alright fellas let the opinions fly, after A LOT and i mean a lot of reading, questioning and talking on here i am thinking the best choices for me at this time are either a ms362 or ms261. I'm sticking with stihl because the dealer network is best in my area, i don't doubt that the husky and jred would be awesome but the dealers are severely lacking in my area. At the moment I'm leaning toward a 261 with an 18" bar. (if i were to get the 362 i would be fine with either a 18 or 20" bar.) I have been talking a lot with brad and randy and i am set on sending whichever saw i buy to randy to get MASTERMINDED 
. let me know what you think and why. Keep in mind my biggest reason for buying this saw was so i could have a saw that bridged the gap between my 025 and my 044. the next reason with is equally as important is my dad will be using this saw as much as i will. He is in his 50s but many years on the construction crew has killed his back and shoulders so weight is a big thing and the anti vibe is a must so this is why I'm looking for a saw smaller than the ~14lb 044. I also want the new mtronic so i can just pull the cord and go.
im bashing my head against the wall right now asking myself: " do i get a saw thats $165 more and only saved about 1.2 lbs over the 044 (ms362) but, once ported, will likely do everything the 044 will so it will get used roughly 90% of the time or do i save 3lbs and $165 and go with the 261 which will handle 75% of what i cut.
don't mean to be a thorn in everyones side but i don't have the money for multiple saws so i want to make the decision on what will suit me best, be most reliable, and give me the best bang for the buck until i can upgrade my saw collection again.
some things to keep in mind:
im 5' 11" 195lbs
cut 5-10 cord a year
mostly hardwoods - oak, hickory, walnut, locust, in the 16-24" range with 2 or 3 oaks that are 40"+ but i also clear saplings and brush for treestands each year.
I'm currently running a 16" bar on the 025 and 20" on the 044
. let me know what you think and why. Keep in mind my biggest reason for buying this saw was so i could have a saw that bridged the gap between my 025 and my 044. the next reason with is equally as important is my dad will be using this saw as much as i will. He is in his 50s but many years on the construction crew has killed his back and shoulders so weight is a big thing and the anti vibe is a must so this is why I'm looking for a saw smaller than the ~14lb 044. I also want the new mtronic so i can just pull the cord and go. im bashing my head against the wall right now asking myself: " do i get a saw thats $165 more and only saved about 1.2 lbs over the 044 (ms362) but, once ported, will likely do everything the 044 will so it will get used roughly 90% of the time or do i save 3lbs and $165 and go with the 261 which will handle 75% of what i cut.
don't mean to be a thorn in everyones side but i don't have the money for multiple saws so i want to make the decision on what will suit me best, be most reliable, and give me the best bang for the buck until i can upgrade my saw collection again.
some things to keep in mind:
im 5' 11" 195lbs
cut 5-10 cord a year
mostly hardwoods - oak, hickory, walnut, locust, in the 16-24" range with 2 or 3 oaks that are 40"+ but i also clear saplings and brush for treestands each year.
I'm currently running a 16" bar on the 025 and 20" on the 044
