saw choices- MS362 vs MS461?

[weedkilla]

Thanks weedkilla, felt like i was starting WW3, or "the chainsaw apocalypse"
Here's what I've decided to do.
Keep the 362, using it for my everyday work,limbing 6-18 inch stuff
Service both the 038M and the 044, buy a 25 or 30" bar , select which saw i like best out of the 038M and the 044,and use it for the occasional bigger cutting,and falling when i get to that stage.
Sound like a plan?

Clean the 038, sell it and buy a chain grinder.
Say g'day on the All Aussie dribble thread. http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...-dribble-thread.175005/page-1509#post-5403489

Decide you don't like the 044, sell it to me for what you paid plus postage.

Oh- and get in contact with @MCW for bars and chain. Maybe a grinder too if you go down that route.

 

[MustangMike]

Sorry about venting on your thread, good luck with your saws.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Well, I have been experimenting with trying NOT to use my 361. My solution has been to use an 026 PRO, an 028 Super Wood Boss, and when I need some big grunt, I pull out the 046 or the 660. That seems to be working. But, the 361 can replace at least three of the others most of the time.

 

[MustangMike]

Edwin, I'm surprised a 10 mm 044 has never made it's way into your lineup.

 

[bennn*e]

462 when it comes out or a 362 for now then maybe a 661 down the track

 

[Matt B]

The 361 is the smallest saw I cut firewood with and it's usually accompanied by the 064 which comes out when the wood is over 18" diam. If I just want to fill the trailer and have not time to play with my toys it's always the 460.

 

[Trx250r180]

Keep the one you like ,don't listen to any of these guys

 

[rwoods]

Keep the one you like ,don't listen to any of these guys

Personal preference sums up a good 90% of the arguments on AS. Wrong assumptions and bad information - 9.9999999%. The rest is the rest. Ron

 

[rogue661]

Hi, I'm upgrading to either a stihl MS 362 or a 461.
Most of my work is hardwood eucalypt (grey and yellow box), 10-18 inch diameter ,and mainly limbing and crosscutting, not much big falling( I'm still wary, but want to work up to it,with some expert instruction)

The 362 feels a bit lighter in the shop, but not a huge difference to the 461,however,I'm wondering how much that little bit of extra weight will begin to take its toll during a long day of cutting.

Is the extra power of the 461 justified by the trade off in weight,and do i need that extra power?

eventually,i want to run two saws, either a 362 and something bigger, or a 461 and something smaller (ummm,i may have just answered my own question,duh, get them both!)
A very experienced chainsaw bloke i know runs the 461 and the 362 and reckons its a good combo, what do others think?

I'm leaning towards getting the 362 now, then maybe a bigger saw later, but a little voice keeps yelling
" No! Get the big one, more power! More vrooom! More credibility! size does matter, etc etc"

Anyone have any advice for a conflicted saw shopper?

Where in AU are you? When you say yellow box is that the same as yellow jacket? if so that's some hardwood!....Yeah would be nice to live a life cutting softwood and stand back with a 28in bar and drop the tip into the cut like a hot knife through butter with no bending over lol...But yeah back to reality cutting Aussie hardwood forget about the 30in bar (unless your got 30in plus timber to cut) on the 038/ 044..Unfortunately we're not very cool down under with our short bars but it is what it is.... Let the saw pull itself into the log and let the dogs take all the hard work out of it and don't forget to get into the habit of pulling the saw back off the dogs a few inch at the end of the cut! and always read the log and get to know the movement of the log before it even happens......As weedkilla has said the 362 is a fine saw and sounds about perfect for your needs at this point in time....As your saw fitness increase over time so will your need for more power don't rush it, you will know in yourself when that is...Cheers and be safe out there.....

 

[dws_az]

Interesting thread as I have a couple of the saws that are being considered.

If I had to decide between having only the 362 or the 461 that decision would be based on the type of wood that I needed to cut then I'd go with the 362.
- One saw plan

That said, if I were to go with two saws based on my experience and "my" cutting needs I'd go with the 241 and 461
- Two saw plan

 

[Wood Doctor]

Interesting thread as I have a couple of the saws that are being considered.

If I had to decide between having only the 362 or the 461 that decision would be based on the type of wood that I needed to cut then I'd go with the 362.
- One saw plan

That said, if I were to go with two saws based on my experience and "my" cutting needs I'd go with the 241 and 461
- Two saw plan

Precisely why I just restored an 024. However, the 026 PRO is still a better saw than the 024--more power and almost the same weight. The combo of the 026 PRO and the 046 (or 460) is really hard to beat. One for limbing and small bucking, and the big boy does the rest.

 

[Sammy777]

Hi Skipster, you do have the right idea. I own myself eight chainsaws, and I never get enough of them. You should get the MS-362 hands down. You will be using it a lot more often and with just a muffler mod you can even run a 25 inch bar and chain easily. Just don't force it down. When you talk about the weight on a 460/461 again, weight wise, you're talking about a MS-660. After a few hours the weight will get to you and fatigue will be your worst enemy.

 

[Sammy777]

 

[Sammy777]

Hi Skipster, you do have the right idea. I own myself eight chainsaws, and I never get enough of them. You should get the MS-362 hands down. You will be using it a lot more often and with just a muffler mod you can even run a 25 inch bar and chain easily. Just don't force it down. When you talk about the weight on a 460/461 again, weight wise, you're talking about a MS-660. After a few hours the weight will get to you and fatigue will be your worst enemy.

 

[skipster]

Been running the 362 for a few days now.
I love it! I dont really notice the weight difference between it and the MS251 i sold, but the power difference is HUGE.
No longer do i have to muscle the saw through the wood, it pulls itself through beautifully.
The 251 had constant problems with the bar not getting enough oil( smaller chain size maybe?) but the 362 hasnt missed a beat.
It has the standard 20 inch bar,which suits me fine for the moment.
I'm buying a friends old 044 and 038m, so will put a bigger bar on one of them if i need to.

 

[MustangMike]

Glad you like it, thought you would. You will likely be impressed with the other 2 also, the 044 is my favorite. Does not have the AV of the 362, but I find that AV is more important when you are limbing than when you are bucking. Having the bar buried seems to take it away.

Put a dp muff cover, HD-2 (or Max Flow) filter on that 044, richen the tune a tad, and you will have a strong running saw.

Good luck with em.

 

[weedkilla]

Been running the 362 for a few days now.
I love it! I dont really notice the weight difference between it and the MS251 i sold, but the power difference is HUGE.
No longer do i have to muscle the saw through the wood, it pulls itself through beautifully.
The 251 had constant problems with the bar not getting enough oil( smaller chain size maybe?) but the 362 hasnt missed a beat.
It has the standard 20 inch bar,which suits me fine for the moment.
I'm buying a friends old 044 and 038m, so will put a bigger bar on one of them if i need to.

Sounds great. Happy cutting!

If you end up going for a longer bar on one of the other two then make sure you go for 063 gauge. It's the most common size for stihl stuff anyway, but Carlton sell 3/8 063 semi chisel skip. It's a godsend for Aussie wood and stretching how much bar you can run on a saw. It does get blunt a bit quicker than full comp, but it's much nicer to sharpen with less cutters! And it gives you some wiggle room with bar length. If it pulls the skip easily you can buy full comp next time.

 

[skipster]

Thanks Fellas,
Mike, whats a dp muff cover?

 

[MustangMike]

Dual Port Muffler Cover. They are available on EBay for $12-$20 dollars, with or w/o a screen.

Stihl originally made them for the 046 Magnam Saw, but they fit on an 044/440. It is the easy way to port your muffler.

The saw will breath much better and run cooler.

That and the filter make a big difference on that saw. Just make sure you make the tune (especailly Hi screw) a little richer. Usually, 1/16 turn on both Hi & Lo worked for me, but make sure it is properly tuned by ear, or by tach.

 

[skipster]

Great info, thanks to all you blokes.
Kinda fun,discovering a new hobby.