How long do 200s last???

Kevin

The incoming fuel charge plays a major role in cooling a 2 stroke. The film of oil between the piston and cyl helps transfer heat to the cyl which the fins help dissipate. In the Google groups there are some good discussions in the RC forums.
 
If your problems are with smooth efficient running and not seizing of the pot and piston, try taking the 2 plates or caps off either end of the carb and giving it a blow (we all respond better after thet don't we?)Within the carb is a small gauze filter which I have found to furr up with a kind of limescale which, once cleaned off with vinegar or alkali seems to give a much better running of the 020. The gauze cann be lifted out by pulling a tucked end out of its chamber making sure not to touch the middle of it. When held to the light you will see the build up, and when cleaned you will notice...erm...it cleaned!!!! I usually find slight re-tuning of the saw is neccesary as the gentle slide into the gumming up of the filter has resulted in previous de-tuning to compensate and this requires ammendment. I have been using a 1997 020 all this week which I pulled out of a river after 3 weeks and although lacking a smidge of bite compared to my ms200t it still more than fulfills its task, and it does get pushed hard (ooer missus) believe me . Don't use cheap 2 stroke mix and don't over mix with too much oil either, it'll coat the plug and sap your power and starting efficiency .
 
I have seen numerous saws with a plugged screen in the exhaust which will cause them to die as the spent fuel can't escape.These little "spark arrester" screens can be a pain to clean so a lot of these get tossed.A local dealer told me they couldn't leave the screen out but that if I wanted to I could leave it out.Obviously the richer the mix the more often the screens need cleaning or replacing.I've seen this on both Stihls and Huskies.
 
I have an 028 that says "Made in West Germany" on it. Still runs pretty decently, could use a tune up though. It was only used for wood cutting, and I'm not sure how much before I owned it, but it is pretty obvious the maintance before I owned it was quite over looked. Little off topic, but just wanted to add my two cents.
 
That "fuzz" on the inner screen of the carb is teensy little wood fibers that somehow get sucked into the saw .

"Rich" fuel mix burns at a lower temperature than lean mix,because it burns slower.An old WW2 trick for the fighter pilots with an over heating engine was to limp it along by pulling on about 1/2 choke and richening up the carb .This was an attempt to get a wounded war bird back on the ground with the engine running high cylinder temperatures.

An old buddy of mine had 4 deuces on a '57 Chevy,283.He had to run those big carbs set real lean,to even get it to run.The end results,burned holes in about half the pistons in less than a week.Ran fast but not long.
 
my experience has been mixed. the last two saws i have had were complete oppisites; saw#1 owned for six months, i cold not deal with this saw. it would not run correctly for me, i traded the saw in for saw#2. the next owner loves the saw. saw#2 i have had for almost three years and is still running strong. i clean the air flter every day, maintain a sharp edge and just keep it clean. i am very protective of my climbing saw and always have been.
 
I don't think a MS200T has a solid lifespan. To many variables to say exactly how long any machine will last.

However, I think it is up to the person maintaining the machine. If you want 3+ years out of the saw, then I think it is realistic with good maintenance.

Some frustrations I have:

Leaky oil cap
Fuel leaking (but it sounds like that has been fixed)

Not bad though. Let's face it; it is top of the line with the weight to power ratio. I never have it hesitate on me when I need it perform. It will eat through anything I give it.
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I always used to get a solid 2 plus years out of my 200T's without drama before they had to go to the work bench. Now they are lasting half that due to all of this ethenol crap. Hawaii has fully converted, so I cant even get unblended gas. This is what I have learned in order for them to run the longest. Dont run your mix to lean. 30:1 or 40:1 seem to work the best, use name brand synthetic ashless formula mix. Ethenol is a solvent and has a different flash point than gas, when blended the mixture basically dries out and makes the gas less of a lubricant than it already is (cause of scored carbs). Run your carb on the rich side.The most benificial thing for the longevity of my saws and todays crap fuel is to NEVER leave fuel in the saws. At the end of the day we pour the fuel back and run the saws till the carbs are empty. Due to the solvent properties of ethenol it breaks down the rubber fuel line system which leads low pressure and then they wont run right and whole other list of problems as you already know. All of my larger saws dont seem to be affected as much. The 200T carb seems to be very sensitive and has a short life-span, but they are so worth it. Hope this post saves many saws, and to those that already figured this out, sorry for wasting your time. Aloha!
 
Have owned my MS200T for four years, replaced one carb. and a $16 fuel line ( probably California gas). I find that its power is still as good as the day I bought it. Out in these woods I can find myself cutting at sea level one day and the next at 4000', hence the adjustable carb (high needle adjustable) is a blessing. I run the recommended 50:1 mix and ask the saw to run tached out 14,000rpm (I use a tach to adjust for no guessing). Prefer the light 14" bar and of course genuine Sthil chain. All said and done, If it only lasted one year, I would still use them because of the ergonomic balance, that is one of the qualities that I value. The other quality that is important is that it cuts like no other!!! Yep, no other choice for me.
 
Yeah i am getting about 2 plus years before bench time too.After the bench time about 2 years. Now up to 4 years on 200 and well I bought it in 98 so that makes it what about 9 years on a saw. Heck I still use my 268 it is a great cutting saw, and I think that if you take care of your saws then the whole How Long Question is gonna be really long time.
Nate
 
Oh say ,on those 200 t's there has been a problem with a few of the carbs.

Some of you may remember perhaps a year and a half maybe two ago that I discovered a fracture in one sent to me from Australia.In online conversations with several saw mechanics it seems this has been an ongoing problem.

Symptimaticly it acts like the saw has an air leak.When the saw warms up from usage the carb leans out due the fact the fracture goes from the diaphragm chamber to the venturi.
 
I've got guys that I work with that have had their 2oos' for 5 plus years and they look like crap but they still run and cut just fine. With a little tlc they should go along way.
 
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