What's the difference in Stihl Pro and Mid Range?

[aandabooks]

I'm very happy with my 310. I have never run a 361. Cut between 5-7 cords per year. Just your typical homeowner trying to heat the house with wood.

Like joatmon said, if you go with the 310 just leave AS. I chose to stay and am now in the process of trying to convince my wife that a new 460 would be a wise investment of an entire winters heat savings. Not getting very far yet.

 

[SawTroll]

Are Stihl's in anything other than Pro series really junk? Well, I guess I will look at a 260 or maybe a Husky 359 or 346XP.

umm, Ya, I think so.. ......


I think that's your best bet, or bite the bullet, and get the ms361

:agree2: - but add the 5100S to the choises!

 

[SawTroll]

If your getting a mid range Stihl why not the 390? Same wieght as the 290 and 310. Steve

Too close to the 361 in price!

 

[BIGBORE577]

1/2 hp.
almost 1lbs.
mag.case instead of plastic
better anti-vibe
200$
Way more cool points,Plus you get a cool patch and decoder ring for the 361 club.

Plus all the Huskyheads will be PO'd you didn't buy a Swedish saw even if it is not one you were not considering. Then you will be told you actually did because Stihl does not have the ability to engineer their own products and had to copy Husqvarna, blah, blah, blah.... sounds like hard line political rhetoric. All the while you can play a game and count the chips that land on their shoulders instead of in their beloved air cleaners. How can you go wrong! Where else could you start an international incident for just the lowely price of an MS361? Priceless!!! (PS: Don't mention flippy caps, they may implode!)

 

[stipes]

Love my 260 pro..

So, your not going to use it like a pro would, you still don't need to buy junk. I'm not sure how much cheaper it is, but an ms260 might save you some coin (cabbage), that is an awesome choice, runs an 18" bar just fine. I have a 14 year old 026, and I wouldn't trade it for 2 new 310's.

I searched and looked and asked and finally got mine a few weeks ago..It's light and with a 18 inch bar makes trimming for me easyer,,and kinda my all round saw unless I get into the really big stuff then I use the 440...For fire wood,,I dont think you can go wrong...

 

[Lakeside53]

The case of the 290,310,390 is made of plastic. The metal bearing for the crank sit in the plastic case and the cylinder bolts to the plastic case. Not as strong as Mag. Good, but not as good as Mag.

There is a ton of info on the 361 and the 290,310,390 just do a SEARCH.
It all boils down to this how much you going to use it?

The entire engine is metal.. the bearings do not sit in Plastic. You're confusing this with the "other" brand


The 310 work great, and in the hands of a non-abusive owner, will last pretty much forever. I service 290's 12 years old that are used regularly, and they still run fine.

I prefer the 361 hands down., but $200 is a lot for some guys. It outsells the 361 10:1.... at least.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

yes

Buying a new 310 is like buying a new Chevy Luv. It was junk when built, Is still Junk, and If you bought one brand new, it was worth about 25% of what you paid for it as soon as you left the Dealer.

I don't agree that the 310 is junk or the 290 or the 390......in fact I don't believe that Stihl makes a junk saw (and neither does Husky). I paid $ 329 for my 029 and sold it 12 years later for $ 275 with one new chain and 2 used chains, a new air cleaner, a file and holder, and a quart of oil. I cut a lot of wood with my saw and kept it clean and it had good compression - I suppose the saw cost me about $ 10 a year and was a bargain to own. The new owner that replaced his box store saw with the 029 is still very happy with my used saw and I am very happy with the 361 that replaced it.

I believe a somewhat accurate analogy is to compare the Stihl 170/180 "Occasional Use" grade saws to my 4 cylinder S10 pickup - it is not very powerful but will get small jobs done and not cost very much in the long run. The "Mid-Range" saws like the 290/310/390 are more like the Silverado Work Truck with the 4.3 litre V-6 and will do lots of frequent work and will also last a long time if you take care of them. The "Professional" model saws like the 260, 361, 441 are more like the V8 Silverados and will do lots of heavy work (every day) for a very long time.....the 660 and 880 are like adding the diesel and heavy duty options. (My apologies to Dodge/Ford/Husky owners for not including those brands in the analogy).

If you are on a budget the 310 with an 18"-20" bar will do just fine. If you want a Professional saw and most your cutting is less than 10" or so a 260 is a really great saw and I have a 16" bar on mine and love it. For cutting regularly over 12" a 361 works great with a 20" bar.

 

[Fastcast]

My neighbor has a 310 ( for about 3 years now) and cuts a LOT of wood with it.....He claims to love it.....It seems reliable and sounds pretty stout from my house, about 100 yards away.

Would I trade my Dolmar 5100s for it?.....NOT A CHANCE, LOL.....But if you're an occasional cutter, it will most likely last you a long time.....IMO

 

[Peacock]

The 310 is most certainly not junk. It cuts just fine and will probably last most people a lifetime. For $600 the 361 is wayyyy overpriced. I much prefer a used 044 or 372 for less dough and a bunch more snot.

 

[stipes]

Just wonder too...

The 310 is most certainly not junk. It cuts just fine and will probably last most people a lifetime. For $600 the 361 is wayyyy overpriced. I much prefer a used 044 or 372 for less dough and a bunch more snot.

My Dad bought the 028 super new back in the early 80's and he used the he** outta it till he passed away in 96,,and I used it every winter till early of this year...I dont know if the 028 would have been considered a pro saw back then,,but it still starts and runs just as good as the day he bought it...
I bought my 440 and 260 to replace the 028 and want to keep it in good cond. for personal reasons..So back to the 028...
Here is a saw that been ran over 20 years and still almost as new....Would a 310 last you a lifetime??? Thats up to how you take care of it,,maint. not loaning it to noone..I like the pro saws cause I want them to last me a lifetime..Kinda why I bought the 440 and 260....Just keep in mind,,and like I do when you buy one as a runner,,,do I wanna replace it in 10 or less years,,or last me my lifetime...Good luck on your search......

 

[SawTroll]

Plus all the Huskyheads will be PO'd you didn't buy a Swedish saw even if it is not one you were not considering. Then you will be told you actually did because Stihl does not have the ability to engineer their own products and had to copy Husqvarna, blah, blah, blah.... sounds like hard line political rhetoric. All the while you can play a game and count the chips that land on their shoulders instead of in their beloved air cleaners. How can you go wrong! Where else could you start an international incident for just the lowely price of an MS361? Priceless!!! (PS: Don't mention flippy caps, they may implode!)

Not by me, it just happens that I like the Husky options more often than the Stihl ones.......

 

[iowawoodcutter]

If you are a homeowner and just cutting 5-10 cords a year, the 310 will be just fine. That being said, I cut 10 cords a year and started with a craftsman, then bought a 361 and the diff was amazing. Then I got greedy and wanted even more power so I traded it in for the 460. Now I spent 900 dollars for my saw and you spent 400 (???) for your 310 and the end result is the same, 10 cords.

BUT, if we ever get into a match of chainsaw sword fighting, I win, hands down!!!

 

[ms310]

My 310 is JUNK

My 310 is junk, at least it is right now got ran over by a 140 hp tractor! I have all the parts $145.00 worth to put it back together. Lets say this, I bought that saw new in spring of 06 it has cut over 300 cords yes cords not face cords, and i still loved that saw! That is why i am rebuilding it. In the mean time waiting for the parts for the 310 i bought the 361 so i could keep cutting, and i am a smoker. What saw do i like most, of course the 361, it is deffientley faster in the cut, I do hate the small spikes on it, soon to be replaced. I also bought the 361 because i am a member of AS and i cut alot of wood as you see above. If i was cuttting just for myself, i would again purchase the 310 it is $200 and if you arnt going to make a living running the saw the 310 will run forever for you.

 

[SawTroll]

The entire engine is metal.. the bearings do not sit in Plastic. You're confusing this with the "other" brand ....

"Clamshell" design, like the Poulan made Huskys????? :greenchainsaw:

 

[blsnelling]

Buying a new 310 is like buying a new Chevy Luv. It was junk when built, Is still Junk, and If you bought one brand new, it was worth about 25% of what you paid for it as soon as you left the Dealer.

You've obviously never owned one and are just spewing out something you read. It's simply not true. A MS290-MS390 will last a home owner a lifetime. I bought a 039 new probably 15 years ago. It saw a lot of use. I burned wood for most of those years. I also used it for tornado clean up one year. It was used and used hard, but taken care of. I never had one problem with it! None. I only sold it after finding AS and contacting CAD. It got replaced with a 360 Pro and now a 361. No saw is going to last a lifetime in the hands of a logger, they're just used too hard and for too many hours. But the 290-390 are great saws and certainly not pieces of junk!

 

[blsnelling]

The entire engine is metal.. the bearings do not sit in Plastic.

Even the little MS170-180s have an all metal engine which is then bolted to the plastic chassis.

 

[Stihl 041S]

Junk?

It is a lot like guns. Some guy buys one and he is an expert. Buys more and his head grows, mainly from reading gun ####. Has a custom(pro, high$) gun built and he knows all.............yet gut shoots 3 deer before he shoots one in the leg and it breaks its neck falling...one shot kill.
Another guy with a 30-30gets a couple of deer a year, lung shot, and just smiles. The 310 is like a 30-30, it ain't junk, and you may smile....

 

[SCOOTER]

Snellerized is absolutely right,, i have a 290 and a 310 amoung most all the Pro Saws,, just because i joined AS. It's all in how you take care of your saws. Under normal conditions, the 310 will last for many years and i personally don't think that you'll be dissapointed. That's just my thought.

 

[joatmon]

Not by me, it just happens that I like the Husky options more often than the Stihl ones.......

Niko,

1 vote for Husky.

Wonder how the other 6,724,999,999 folks will vote?

Joat

 

[04ultra]

Niko,

1 vote for Husky.

Wonder how the other 6,724,999,999 folks will vote?

Joat

:agree2: :agree2: :agree2: :agree2: