Some people don't have that extra money or don't use a saw enough to care. Some of the 290 users are young strong guys that don't care about weight. You said your 290 never had any trouble. I've had one for 10 years without any trouble, but I also have a couple 261's. Not everyone needs a Cadillac to cross the finish line. Some are quite content crossing the finish line in a Ford Escort It's like trucks, I could get by with a 3/4 ton gas regular cab, but for just a few thousand $$$ more I drive a 1 ton Duramax crew cab LTZ.I bought into farm boss hype years ago and ran a o29 super thinking it was a great saw. I was the 'typical' farmboss owner cutting a few cords of firewood a year and never had any trouble with the saw.
I wish someone had set me straight sooner. The few extra $$'s for a 026 would have been well worth it over the years.