what stihl chainsaw do you recomend?

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simon wilkins

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Hi im new to the forum.
I currently have a husky 240e with a 14" bar whitch i use for cutting firewood but i find that it struggles a bit when i come to larger logs.
I am looking at buying a second hand saw and was thinking of a stihl ms361 with approx 20" bar after reading reviews they seem to be a good saw.
Can anyone recommend a good reliable stihl? there are so many models i get confused! i also read about a ms362 but people say they have had a bit of trouble with them.
Thanks simon
 
simon wilkins said:
Hi im new to the forum.
I currently have a husky 240e with a 14" bar whitch i use for cutting firewood but i find that it struggles a bit when i come to larger logs.
I am looking at buying a second hand saw and was thinking of a stihl ms361 with approx 20" bar after reading reviews they seem to be a good saw.
Can anyone recommend a good reliable stihl? there are so many models i get confused! i also read about a ms362 but people say they have had a bit of trouble with them.
Thanks simon
Click to expand...
I bought an ms341 from ebay a while back for the same purpose, as you, i.e. I had a smaller saw (ms211) which struggled on the big stuff.

The ms341 is identical to the ms361 but has very slightly less power. So it tempts lower prices :)

I'd recommend a nice one of these, mine came with 18" bar (I did fit a 20" later on). This saw then worked very nicely for me, cutting 18-24" ash and oak. It does not have the new-fangled strato/mtronic technology and as such is pretty idiot proof. Cheaper on ebay for a good one, than a 361. (Though of course the 361 is a fine saw).

Just remember with all things second hand - buyer beware!

Good luck mate - tell us how you get on and welcome to AS!

Matt
 
Thanks for the reply.
I will keep an eye out for ms341 didnt know they were both very similar.I have been looking on ebay and bidding on a couple but like you say buyer beware its hard to say how much hammer they have had.
I am not to fussed on the newer mtronic stuff more to go wrong!
There is a place near me that deal with stihl and huskys and they have a second hand 361 with 24" bar and chain he tells me its fully serviced and is asking 250 plus vat so 300quid.comes with 3 month warranty dont know if thats a good price?
thanks
 
Hi Simon,

Yes 341 has pretty much the same parts as 361. Some folk on AS will know more about it than me, but I think that the only difference is the cylinder (port heights different) and slight carb/coil differences.

I bought my 341 for 140 quid on ebay, it was a decent enough runner, but it was sold with the wrong clutch cover. As a result the chain/bar weren't on too secure, which DID cause me issues. However, the seller credited us the 35 quid for a new one. I've since done minor service work on (plug,filter+tune-up). And a while back I upgraded the oil-pump. Which takes me to the ONLY problem of the 341/361 range - the oiler is rather low in terms of output. The one you saw might struggle a bit with 24" bar (a lot of bar for little oil etc.)

300quid is probably ok, considering the warranty, but you'll probably get a better 341 for 200quid I guess. I don't think I spent 300 including everything I spent on my 341 and it's an awesome saw. It's up to you.

Hope this helps, give me shout if you want more advice on either saw,

Matt
 
After my experience with the 341 - I'd advise you to check with ebay seller "that it has the original(ish) parts" or get them to say what parts they know are changed, etc.
 
Shagbark said:
MS361 is a great choice for an all around firewood saw.
Click to expand...
Yeah Shagbark, you're dead right there - I just didn't want Simon to overlook the ms341, another great stihl, which we have quite a few of over in the uk!
 
As said a 361 is ideal , but in my opinion runs best on a 18" bar . You could consider a 440 /044 /460 that would give you a lot more bar options .
 
Thanks for the replys guys.I have looked at the 440 460 saws but are a bit out of my price to be onest.
I think i will look towards a 341 or 361 just keep shopping around and looking on ebay for a cleanish used one they seem to be about my price range.
Anything i should be aware of buying seconhand as in make sure its not a chinese copy! how old would a 361 saw be about?
thanks
 
simon wilkins said:
Thanks for the replys guys.I have looked at the 440 460 saws but are a bit out of my price to be onest.
I think i will look towards a 341 or 361 just keep shopping around and looking on ebay for a cleanish used one they seem to be about my price range.
Anything i should be aware of buying seconhand as in make sure its not a chinese copy! how old would a 361 saw be about?
thanks
Click to expand...
Hi Simon,

I don't really know about chinese copy detection. I looked over the ms341

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STIHL-MS341-CHAINSAW-/151988509988

and it looks too used to be a s**t copy. Does that make sense? i.e. a cheap copy would probably have fallen apart by then. It does look ok but you need to factor in a few parts to your cost

http://www.lsengineers.co.uk/catalog/product/view/id/21404
http://www.lsengineers.co.uk/catalog/product/view/id/21437
http://www.lsengineers.co.uk/stihl-chain-loop-rsc-3-8-063-66-links.html
http://www.lsengineers.co.uk/stihl-rollomatic-18-chainsaw-guide-bar-1-6mm-gauge-10350.html

(I'm not trying to plug L and S - they are just the people I use for stihl spares in the uk. Those parts are just shy of 100 quid I think. Of course you could find them cheaper - they are new stihl prices.)

Perhaps some of the US guys can help you spot a fake 361. I bet the 341 aint a fake - cos they'd rather fake a 361 - since they'd see more return on essentially the same investment.

Hope this helps
Matt
 
Find a tried and true MS360. I had one for years and only cut firewood with it..sold it way too cheap and bought a MS362 to replace it. other than hitting a spike in a tree..I love the new saw..everything I buy is new with a warranty. I would recommend it to anyone without small engine experience..AND get the Stihl ultra mix..it doubles your warranty
 

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