Modern equal to mythical Stihl 026 chainsaw?

[jyoutz]

I own a Stihl 038 pro of mid-1990s era. Those saws during that period were awesome.

 

[Buggs67]

I bought an 025 16" bar back around 1996 and besides a new carb, spark plugs and getting the auto-oiler fixed it's been great. Still rides on my tractor and is my go-to saw. I bought a Farm Boss to get a 20" bar and I don't think it's as good a saw. Seems down on power. My brother has an older Farm Boss and it seems to be much better.

 

[fishhead]

I think that Husky, Stihl and echo all make good saws, as did Sachs and Jonny red. For me the key is to buy at least the mid tier and preferably the pro level. You generally get better build, lighter weight more power and lower vibes. I think in the 50cc bracket the OP asked about the 261 and the 550 are close. In the gen 1 of each I preferred the Husky, the second gen i would buy the Stihl. For almost 30 years my go to was my 371xp, which, like me is getting older. So I just treated myself to a Stihl 400-CM- ported. Now I have a saw that is about halfway in between the 2 huskies weight wise but has significantly more power than the 371 and I think lower vibe than the 550 due to a magnesium piston. I'm loving the new gen of saws.

 

[JESSE1]

I'm still using my 038 AV Super that I bought new in '85. First chainsaw Dad bought was a Mac 10-10 in the early '70's. Then had a few great Echo saws in the late '70's until I bought this Stihl. Runs like a new one.

 

[stevem5215]

EFCO 52 is a good saw. (as referenced by our resident saw guy) I have a CubCadet CS5720 myself. Made by EFCO. Excellent piece of equipment and made of metal. Not plastic.

 

[sd455dan]

My aluminum case stripped at the left side pivot bolt hole that holds the kick-back brake lever. I have tried an aluminum thread repair epoxy that the Stihl dealer suggested, but it only held the tiny threads for a few hours and then I was back to a flopping around, non functional safety brake. This saw doesn't have thousands of hours on it, as we do firewood duty maybe 20 hours running time a year. Other than that I use the saw as storm blow down trees that end up crossing into yard. It gets a good bit of time sitting in the garage not seeing sunlight for months... But I know that the safety is compromised, and even with light homeowner use over 27 years it will likely fail at some point. I'm sure that if I were a tree guy as a profession that even a Stihl saw would wear out in just a few years of daily use....

Is Husky Husqvara, is that something else? The only "Husky" equipment I've known was very cheesy looking light duty yard tractors sold at retail stores.

"Is Husky Husqvara, is that something else? The only "Husky" equipment I've known was very cheesy looking light duty yard tractors sold at retail stores."

speaking of mythical

Malcolm Smith, Steve McQueen, and Bruce Brown
called their bikes Huskys...
Husqvarna learned a LOT about tough engine design from racing their motorcycles and they have been building them since 1903.
Husky has only been building chainsaws for a bit over 60 years now.
But I guess that gives the win to Stihl since they have been building chainsaws since 1926.

 

[mrmikey]

I'm not a sawyer by any stretch of the imagination but mine is an Echo CS370. it's 12± years old and hasn't skipped a beat. Actually all my gas powered stuff is Echo, saw, weed eater, hedge trimmer and wheeled trimmer, never had a problem with any of it .....Mike

 

[Turbo5upra]

The first saw I bought was a ms291- I was going back and forth between the 291 and 261 and decided to save the $100 on the 291- I regret that and not because the 291 is a bad saw- it’s a fantastic saw but the 261 is even better.

Stihl was having a sale and I bought a ms170- it’s not a bad saw but you can tell where they pinched the pennies building it. It works great for the limbing I bought it for and my only complaint about the saw it that the choke/ throttle stick when you first start it and you have to blip it several times to get the rpm’s to fall.

This spring tree trimmers for the power company dropped some big trees on my property and I wanted a bit larger saw- my 291 with a 20’s bar would have tackled them but it was going to be a bit much for it- saws were hit by supply issues and I went to a pawn shop to look at a ms441 but by the time I got there is was sold.

I called a few dealers as I was an hour from home and one said they had what I needed- I bought the Echo based on a 60 year old saw of my grandfathers and the shop owner swearing up and down the saw was a monster. I got it home and the first cut I was shocked- I made another pass and grabbed my 291 with a used chain on it- the 291 would put cut the much larger echo.

The owner of the shop ran the saw in the back of the shop before I left with it and didn’t notice anything off about it- the sound and the feel without being in wood seemed off- come to find out it has an air leak somewhere in either the carb or the engine itself- I need to take it in to have it serviced but I’m frustrated that I have a $700 saw that’s defective out of the box and the only solution is to tear it down and have it rebuilt (I feel I bought a new saw and shouldn’t end up with something that’s been ripped apart since it wasn’t right out of the box)

After kicking myself for a few times for trying to save some cash on a saw I tracked down a ms462 and once again I was reminded that the extra money was worth it. I drove 3 hours and would do it again for the pro saw.

I will say I did have an issue with the 462 and the 291 when they sat on a stump in direct sun for a while- I think the fuel in the tank expanded and pressurized the carb causing them to flood- they started after a bit and have been fantastic ever since.

All that said the 261 is a fantastic saw and I feel it’s worth the extra money.

I did have a logger I know drop a tree for my new barn as it was close to the house- he runs husky 361’s which are bullet proof work horses and he ran the 291, echo and 462… he said the 291 and 462 felt like great saws and was really turned off by the echo-

Husky and stihl make great saws… it’s like Ford and Chevy but I myself would steer clear of the Lowe’s husky’s.

 

[LD1]

I have a hard time trusting anyones opinion that raves about a 291. The 029/290/291 have always been overpriced, overweight, underpowered turds. Just like the 455 rancher "box"-store husqvarna's.

Good homeowner/rancher saw because they are reliable and durable. But about the bottom of the barrel in terms of weight/performance in its displacement class.

Never heard of a husky 361 either? Typo?

 

[mikester]

I picked up a battery operated MSA 220 with a 16" bar last year and I haven't touched my 026 since. With two batteries I can cut for 45-60 minutes while the other charges.

I originally bought it to make limbing easier, now I use it for everything around the farm. It's light, good power, relatively quiet, low vibration, no stinky 2-stroke or premixing required, and NO MORE PULL START!

 

[5030]

Well, my favorite saw is the 026WB I bought in the 60's. Stihl only made it for 2 years. Its heavier than a MS saw because it has very little plastic on it, just the top cover, everything else is magnesium alloy. It's an RPM saw and pulls a 20" bar with 404 just fine and it has the heated handle too. Second is the 075 I own. It's a tank (bucking saw). sounds like a motorcross bike and pulls a 5 foot buddy bar with 404 square tooth chipper on it. Always wanted an 090G, never bought one however. Bought the 075 in the 60's as well, back when I owned a tree removal company in Ohio.

I use the WB all the time. The 75 is drained of pre mix (dried up) and sits on a shelf. Might sell it someday, I hear the are very collectable.

Bought a 700 dollar Stihl top handle arborist saw last year, used it one time and it went back. Gutless piece of crap.

 

[Turbo5upra]

I have a hard time trusting anyones opinion that raves about a 291. The 029/290/291 have always been overpriced, overweight, underpowered turds. Just like the 455 rancher "box"-store husqvarna's.

Good homeowner/rancher saw because they are reliable and durable. But about the bottom of the barrel in terms of weight/performance in its displacement class.

Never heard of a husky 361 either? Typo?

I think I meant to say 372.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion- is the 291 the best saw I’ve ever run? Nope- the 261 outperforms it in power and weight but it’s not night and day difference. Perhaps you’ve never run a well set up one?

 

[LD1]

I think I meant to say 372.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion- is the 291 the best saw I’ve ever run? Nope- the 261 outperforms it in power and weight but it’s not night and day difference. Perhaps you’ve never run a well set up one?

Yes well setup. I know a ting or two about saws

Are they better than a little craftsman or poulan box store saw....yup. Are they good for a farmer or rancher clearing some fencerows....yup. But for the size and heft of the saw, in the 55-60cc category....they are heavier than most, and lack power.

I dont imagine there would be a night and day difference with the 261. IT only has 5% more power (and its 5cc smaller). But its also 15% lighter.

The 362 is a pound lighter and 25% more power. As are about all of the 55-60cc offerings in a good pro saw.

I can quote specs all day to prove my point. Dont take it personal. The 291 is a fine saw that targets a specific market.....and that market isnt someone who cuts 30+ cord of wood a year or makes a living with a saw. So when someone raves about how great the 291 is....kinda makes me chuckle....as would anyone who as actually ran a profession grade saw, like a 362, 441, or any husky xp saws, or dolmar's, etc.

 

[neverfailyou]

I've had the same opinion of my Husky 55. A beast for 20 years w/ no problems until (I think) an air leak cooked it last year. Or maybe it was just age. Nothing a new piston and top end couldn't fix (for about 1/4 the price of a new saw). Viola! Now it's a new saw again. Hope to get another 20 years out of it.

 

[RobertN]

Stihl using the 024AV my Dad got in the early 1980's. Has been a great saw.

But, I want a MS461 to go with it

I do have a couple Husky's that work great, but my typical go to is that 024; just really like the balance of it.

My wife has a Husky sewing machine that's great She got it before the division was spun off.

 

[WADFL]

Husky and stihl make great saws… it’s like Ford and Chevy but I myself would steer clear of the Lowe’s husky’s.

Agreed except for the 545MK2, carried by some stores. That's a real pro Husky saw. The rest are "homeowner" saws. It's hard to do the comparison between homeowner and pro except once a person runs a pro saw, they know the difference.

I have a hard time trusting anyones opinion that raves about a 291. The 029/290/291 have always been overpriced, overweight, underpowered turds. Just like the 455 rancher "box"-store husqvarna's.

Good homeowner/rancher saw because they are reliable and durable. But about the bottom of the barrel in terms of weight/performance in its displacement class.

Never heard of a husky 361 either? Typo?

Good point. When I was getting started in saws, I wanted a couple "professional" Stihls, having believed the hype that if it was sold in a big box store it was junk. I left with a pair of saws recommended by the saw guy from Ace, a MS251 "Wood Boss" and a MS290 "Farm Boss". The 251 is an OK little runner, but the 290 is an overweight pig lacking in any torque. They're both junk saws to me.

I decided to try a different angle and bought a pair of Echo's - CS352 and a CS590. What a difference! These saws run circles around the Stihl pair such that I bought a CS501p and CS7301p to complete the quartet. Great saws and I'm sold on Echo products.

Recently I acquired a lineup of Husqvarnas - 545MK2 and 562XP. The 545 runs excellent, plenty of power and revs up quickly. I haven't yet cut with the 562XP.

I've since learned the value of a professional, dedicated saw shop and would highly recommend any saw purchases come from one.

 

[hornett22]

My aluminum case stripped at the left side pivot bolt hole that holds the kick-back brake lever. I have tried an aluminum thread repair epoxy that the Stihl dealer suggested, but it only held the tiny threads for a few hours and then I was back to a flopping around, non functional safety brake. This saw doesn't have thousands of hours on it, as we do firewood duty maybe 20 hours running time a year. Other than that I use the saw as storm blow down trees that end up crossing into yard. It gets a good bit of time sitting in the garage not seeing sunlight for months... But I know that the safety is compromised, and even with light homeowner use over 27 years it will likely fail at some point. I'm sure that if I were a tree guy as a profession that even a Stihl saw would wear out in just a few years of daily use....

Is Husky Husqvara, is that something else? The only "Husky" equipment I've known was very cheesy looking light duty yard tractors sold at retail stores.

I've fixed those with Key-Serts but be careful drilling.

 

[Tony H]

Old thread but i was searching 026.
Today, Stihl offers Homeowner..ranch and farm....and professional grades of saws. Was the 026 a Professional saw or a farm and ranch?
A friend of a friend just dropped off two. He tells me that the Dealer says he wont even look at them because he cant get parts. I was told they ran great and then didnt run next time he reached for them. Saw #1 had crack in the gas line ,at the carb. Trimmed it back while I replaced the Metering diaphragm in the carb. 1 hour and it runs great.
Saw #2 very hard metering diaphragm. Replaced it Walbro WT series carb parts. It runs great too. He was going to scrap them both. I just came back from sneaking back to his front porch. I would love them but in clear conscious I had to return.

 

[RobertN]

Old thread but i was searching 026.
Today, Stihl offers Homeowner..ranch and farm....and professional. Was the 026 a Professional saw or a farm and ranch?

Was a Pro saw. The progression was 024 to 026, 026 to ms260. Then to ms261

Excellent well balance saws...

 

[Tony H]

Cases too!