Stihl, ms290 opinions wanted

[Tig]

I did look at the Husky ranchers, they looked like a good saw for my purpose. Sticking to the Stihl was partially influenced by my desire to toe the family line.
I'm in heaven with the new saw. I'm bucking splitting and stacking that pile of logs shown in my first post. I'm trying to get it split while it's frozen. I've been running two tanks of gas through the saw a day. Even after splitting and stacking I get twice as much wood done each day. So far my little wood splitter is keeping up quite nicely.

 

[streamin]

Congrats ,Steve. Alittle late to the party but I love my ms290. 6years and only maintenance on wear parts.

 

[GaryS]

I bought a 260 last fall. I spent way too much time analyzing and calculating everything - $/hp, $/lb, etc. I started looking at the 290 but quickly moved to the 270 because of the less weight and full metal case. Folks then advised that if I could swing the price, the move to the "pro" line was well worth it. The 260 has been the perfect saw for me. Light weight but with plenty of power.

 

[coobie]

The McCullough Mac Cat is having problems scratching it's way through my wood pile. It's just not the right tool for the job. I'm about to go out and buy a Stihl ms290
Intended use is to cut a few trees each year and a truckload of wood every two years.
Any thoughts or opinions on the Stihl would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I have had a few stihl models,011,026 and 028 farm boss.My biggest complaint was they were all hard starters in cold weather.Today I bought a echo model CS-530 with 20 inch bar.Hope she starts well in cold weather,LOL.coobie

 

[two_bit_score]

I have the Stihl "farm boss" which I like a lot. Never bogs down and is not too heavy.

 

[rback33]

I used to have a 290. It was a good saw. The saw isn't a pro saw, its a mid grade saw. Its not designed for 8 hours a day work, but it is made for a lot of use. It will pull a 20 inch bar happily. The only reason I sold mine is the dealers around where I am suck.

The saw will really come alive if you open up the little holes they have in the muffler. There are two holes the exhaust comes out of under the deflection cover. Just connect the holes so instead of two holes you have one oval shape. It helps the saw run cooler and really lets the power out.

If you want to really make it cut good, get rid of the anti kickback chain and get the aggressive pro chain. Though if you are not failure with a saw, I would suggest you leave the anti kickback chain on until you feel safe with the saw.

Depending on how much you like your dealers in the area or if you like options you can also look at a Husky 55 rancher. Its the equivalent saw.

I too have a Stihl 290 with a 20" bar. It run the 20" well, but I am wishing I had gone with the 18". There is not doubt that running that saw with a 20" bar will get to you in a day. I love my saw though. I have only had a couple of minor issues with it. Starts up and runs like a top. I agree about the anti kick chains. When I bought the extra chains for mine he was trying to sell me those at first. I refused. I told him when I run my saw it want to CUT not chip away at it. The aggressive chains are the ONLY way to go.

 

[twomanytractors]

My first chain saw was a 290 bought 7 years ago. I cut about 7 cords/year. Runs great with a 20" bar. I'm on my second bar, and have about 4 chains that I rotate through. Unless you're in to sharpening your own, it's key to find someone who does a good job sharpening. No problems, but the first time I tried my Dad's little Craftsman I realized how heavy the 290 is. Based on my experience with Stihl, it's the only saw I would buy.

 

[Tig]

I'm still happy. Starts like a champ even in -20C. Just picking away in my spare time. A tank or two of gas at a time. Then I split and stack to clean up. 2/3 of the load is bucked, split and stacked and I'm on my second chain now. I'll sharpen them when I am done this load.
I'm chuckling about the beating that I am laying on my $125 5 ton electric wood splitter. Only a couple pieces that it couldn't split down to stove size. I did manage to bend the ram extension shaft a bit, but it still works fine. Not bad considering that many of the logs I split weigh quite a bit more than the splitter it's self.

 

[FredH]

Although somewhat bigger , I have had my 041 for over 20 years now . Can not even imagine the amount of wood that I have cut with it in cord volume , but it is a runner . Bought it used , have skidded a tree over it and took to dealer in a paper sack for repairs to case only , still running . Have a 28" bar on it and although heavy at around 14# I think without a bar , the amount of time that I save by having a pretty powerful saw is well worth it .

Heavier saw usually means more power , more power equals less time needed to cut . So you can hold a light saw for 8 hours or a heavier saw for 4 hours and still have same amount of wood cut . Either way , Stihl is the top of the list in my book .

Fred H.

 

[GeneD14]

I've had a Stihl 290 for several years now and have been happy with it. I have been cutting several cords of wood the last few winters for heat.
After doing much research I bought the Stihl 361 to use as my primary saw last month. WOW!!! What a difference! It is expensive but if you do alot of cutting it is worth it. It is lighter than the 290, more HP, full square chisel chain and quicker chain speed. On a tank full of gas I can cut 30-40% more wood and in about the same amount of time. I have kept the 290 as a back up saw.