Picked up an MS361 today

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

A non-working but supposedly okay 361 popped up for $100 and couldn't resist it. Hadn't been looking for one, but it allows me to sell off my pair of 455 Ranchers that have been dependable basic crosscutting saws but have never been real wild about. All my other saws I mill with for the most part. Was more ideally looking for something light like a 261 but this works too. I honestly don't do much firewood or limbing and have gotten used to the titanic weight of the 880 so 12-13 lb powerheads seem like feathers in comparison. I understand that modded the 361 is apparently a hell of a saw. Quick check on the condition upon getting it home and I found there was a plug terminal end stuck in the plug boot so the boot wouldn't go over the plug all the way to make contact. That didn't get it going but then I saw the decomp valve had no knob on it and was floating up and down freely not closing. So am getting a plug to close that up. (I'm 6'7" and 230 so some things are toys for me that are more to handle for others, but for the life of me don't know why a sub-60cc saw needs a decomp valve...)

Has okay compression for the decomp valve floating open so thinking should be pretty decent with it closed up. Spark seemed erratic but that may have been bad connections in the tester. Might have a bad kill switch or bad ignition, will see. Looking forward to giving it a go again tomorrow when I have the plug in the decomp port. Will help consolidate things into running all 3002 and 3003 bars, with one 28" D009 bar for my Makita and a Stihl to Husky adapter to run my 3003 mount lo pro bars on the Makita.

 

[Woodslasher]

A good while ago I had a 361 that had erratic spark, it turned out the coil wire was partially unscrewed and would only contact intermittently. That's probably not your issue, but I figure it couldn't hurt to check.

 

[holeycow]

That's one of the best 60cc saws ever made and rips stock.

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

A good while ago I had a 361 that had erratic spark, it turned out the coil wire was partially unscrewed and would only contact intermittently. That's probably not your issue, but I figure it couldn't hurt to check.

Definitely worth a check. More likely something like that than a bad coil.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Yesterday I pulled out My MS361 and installed a 20" sharp chain loop. The saw operated flawlessly as I noodle cut big oak rounds down to a size that I could hoist onto the splitter. That meant cutting the big rounds into sixths. It has more a bit more grunt than my Husqvarna 257. I am very proud of this saw. I bought it new is 2007 and it runs as well now as it did that year. Keeper all the way.

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

Yesterday I pulled out My MS361 and installed a 20" sharp chain loop. The saw operated flawlessly as I noodle cut big oak rounds down to a size that I could hoist onto the splitter. That meant cutting the big rounds into sixths. It has more a bit more grunt than my Husqvarna 257. I am very proud of this saw. I bought it new is 2007 and it runs as well now as it did that year. Keeper all the way.

Yeah I’m excited about this buy - 261/361/461 all great saws seemingly, I’d snap up a fixer upper at this price of any of them any day. And I’m nearly certain nothing major is wrong w it. Way better purchase than my last wild hair buy of a $50 1965-era marginally running 80cc McCulloch. That’s going to be a hopeful flip to a collector, I’ve got zero practical use for it.

 

[PV Hiker]

Might be worth it to take the starter cover off and see if the coil is packed with sawdust. That can over heat the coil and kill it. Check coil gap and condition of the flywheel pick-ups.

 

[snobdds]

I have a hord of 361's. It's my favorite saw.

 

[ZeroJunk]

The thing about decompression valves even if you don't use them all the time they do save wear and tear on the starter mechanism.
Friend of mine is having a battle with an 044 right now trying to keep the pawls, springs, whatever working reliably . He has replaced everything in there. Not sure if wear on the flywheel itself could occur over time.

Anyhow, I don't use decomp starting a cold saw because it's quicker without it. But restarting, why not.

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

The thing about decompression valves even if you don't use them all the time they do save wear and tear on the starter mechanism.
Friend of mine is having a battle with an 044 right now trying to keep the pawls, springs, whatever working reliably . He has replaced everything in there. Not sure if wear on the flywheel itself could occur over time.

Anyhow, I don't use decomp starting a cold saw because it's quicker without it. But restarting, why not.

None of my local bolt/screw places have the M10x1 plug so ordered a cheap decomp valve arriving today because they cost no more than a correct size plug online does. I had a pawl/spring setup I tried to fix on my 045 and it just wouldn't work out for some reason, gave up and got another cheap second hand starter off Ebay and it's fine now. The only saw I have that is a nightmare is my MS780, which for some reason was made far harder to start than the 880 though it's basically the same saw tuned even more for grunt. It's two handed WITH the decomp valve open. Almost straight up impossible without it. Everything else without decomp including my rebuilt 87cc Supers seems relatively easy to pull for me.

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

Took the coil off and had a look, cleaned the contacts, inspected the wires, OEM coil, nothing looks bad. Still only gets brief spark every third pull. Good compression with new decomp valve installed. Going to put a cheap new coil in.

Funny development. My 20 gallon compressor has never held air well and finally got to the point a couple days ago it wouldn't even fill any more past 20 psi. I couldn't nail down where it was leaking, somewhere around the gauges. Took everything apart there, put all the fittings back together tight, but was still hissing when I tried to pressurize the tank. Finally found it was the small hose to the shutoff switch that was leaking. Took the small compression fitting hose elbow off the main tank fitting and found the main fitting had an M10x1 thread. My decomp valve size! So I screwed my old decomp valve in there, reasoning the force as the tank filled would hold it closed, and it did. Leaks a bit of course but works well enough for now to get my compressor up to full pressure. A bit of JB Weld to seal the valve and it will probably actually hold air fine.

 

[John Lyngdal]

I have a slew of 036 chainsaws, a pair of 562XPs and a MS362CM, but my pair of MS361 saws are my favorite 60cc saws.

 

[Woody912]

A non-working but supposedly okay 361 popped up for $100 and couldn't resist it. Hadn't been looking for one, but it allows me to sell off my pair of 455 Ranchers that have been dependable basic crosscutting saws but have never been real wild about. All my other saws I mill with for the most part. Was more ideally looking for something light like a 261 but this works too. I honestly don't do much firewood or limbing and have gotten used to the titanic weight of the 880 so 12-13 lb powerheads seem like feathers in comparison. I understand that modded the 361 is apparently a hell of a saw. Quick check on the condition upon getting it home and I found there was a plug terminal end stuck in the plug boot so the boot wouldn't go over the plug all the way to make contact. That didn't get it going but then I saw the decomp valve had no knob on it and was floating up and down freely not closing. So am getting a plug to close that up. (I'm 6'7" and 230 so some things are toys for me that are more to handle for others, but for the life of me don't know why a sub-60cc saw needs a decomp valve...)

Has okay compression for the decomp valve floating open so thinking should be pretty decent with it closed up. Spark seemed erratic but that may have been bad connections in the tester. Might have a bad kill switch or bad ignition, will see. Looking forward to giving it a go again tomorrow when I have the plug in the decomp port. Will help consolidate things into running all 3002 and 3003 bars, with one 28" D009 bar for my Makita and a Stihl to Husky adapter to run my 3003 mount lo pro bars on the Makita.

messed up shoulder and decomp valves just go together!!!!

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

messed up shoulder and decomp valves just go together!!!!

True! My left shoulder has rotator cuff issues or something limiting how far I can raise it, doesn't affect any of my work much, but if it was my right I might be singing a different tune.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I have a slew of 036 chainsaws, a pair of 562XPs and a MS362CM, but my pair of MS361 saws are my favorite 60cc saws.

Your pair of MS361's might have looked like this one that I bought in 2007 and still own and used today:

It is the only one that I have ever owned and I still love this saw. Today I ran it for over an hour with two tanks of fuel. No problems at all. Was it cheap? No. Was it worth every penny? Yes.

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

Okay, probably should have run a compression test earlier, clearly I have no idea what good compression on this saw feels like. Thought it was pulling too easy. The old coil did seem fried because the new coil provides plenty of spark in comparion, but still no life even with fuel in the cylinder. Best reading I could get after a number of pulls was 100 psi with a good dependable tester. Next stop, take muffler off and have a look at piston and cylinder. Likely someone overheated this saw badly and has stuck rings, fried the coil, and maybe did piston/cylinder damage too. Hoping for just stuck rings.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I don't think my 361 has been off the shelf for a couple of years, just repair saws anymore, don't use them much since we moved.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I don't think my 361 has been off the shelf for a couple of years, just repair saws anymore, don't use them much since we moved.

What that means is that a. Palmer jr. has not used his 361 very much in the lase few years. Neither had I until two weeks ago. Mine runs circles around both my Husky 257 and my Husky 61. I bought those two saws and used them to extend the life of the Stihl MS361. Now the time has come to run that 361 until I drop dead before it does. There are some who say that my 361 will outlive me. Just MHO.

 

[bulletpruf]

Okay, probably should have run a compression test earlier, clearly I have no idea what good compression on this saw feels like. Thought it was pulling too easy. The old coil did seem fried because the new coil provides plenty of spark in comparion, but still no life even with fuel in the cylinder. Best reading I could get after a number of pulls was 100 psi with a good dependable tester. Next stop, take muffler off and have a look at piston and cylinder. Likely someone overheated this saw badly and has stuck rings, fried the coil, and maybe did piston/cylinder damage too. Hoping for just stuck rings.

100 psi doesn't sound very good to me. Guessing you're going to need a new piston.

Good luck with it.

 

[bulletpruf]

A non-working but supposedly okay 361 popped up for $100 and couldn't resist it. Hadn't been looking for one, but it allows me to sell off my pair of 455 Ranchers that have been dependable basic crosscutting saws but have never been real wild about. All my other saws I mill with for the most part. Was more ideally looking for something light like a 261 but this works too. I honestly don't do much firewood or limbing and have gotten used to the titanic weight of the 880 so 12-13 lb powerheads seem like feathers in comparison. I understand that modded the 361 is apparently a hell of a saw. Quick check on the condition upon getting it home and I found there was a plug terminal end stuck in the plug boot so the boot wouldn't go over the plug all the way to make contact. That didn't get it going but then I saw the decomp valve had no knob on it and was floating up and down freely not closing. So am getting a plug to close that up. (I'm 6'7" and 230 so some things are toys for me that are more to handle for others, but for the life of me don't know why a sub-60cc saw needs a decomp valve...)

Has okay compression for the decomp valve floating open so thinking should be pretty decent with it closed up. Spark seemed erratic but that may have been bad connections in the tester. Might have a bad kill switch or bad ignition, will see. Looking forward to giving it a go again tomorrow when I have the plug in the decomp port. Will help consolidate things into running all 3002 and 3003 bars, with one 28" D009 bar for my Makita and a Stihl to Husky adapter to run my 3003 mount lo pro bars on the Makita.

I didn't weigh just the powerhead, but a few days ago, I weighed my 036 with a 20" bar and 3/8 chain - it was 16.6 lbs. For comparison's sake, my 026 was 13.3 lbs with 16" bar and .325 and my 044 was 18.7 lbs with a 24" bar and 3/8 chain. All dry weights - no fuel mix, no bar oil.