Got to play around with my new 362 for the 1st time yesterday. If you've seen my other post, you'd know I took a little road trip to see Thall on Tuesday. Got to hang out with him and talk saws. He helped me with a carb problem I had with my old 038 Mag and gave me a great deal on the only ms362 in Stihl's mid Atlantic area.
Before I talk about the new saw... A little back ground... I'm comparing the 362 to my experience with the 361 and 441. Some might know that I bought a 361 6 or 8 months ago and just recently sold it. I really liked the saw when I 1st got it. As I had been mostly cutting with my 10 year old 026 over the last few years. The 361 was a lot faster with just a little more weight. The only thing I didn't like about it was how light handed you had to be with it. I was used to a slower more torquier 026. In clearing my land with the excavator I cut a lot of green downed trees on uneven ground and they are always under pressure. They wined up pinching a lot more than if you were just cutting dead wood for firewood. The low torque and fast cut speed of the 361 would get me in trouble by getting pinched and hung easier. If I took my time and gave myself enough room to get around the lines of trees, I could avoid getting hung for the most part. Sometimes though it was tough, climbing over trees and branches in the mud on the sides of hills. You just want to hurry, get things stumped and bucked and get back in the machine. That's usually when I'd get hung...
More visits and time spent on this site had me wanting a 441. CAD got the better of me and I got one. Soon after the 361 got kicked to the curb and I put it up for sale. I was a little sad to see the 361 go but the 441 has it all, fast cut speed, loads of torque, very smooth, but with the price of extra weight and bulk (remember I was used to doing my cutting with the little old 026). I've found the 441 is really too much saw for what I usually do. So, I started using the ol' trust 026 again.
Then more visits and time spent on AS, I find out about this new strato 362. Same great saw as the 361, but with more torque and 441 smoothness and styling. This saw has everything I was looking for. I tried Tommy's demo 362 with a 20 in a 18" frozen Yellow Poplar log and it was nice. I was impressed, but I was really impressed yesterday with mine with an 18" bar in 8 to 16 inch oak, maple, hickory and cherry! This saw is as torquie as it is fast. And smooth as silk! It even feels smooth when pulling the starter rope. You can hardly feel the compression. She comes to life in 1 or 2 pulls cold, squeeze the trigger 1 or 2 more easy pulls and she's running. All my other Stihls take at least twice as many pulls cold... I cut for about an hour yesterday smiling the whole time. It revs very fast like the 441 and sounds similar. I think it feels nimble and well balanced in hand and very easy to cut with (bucking or limbing). Very good "do it all" saw and a top of the line firewood saw. It seems to be a good oiler for the western guys running longer bars. Mine's set on "E" and oils very well with an 18. I only had to refuel once during the hour of playing and the oil tank was at about 1/2. So that's pretty fuel friendly.
If anyone has any questions about the saw, I'd be happy to answer.
Thanks again to Tommy! I know he knew I was an AS member and all but, I've never had service like that before in all my years of buying tools/ equipment. I could tell from the way he treated the other customers that he gave everyone the same level of service. Just wish he was closer!
I know how everyone likes pics, so I'll post a few from yesterday...
First few are close ups of the 362 before it got into any wood.
The last two are of the 362 with it's new team mates...
I'll make another post to add the last few.
I once backed over my pellet gun when it was in the case and saw the case go by under the window....KICKED myself for leaving it behind the car (that was my "critter sniping" spot) and got out to see what was left inside the case. Opened it up and it was FINE!!!! That is what sold me on Pillar lock cases.....AWESOME!!!! Saved my $400 gun!! I was ready to run over my foot for running it over....I have had my gun and case for almost a year now, and they are both just fine.
