Just bought a Stihl......

[Case485Guy]

Coming from the land of Poulan saws for years......this is SAWEEEEEEET saw!:cool2: I got the MS-290 and Whoa what a difference. I sure wished I had spent the money and bought one of these years ago. Used it cleaning brush and trees on Barbed wire fence line yesterday and it was flawless.

 

[nybirdman]

Like going from a Yugo to a Cadillac,the both get you there..................

 

[rekees4300]

Take care of the "Farm Boss" and it will last for a few decades! :thumbsup:

 

[TreePointer]

Congrats on a solid upgrade. Enjoy it and be safe!

Maybe a Yugo to reliable Chevy. I'd say the MS-361 would be the Cadillac in this weight class (better power, even lighter weight, better antivibration tech, better fuel economy, better low end torque).

 

[Rayster]

A good saw makes the job easier, that's for sure.

 

[newbury]

I made the mistake of buying a Stihl 021 for my first saw. Life was good.
Years later I won a John Deere CS 62, got a new Efco MT3600 for $50 and found out that I had bought the top of the line in Stihl and all else was much poorer quality. I've since added two 660's and an 088 to my herd and am convinced the Stihl Pro grade saws are a step above most others.

 

[xyz123]

Coming from the land of Poulan saws for years......this is SAWEEEEEEET saw!:cool2: I got the MS-290 and Whoa what a difference.

Somebody hasnt been running the right Poulans. :laughing::laughing: If your happy with your plastic stihl I can only imagine the crap you were buying in the poulan brand.

 

[DKCDKC]

Tried Poulan and a host of other home improvement store units over the years. But absolutely delighted I bought my Stihl Farm Boss in 1995. It is still running beautifully almost 20 years later - and with minimum maintenance. The pro timber guys that work this area are 100 percent Stihl... And they know what they're doing.

 

[CanuckPT]

I have a Stihl 025 which I bought when we moved into our house in 1998 & a Stihl MS 310 which I bought about 6 years ago. I love them both - great saws. It's nice having 2 so when I screw up & get one bound up I can cut it free with the other!! I have the 025 in a case that's bungeed to the "floor" of the backhoe so I have it with me at all times when I'm out in the woods.

 

[Case485Guy]

I have 2 Poulan Pros, a yellow and red one. Both run good, the yellow has been the best, starts and run reliable. The red starting is finicky , but will do the job. I had 3 green ones and ended up spending more money on them than they were worth....threw them in the trash. The MS 290 "plastic", just no comparison the Poulan "plastic" saws I have. Smooth,power I like it, time will tell on reliability. So far I do like it and wished I had bought one a long time ago.

 

[xyz123]

I have 2 Poulan Pros, a yellow and red one. Both run good, the yellow has been the best, starts and run reliable. The red starting is finicky , but will do the job. I had 3 green ones and ended up spending more money on them than they were worth....threw them in the trash. The MS 290 "plastic", just no comparison the Poulan "plastic" saws I have. Smooth,power I like it, time will tell on reliability. So far I do like it and wished I had bought one a long time ago.

I find this funny is you compare a plastic 290 56.5cc costing close to or more then $400 to $99-$129 36cc 42cc plastic poulans.

I compared a 50cc under $200 plastic poulan and would take it over twice the cost 290. Now that is JMO.

I hate working on the 290's I get in all the time. The poulan 50cc is simple to work on compared to 290 design and WAY over priced. Add a few more bucks and get a stihl 261 IMO or buy a used 026 260 for half of the plastic 290 cost.

 

[MikeInEburg]

I still run the Stihl 041AV that my dad bought new in 1978. It was made in West Germany - an indicator of the era. It is heavy and likes to drink gas - but oh that deep-throated purr at idle. And some 35 years later, it is my go-to saw.

 

[Case485Guy]

I find this funny is you compare a plastic 290 56.5cc costing close to or more then $400 to $99-$129 36cc 42cc plastic poulans.

I compared a 50cc under $200 plastic poulan and would take it over twice the cost 290. Now that is JMO.

I hate working on the 290's I get in all the time. The poulan 50cc is simple to work on compared to 290 design and WAY over priced. Add a few more bucks and get a stihl 261 IMO or buy a used 026 260 for half of the plastic 290 cost.

I compared the Poulans I had to the Stihl I have. I am glad you find it funny. The 50cc Poulans are not common in this area, actually I had never seen one until the day I bought the Stihl. I stopped at a pawn shop and they had a 50cc Poulan in there. I tried getting it started with no luck and chain tensioner needed replacement. But for 80.00 price tag...I would have gambled if it would have at least fired or tried too. You do not walk into a store here and find a new 50cc Poulan on the shelf. I then went to the Stihl dealer and bought my plastic 290. Oh well I have pissed away more than 400.00 keeping the little Poulans running. I do like the way this saw feels, i like the way it will idle without dieing and I like the fast restart after fueling.

 

[jerrybob]

Great saw....Stihl makes some good products. Congrats!:thumbsup:

 

[mccash40]

I have a Stihl 025 which I bought when we moved into our house in 1998 & a Stihl MS 310 which I bought about 6 years ago. I love them both - great saws. It's nice having 2 so when I screw up & get one bound up I can cut it free with the other!! I have the 025 in a case that's bungeed to the "floor" of the backhoe so I have it with me at all times when I'm out in the woods.

I couldn't afford 2 saws, so I bought 2 bars. Works almost as good. Just takes a little longer to change bars.

 

[Bluegill2]

I've not had good experiences with Stihl saws, but do have a FS110 trimmer that has been flawless.

Hopefully yours will be better than the 290 my brother has. Oiler problems since day one. Idling and starting problems for the last few years. Been in the shop numerous times and I've worked on it some. It is a POS and sits in a corner. I fixed him up with a couple of 12 year old pro quality saws of a different brand, now he is happy!