Stihl 201 upgrade kit

Im hearing rave reviews across a broad board about 540's. That thread alone isn't the measuring stick for the saw.
 
Say what you will I run and own them all and so far I'd take a 201 over a 540. That's my real world experience.

I can't get this upgrade kit at my local Stihl dealer. I'd like to know if any other Canadians are able to get this kit?
 
The upgrade kit strikes me as bullshit. It isn't like you are adding something that shouldn't be on the saw in the first place. Make money off your mistakes, someone in that company must have gone to Harvard business school. I could easily make a chair that someone ordered, hold back a little, then for another fifty bucks make it more comfortable. Take an hour or two or less.
 
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I prefer huskys and really want the 540 to be good but I would have to say the 201 is far more reliable. The husky 540 is good but the auto tune has a way to go. I can understand a climber only want 201 at the moment. They are simple and work
 
So do echos what? I've had one echo tophandle. POS.

Right now I'm running 200's again. Probably gonna have a few rebuilt.

I agree that having to buy this upgrade kit is BS. On the same note if I could buy it I would, as the money is inconsequential in comparison to having a good, powerful, responsive climbing saw.
 
So why not get a few housers together ad have our Aussie member export a boxfull to the US?
 
It sounds like there are a lot of legitimate differing opinions. I will put it this way for my situation. Paid $600 for a saw that doesn't run as well as it should. Not bad, but it could be better. I don't want to sell it to someone inexperienced that isn't familiar with the situation concerning the 201. So I am going to spend $119 bucks for a flywheel and carb. etc. That is probably cheap, considering what parts cost these days. I get the sense that Stihl is selling it close to their cost. My saw shop is selling it to me at their cost. So once again, for those that want the kit, I was able to order it using the part # posted in the earlier photo on this thread.
Squisher if you want one I will try to get one for you. Email me pat@centennialwoodproducts.com be happy to do it for you.
 
squisher said:
So do echos what? I've had one echo tophandle. POS.

Right now I'm running 200's again. Probably gonna have a few rebuilt.

I agree that having to buy this upgrade kit is BS. On the same note if I could buy it I would, as the money is inconsequential in comparison to having a good, powerful, responsive climbing saw.
Click to expand...

I had a few echos. They sucked, but were reliable. I usually had them because someone was pawning a newish one off for 75 bucks. They never really acted up that I can remember.
 
I'm not certain if I mentioned the fact that Toms' saw was one of the earlier models .Butch evidently must have a later model and thusly has had no problems with it .

Makes you wonder what they did but didn't bother to tell people .Just recently in the news GM tried to cover up the bad ignition switches and it's costing them dearly.What's good for the goose should be good for the gander or so they say .
 
Seeing all the 201's produced after February 2014 have this upgrade. Shouldn't all the others be recalled for upgrade too?
 
It took a couple of backyard chainsaw modification experts who did basically the same upgrades by advancing the ignition by moving the flywheel, rejet the carb and monkey with the ignition module .... making Stihl throw in the towel and follow suit .

Only other thing they didn't do was offer a upgraded muffler......but I guess anyone can mod a muffler with a die grinder:D
 
free upgrade is the least they could do! How about an extra $100 or more off the next purchase for the guys who lost ten times that while waisting time bringing there 201's back and forth to be fixed. Just think if they made it right how many customers they would bring back in and new ones they could gain.
 
old irish said:
Squisher if you want one I will try to get one for you. Email me pat@centennialwoodproducts.com be happy to do it for you.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that offer. I'll be at my saw shop this weekend, taking my 540 in again. So I'm going to push the issue there first on this upgrade kit. To me part of my frustration is that I have to educate my dealer about this. Like pulling teeth there sometimes to get what I need.
 
Shortsightedness sees to run rampant with companies these days. Todays bottom line can come back to bite you in the ass in the future. Duhhhh.

Me and a couple buds bought 3 Huskys from my local dealer back 20 years ago. We all had problems with occasionally spitting a chain. Sometimes it was a small twig, sometimes for no apparent reason. Finally spit one and ground up a couple drive links. I went back to the dealer to see what he could tell me or do for me. He had more excuses than a pregnant nun. Your running it dull, too loose, and finally told me your running it too fast. Too fast? You run a saw wide open!!! He picked up on I was pretty pissed by then. He asks what do you want me to do. I tell him he could replace the couple drive links. He says there is nothing wrong with mine. I tell him you better take a closer look. He finally takes the 3 minutes and 40 cents to do it for me. Never bought another saw from him and discouraged everyone I knew from doing so.
 
IMO it's time people started saying "right, some early 201s are rubbish, (I have one btw) stihl are producing an upgrade, let's get it and get on with it"
They made a mistake and are providing a solution. They're not going to come round your house and beg forgiveness.
Big corporations can make mistakes just as we can break a shed roof or worse.
Time to stop playing the victims and get on with it.
 
squisher said:
To me part of my frustration is that I have to educate my dealer about this.
Click to expand...

I cant tell you how many times Ive educated Stihl and Husky dealers based on the info on this website. Not educated them on fixing things. But educated them on saw quirks, issues, upcoming models, etc...
 
La becasse said:
IMO it's time people started saying "right, some early 201s are rubbish, (I have one btw) stihl are producing an upgrade, let's get it and get on with it"
They made a mistake and are providing a solution. They're not going to come round your house and beg forgiveness.
Big corporations can make mistakes just as we can break a shed roof or worse.
Time to stop playing the victims and get on with it.
Click to expand...

When you make a mistake, do you charge your customer to fix the mistake?
 
HolmenTree said:
It took a couple of backyard chainsaw modification experts who did basically the same upgrades by advancing the ignition by moving the flywheel, rejet the carb and monkey with the ignition module .... making Stihl throw in the towel and follow suit .
Click to expand...
So is it a rejetted carb, larger fuel chamber maybe ? Nobody really said .I only assumed it to be a offset milled flywheel to advance the timing . Unless possibley they some how in some way defeated the fresh air transfer charge or at least decreased a portion of it .

I'd like to know myself .Now again if they did all that how does the all mighty EPA deal with it ?
 
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