We had two 026s and one MS260. They were all 44mm versions. One had an aftermarket cylinder. All ran well. For the cut times we used Ericks MS260. It's stock except for a mild muffler mod. The 5100S was stock. The OE 346XP was stock except for a Meteor piston. The NE 346XP was stock except for a muffler mod. All cuts were made in a 10" Poplar square cant. Both 346s and the 5100S ran the same B&C. The chain was Stihl RSC in all times.
.325 Chain
- NE 346XP / 6.8
- OE 346XP / 7.2
- 5100S / 7.8
- MS260 / 8.1
3/8 Chain
5100S / 7.4 + 0.4 over .325 chain
MS260 / 9.5 - 1.4 from .325 chain
No time on 346XP with 3/8 chain
357XP vs MS361 - The 361 is a well broken in saw and the 357 is in perhaps its 2nd or 3rd tank of fuel. Correct me on these log sizes guys. I didn't get the actual measurements.
8" Cherry Log
MS361 / 6.5
357XP / 7.45
16" Ash
357XP / 8.8 Brad cutting
MS361 / 9.1 Nik cutting
MS361 / 8.7 Brad cutting
390XPG / 6.5
7900 / 6.9?? Fill me in here Andy if you remember. It wasn't written down.
A couple things come to light here for me.
1. Neither the OE or NE 346 XP is only a limbing saw. They both beat out the 5100S in 10" Poplar.
2. The OE 346XP isn't that far behind the NE 346XP and is still faster than the 5100S.
3. The 357XP does not give up in bigger wood when compared to the MS361. Matter of fact, in this test, the 357XP trailed in the smaller 10" Poplar cant and caught up entirely in the larger 16" Ash.
4. The only way to know which chain, 32.5 or 3/8, is faster is to try it on your saw in your wood. The 5100S was faster, the MS260 was slower.
5. Last but certainly not least, all of these saws are great contenders. Pick the one that feals best to you and the one that you can get the best dealer support on. The debating is fun, just like the testing. Bet seriously...get over it already
They're all great saws with not enough difference in cut times to make a lick of difference in the real world.