201 serial #

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Reddog said:
I see it as, if you were dumb enough to buy one with out trying it first oh well.

Not like after the first few there weren't plenty of warnings out there to start out.
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Yea, and no. They first came out, then Stihl pulled the 200t's about as fast as they could, just what was on the shelves was what you could get. By the time they were thin we started getting reports of the 201's not being up to snuff. Then the price gouging began.
It was also shoved down our throats as being better than the 200t, now the small guys, we know better and spend our money tight, but imagine a larger company, say Asplundh, they go through so many saws they really don't have time to do product analysis or wait on reviews, they need equipment now! Imagine being stuck with that many POS saws?

Willard, Id like to think the saws getting out should have helped them in that light, as they were also run and discussed on many forums before being dissected! IF they had been paying attention, I'd like to think they could have gleaned a bit of information from that. Some of us saw guys aren't as dumb as they'd have you think, and I've seen some rather interesting fixes on the 201t''s to make them run better. In fact, the timing advance that is included with the upgrade is one excellent example of this. I know, I know, they want to keep this shit all secretive, but Husky has their way of doing things, Sthil has their way and both are not even close to the same! Also keep in mind the China effect! It wont be long, if it's not already in the works, someone in China is reverse engineering that saw, so be as secretive as you will, but it's going to be examined. May as well put it out and let the people that have to use it tell what's good and bad about the product and adjust from there. I get you are part of the 'secret clan" and that's great for you, but do you do the same type of work as a suburban climber? Do you do the same type of work as Stig with selective felling? The more people that get their hands dirty with the product, the better product they will be able to produce. This whole hush hush nonsense is stupid, Stihl and Husky probably already know what the next five years worth of products already are in each other camps. Lets release some of them and see if they are worth a shit before we have them shoved down our throats! At least Husky admits when they screw up and fix the old saws even!

Sorry I'm so wound up about this, but when a person drops the kind of money they do on these LITTLE saws, then has to drop another, what, $150? to make it run worth a shit, that just isn't right in my book!
 
Andy , I hear you. Yes I can see the frustration about those early units. Ive never run one in my tree service operation so I can't have a say in its performance.
Bad timing for Stihl when those protos were leaked out. The saws should have stayed in development longer, look how long and the many recalls Husqvarna had with their units.
Surprisingly I met quite a few arbs who were happy with the first 201s but these guys don't post on tree sites and get all caught up in the hoop o la.
I was a full time hand hand faller for a large unionized forestry company for 20 years. In that time since the 1970's I field tested product for Oregon Saw Chain, Windsor and Stihl. For the last 20 years I have done suburban tree work solidly based in climbing and rigging. I'm a licensed Manitoba arborist. I'm self employed owning my own tree service .
I have taught as an instructor for over 20 yrs on chainsaws and am an instructor for www.arborcanada.com
 
It wasn't about credentials per se, it was more about diversity and putting the product in different hands for different uses. What you would use a saw for is different than what Stig would use a saw for, which is different than what Sean would do, which is different than what I would do and so on.
What I was getting at is diversification of product testing, I think that is where a lot of failings are coming from on new products. Sure, you have a core history with product testing, and that's fine, but if you aren't in a tree using a pruning saw, such as the 192t, several times a week, how can you prove the product? It would be like sending Stig a new version of the 201t, he has little to no use for that saw, hows he going to prove it? (No offense to Stig) Or if they sent me a new version of the 880, I couldn't hardly lift it, much less have any use for it doing firewood or the limited tree work I do. There's no way I could prove that product.
I mean no offense to anyone who's name I've used, I'm just picking examples to prove a point. It's just like when the MS390 came out, I bought one for firewood, the brochure said I could run a 28" bar on it, I bought a 20 and 24", but when I wanted a 28" the dealer just laughed and said he wouldn't sell me one because I'd burn the saw up! They since changed the listing in the brochure, but if they can't even get things like that right, you really have to start to wonder.
 
Well Andy you can only blame your self for buying a MS390 for firewood and hoping to mount a 28"on it . Brochures even by Stihl have misprints and yes your dealer wasn't blowing smoke out of his ass. Aren't those 390s with plastic crankcases?

The topic here is the MS201 and since its inception replacing the MS200 alot of folks whined about lost performance. But they forget at the same time Stihl introduces a chisel Picco chain for it to help bring those # s back. Do a muffler mod you should be good to go. I think thats pretty noble of Stihl, you think Oregon will ever introduce a chisel LoPro anytime soon?
Now the MS201 CM-Tronic is out on the market , may be a while before it gets over here on this side of the pond but it will be a worthwhile wait for.

So back to all that whining... now the saw builders who make a living modifing saws see an opportunity to make some good coin and do things like what we did 30 years ago..... advance the flywheel, open up the muffler , rejet the carb. Now we have cookie cutting videos comparing a modded 201 to a stock one and people get in a frenzy WOW.
Little do the audiance know the 63PS chain was square filed and a little tweaking to the cylinder was also done.

I think the biggest mistake Stihl did was offer a upgrade kit at cost price yet. Get over it and move on, everything will be rosy again and all those performance problems will be forgotten..... when the MS201 CM [with 63PS chain with lightweight bar] takes over in the very near future.
:)
 
There is no excuse for releasing a saw not up to what it should be. A huge step back for the brand.
I don't see what stolen prototypes or leaked info has to do with it other than ruin a surprise.
If it isn't ready it should not go out.
Husqvarna has been doing this since 133... Cheaper and faster to test on market than in lab or with a couple saws in a test crew.
 
sawinredneck said:
It would be like sending Stig a new version of the 201t, he has little to no use for that saw, hows he going to prove it? (No offense to Stig).
Click to expand...

Apparently you don't know that logging season only lasts from november till may, here.
The rest of the year I fumble at being an arborist.

Apart from that you are right. I stocked up on T200s just before they pulled them off the market, so we are good for a couple more years.
Plus I just picked up a T150 this morning:D

Stihl completely frigged up with the T201.
They should have acted way sooner, done a recall and set things right.
 
Magnus said:
Husqvarna has been doing this since 133... Cheaper and faster to test on market than in lab or with a couple saws in a test crew.
Click to expand...

Whereas we all know that Stihl's new saws go directly from the developement lab to the consumers, having never been tested by actual users.

Sometimes you let your patriotism run off with you!
 
Magnus said:
If it isn't ready it should not go out.
Husqvarna has been doing this since 133... Cheaper and faster to test on market than in lab or with a couple saws in a test crew.
Click to expand...

That pretty much implies that Stihl does not test their saws.
 
No, you gout it wrong both of you. Regardless of brand, NO saw should be tested on market. Husqvarna do this all the time and Stihl do it sometimes.
I may be a patriot, but defending Husqvarna is not something I do unless they deserve it and the past 15 years they have made it very hard for anyone to defend them. I am no fan of fresh air engines and especially not X-Torq. I hope this Engine type is gone soon, as it will kill the brands.

Stihl do crazy stuff for same reasons Husqvarna do, Money!

It is better to get a half assed saw out and get it tested out by 10 000 users than keep it a year more in developing and get 5-50 if it is a really good run 100 saws to get feedback from. This year will cost quite a bit in lost sales.
 
Having a bunch of saws you spent good money for that run like dogshit and they want to charge you for the fix certainly is going to make a lot of people unhappy. If they offered the upgrade for dirt cheap would be a little better. Free would be better yet. Bean counters just care about the current year, not the long term.
 
chainsaw-57 said:
Good Morning,

Serial number 177543232 and above have all the modifications installed on the assembly line.

Larry, HOS
Click to expand...
Haven't been on here for some time and read this post. I have a 201t that I rarely use but like having it around if the need arises. My saw has ser# 176699622, so I have the unedited version unfortunately. Can I ask what the factory has done in modifications to bring the 201t up to standards...thanks
 
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