Stihl 361...to buy or not!

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Spek

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Joined
Mar 9, 2009
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Location
Alabama
I have a local stihl dealer where I am moving. Small town. I will be cutting 30 or so pines while clearing and then just maintaining 10 acreas or so from fallen trees.

The decision between a homeowner saw (the stihl 310) vs the Professional series (Stihl 361) is killinh me.

Bottom line is I can get the 361 out the door $635.00 and a case for 35 bucks.

The 310 (which is not in stock anymore) will run $450.50 out the door plus 40 bucks for the case (different dealer prices). or the 290 for $395.88

HELP ME DECIDE...... local guy where I am moving with the 361......or local guy where I am now with the 290 or 310. Or forget Stihl and go with husky
 
I wouldn't own either of those pigs personally, grab a 361 and be happy. It's only money, and hey the economy is starting to recover, just watch the news if you don't believe me. :rolleyes:

Scott
 
going against the grain here, but spending an extra $185 to save maybe 2 minutes total doesn't make sense. if you plan to burn wood to heat, then you have a better arguement to buy the 361. it is nicer, just not necessary in your case. save that money and put it in the stock market......errrrrrrr, scratch that plan. take the wife out or buy a 180 to throw on the 4 wheeler.
 
If he ever accidentally straight gasses a 290/310 it quickly becomes a paperweight/conversation piece. If he does the same to the 361 then he can hang a new piston, clean up the cylinder and away he goes. Plus it has a with handle that goes better with his lumberjack outfit.

Scott
 
are you saying he can't get just a piston for a 310??? if he can ebay it, take the $200 he will get plus the $180 he saved by going with the 310 to begin with, and but a 290................. i know what you mean, but for the # of trees there is just no way to justify a 361.

Spek, one thing that we did not ask as we start our pontificating is, what size are the trees?? 30, 10-15 inch trees would be child's play for a 310. 30, 60 inchers would put you in 441/660 range. i am assuming the smaller size trees, since i am from the same region as you and i have travelled all over alabama.

Spek, buy a 310 and never read another post here. you will end up with CAD and a shed full of saws. btw, that muffler on the 310 is VERY restrictive. you can find another .5 hp by drilling a few holes in it and turning the screws on the carb a little. then you have 361 performance at a a bargain price. yes, you still have the extra pound of weight to carry, but you won't be using it that much. if you had never found this site you would be pleased as punch with a 310. leave while you still can!!!!!!!!!!!
 
going against the grain here, but spending an extra $185 to save maybe 2 minutes total doesn't make sense. if you plan to burn wood to heat, then you have a better arguement to buy the 361. it is nicer, just not necessary in your case. save that money and put it in the stock market......errrrrrrr, scratch that plan. take the wife out or buy a 180 to throw on the 4 wheeler.


You are forgetting the pleasure of using first-rate equipment.....:greenchainsaw:
 
Two for the price of one

Here's another way of looking at this dilemma. The 290/310/390 are criticized for being too heavy even though they're very close to the 361 in weight. For the money you save with a 290 or 310, you can also buy a MS 180 for your light work. I bought a 390 for personal-use firewood, which cuts just fine through 20-inch hard oak. I'm no pro cutter and I'll admit the 390 is a bit heavy to use for every cutting task. So now I'm thinking about getting a MS 180 just for that reason. Doesn't that make some sense?

By the way, speaking of mods, drilling the muffler and changing the carb limiters will void the warranty, no? But will making the saw run correctly give it a longer life than running it all choked up and leaned out for two years?
 
I have a local stihl dealer where I am moving. Small town. I will be cutting 30 or so pines while clearing and then just maintaining 10 acreas or so from fallen trees.

The decision between a homeowner saw (the stihl 310) vs the Professional series (Stihl 361) is killinh me.

Bottom line is I can get the 361 out the door $635.00 and a case for 35 bucks.

The 310 (which is not in stock anymore) will run $450.50 out the door plus 40 bucks for the case (different dealer prices). or the 290 for $395.88

HELP ME DECIDE...... local guy where I am moving with the 361......or local guy where I am now with the 290 or 310. Or forget Stihl and go with husky

The other option is to get a nice used MS361 for approx. the price of a new 310. Check the trading post!!
 
...i know what you mean, but for the # of trees there is just no way to justify a 361.

Spek, one thing that we did not ask as we start our pontificating is, what size are the trees?? 30, 10-15 inch trees would be child's play for a 310. 30, 60 inchers would put you in 441/660 range.

:agree2: This is less an argument of $$$, and more an argument about the size of the trees and how often the saw is used.
If it's the 30 trees, and then the saw will sit in your shed for another three years until the next hurricane:dizzy:, then putting out all that money for a "nice" saw doesn't make sense to me. They're all nice saws. I have a 361 -- and others -- but I'm still trying to justify why I purchased mine! Yeah, it's a nice saw, but it's not TWICE as nice as a saw that's half the price...
 
Spek,

For what you are describing you don't NEED a 361.

If you WANT a 361 buy it!

If you want to buy what you NEED, a 290 will serve you well.

There is another alternative.....

Take $100.00 Buy it up in hamburger, hot dogs, cokes and buns. Host a GTG and these guys will come down, cut your trees, buck 'em up and pile them out of the way.

You'll have a host of new friends, money in your pocket, no expensive piece of machinery to maintain and your new neighbors will never cross a guy with that many weirdos for friends.

Mike
 
Spek,

For what you are describing you don't NEED a 361.

If you WANT a 361 buy it!

If you want to buy what you NEED, a 290 will serve you well.

There is another alternative.....

Take $100.00 Buy it up in hamburger, hot dogs, cokes and buns. Host a GTG and these guys will come down, cut your trees, buck 'em up and pile them out of the way.

You'll have a host of new friends, money in your pocket, no expensive piece of machinery to maintain and your new neighbors will never cross a guy with that many weirdos for friends.

Mike

Good post. :cheers:
 
Spek,

For what you are describing you don't NEED a 361.

If you WANT a 361 buy it!

If you want to buy what you NEED, a 290 will serve you well.

There is another alternative.....

Take $100.00 Buy it up in hamburger, hot dogs, cokes and buns. Host a GTG and these guys will come down, cut your trees, buck 'em up and pile them out of the way.

You'll have a host of new friends, money in your pocket, no expensive piece of machinery to maintain and your new neighbors will never cross a guy with that many weirdos for friends.

Mike

I like the way you think:clap:
 
my echo cs-4600 with a 16 inch bar is heavier than my 310 with a 25 inch bar. i usually climb with the echo just cause the bar is 16 but the weight really isnt an issue. if your like me and you dont cut much hardwood cept alder ansd your cutting med size pines or fir then the 310 is a good choice. as much as i run a saw sometimes cutting 100 cord a year the 310 holds up, though my next saw is gonna be a 441 or 660
 
Thanks everyone for the advice and input-----------Here's an update. I went out to buy a saw today and the local dealer where I am moving had sold the 310 that I could have got at the above price.. I was getting the 310 discounted because he already sold his last 290. The next closest dealer was $469.99 for the 310,$369.99 for the 290, and $609.99 for the 361 none would budge...no deals...no free cases( the wanted 49.99 for them!!!!).

SOOOOOO...I really wanted to support the local dealer, and as luck would have it about all he had left was a 390 and a 361. I left with the 361.

We settled on $600.00 and 35 bucks for the case. They filled it up for me, threw in a jug of Stihl bar oil, 6 bottles of 2 gal Stihl oil mix and a gas can. Got a wedge and a file ...so out the door under $700. :jawdrop:

BUT........................MAN IT CUTS GOOD!!!!!!!!!
 
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