oppermancjo
ArboristSite Operative
Finally got my New-To-Me MS 361 into some wood this morning!
First a little background as to my chainsaw history. Growing up we never really burned much wood. The house I grew up in had a fireplace downstairs and upstairs. Upstairs had an old Lopi insert. We burned for aesthetics more than anything else. Dad had an old Homelite. I don't recall which model but I do remember it being a manual oiler. I also remember that the demise of the saw was me snapping the handle off.... :msp_unsure: Dad never bothered to get a new one so mom bought him one for Christmas one year. She bought him a Craftsman........ :angry2: By far the cheapest, worst saw I've ever run in my life. We had that into the shop several times and it would rarely start easily and would never idle. Needless to say that when we moved to my grandparents old house on the farm, it was time for a new saw! Dad bought an MS 290. Always had good luck with that saw so when the time came that I moved into a house and wanted to start burning wood, I got a 290 for my birthday. No complaints about the saw at all. It has always run great and I can't recall a single issue that I've had with that saw.
So now for the comparison! Obviously there's the fact that the 361 is a Pro Saw and a full HP more than the 290. A little over 1 HP actually, I think. I was bucking up a 20" Ash that I had dropped a while ago. Running an 18" bar that my FIL had given me. I didn't check which chain I had on at the time but I don't think it was a Stihl chain like I normally run. Had my FIL sharpen them all up and I just slapped one on. At any rate, something was up with my bar and chain combo. I've never run this particular bar before but it just didn't seem to want to cut straight. Not sure if it was an issue with the bar/chain or if it was me just not used to the saw. At any rate, it definitely pulls better than the 290. I put some pressure on it and it pulled straight through the log whereas I would have to baby my 290 a bit or it would bog down. I'm looking forward to switching up the bar and chain and seeing how that runs.
Next observation is the AV handle. WOW!! Never would have guessed I had a chainsaw in my hands, it was that smooth. I'm thoroughly impressed with that particular difference. Should make a heck of a difference in how long I can cut without taking a break. Not saying my 290 is bad but this is just that much better!
I am going to get some bigger/better spikes though. It seems like the oil tank protrudes a little more than my 290 because I couldn't really dig them in very well and couldn't get good leverage. Think I might go for some duals.
I also like the fact that I can see how much fuel I have through the tank. Also on the fuel topic, it seems to be a bit more efficient than my 290. I didn't do a lot of cutting this morning but I still had over 1/2 tank when I was done. Seemed like I should have gone through more than that.
That's my review so far. I'll post with more comments later as I use the saw more.
First a little background as to my chainsaw history. Growing up we never really burned much wood. The house I grew up in had a fireplace downstairs and upstairs. Upstairs had an old Lopi insert. We burned for aesthetics more than anything else. Dad had an old Homelite. I don't recall which model but I do remember it being a manual oiler. I also remember that the demise of the saw was me snapping the handle off.... :msp_unsure: Dad never bothered to get a new one so mom bought him one for Christmas one year. She bought him a Craftsman........ :angry2: By far the cheapest, worst saw I've ever run in my life. We had that into the shop several times and it would rarely start easily and would never idle. Needless to say that when we moved to my grandparents old house on the farm, it was time for a new saw! Dad bought an MS 290. Always had good luck with that saw so when the time came that I moved into a house and wanted to start burning wood, I got a 290 for my birthday. No complaints about the saw at all. It has always run great and I can't recall a single issue that I've had with that saw.
So now for the comparison! Obviously there's the fact that the 361 is a Pro Saw and a full HP more than the 290. A little over 1 HP actually, I think. I was bucking up a 20" Ash that I had dropped a while ago. Running an 18" bar that my FIL had given me. I didn't check which chain I had on at the time but I don't think it was a Stihl chain like I normally run. Had my FIL sharpen them all up and I just slapped one on. At any rate, something was up with my bar and chain combo. I've never run this particular bar before but it just didn't seem to want to cut straight. Not sure if it was an issue with the bar/chain or if it was me just not used to the saw. At any rate, it definitely pulls better than the 290. I put some pressure on it and it pulled straight through the log whereas I would have to baby my 290 a bit or it would bog down. I'm looking forward to switching up the bar and chain and seeing how that runs.
Next observation is the AV handle. WOW!! Never would have guessed I had a chainsaw in my hands, it was that smooth. I'm thoroughly impressed with that particular difference. Should make a heck of a difference in how long I can cut without taking a break. Not saying my 290 is bad but this is just that much better!
I am going to get some bigger/better spikes though. It seems like the oil tank protrudes a little more than my 290 because I couldn't really dig them in very well and couldn't get good leverage. Think I might go for some duals.
I also like the fact that I can see how much fuel I have through the tank. Also on the fuel topic, it seems to be a bit more efficient than my 290. I didn't do a lot of cutting this morning but I still had over 1/2 tank when I was done. Seemed like I should have gone through more than that.
That's my review so far. I'll post with more comments later as I use the saw more.
