Husky 359 VS Stihl Ms361?

[GASoline71]

My 361 weighs .9527651093672 grams more than a 359. Since it is so much "heavier", I wish I would have bought a different saw. I had to have a muffler mod too since it lacks the power to cut a popsicle stick. But it didn't have a cat muffler though. So mine is better right?

I think my 361 will only pull a 12" bar with green safety chain. I believe that if you take a phillips head screwdriver and "punch" a few holes in the 359's muffler... it will get 1.11192876532000000912 Kw out of it.

But I'm wonderin'... if I use veggie oil instead of 2-cycle mix... will my saw smell like a McDonald's???:deadhorse: :deadhorse: :deadhorse: :deadhorse: :deadhorse:

You guys try to split hairs waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy to fine when it comes to comparing these 2 saws. Get over it. Sorry... rant over....

DO A SEARCH!

Gary

 

[rahtreelimbs]

:hmm3grin2orange: Nothin' like getting called out.

The 359 may be the biggest sleeper saw out there. Many have achieved very impressive gains with this saw - performance comparable to saws in the $650+ range. All the money you save on this saw will pay for all your tooling to do the mods, and the weight savings will save your back in the bush.

Great post............true to the bone!!!

 

[minkota1]

I believe that has to be me, saying that several times - Husky is very optimistic regarding the weight of the 357xp and 359, according to independent testing......:biggrinbounce2:

Thanks for clearing that up, I've wieghed mine on our shipping scale at work and it's considerably more than they claim. Still love 'em though especially after the muffler mods!:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[SawTroll]

.... The 359 may be the biggest sleeper saw out there. Many have achieved very impressive gains with this saw - performance comparable to saws in the $650+ range. All the money you save on this saw will pay for all your tooling to do the mods, and the weight savings will save your back in the bush.

Stock saws and ported ones can bee totally different stories, even though the compared models are the same.

The 359 should be nowhere near the MS361 when both are stock. The difference in power rating and measured torque (DLG/KWF) is just too large.

Into the bargain, most of the 359s sold in the US by now are E-techs........

 

[ktoom]

I sold my 359 cuz i didn't like the power it put out. To me, it felt comparable to my 029 super. Although, after hearing about how to get the saw to open up more, now i wish i never sold it. Oh well, looks like i'll have to buy a MS 361.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Stock saws and ported ones can bee totally different stories, even though the compared models are the same.

The 359 should be nowhere near the MS361 when both are stock. The difference in power rating and measured torque (DLG/KWF) is just too large.

Into the bargain, most of the 359s sold in the US by now are E-techs........

A bargain is a bargain!!!


The only thing the E-tech has against it is a muffler that is a little harder to mod!!!


Both are great saws.................but the 359 has a slight edge for the simple fact that it is cheaper!!!

 

[SawTroll]

..... The only thing the E-tech has against it is a muffler that is a little harder to mod!!! .....

If the owner is going to mod it, that is...........:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Hired Gun]

We all know $200 in the pocket saved is never an edge, someone please poke me in the eye.......

 

[rahtreelimbs]

A bargain is a bargain!!!


The only thing the E-tech has against it is a muffler that is a little harder to mod!!!


Both are great saws.................but the 359 has a slight edge for the simple fact that it is cheaper!!!

If the owner is going to mod it, that is...........:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

We all know $200 in the pocket saved is never an edge, someone please poke me in the eye.......

If the guy is hanging around here then chances are he will mod it!!!

Still the savings are worth it!!!

Adam I won't poke you in the eye!!!

You need to be able to admire the mufflers I did for you!!!

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Sawtroll.....ever run a 359???


Any version that is???

 

[timberrat]

stihl or husky

i say neither is bad.
saws for differnt people means this saw is better than that saw argument into a
thing like this ---->>>>> :deadhorse: :hmm3grin2orange:
buy from a dealer that will support you in the future should the saw go too pieces . also buying from a good dealer means money well spent. you may be buying more saw from said dealer if you hang out on this site:biggrinbounce2:
just my pennys worth:yoyo:

 

[rahtreelimbs]

i say neither is bad.
saws for differnt people means this saw is better than that saw argument into a
thing like this ---->>>>> :deadhorse: :hmm3grin2orange:
buy from a dealer that will support you in the future should the saw go too pieces . also buying from a good dealer means money well spent. you may be buying more saw from said dealer if you hang out on this site:biggrinbounce2:
just my pennys worth:yoyo:

Good Post............well put!!!

 

[Hired Gun]

Adam I won't poke you in the eye!!!

You need to be able to admire the mufflers I did for you!!!

Those are some beautiful mufflers!!! I was just cranky, I was only on my first pot of coffee for the day

 

[SawTroll]

Sawtroll.....ever run a 359???


Any version that is???

No, a .6 hp (.7 hp here) difference is hard to overlook (or expain away), so I went streight for the MS361........:biggrinbounce2: :biggrinbounce2:

The 359 should be compared to the MS341, not the 361.

The 357xp is the Husky to compare to the 361, unless you are talking fully woods modded saws.........:biggrinbounce2:

 

[Carmel Corn]

For those familiar with the 359, any idea how much more performance is (or can be) improved with an in-expensive non-EPA muffler replacement (ex. from Bailey's)? Just trying to gauge whether a simple $30-$40 improvement does much to close the gap or is a waste of $$$.:help:

Thanks!

 

[blis]

For those familiar with the 359, any idea how much more performance is (or can be) improved with an in-expensive non-EPA muffler replacement (ex. from Bailey's)? Just trying to gauge whether a simple $30-$40 improvement does much to close the gap or is a waste of $$$.:help:

Thanks!

non-epa muffler will you give maybe 0.1hp-0.2hp over the epa muffler in stock form, when modded the gains will be greater...

 

[BLACKeR]

[How much HP will the 359 putout with the muffler opened up? I've herd figures of 20% more power with the muffler alone. If my math is correct that would put the 359 at about 4.2 hp! Is that possible? If so that will do just fine for what I've got to cut.

my math puts it at about 4.7 hp 3.9 X .20 = .78, .78 increase + 3.9 = 4.68HP

i got my 359 for $360 + $25 for shipping, off eBay. i shopped around and service wasn't an issue to me, i always do my own work. i got a $35 non-cat muffler. if the muffler mod truly adds 20% i will have a 4.7HP saw for $420 how much is a ms 361?

i bought the 359 because the people who had owned it for a while all think its a great saw. seems to me like the only people who knock it are the ones who sold it early or who look at it on paper in its stock form. mine was admittedly a turd before some break in time.

i think i got that all right...:help:

 

[SawTroll]

For those familiar with the 359, any idea how much more performance is (or can be) improved with an in-expensive non-EPA muffler replacement (ex. from Bailey's)? Just trying to gauge whether a simple $30-$40 improvement does much to close the gap or is a waste of $$$.:help:

Thanks!

I believe it just get you back to the original 3.9 hp performance, but thats just me........:biggrinbounce2:

 

[timberwolf]

Good muffler mod will gain 20% easy on the EPA 359 with round chain, with square chain it will gain more, I found the gain to be over 35% with a race cain.

Only thing I realy don't like about the 359 is the outboard clutch, it is a real pain when set up with an 8 pin sprocket and 16 inch bar (its a real finger puzzle to get the bar and chain off and on without chopping the heal off the bar)

 

[Steve128]

Original Question

For $ 489.00 the 359 (which I have) is not a good value. For around $ 400.00it is a great deal. I don't understand paying $ 569.00 for a Stihl 361 when I can get a Dolmar 7900 for the same price which is a far stronger saw. Yes, a bit heavier but much better value.

Of course, if you need dealer assistance, the above is void. You need to go with your dealer! If the two choices are all you want to use, then the 361 is worth/value the 80 dollars in price.