461 vs the 391

[user 122190]

I was cutting with neighbors the other day and the power of the 461 was on full display. The 461 was bucking 7 to 9 logs for every one that the 391 completed. My chains are very sharp, and I offered and did sharpen many of their chains the following day. They hand file, and do a respectable job. Their chains are now grinder machine uniformly sharp, so a rematch is scheduled for this coming Thursday or Friday.

I bought the 461 last year, and probably have the 10 tanks run thru it now, and it feels broken-in powerful. What a great saw!!!

 

[Khntr85]

The 461 is a great saw... I know mine easily got better up to 10-15 tanks....

What size bar you running on yours!!!

I also just drilled most of the baffle out of the muffler, and opened the existing exghuast port some....It definitely sounds a little better, will see how much power she gained today or tomorro...

 

[CentaurG2]

The stihl ms391 is a wheel chock but 7 or 9 logs to one would indicate something was really wrong with the 391 or the operator. As long as the wood in under 20”, my little 562xp runs close enough to my 372xpw that I doubt you could profit on the difference.

 

[stihlaficionado]

Not even close to a fair fight.

 

[Full Chisel]

I had a self proclaimed logger tell me once that the 391 was a better saw than a 461. I laughed and walked away.

 

[user 122190]

What size bar you running on yours!!!

I have a 24" and a 32" bar. The 461 is awesome with the 24" B&C. I've dropped several trees with the 32" and I'm glad to have it. It's a bit awkward to handle with the 32", so the 24" gets most of the action.

 

[user 122190]

The stihl ms391 is a wheel chock but 7 or 9 logs to one would indicate something was really wrong with the 391 or the operator. As long as the wood in under 20”, my little 562xp runs close enough to my 372xpw that I doubt you could profit on the difference.

I run Chisel Skip-Tooth chains, while theirs is rounded full comp. It definitely wasn't a fair fight, but that fact that my saw was lapping theirs is what surprised me. We shared the wood 1/2 and 1/2 and to help balance the effort they helped me unload and stack my share of the logs, so I was pleased beyond expectations.

 

[Khntr85]

I have a 24" and a 32" bar. The 461 is awesome with the 24" B&C. I've dropped several trees with the 32" and I'm glad to have it. It's a bit awkward to handle with the 32", so the 24" gets most of the action.

Have you ran the 32" bar buried or close to buried in hardwood very much....if so how did she handle it....

I have talked with guys that have a 32" on the 461 all the time, so I was just curious as to your option on how the saw handled it....

 

[Khntr85]

Oh and I ran a 391 that I got cheap and sold soon after....it ran a 20" bar ok, nothing special for sure....my ms362 I sold, would have ran circles around it with the same 20" set-up!!!

 

[user 122190]

No "hard" wood around here. The 32 has been fully buried in wood, and it will bog a bit when leveraged for faster cutting. But that was when the saw was still being broken in. I do expect it to bog some no matter, as the really big stuff is dead standing, i.e. still most green.

Have you ran the 32" bar buried or close to buried in hardwood very much....if so how did she handle it....

I have talked with guys that have a 32" on the 461 all the time, so I was just curious as to your option on how the saw handled it....

 

[Mustang71]

Those 2 saws are not comparable in any way. I'm a bit surprised it cut that slow tho I think something else was going on. My 49mm 290 cuts hardwood pretty decently. It's got a older yellow stihl chain on it and will pull the 20 inch bar buried in oak just fine. I'd love a 461 that's a top of the line saw.

 

[blsnelling]

Apples and oranges. A 461 should run circles around a 391.

 

[ReggieT]

I had a self proclaimed logger tell me once that the 391 was a better saw than a 461. I laughed and walked away.

Wonder how long he's had that drug problem?