.



The saw has a 20" bar on it, the previous owner had said it had a 24" bar. Honestly I was fine with a 20" bar because it will just fit in the work box on my truck, but I would like to also buy a longer bar and chain combo for the saw. Is a 28" bar a too much for the saw?

I see I can buy a dual port muffler for this saw. I did a MM on my MS 390 and that woke it up. What can you expect from dual porting a 440?

 

[Thistle]

The saw has a 20" bar on it, the previous owner had said it had a 24" bar. Honestly I was fine with a 20" bar because it will just fit in the work box on my truck, but I would like to also buy a longer bar and chain combo for the saw. Is a 28" bar a too much for the saw?

Nope.A 28" bar/skip tooth combo is a great match for that saw.Could even go 32" if you stuck mainly with softer woods.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

1) My 440 is 2 years old, has had no cleaning whatsoever, and I've cut 30 or so cords with it and it is nowhere near as beat up looking as that saw

2) Stihl made the saw. Stihl says it'll run a 32" bar so it'll run the sh_t out of a 28" bar

 

[Dairyman]

Congrats on the saw! A muffler mod will wake it up some but I've never saw the need. I run a 25" with a 8 pin and she'll fly through oak like butter.

 

[Foragefarmer]

Nope.A 28" bar/skip tooth combo is a great match for that saw.Could even go 32" if you stuck mainly with softer woods.

It will mostly be cutting oak which is why I thought 28". So semi skip or full skip with a 28" bar cutting harder woods?

 

[HittinSteel]

If you are going to dual port/ muffler mod it, it will pull a 28" full comp fine.

 

[smokinj]

28 on a 440 no problem. Its rated up to a 32.

 

[Thistle]

It will mostly be cutting oak which is why I thought 28". So semi skip or full skip with a 28" bar cutting harder woods?

All my bars over 24" use full skip pretty much all the time.I have a couple full chisel but they're not used much,just when the other one hits an unforeseen rock or embedded fence wire etc.Skip gives you a little more engine power,clears chips/shavings faster in longer cuts.Plus takes less time to sharpen.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

It will mostly be cutting oak which is why I thought 28". So semi skip or full skip with a 28" bar cutting harder woods?

How long do you want to spend filing chain? If you file your own go with a skip tooth. If you don't file your own chains, by all means, go with full comp.

 

[MasterMech]

Is a 28" bar a too much for the saw?

No sir. it is not. I would entertain going with a full skip chain as well. That's mainly for chip clearing in the kerf if you intend to bury that 28" bar. The saw should pull full-comp just fine, and if you were using the long bar on smaller wood, say 12-18", I would run full-comp on it.

Also, if it hasn't been done already, I would run an 8 pin rim with that 20" bar setup. You then can play with it on the 28", if you need more power, go back to the stock 7 pin.

I see I can buy a dual port muffler for this saw. I did a MM on my MS 390 and that woke it up. What can you expect from dual porting a 440?

Dual port muffler is cheap, easy power. No reason on this planet not to do it. Saw will run cooler, stronger, and faster if you want it to.

Hmm, MS440 with a Dual-port muffler, 28" ES-Light bar, full-skip chisel chain and an 8 pin rim. Sounds good to me.

 

[Foragefarmer]

No sir. it is not. I would entertain going with a full skip chain as well. That's mainly for chip clearing in the kerf if you intend to bury that 28" bar. The saw should pull full-comp just fine, and if you were using the long bar on smaller wood, say 12-18", I would run full-comp on it.

Also, if it hasn't been done already, I would run an 8 pin rim with that 20" bar setup. You then can play with it on the 28", if you need more power, go back to the stock 7 pin.



Dual port muffler is cheap, easy power. No reason on this planet not to do it. Saw will run cooler, stronger, and faster if you want it to.

Hmm, MS440 with a Dual-port muffler, 28" ES-Light bar, full-skip chisel chain and an 8 pin rim. Sounds good to me.

Sounds like saw porn to me!

 

[MasterMech]

Sounds like saw porn to me!

Actually thats kinda like this:

Chicka-wocka, Chicka-wocka, Chicka-wocka, BRAAAAAAAP, nun-nun nun-nun-nun, Chicka-wocka .....

 

[Foragefarmer]

I have sharpened the chain that came with the saw three times now and it is finally in the region of sharp. The rakers had not been filed either so I obviously did that as well. I think the paint is worn off the bar so bad because the guy couldn't sharpen a chain. It had a double bevel on most of them to begin with.

I got the dual port muffler cover $22 with shipping in the mail yesterday. I went to the Stihl dealer and ordered a ES Light bar which should be here today. That dealer is in Louisa county Va.. He said they don't carry that bar because most guys around there use their bars as a lever to lever the last round out of the way when they are cutting. I said that isn't a problem with me since I have never been in the habit of doing that. They acted like the light bar is like a piece of tissue paper or something?

 

[Foragefarmer]

I think I am done for now. The dual port muffler seems to have improved throttle response.
I would like to get it some big wood now.

 

[lukem]

She cleaned up nice. Assuming you tuned the carb after the muffler install?

 

[Foragefarmer]

She cleaned up nice. Assuming you tuned the carb after the muffler install?

10-4

 

[smokinj]

Like to here how well you like that bar after a few trees.

 

[lukem]

Stupid question, but what makes a light bar "light"? Different steel...different thickness...both?

 

[smokinj]

Stupid question, but what makes a light bar "light"? Different steel...different thickness...both?

http://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/guide-bars/eslight/ I look at them a lot but never pulled the trigger do to price and a little afraid it might bend.

 

[StihlHead]

It will mostly be cutting oak which is why I thought 28". So semi skip or full skip with a 28" bar cutting harder woods?

Do not pass GO, go directly to RE-tune that Saw! Re-tune the carb before you run it lean with the DP muffler and burn it up. Pull the limiters caps on the L and H screws on the carb and trim the tabs off, and re-seat them so you can fully tune the carb to burple/4-stroke at WOT, and clean up the sound at WOT buried in wood. You will have nearly the power of a stock 460 and less weight, and far less vibration. That is the setup I have on my 044 and I use a 25" or 28" most of the time, full comp or skip. 20" I grab a 361, and for 32" I use the 066.

 

[Foragefarmer]

Do not pass GO, go directly to RE-tune that Saw! Re-tune the carb before you run it lean with the DP muffler and burn it up. Pull the limiters caps on the L and H screws on the carb and trim the tabs off, and re-seat them so you can fully tune the carb to burple/4-stroke at WOT, and clean up the sound at WOT buried in wood. You will have nearly the power of a stock 460 and less weight, and far less vibration. That is the setup I have on my 044 and I use a 25" or 28" most of the time, full comp or skip. 20" I grab a 361, and for 32" I use the 066.

Please note 10-4 post above. I have done this sort of thing before with my other saws.

 

[StihlHead]

"I see," said the blind man to his deaf son...

 

[Freeheat]

"I see," said the blind man to his deaf son...

as he picked up his hammer and saw

Had to finish

 

[HittinSteel]

Looks real nice. One of the stihls I'd like to own.

 

[MasterMech]

Like to here how well you like that bar after a few trees.

I'll let you know how I like mine too Jay. Just ordered one last week. Should be up and running soon.