Revisit stihl chainsaws

[molinebob]

Well awhile ago I posted on stihl saws going for lotsa money on ebay, well i managed to get a 026 and a 028, the 026 was 175 bucks with the shipping, got it on friday, other than the chain being completely dull, lots a life left in the chain just never sharpened it looks like, i sharpened it and started the saw, wouldnt idle and full throttle was revvin way high, so i adjusted the carb, and wow what a cutting machine that is!! Proud of that purchase! now just waiting on the 028 to get here, paid 199 bucks for it with the shipping. I have one of them already, just nice to have a spare, looked really good in the pic, and its supposed to run great! The 026 has a 18 inch bar on it, is that the normal size for it? The 028 that is coming has a 20 inch, I know it will handle that cause that is what mine currently has on it. Bob

 

[Sidekick]

My 026 came with a 18" bar. I've had it for twelve years and it still runs strong. I heat with wood so it gets used. It handles the bar fine.

 

[onefarmer]

I have a 026 since 1990. Was my only saw till just a few years ago. It has a 20" bar per my request and preference. Mostly because I don't need to bend over as far when working on the ground. And I feel with the extra cutters the chain takes longer to dull. It won't cut as fast as my 044, but I have cut lots with the whole 20"s buried. I also have a 028 and the 026 is slightly higher powered (3.5vs3.4ps) and a bit lighter (4.7vs5.6kg)
Table of Stihl saws

 

[2x4]

bars supplied were 16" but dealer would switch to whatever length wanted for a few bucks more.

 

[Devon Hubbard]

The 026 is a good saw. Perfect weight & power. I've got a new one put back to show my grandkids some day.

 

[Phil in Pa]

My 26 came with an 18" bar also, I like it.

Unlike the MS 180 I bought a couple years later, it doesn't even leak bar oil when sat upright.

 

[molinebob]

WOW! That's a nice looking saw you have there! Did you repaint it or was it never used? If you did repaint it, where did you get the paint for it, I am trying to find paint for all of mine, I burn wood for heat here in northern Minnesota, so they get used but I would like to spruce them up a bit!! Bob

 

[2x4]

Stihl dealers sell the special paint in spray cans. I have used it to spruce up several saws & they look nearly new. It is also tough & will stay on as long as the old paint job.

 

[Devon Hubbard]

It has never been gassed up. I bought it new & it is a shelf queen.

 

[Dieselbreath]

I've used my 026 for years and am very happy with it. It came (used) with a 20" bar that's now worn out and I'm going to replace it with a 18" because even with the oil adjustment screw maxed out I would like to see more oil on the chain and I think an 18" might help.

 

[36 Coupe]

Ive been using an 023 for many years.Repairs have been a fuel line, sprocket.

 

[Greenfrog]

The Stihl rep was at the local farm and home supply and I asked hime about oil. He said that Stihl is not in the oil business but said to use their oil--is has been formulated to run in these hot engines--some of the other brands they found were burning INSIDE the crankcase! Also, always use non ethanol gas. Ethanol softens fuel lines and gaskets. Hard to find non ethanol gas is some areas.
Any discussion on this?