Buying Advice Need Second Stihl Commercial Chainsaw, Larger Than MS261

[JimP]

I started cutting years ago with a 260 pro. Its a great saw but I felt the need for something bigger to flush cut stumps and larger trees that the 260 struggled in. So I bought a 441 CM with a 24 inch bar when they came out. The 441 CM starts easily even without the compression release. The non electronic 260 can be a little more cranky at times (though fairly it has a LOT of hours and could use a refresh). The 441 is heavier and much stronger. That is both a strength and weakness. At 60 I don't want to cut with the 441 all day, it weighs too darn much. But the strength makes it MUCH easier and quicker (really effortless) to power through large sections with the 441 than the 260. The 441 spring anti vibe works well. I have never had any problem with the 441 electronic control and you can feel it work when the saw is pulling. I think the 260 and 441 make a good pair. Also, try using Woodland Pro chain from Baileys online. The RC chain cuts as good as Stihl chain when new at less than 1/2 the cost.

 

[2458n]

I live in Ohio and the emerald Ash bore is killing a large number of Ash trees. Cut some bigger Ash trees at a fair grounds location in Preble county. Knew as soon as I saw the older trees my blade would not work. Got a 42 inch bar running a skip chain. MS440 carries it well. You will get tired more from loading and rolling the 20 inch x 40 inch pieces. Kubota and dump truck both got their use.

 

[s219]

I owned a 261 and currently own a 461 (also have three smaller Echo saws 50cc and under, and a Husky 562XP @ 60cc).

Go play with a 461 at the dealer before you decide "on paper" that it's the saw for you. It's a big beefy saw and you mentioned age several times, which tells me you are sensibly aware of your limits and factors like fatigue. While I love my 461 and it goes through the biggest wood like a hot knife through butter, it is not a saw everyone can handle for extended use. It's a beast.

If you do decide the 461 is right for you, spend a little more and get one of Stihl's ES light bars. They make a huge difference in both weight and balance, and both of those factor into usability, comfort, and fatigue.

I normally use a 20" standard bar on my 461. But I also have a 28" ES Light bar, which is roughly the same weight as that standard 20" bar, and doesn't alter the balance of the saw in a negative way. Worst thing you can do to a big saw is put a long bar on it that makes the saw too nose heavy. That makes the saw awkward to use, and will fatigue the user. So ES Light bars are very beneficial on a big saw like the 461.

Here's a pic showing the 28" ES Light bar on my 461 (was going to use this for a Christmas card photo as a joke). I'm 6'1" and 195#, to give you an idea of the beef of the 461. At age 48 the saw doesn't really wear me out, but when I switch to a 50cc or 60cc saw, I am reminded how much more nimble they are and how much more cumbersome the 461 is. Until you have worked with a saw of this size for a while, you won't really understand. The 461 has intoxicating power and capability for big wood, but it's not the saw I want to use all the time or even most of the time.

 

[jeff9366]

s219

I owned a 261 and currently own a 461 (also have three smaller Echo saws 50cc and under, and a Husky 562XP @ 60cc).

Go play with a 461 at the dealer before you decide "on paper" that it's the saw for you. It's a big beefy saw and you mentioned age several times, which tells me you are sensibly aware of your limits and factors like fatigue. While I love my 461 and it goes through the biggest wood like a hot knife through butter, it is not a saw everyone can handle for extended use. It's a beast.

Will trial MS 461 at the Stihl dealer either tomorrow or next week.
I forecast MS 261 75% usage, MS 461 25% usage during 2018.

If you do decide the 461 is right for you, spend a little more and get one of Stihl's ES light bars. They make a huge difference in both weight and balance, and both of those factor into usability, comfort, and fatigue.

New information to me. Thank you.

I normally use a 20" standard bar on my 461. But I also have a 28" ES Light bar, which is roughly the same weight as that standard 20" bar, and doesn't alter the balance of the saw in a negative way. Worst thing you can do to a big saw is put a long bar on it that makes the saw too nose heavy. That makes the saw awkward to use, and will fatigue the user. So ES Light bars are very beneficial on a big saw like the 461.

Two saws, one bar for each saw; that is all the complexity I can stand and all the room I have in my RTV500 Utility Vehicle. I realize, reluctantly, that I will have to shuffle in/out my 1 gallon sprayer, propane torch and fire shovel to accommodate the longer saw.

Here's a pic showing the 28" ES Light bar on my 461. At age 48 the saw doesn't really wear me out, but when I switch to a 50cc or 60cc saw, I am reminded how much more nimble they are and how much more cumbersome the 461 is. Until you have worked with a saw of this size for a while, you won't really understand. The 461 has intoxicating power and capability for big wood, but it's not the saw I want to use all the time or even most of the time.

I forecast MS 261 75% usage, MS 461 25% usage during 2018.

Even on the largest tree trunks I have to deal with, I should not have to make more than six cuts with the new saw, before reaching a reduced trunk diameter where I can use the MS 261.

At age 70, retired, when I get tired, I stop.
I avoid over-doing it.

 

[rScotty]

I have worked a Stihl MS261 chainsaw since November 2012. Wonderful saw from my local "full service" Stihl dealer, in an area where there is considerable forestry employment.
SNIP
At age 70 years, if I do not feel comfortable dropping a tree with the MS 261 I defer to a Tree Service.

I am only interested in the Stihl brand, new, in commercial grade, as my local dealer is excellent with service. I use chainsaws enough so purchase price is mostly irrelevant. I have other Stihl gas powered tools.

I have been using chainsaws for 30 years without injury, a record I wish to maintain.

Recommendations?

I'm a few years older than you and just this fall I gave away both my old Stihl limbing saw and companion felling saw to a younger neighbor. They are the Stihl commercial models 020 and 460. Yep, they are very old machines, but it is just remarkable how old they both were and still working just fine. We used them to cut all our winter firewood for over 30 years. In fact, it was so many more years that I can't even believe it myself.

Do I have Recommendations? You bet I do!
My recommendations are to get two saws: a small limber and a big saw both. And although they are twice the cost, Stihl's pro commercial line is worth the extra dollars if you want it to last. Chose bars on the shortish side, get some spare chains, and above all only use non-ethanol fuel. I ran nothing but Av gas mixed with Stihl 2 stroke oil. We didn't baby them, and after all those years mine were still good enough to give away as cherished gifts.
luck, rScotty

 

[jeff9366]

Do I have Recommendations? You bet I do!

My recommendations are to get two saws: a small limber and a big saw both. And although they are twice the cost, Stihl's pro commercial line is worth the extra dollars if you want it to last. Chose bars on the shortish side, get some spare chains, and above all only use non-ethanol fuel. I ran nothing but Av gas mixed with Stihl 2 stroke oil. We didn't baby them, and after all those years mine were still good enough to give away as cherished gifts.
luck, rScotty

I am committed to two saws.

No av gas here. Standard octane marine gas (no ethanol) is available. I use marine gas in my RTV 500.

I use Chevron 10% ethanol high octane gas with full synthetic 2-stroke oil, 50:1, in my Stihl MS 261. I buy gas ONE gallon at a time, which is sometimes inconvenient. ONE gallon is consumed in two to three weeks max. The MS 261 operates on fresh Chevron 10% ethanol fuel OK, which it has been consuming since November 2012.

I keep gas fresh to aid starting. When cold MS 261 starts on the fifth pull every time. When warm, one pull re-starts it.

(I buy Chevron diesel for the tractor in nine gallon lots. Nine gallons lasts two to three weeks. Tractor starts easily too.)

 

[LD1]

I think we can agree Stihls aren稚 the best. Unless I知 missing something the price difference in a 372XP and a comparable dolmar is about what dinner at McDonald痴 cost. And the 372 has the superior power to weight ratio. If there痴 a saw that値l match or beat the price and power to weight of a 372xp I知 all ears.

Dont follow the current models too closely.

But the 7900 dolmar used to be rated at 6.3HP and 13.6#
The 372xp was always around 1HP less, same weight, and about $50-$100 more,

Dont know the current models and weights and powers though....I know EPA started getting involved, and I stopped following newer models about 6-7 years ago as I am no longer in the buying market

 

[jeff9366]

I am in rural north Florida. No Dolmar service anywhere near.

Excellent, full service, Stihl specialty store twelve miles away, six miles past my Kubota dealer.

The additional saw is going to be commercial grade STIHL.

(I have nothing against Dolmar.)

 

[oosik]

When I burned wood - 30 to 35 years ago I had two Stihl saws. A dam monster for felling and cutting the tree into 16" lengths and a smaller one for limbing. My big one had a 24" bar and even at that time - I was 40 back then - it was a real workout dealing with the big one. My solution - before I injured myself - bought a Stihl with a 16" bar and quit cutting the monster Ponderosa pines here on the property. Besides, I enjoyed working with the smaller pines. It really does take quite a while for new knowledge to soak into the Norwegian mind set. I had a local logger selectively log the property - everyone made some $$$$.

 

[newbury]

<snip>
Two saws, one bar for each saw; that is all the complexity I can stand and all the room I have in my RTV500 Utility Vehicle. I realize, reluctantly, that I will have to shuffle in/out my 1 gallon sprayer, propane torch and fire shovel to accommodate the longer saw.

An extra bar and chain should not take up much room. But you should be able to PLAN what you are going to be cutting, after all it's already on the ground. I rarely use my 42" bar unless either:
I'm lazy, have a lot of downed limbs and don't want to bend over
or
I've got BIG wood.

The last time I used it I was cutting a large stump close to the ground.

IF all of your cutting is going to be on horizontal logs I'd agree that you should at least buy it with a lightweight bar. Unlike tractors rarely do chainsaws need more weight. And remember - if you stick with "small Stihl" your 18" bar on your 261 will fit your new saw. So when buying the bar go towards the longer ones. Depending on the chain you might need a new sprocket.
<snip>

Even on the largest tree trunks I have to deal with, I should not have to make more than six cuts with the new saw, before reaching a reduced trunk diameter where I can use the MS 261.

At age 70, retired, when I get tired, I stop.
I avoid over-doing it.

I did that at age 60, over doing it when running a decent sized chainsaw is down right dangerous.

 

[ericm979]

I have mixed feelings about the M-tronic on my 362. On one hand it keeps the jetting just right. I used to tune two stroke road race and off road motorcycles and know what a correctly jetted two stroke sounds and runs like (four stroking in the cut is rich but safe). M-tronic keeps the jetting just right. The only drawback is that my saw will sometimes be too rich to start if I make some cuts and shut it down immediately. Then it needs a few pulls with the throttle open before it'll start. If I idle it for 5-10 seconds before shutting it off it won't do it, but sometimes I forget. I've done the ECU reset and it ran ok for a tank or two but then re-learned it's bad habit.

 

[Tompet]

I have a 55cc older chainsaw with a 20" bar and .325 chain. When the chain is just sharpened it may take a minute to go through a certain sized log.
I bought a 60 CC new pro saw with a 20" bar but with a 3/8" chain, able to run a 24" bar. It seems like there shouldn't be much difference but the new saw will chew through the same log in 15 seconds. It may seem it is just a little more time involved, but every second on a cut like that, makes it more unbearable to hang on to, especially if it is an all day cutting.

I was looking at the Stihl 362 with Mtronic carb. The older lifelong Stihl dealer in a forestry area kind of steered me away from them because of the electronic stuff. He said if a man has one and it works good, then great. But if a guy has one and has trouble with it, the troubles seem to never end. He said just because it is the latest, doesn't necessarily mean it is the best for me.

He would have gladly ordered anything I wanted but he confided in me that old style carbs were more reliable and can generally be fixed by tweaking the carb. up or down by anyone. I am assuming the MS 462 would be in the same boat. I was not to concerned about down time but didn't want something a dealer has a rough time fixing after the warranty period is done.

That was a year ago so I listened to him and skipped his 362 and ended up with a competitors model. I don't regret my decision, yet, FWIW.

Check out Arborist.com forum. Anything you want to know about saws, they seem to know.

You can purchase a 362 without the Mtronic carb...surprised an older lifelong Stihl dealer didn't point that out to you. He probably didn't have one in stock to sell at the time.

 

[s219]

s219

I owned a 261 and currently own a 461 (also have three smaller Echo saws 50cc and under, and a Husky 562XP @ 60cc).

Go play with a 461 at the dealer before you decide "on paper" that it's the saw for you. It's a big beefy saw and you mentioned age several times, which tells me you are sensibly aware of your limits and factors like fatigue. While I love my 461 and it goes through the biggest wood like a hot knife through butter, it is not a saw everyone can handle for extended use. It's a beast.

Will trial MS 461 at the Stihl dealer either tomorrow or next week.
I forecast MS 261 75% usage, MS 461 25% usage during 2018.

If you do decide the 461 is right for you, spend a little more and get one of Stihl's ES light bars. They make a huge difference in both weight and balance, and both of those factor into usability, comfort, and fatigue.

New information to me. Thank you.

I normally use a 20" standard bar on my 461. But I also have a 28" ES Light bar, which is roughly the same weight as that standard 20" bar, and doesn't alter the balance of the saw in a negative way. Worst thing you can do to a big saw is put a long bar on it that makes the saw too nose heavy. That makes the saw awkward to use, and will fatigue the user. So ES Light bars are very beneficial on a big saw like the 461.

Two saws, one bar for each saw; that is all the complexity I can stand and all the room I have in my RTV500 Utility Vehicle. I realize, reluctantly, that I will have to shuffle in/out my 1 gallon sprayer, propane torch and fire shovel to accommodate the longer saw.

Here's a pic showing the 28" ES Light bar on my 461. At age 48 the saw doesn't really wear me out, but when I switch to a 50cc or 60cc saw, I am reminded how much more nimble they are and how much more cumbersome the 461 is. Until you have worked with a saw of this size for a while, you won't really understand. The 461 has intoxicating power and capability for big wood, but it's not the saw I want to use all the time or even most of the time.

I forecast MS 261 75% usage, MS 461 25% usage during 2018.

Even on the largest tree trunks I have to deal with, I should not have to make more than six cuts with the new saw, before reaching a reduced trunk diameter where I can use the MS 261.

At age 70, retired, when I get tired, I stop.
I avoid over-doing it.

Sounds like a good plan. If the 461 is a good fit for you, I think you'll love the saw. One time I let a neighbor try mine while bucking some logs at his place. The smile on his face was priceless. He had been using a MS-250 that was struggling on 18" oak, and the 461 sailed right through it with constant RPMs in the cut and not a hint of bogging down.

BTW, if you have any desirable wood and want a new hobby, the 461 is a very capable milling saw. For a couple hundred bucks you can get an Alaskan sawmill jig and cut some very nice wood. I have done both beams and slabs with my setup and it is nice to be able to make my own high quality lumber. Right now I have a nice stack of oak, poplar, and walnut boards waiting for a future project.

 

[/pine]

Not trying to be negative...would just like to understand the rationale...Other than the "Tool Man syndrome"...
Why buy a commercial duty saw (meant to be used all day every day) to do a limited amount of work?

 

[two_bit_score]

Nobody is going to rent a saw for a limited amount of work either. Buy a saw or suffer through using your current one. My 50cc saw rarely leaves the garage since I got my bigger saw. I don稚 know where you壇 rent a chainsaw even if you wanted to.

Lowe痴 and HD for starters. Lots of places.


.

 

[motownbrowne]

Not trying to be negative...would just like to understand the rationale...Other than the "Tool Man syndrome"...
Why buy a commercial duty saw (meant to be used all day every day) to do a limited amount of work?

Yeah, they're designed to be used in a production setting, but they don't last long doing so. It seems like generally loggers get 2-3 years out of a felling saw unless they're rotating several. For a more occasional user, that equates to many many years for reliable service. Seems pretty good to me.

Also, for running a 25" bar, your only non-pro option is a ms390. They're alright, but only 64cc. It's only a couple hundred bucks give or take to go with the 461, which will make the job faster and more enjoyable. If you can spare the cash, it's a no brainier. Plus, they all hold their value very well, so in ten years, that 461 will be an easy sell, probably for 65-75% of it's new cost, assuming it's not trashed.

 

[/pine]

Yeah, they're designed to be used in a production setting, but they don't last long doing so. It seems like generally loggers get 2-3 years out of a felling saw unless they're rotating several. For a more occasional user, that equates to many many years for reliable service. Seems pretty good to me.

Also, for running a 25" bar, your only non-pro option is a ms390. They're alright, but only 64cc. It's only a couple hundred bucks give or take to go with the 461, which will make the job faster and more enjoyable. If you can spare the cash, it's a no brainier. Plus, they all hold their value very well, so in ten years, that 461 will be an easy sell, probably for 65-75% of it's new cost, assuming it's not trashed.

FWIW I have an old (pre comp rel.) MS390...it's been worked hard for many years and is still strong and starts easy...I run a 20" bar but it will handle up to a 30"...
Logging is a big local business here...since ox teams were the norm...A lot of guys treat their saws like they were offspring...local repair shop is a master re-builder and very reasonably priced ...BTW...Our home sits on the very spot that was once a CCC saw mill...

 

[RyeThomas]

Having had a 362MSC, 461, ported 461r, ported 241c, 660 and 2 661s I will recommend waiting for the next saw from Stihl in the 70cc class. Either the 462 or some dealers are saying its going to be an M500 variant. I hope it is the 462!

461 is probably my favorite all around felling saw, issue it the R model weighs as much as a 661! It a pretty heavy bulky saw but she is a torque monster.
The 362 will not gain you much over the 261 you have. I loved mine with an 18-20 bar but hated it with a 24! I like a 24 bar on my felling saw.

You have been doing it this long with the 261, wait a bit longer and see what Stihl releases to the US market next. I think the 462 will be a perfect saw for a lot of us, problem is you never know what Stihl is going to do.

 

[goeduck]

Having had a 362MSC, 461, ported 461r, ported 241c, 660 and 2 661s

How do you like the little 241c? I have been thinking of replacing my top handle with that for limbing.

 

[RyeThomas]

It’s ported now, in all honesty it is my favorite saw to run. Big ported saws are what they are, but a little saw that runs like a biggin, it is insanity. It turns so fast and eats everything