Chainsaw

[f700]

Okay, in the market for a chainsaw and want a Stihl due to closeness of dealer and past good luck with brand (trimmer / blower). Have it narrowed down to:

Ms270
MS280
MS290
MS310
260

I realize this is a wide range, but only reason I lean away from the 290 and 310 is the weight. I plan to cut about 7 cords a year for home heat. Opinions.

 

[mayor]

I was thinking the same thing when I went looking...but the guys here turned me onto the ms361 stihl....it comes with a 20" bar......after owning it a little while....I'm still wondering why I never stepped up too a 60 cc saw in the first place. This saw is great.....and you say 7 cords a year..that's quite a bit of wood......last weekend my dad (67 years old) and my uncle (65) was up there and dad picked up the 361 and cut a tank of fuel thru it......he was very impressed with the handling and power and also the lightness......my uncle tried it a while and liked the saw also.

My reccomendation if your interested in the saws you listed is try out the 361 before you buy!.

 

[iCreek]

MS361 has my vote !!

I would agree with Mayor and look real hard at the MS361. My BIL has the 260 with an 18" bar, he keeps it in his dump truck for a work 'brush' saw, and uses it alot around the stove with small 10" - 14" logs. He love the lightness of the 260, but he does his normal cuts with a older heavy Magnum series with a 20" bar, less leaning over. I don't think there is enough difference in weight with the 270/280 compared to the 361, and the 290 is heavier. I think when I replace my 029 it will be with the MS361 model.


AS Forum Search Results on stihl 361

 

[aandabooks]

All depends on what you want to spend. Most of the saws on your list are in the $400 range. Throw out the 270 and 290 because they are only slightly cheaper than the 280 and 310. The 280 is less power and more money than the 310 but lighter. The 260 is more money yet and will run up to an 18" bar. The 280 or 310 will run a 20" with the 310 running a 24". The 361 as Mayor mentioned is puts you right in the $600 range. Same displacement as the 310 but more HP and about .5 lbs lighter.

 

[blackdoggy]

If your only going to use your saw for firewood then order yourself a Efco from northern tool. Unless your needing anything more than a 20 inch bar you can get away with a Efco 152 if you want more than 51.7cc's than you can step up to a Efco 156 with 56.5cc's. I am going to be a Efco dealer soon just because they have a warranty that is better than Echo, Stihl, Husky, and Poulan, Echo has a nearly identical warranty but Efco gives pros a two year instead of a one year but for consumers they both offer a five year warranty. Go with a Efco and you won't be sorry all of there large chainsaws are made in Italy and you can usually get parts from your local distributor in less than 48hrs. Stihl saws have gone down in quality and there service is not the best in the world there carb's are all now made in China and you would be lucky to get parts in a week unless it is in stock in the store.

www.efcopower.com
http://www.echo-usa.com/prods_list.asp?Category=CHAINSAW

 

[HUSKYMAN]

If you MUST have a Stihl get the 260 or 361.

Get the others out of mind now and forever, they are turds compared to these saws

 

[RAYINTOMBALL]

I agree with aandabooks it depends on what you want to spend. That said if there's any way you can swing the 600 clams for the 361 it will be well worth the money. It will pull a 20 inch bar with rsc all day long. Plus in case you ever need a longer bar for any reason the 361 will pull a 24 inch. Not its strong suit but it will do it. I know I was looking at the same saws you are and got to this site and the 361 was so highly regarded here I had to wait an extra 2 months to save for it. But believe me the wait was worth it. You will be happy with 361 IMO.

 

[f700]

Thanks for the help, but do I really need a pro saw for the amount of wood I plan to cut for myself a year? Seems slightly over kill, or am I missing something?

 

[Stihl here]

First of all what size wood are these 7 cords mostly? I know you are set on a stihl and that is great and all but if you have a dolmar dealer around you the 5100 from dolmar is a bargain for $400 that would be great for firewood. Now I own a ms361 and yes it is awesome but $600. What is your price range? There is nothing wrong with a ms280 or ms290,ms310 for what you are doing also. I have an stihl 026,ms260 and it is a great saw but not for bucking large logs for firewood IMO.

 

[Vibes]

I don't know what your replacing but that 60 to 65cc saw is the way to go in firewood. best bang for the buck.

 

[doubletodd]

if your a stihl man find a dealer who will deal on a 361 or get one on the trading post if you have to I'm just a firewood cutter too, but after cutting with the 361 i would pay full sticker if i had too. At the risk of sounding like a broken record i think this saw is perfection on firewood

happy shopping:greenchainsaw:

 

[f700]

My plan is to buy a grapple load, so log size will vary obviously. I am not going out to cut down and limb trees. My friend has the ,ms290 and likes it, but still want the best bang for the buck and longevity.

 

[Stihl here]

You do not need a pro saw but they are nicer to run, take more abuse and hold there value in the long run!! If you want to spend $400 get a ms280 or ms310 but I do agree that a 60cc saw is a good firewood size and the ms361 is hard to ignore!!!

 

[f700]

How is the 280 with that new IEM? Kind of worried about electronics on a chainsaw...

 

[aandabooks]

So, what is the budget? Sounds like with the grapple you might be into some fairly large wood.

If you're going to go for the 361 and spend the money, Amick's is selling the 7900 for $660 and the way it is talked about on AS, it might be the best saw on the market without moving into 660/880 territory.

BTW, I would think that at 7 cords per year the 361 would be overkill. I've cut 5 cords in 6 days out in the last month and a half. I can cut it faster than my back can handle picking it up and taking it home. I've got what will amount to two days worth of picking up wood and hauling it home just laying in the timber.

Matt

 

[Brushwacker]

A firewood customer offered me an 280 for $150 a couple days ago and I bought it and used it the last couple days about 2 hours or so. This is the 3 rd 280 I have used as a tree service I helped had a couple. The only thing I do not like much about the 280 is all 3 take a good arm plus a good hold on the saw to crank them over. Sometimes its no big deal but in some situations I wish it had a compression release. I find them nimble handling and you need to keep the rpm's up for power which is fine for small diametor wood. I run an 032 after the 280 today and it felt like a torquester through the rpm range in comparision for power. The 280 would have no problems cutting 7 cords a year if it wasn't much larger hard hardwoods. I doubt the 5100 or 310 would be much better, but all the saws mentioned could cut some big wood without killing them off for many years. A bigger saw in big wood makes it easier and faster, and if you get huge blocks you can quarter them efficiently with bigger saws. 2 saws are better then 1. Mabe a new 260 or 270 and a used saw 65 cc + would work in your budget or 2 used saws if you can find some good ones. I found a good demand for used stihls so they are not always easy to find for a reasonable price but they are out there.

 

[wdchuck]

I'll throw my two Lincolns in due to relevance.
. When we started burning wood as primary heat source, all I had was a wildthing, well the guy who took me under his wing to learn about this heating with wood stuff, he had a Jonsered 2171 (70cc)28" bar, man did that saw eat wood, I was impressed how well he handled it and the power it had. BUT, he was a more physical person than myself, and that saw fit him well, for me, too heavy, muscle fatigue set in too early in the day and that is dangerous.
. So, we went shopping for a saw that worked for me, granted, the WT was nice and light, but the vibrations and 42cc were not up to the task of 7-8 cords of hardwood that somtimes came in the form of 32"dia oak/hickory, so I ended up with an MS360 Pro 24" bar, the pro just meant compression release, that saw was something special to me, brand new, high end, expensive( I thought), and while it didn't hold a candle to the 2171, it was a good fit for me, and handled the big wood just fine, we weren't in a race.
. Well, since then, I've used quite a few saws, brands and sizes, and the 361 has great anti-vibration---so real easy on the joints, its in a decent weight range to keep fatigue away long enough to get a decent amount of work done, easy to service/maintain, good resale, and will handle a 24" bar just fine, it's not a race.
. Take the Stihl dealer up on the company offer of satisfaction, and try a 361 in some wood, then try one of the others you listed, same bar, chain, and wood size. The anti-vibe in saws today really is a great way to go.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes for ya.

 

[Woodjack]

I have the MS290 and don't see why you'd need something more expensive for seven cords a year? It's a good solid saw, but sometimes I find it hard to start. I'm not sure if it's me, the saw, or Stihl that's the problem. Maybe someone else can shed some light on that problem.

 

[04ultra]

If your only going to use your saw for firewood then order yourself a Efco from northern tool. Unless your needing anything more than a 20 inch bar you can get away with a Efco 152 if you want more than 51.7cc's than you can step up to a Efco 156 with 56.5cc's. I am going to be a Efco dealer soon just because they have a warranty that is better than Echo, Stihl, Husky, and Poulan, Echo has a nearly identical warranty but Efco gives pros a two year instead of a one year but for consumers they both offer a five year warranty. Go with a Efco and you won't be sorry all of there large chainsaws are made in Italy and you can usually get parts from your local distributor in less than 48hrs. Stihl saws have gone down in quality and there service is not the best in the world there carb's are all now made in China and you would be lucky to get parts in a week unless it is in stock in the store.

www.efcopower.com
http://www.echo-usa.com/prods_list.asp?Category=CHAINSAW

.

 

[wdchuck]

One thing that hasnt' been mentioned yet, to get the most out of whichever saw you choose, learn to keep the chain sharp, it's better to take a stroke or two with a file more often, than running the chain until it smokes and losing 20% just to get a good edge again.

Lots of good threads on hand filing, with good close up pics, in the chain sharpening forum on AS.