MS 261c vs farmboss 290

[sb47]

I bought a ms 261c about 4/5 months ago and have been using it a lot cutting up firewood. Today I decided to run my ms290 since it has been sitting unused for awhile and man what a few lbs make. The 261c weighs in at 10.8 lbs and the 290 at 13.0 lbs. You wouldn't think 2 lbs would make that much difference but after just a few tanks of gas I was ready to put the 290 back up and use the 261. I run 20'' bars on both so all the difference was in the power head. I always liked the 290 and still do but I love the 261 even better.

 

[ShneaSIG]

Your 261 does everything the 290 could do and does it with less weight. Can't argue with that.

I've enjoyed my 290 - it's been a completely reliable saw and it's cut a whole lot of wood for me.

 

[sb47]

Your 261 does everything the 290 could do and does it with less weight. Can't argue with that.

I've enjoyed my 290 - it's been a completely reliable saw and it's cut a whole lot of wood for me.

Yep! it is equal power wise but much lighter. I have had great luck with the 290. Been using one for over 10 years but I think my new favorite is gonna be the 261.

 

[birddogtg]

If a 261 is equal in power to a 299 farm boss I would not own either one.

 

[sb47]

If a 261 is equal in power to a 299 farm boss I would not own either one.

Why not? I cut 100 cords a year with one and it's lasted me over ten years. That's 1000 cords without any issues.

 

[mountainlake]

No way a 290 will cut as fast as a 261, no matter what the paper specs from Stihl say. Steve

 

[sb47]

No way a 290 will cut as fast as a 261, no matter what the paper specs from Stihl say. Steve

Have you used a 290 and a 261 with the same bar and chain set up and compared how they cut?
My 290 runs a 20'' bar and so does my 261 with the exact chain and they both cut about the same. In my opinion they are equal as far as performance.
I have run both running one then running the other and they cut the same. the 290 cuts the same as the 261. Other then weight, they cut at the same speed.

 

[mountainlake]

Anyone else think a 290 will cut as fast as a 261, both stock or muff modded tuned good with sharp chains. Steve

 

[Ronaldo]

261 is 50cc and the 290 is 55cc if I'm remembering correctly. That they both cut about evenly but the 261 is a couple lbs lighter is a testament to what you get with the pro series saws.

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[ShneaSIG]

And, nothing against the 290. I had one for about 6 years and it was a flawless performing machine. Started easily, and cut an awful lot of wood, mostly Midwestern oak varieties.

It's still a dandy saw, and running with boring reliability. It just now belongs to a friend who is going to continue feeding it a steady diet, surely, for years to come.

The "flaws" in the 290, if they can be characterized as such, are mostly that the newer designs save weight and provide more power. So, the 290 shows its age when stacked up against current and recent production designs, but it's still a very capable saw.

I recently - as in yesterday - upgraded to a 362cm, mostly because I wanted to be able to run a bit more bar when needed, and there's enough capability overlap that I don't have need of my venerable 290, so I sold it to my best buddy. Otherwise, I'd be merrily sawing along with my 290 for a long time yet to come.

 

[ShneaSIG]

Have you used a 290 and a 261 with the same bar and chain set up and compared how they cut?
My 290 runs a 20'' bar and so does my 261 with the exact chain and they both cut about the same. In my opinion they are equal as far as performance.
I have run both running one then running the other and they cut the same. the 290 cuts the same as the 261. Other then weight, they cut at the same speed.

I wouldn't be surprised if, on a stopwatch, the 261 clocks faster. I imagine the torque that the 261 produces makes it perform better when buried in big hardwood with a 20" bar over the 290. I found myself having to give the 290 some relief when cutting at max capacity in big oak or it would bog. But, the 290/261 performance difference isn't the biggest reason separating the two designs, in my book. The weight difference is what sells me on the 261 first and foremost, because the 290 always cut well enough to satisfy me.

 

[mountainlake]

I've run a few MS290 and 029 saws, they were all dogs compared to a good 50cc saw. Maybe if you let both saws scream instead of loading them properly they might be close to each other. Steve

 

[sb47]

And, nothing against the 290. I had one for about 6 years and it was a flawless performing machine. Started easily, and cut an awful lot of wood, mostly Midwestern oak varieties.

It's still a dandy saw, and running with boring reliability. It just now belongs to a friend who is going to continue feeding it a steady diet, surely, for years to come.

The "flaws" in the 290, if they can be characterized as such, are mostly that the newer designs save weight and provide more power. So, the 290 shows its age when stacked up against current and recent production designs, but it's still a very capable saw.

I recently - as in yesterday - upgraded to a 362cm, mostly because I wanted to be able to run a bit more bar when needed, and there's enough capability overlap that I don't have need of my venerable 290, so I sold it to my best buddy. Otherwise, I'd be merrily sawing along with my 290 for a long time yet to come.

I do have a 362 with a 20'' bar as well, though it sees little work now that I have a lighter saw.
One of these days I'm gonna convert the 362 to run the same bar and chain as both my 290 and 261 do. That way all bars and chains can be run on any one of the 3 saws I have.

 

[ShneaSIG]

I do have a 362 with a 20'' bar as well, though it sees little work now that I have a lighter saw.
One of these days I'm gonna convert the 362 to run the same bar and chain as both my 290 and 261 do. That way all bars and chains can be run on any one of the 3 saws I have.

I felt my 290 ran very well with an 18" bar, but too often I'd find myself in need of more bar, and a 20 wasn't quite enough, so the 362's ability to go to 25" seems about perfect. So, I have a 20 for regular use, and when I get to the bigger stuff, I'll put the 25 on. The 362cm is about a pound lighter in the power head than the 290, I think. It's my one and only saw, but I feel like it's versatile enough to do everything I need. I find myself using a power pole pruner for small limbing and stuff, even though the guys I'm usually working with have smaller saws available. Being able to stand up and stand back while I cut branches and limbs is great!

 

[sb47]

I felt my 290 ran very well with an 18" bar, too often I'd find myself in need of more bar, and a 20 wasn't quite enough, so the 362's ability to go to 25" seems about perfect. So, I have a 20 for regular use, and when I get to the bigger stuff, I'll put the 25 on. The 362cm is about a pound lighter in the power head than the 290, I think.

Thats the same reason I got a 362, so I could run a 24'' bar if I needed the extra length, but I rarely use the 24'' bar. 20'' seems to be about perfect for firewood cutting.

 

[ShneaSIG]

20'' seems to be about perfect for firewood cutting.

Absolutely! 18-20 is my favorite general purpose setup. I bet my new 362 will wear that 20 95% of the time.

 

[champion221elite]

I've never run an MS290, but I do own a non-MTronic MS261. Its quickly become my favorite saw.