Buying Advice Need Second Stihl Commercial Chainsaw, Larger Than MS261

[LD1]

You guys all need to switch to dolmars and quit fooling around

In seriousness though....I agree. 441/461 or whatever version of those two is what you want.

Your 260 is like my 115i dolmar.
A 441/461 is similar to a dolmar 7900

Yes there is quite a noticeable difference in speed of cut and power.

 

[patrick_g]

At age 70 years will I have the strength required to pull-start a larger saw? I have no problem starting or controlling my carefully maintained MS 261 but what about a more powerful chainsaw? I am in north Florida, so cold weather is not a concern.


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

Recommendations?

No one armed with just your age can say what you can do safely. I have a 32 inch Husqvarna and will be 75 on my birthday. It is a handful to start but not that tough so as to avoid using it. I do find I don't last very long working with the saw up over my head.

Some vendors of chain saws, especially if they repair saws, will have a "test" log on which they will probably let you make some test cuts if you convince them you are a serious buyer and just need to "size" yourself to the right saw.

Patrick

 

[hslogger]

44 and 46 family is probably what I would recommend. 66 and 88 are more than you wanna mess with. ASK your dealer, sounds like you have a relationship with him and ask him, which saw and how to set it up for you. The four things that are important and flexible, i.e. not permanent additions to your new saw.
1. free floating sprocket and how many teeth
2. chain gauge
3. chain configuration,.. safety, skip, full skip, semi skip, full complement.
4.bar length

These saws will pull a 32 inch bar easy with full skip chain. PROBABLY not what you want. Those chains can be hazardous in the most experienced hands.
Off hand I would say a 28 with full comp or semi skip would be your ticket. You are not really concerned with setting the world on fire with chain speed and production. Your concern is weight, safety, and smiling. Always.... safety.

 

[Omega Woods]

Glad I saw this thread. I was going to go get a 362 but now I'm going to wait for the 462 to be released.

 

[jeff9366]

44 and 46 family is probably what I would recommend.

ASK your dealer, sounds like you have a relationship with him and ask him, which saw and how to set it up for you.

You are not really concerned with setting the world on fire with chain speed and production. Your concern is weight, safety, and smiling. Always.... safety.

At this moment I am favoring the MS461 with the Stihl recommended #3624 (33 RS3 84) OILOMATICｮ saw chain and 25" 3003 000 4030 Ematic guide bar combination.

I think I will start with the RS3 saw chain rather than something more aggressive. In the aphorism "live and learn", live/survive comes first.

I have patronized the same Stihl dealer for fifteen years. It changed ownership and counter staff early in 2017. The new owner seems fine but I do not have the trusting relationship I enjoyed with the former owner; hence this T-B-N thread.

The potentially, upcoming, maybe 2018 MS462 sounds great but I need to purchase now. By June it will be too hot for me to safely use a manly-man saw at age 70. I need to section the big Oaks while it is cool and i can stand wearing my Kevlar chaps.

~~~~ Thanks to all who have contributed so far. ~~~~~​

 

[Piston]

Hey Jeff,
Have you thought about modding your 261? Not as a replacement to a new saw, but in general, and it would give you more power to hold you over until the 462 is released.
FWIW, I think that 462 is going to be one REALLY nice saw.

I had my 361 modded by a guy named Andy Wellman, his company is West Hill Sawhouse.

He was recommended to me by a couple friends who had used him. He really woke up my 361, and I notice a very considerable difference. I told him I wanted more torque but wanted the saw to stay reliable and run better than stock.

I couldn’t tell you everything he did, but I can tell you it feels like a new saw. It’s possible he could work some magic on a 261 as well.

The guy was insanely knowledgeable and way more “into” chainsaws than any sane person should be.

 

[arrow]

I'm your age and logged professionally for 30 years and still cut wood. Seldom did I go into the woods with a bar longer than 20". As hslogger stated, it is more than the length of the bar. Most of your cutting is "in the wood" meaning your saw will be supported by the wood itself. It is the "power" of that saw that you'll will recognize instantly that creates the danger.
My first recommendation is to go heft the 362 and the saw you're interested in. Not for the weight but for how the saw feels and how it "fits" you. I do not care if the larger saw is only a pound or two heavier it is how long you can maintain in a safe manner the extra power and arm stress after a half hour of work. There is a huge difference. As I do not know your stamina level, I cannot righteously recommend a saw larger than the 362.
Who cares if it takes 25 seconds longer to make the same cut as a larger saw. "Power" is not what you are looking for here. "Fit" is way more important and if you can handle the 362 better,, that is the saw for you. Retirement is much better when you're alive and in one piece.

 

[newbury]

Hey Jeff,
Have you thought about modding your 261? Not as a replacement to a new saw, but in general, and it would give you more power to hold you over until the 462 is released.
FWIW, I think that 462 is going to be one REALLY nice saw.

I had my 361 modded by a guy named Andy Wellman, his company is West Hill Sawhouse.

He was recommended to me by a couple friends who had used him. He really woke up my 361, and I notice a very considerable difference. I told him I wanted more torque but wanted the saw to stay reliable and run better than stock.

I couldn稚 tell you everything he did, but I can tell you it feels like a new saw. It痴 possible he could work some magic on a 261 as well.

The guy was insanely knowledgeable and way more 妬nto chainsaws than any sane person should be.

Piston is right - Most Stihls are made to run for a long time within EPA regulations. A little muffler mod and maybe some port work can really wake a saw up. I've a 660 with a muff mod and an almost identical 660 with a woods port. They both run like scalded cats compared to the 660 BEFORE the muf mod.

That being written - your a lot older than I am, 3 years, so I agree a 120CC class saw like my 088 may be a bit much. However you should try out at the dealers a 90CC, especially since you write you are going to be staying on the ground with trees already laying down. My 660's put my 60CC JD to shame. like the difference between my M4700 and my B7610. And based on their website specs a 90CC Stihl is about .73 kW/kg (.44 bhp/lb) versus .68 kW/kg (.41 bhp/lb) for the 461. So for 2 pounds more weight you get 1.2 more hp. And you can use the same bar and chain on both. But the 660 I know handles a 42" bar buried in wood.

Perhaps a few minutes at the dealers cutting big wood will tell the difference.

I subscribed to the 3 saw plan for a long time, but got carried away.

 

[arrow]

I have several Stihls including a 362 with a 20" bar, and while I agree with above, my concern would be the larger powerhead with a 24"-25" bar being more strenuos and maybe unnecessary. Would a 20" bar work, as you can work a pretty large trunk with that size bar.

I think best thing to do is go and check out saws at your dealer for comparison with bar size you prefer. I wouldn't go larger than the 441 size saw. As far as starting force, the decompression valve takes care of that for you.

Good luck and post what you decide.

Plus 1

 

[motownbrowne]

You guys all need to switch to dolmars and quit fooling around

In seriousness though....I agree. 441/461 or whatever version of those two is what you want.

Your 260 is like my 115i dolmar.
A 441/461 is similar to a dolmar 7900

Yes there is quite a noticeable difference in speed of cut and power.

I'm mostly a Stihl guy, but I agree that the 7900 is a GREAT saw. I just ran mine today. Hadn't been run in a will or so. It was about to degrees below zero. I was pretty surprised when it popped on the first pull, with the decomp pushed. One more pull and it was running. It's light, got great AV, a great air filter, awesome power, and it was quite a bit cheaper than a 460.

But, like you, I've got many saws. If my 7900 was waylaid because of a fuel filter, fuel line, impulse line, etc, I could put it aside and grab another saw. There's nothing resembling a Dolmar dealer near me, so I can order parts online and use other saws in the meantime. If I only had a couple saws, they'd be Stihl saws for sure. I have half a dozen dealers within half an hour. None of them are great, but they all stock basic parts for current models, which is crucial if you're counting on your saw and don't want downtime.

 

[Will_C]

I have a 260 and a 461. They are a great pair of saws for me. The difference in power is very noticeable. My dealer had had the 461 on sale off and on for the past 2 years for $849 with a 20" bar-that's what I paid for mine.

Although a 362 is a great saw, I just don't think it is a large enough jump up form a 260/261.

Will

 

[jeff9366]

Have you thought about modding your 261? Not as a replacement to a new saw, but in general, and it would give you more power to hold you over until the 462 is released.
FWIW, I think that 462 is going to be one REALLY nice saw.

I think I need a 24" to 26" bar to safely cut through the large Oaks. Even working from both sides, I could not get through the Oak I was working on yesterday, approximately half way from the roots, with the MS 261 equipped with an 18" bar. See photos in Post #1.

I need to purchase now. By June it will be too hot for me to safely use a manly-man saw at age 70. I need to section the big Oaks while it is cool and i can bear wearing Kevlar chaps.

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

I think I would prefer to buy the new MS 462 during its fourth year of US sales. I abhor down time.
(Quite a number of negative reviews on the early electronically modulated MS 441 'C-M' saws on Stihl's web site.)

 

[4570Man]

You guys all need to switch to dolmars and quit fooling around

In seriousness though....I agree. 441/461 or whatever version of those two is what you want.

Your 260 is like my 115i dolmar.
A 441/461 is similar to a dolmar 7900

Yes there is quite a noticeable difference in speed of cut and power.

I think we can agree Stihls aren’t the best. Unless I’m missing something the price difference in a 372XP and a comparable dolmar is about what dinner at McDonald’s cost. And the 372 has the superior power to weight ratio. If there’s a saw that’ll match or beat the price and power to weight of a 372xp I’m all ears.

 

[Deere Dude]

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.

 

[/pine]

Seems to me you could save some money and just rent a bigger saw a few times and just get the bigger trees cut...
Maybe I'm missing something but from the descriptions provided I just can see buying a new commercial grade saw for a limited amount of work...?

 

[Piston]

Seems to me you could save some money and just rent a bigger saw a few times and just get the bigger trees cut...
Maybe I'm missing something but from the descriptions provided I just can see buying a new commercial grade saw for a limited amount of work...?

STOP! STOP! STOP! This is not the forum for that type of thinking!


Jeff, it sounds like you made your decision. And, it sounds like a great one. Enjoy that new saw!

 

[4570Man]

Seems to me you could save some money and just rent a bigger saw a few times and just get the bigger trees cut...
Maybe I'm missing something but from the descriptions provided I just can see buying a new commercial grade saw for a limited amount of work...?

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’t know where you’d rent a chainsaw even if you wanted to.

 

[xring100]

I've always had stihl saws. Currently as ms361 and ms660 both great saws. I agree with others the 362 is not a big enough step. My buddies husky 372xp runs good i would definetly consider it over the 441 which is just as heavy as the 461.

 

[motownbrowne]

I think I need a 24" to 26" bar to safely cut through the large Oaks. Even working from both sides, I could not get through the Oak I was working on yesterday, approximately half way from the roots, with the MS 261 equipped with an 18" bar. See photos in Post #1.

I need to purchase now. By June it will be too hot for me to safely use a manly-man saw at age 70. I need to section the big Oaks while it is cool and i can bear wearing Kevlar chaps.

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

I think I would prefer to buy the new MS 462 during its fourth year of US sales. I abhor down time.
(Quite a number of negative reviews on the early electronically modulated MS 441 'C-M' saws on Stihl's web site.)

Good thinking Jeff. I think you're on the right track. M-tronic is a bit unnerving (autotune on Huskys too), but it does have the benefit of possibly protecting a saw from an operator who doesn't recognize when a saw is tuned too lean. Is your 261 m-tronic, or can you adjust the carb yourself? If you are new to tuning 2-strokes, learn what 4-stroking is, and what it sounds like. I believe the 461 has an RPM-limited coil, so it's important to tune it in the wood. If this doesn't sound like something you've done before, and you have any interest in learning more, there's some great videos I'd be happy to point you to.

Also, regarding bars, I have spent a lot of time with a 460 and a few different bar lengths. I will say that I stopped using the 25" altogether and started using a 28" most of the time. For me the benefit is that I can actually reach the ground with the 28", so there was a lot less stooping. I also use a 20" a lot on that size saw. For bucking oak, I think you'll find that to be a really nice setup. So, if I were you, I'd buy the 461 new from the dealer with a 20" bar and then I'd order a 28" Tsumara Light and Tough bar online. There are several makers of lightweight bars nowadays (including Stihl), and they really are nice. Tsumara makes some of the best, though they cost a few bucks more than the competitors. For a longer bar, it really is worth the money. Yeah, having two bars is gonna cost a little more than the 25" regular bar, but it'll be a much nicer setup. I'd take a 461 with a 28" lightweight bar over a 25" regular bar every chance I got.

 

[goeduck]

I have a MS261 and an MS441 mostly because both are anti vibe. Vibration more than weight gets to me. I do not know if the MS462 is anti vibe or if that makes a difference to you.