Stihl 500i

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I mainly protest at the landscapers who blow every-thing...never think to use a rake or broom when it would be easier or better for the garden. They end up blowing all the fine soil particles away from grass especially under trees, then people wonder why their grass won't grow...or blowing dry laid pathways..all the soil gets blown out of the cracks and they wonder why the path had become a trip hazard, I could go on and on.
Use them when you need them, I do own one!
 
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  • #77
My dealer just called me.
The 500i is here.
When it first was shown here, he promised I could have one to test run , and he stands behind that offer.

As luck will have it, I have about 2 days of oak logging left after Easter.

So I'll pick it up next week, after Easter we'll run the hell out of it and I'll give y'all a review.

If it is anywhere as good as the stats say, the dealer won't get it back.

I am just so excited about this:D
 
Seems like a lot of other people online have gotten a 500i before your dealer did. Maybe they are having a supply issue with this model.

As for picco chain, I think frequent chain stretching would indicate too much power a good bit before it breaks. I'm moving away from .050 3/8 on anything 6hp and higher. I'm having to tension my chains more often than I like on 7hp saws.

I recently got a sugi .063 32" and I'm glad it's a sugi because I hadn't really thought about. 063 bars being heavier. I assumed the tie straps were proportionally thinner to the thicker DL's. It weighs just less than a .050 32".
 
I run 3/8 .050 picco on 50cc and under ... haven’t noticed a problem with stretching on me 261c and she’s in the 5.0hp category... on the larger saws , 60cc + , 3/8 .050 works great imho , only downside is 32” bars seem to be the largest available for this pitch/gauge ... on higher hp saws .404 might be an option though I have limited experience using it
 
500 has been out for awhile in some places. This one was crushed Nov 2018. Someone posted it from abroad on chainsaw repair group back then.

Heck guys already shipped some to US.

s500crash.jpg s500crashh.jpg
 
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I’ve been promised one from my dealer as well. We won’t see it till mid-late summer is my guess. I own the first 462 in the county so might as well have the first 500i as well. We will see. Price could play into it depending on how the demo goes. I also have to remain polite to the reps until then.
 
Here is some info from abroad and put into our $. Was their to sell prices. So were sold under retail list.
I know there was some shipped to US for just under 1300 shipped.

also more info = They are now in stock in UK and here, UK discount price around 1000 euro plus tax and here 1250 euro.

1000 = 1,131.95 usd
1250 = 1,414.94 usd

Guy in Germany. Stock 500 and then ported 681 7901 390. Said he is getting a all stock saw comparison together next.


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Everything I have dug up since 2017 http://chainsawrepair.createaforum.com/stihl/stihl-500i-fuel-injected/
 
500i ported righteously will beat everything shown but the 390xp and even then it will be close ...
 
Nutball said:
Seems like a lot of other people online have gotten a 500i before your dealer did. Maybe they are having a supply issue with this model.

As for picco chain, I think frequent chain stretching would indicate too much power a good bit before it breaks. I'm moving away from .050 3/8 on anything 6hp and higher. I'm having to tension my chains more often than I like on 7hp saws.

I recently got a sugi .063 32" and I'm glad it's a sugi because I hadn't really thought about. 063 bars being heavier. I assumed the tie straps were proportionally thinner to the thicker DL's. It weighs just less than a .050 32".
Click to expand...

I'm running .050 3/8 on my 395xp. I don't have any issues with excessive wear. I run Stihl chain.
 
Yeah , I’ve got a ported 660 and 395xp ... stock is around 7hp so they are both in the mid 8hp range ... no problem with 3/8 .05 running 20-32” bars ... using STIHL RS on both saws ...( I believe .404 can be run on the 660 or the 395xp) ... no issues with stretching using STIHL chain although this may not be the case with other brands ...I also keep me chains Razer-sharp and as soon as the chain begins to dull I either stop drop and swap or grab another saw that’s gtg
 
I think it's more so the chain stretching from the shock of binds stalling the chain. That's a lot of force from a 7hp engine when the chain gets slammed to a stop. I figure .063 would hold up better. Then again I tend to run an aggressive depth gauge setting, so that makes them more prone to stretch causing stalls and vibration.


I wonder why they didn't use crank stuffers on the 500i?
 
Measure your drive link top area sometime on your broke chains. Like a on oregon 050 it is 058 at the top of drive link where it goes together, stihl 050 is 063 at the top of the drive link where it goes together.
Now if your running 063 on oregon then you get the 063 at top.

This is why when your making chains in 050 you cant use oregon repair kits on the stihl chains. It will lock that area up.

063 besides strength is also for better pulling of bar oil around.
 
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  • #93
I picked it up today.
Got a lot of firewood to cut and figured I might as well try it out in that, then log with it next week.

It rips!
I alternated it with the 462 for comparison.
The weight difference is so slight, it'll take a more sensitive person than me to notion and it has way more grunt, especially low range grunt.
You can really lean on this saw without slowing it down.
I ran it with a 20" bar and an 8 tooth sprocket.
With a 7 tooth sprocket it'll pull a full comp 24" chain in Beech, no problem.

I might just switch my 661 out for this.

On the other hand, it does make for a lovely midclass felling /limbing saw.

I invited my dealer to swing by tomorrow and have a go with it.
He has only run it in some sticks at a Stihl demo, so he was happy for the chance to test it against the 462. P1060625.JPG P1060626.JPG P1060629.JPG
 
How does it compare to the 462c when bucking 18” or so rounds ? It’s similar in size , slightly heavier and has a larger (72.2 vs 78 cc ) displacement plus more hp (5.9 vs 6.8) ... is it that good a runner you wood give up the 661 ?
 
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  • #95
I'll need to take it to the woods.
Cutting firewood doesn't really tell.

It really outcuts the 462 by a fair margin.

I'd say the difference is close to that between 441 and 462.

Yep, I might pass my 661 on to the apprentice.
But then I'd miss running the 500i with a 20" bar.

Got some smallish oaks to log after Easter, that'll be the test.
 
I guess the most interesting detail is in the "i" -- how does injection compare to a carb? Starting, idling, running... does it subjectively "feel" smoother than a traditional saw with carb?
 
Yah , I’m certain that with some “flow-enhancements” it could be made into a formidable , perhaps unbeatable , 70cc class saw ... kinda like when F.I. 4 banger rice-burner rides started puttin the whoop-ass on the American carbed V-8s back in the day
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #98
P1060639.JPG

The whole injection thing is just so different.

No choke or ½ gas.
In order to cold start the saw, you press the bulb below the stop button maybe 8 times in order to build pressure for the injection.
I've yet had to pull more than twice to start the saw.

The pumping thing is only when it has been sitting for a longer time.
When I have been splitting wood it'll sit for ½ hour or more and start right up on first pull, no pumping necessary.

It has incredible low end power, when you pressure it, it sort of settles down and just pulls through.
This is with an 8 tooth sprocket, mind.
To me it feels like a 661 with the agressiveness of a 70 cc saw.

My dealer came by today and cut firewood with the 462 and 500i.
He said the same thing, there is no comparison, it is a completely different animal.

I would love to see a torque curve for it, bet it is way flatter than other saws in this class.
It could almost fool one into thinking it was a 4 stroke.

I really love the 462, but this is a way better saw.

The timing is a bit weird, this coming right on top of the 462, which was in itself a big leap forward.

My dealer thinks it has something to do with Jonsered going out of the market and Husky having delivery problems on some of their bigger saws, so Stihl just decided to go for it and get some of the market share, that was left hanging.
Also, they have been experimenting for a long time with this, guess they just got it ready.

I'm really looking forwards to taking this saw to the woods after easter.
 
Tell you what, If you had run this saw, you wouldn't be making jokes about it.
It is just sooo good.

I really shouldn't keep this demo saw, with having to lay one guy off, we have a serious surplus of saws.
But I have a feeling, that after having logged with it, it'll be a case of " When you pry it from my dead cold hands" .


If they make a 100 cc version of this, it will beat anything out there.
 
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