New pro 50cc saw options, no auto tune or mtronic

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Yeah you definitely brought the heat:laughing:.
With the heat I think we can definitely say its fat o_O.
Meh, probably very close to a MKII, without the risk. A couple project 357s cheaper too:numberone:. Did I mention heat?:blob2:
Gotta like those project deals lol.
I'd still rather have the huskys for handling, especially if I'm gonna be making money with them, the difference in price disappears pretty quick then. If my MT/AT saws break down and it's more than an easy fix for me I'll just send them down the rd and grab another, I'm not as concerned with the risk as most, but then again I don't usually buy new or with a warranty.
 
I just bought an Echo CS-501P. It is the lightest 50.2 cc saw out there. I was mainly focusing on power to weight ratio and ability to run. It may not say Stihl on the side, then again, it'll start better and run stronger than my previous MS-250.
Thats not saying much though...
 
I’m in the market for a new stihl 261 it will be a firewood saw, I’m recovering from shoulder surgery & don’t want to run my modded 461’s cutting firewood, my question is how do I know I’m getting the new edition? What would be the date of manufacture to look for? I normally buy saws in Centralia or Yelm Wa. But I am currently near Asheville N C, dealers in this area seem to be not very knowledgeable on some aspects of their newer saws. I’m not even really sure myself of advantages of latest edition other than computer updates more often & faster I guess, I have avoided m-tronic up until now but I’m gonna go this route.thanks!
 
I’m in the market for a new stihl 261 it will be a firewood saw, I’m recovering from shoulder surgery & don’t want to run my modded 461’s cutting firewood, my question is how do I know I’m getting the new edition? What would be the date of manufacture to look for? I normally buy saws in Centralia or Yelm Wa. But I am currently near Asheville N C, dealers in this area seem to be not very knowledgeable on some aspects of their newer saws. I’m not even really sure myself of advantages of latest edition other than computer updates more often & faster I guess, I have avoided m-tronic up until now but I’m gonna go this route.thanks!
Clutch cover with the ribs is a dead giveaway.
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Thanks, I was under the impression that 261 m tronic underwent a few changes computer wise same time as 462 came out, I was thinking they were wearing that same clutch cover, captive nuts etc even before the 462?
 
Thats not saying much though...
:laughing:.
They are good saws though for the price. If you're cutting smaller wood(4-10") with stock saws and chains the 250 won't be far behind the 261 so for firewood it hardly even matters, if you get over 10" wood the 261 will pull away. I'd still rather have the 261, it has a better feel to it and if needed I could cut a full 18" which is what I like on a 50cc saw(even though I have a 16" picco setup on mine). If I had to have a new stock plastic saw it would be the 450 husky since the filter is easy to clean and it handles better than the stihls also the newest ones come with flippy caps :clap:. The 450 has nearly identical specs as a 353 but adds .02 lbs lol, great saws but they are always in the shadows of the pro saws and the semi-pro saws(mag case without the xp designation). The 250 weighs less than all of them at just over 10lbs but only 3 hp, and the 261 is in the middle, but has the most hp of the 50cc saws at 4hp and the 5105 is right on it's heals at 3.9hp but it's a little fat at 11.9lbs(and feels heavier in hand to me and I don't like the handling).
Lots of choices, I like to try them all, why limit yourself :D.
 
If you didn't, how would you know you got the right one?
Exactly lol.
Whats funny is I find they all have their place. I dont bring my ported 346 out to cut firewood with a bunch of older guys who couldn't keep up with one guy running a Makita 4300 lol.
The only ones I havent owned are the 250(except a builder I sold right after I got it) a 251, and a 5105(had a 5100 builder too), I think for cutting firewood they all do just fine, some are just more fun than others, as they say its more the Injun than the arrow. A sharp chain and a well adjusted carb on a farm ranch saw will usually beat a pro saw with a dull chain.
I think price is a big thing to consider for firewood saws since the goal is saving money most time, but the price should be loomed at as more the cost of ownership not just purchase price. The next thing to consider is does a guy need dealer support, that makes a big deal in what saw he will purchase. Just because there is a dealership within a mile of the house it doesnt mean they have a clue, the first time you order a part you end up finding out real quick. We have a stihl dealer about 5 min from the house, I drove 35 min to buy a 361 fuel line if that says anything. We also have a little independent hardware store that sells huskys about 10 mins away, he knows saws quite well and even stocks a 572, I try to buy something there just to keep him around as long as possible, hes a one man show and does good business as well as repairs.
 
Exactly lol.
Whats funny is I find they all have their place. I dont bring my ported 346 out to cut firewood with a bunch of older guys who couldn't keep up with one guy running a Makita 4300 lol.
The only ones I havent owned are the 250(except a builder I sold right after I got it) a 251, and a 5105(had a 5100 builder too), I think for cutting firewood they all do just fine, some are just more fun than others, as they say its more the Injun than the arrow. A sharp chain and a well adjusted carb on a farm ranch saw will usually beat a pro saw with a dull chain.
I think price is a big thing to consider for firewood saws since the goal is saving money most time, but the price should be loomed at as more the cost of ownership not just purchase price. The next thing to consider is does a guy need dealer support, that makes a big deal in what saw he will purchase. Just because there is a dealership within a mile of the house it doesnt mean they have a clue, the first time you order a part you end up finding out real quick. We have a stihl dealer about 5 min from the house, I drove 35 min to buy a 361 fuel line if that says anything. We also have a little independent hardware store that sells huskys about 10 mins away, he knows saws quite well and even stocks a 572, I try to buy something there just to keep him around as long as possible, hes a one man show and does good business as well as repairs.
Your right, I have usually cut firewood with a 372 or even an old 390 falling saw I retired,but my plan is to leave this saw with my dad when I head back out to Co, he is 72 & has an old 360 that’s on its last breath, he likes locust & has a good amount on his property, pretty good dealer support at a place I have found, I have voided the warranty immediately on nearlyevery saw I have purchased in the last 20 yrs! Well not me personally doing port work but had them modded. Last 461 only a muffler mod.
 
A sharp chain and a well adjusted carb on a farm ranch saw will usually beat a pro saw with a dull chain.
A guy I work with puts a new chain on every time he uses his saw. Expensive, sure, but he doesn't use it very often, and it cuts great every time.
 
A guy I work with puts a new chain on every time he uses his saw. Expensive, sure, but he doesn't use it very often, and it cuts great every time.
If you're getting paid to cut or don't know how to sharpen it's not a bad choice for everyone. If you have to pay to have someone sharpen a chain how many uses will you get out of it, you can sell once used chains for $10 on CL and then your getting a fresh chain every time for about the cost of sharpening. Many hardware stores/dealers don't have a clue about sharpening anyway, let alone hitting the rakers. When I first started cutting I compared the new chains to the ones the local hardware store ground, I found it best to just buy new chains. Since then I've learned a thing or two about sharpening, now I have better and more equipment than they do. Whats sad is I don't think they could put chains that are any better if they used my equipment. They are a perfect candidate for a franzen automated grinder :yes:.
One of my favorite things to ask a dealer is how much they get an hr for labor, then I ask how much for a chain to be sharpened, they usually get the point :laugh:. Others defend saying they can do them when they aren't working on saws, really so my chain will be put off until you finish a saw:buttkick:, then there are those who say the new guys do that you know that's what I wanted to hear :nofunny:.
 
I’m in the market for a new stihl 261 it will be a firewood saw, I’m recovering from shoulder surgery & don’t want to run my modded 461’s cutting firewood, my question is how do I know I’m getting the new edition? What would be the date of manufacture to look for? I normally buy saws in Centralia or Yelm Wa. But I am currently near Asheville N C, dealers in this area seem to be not very knowledgeable on some aspects of their newer saws. I’m not even really sure myself of advantages of latest edition other than computer updates more often & faster I guess, I have avoided m-tronic up until now but I’m gonna go this route.thanks!
Seems like an easy start 5105(5121) would be a great saw for you, or if you want more power an easy start 6100.
If I couldn't start my 70cc saws I'd get one of these ported, strong saws, I just don't like the handling, but I don't like the way a 461 handles so you might like it lol.

Your right, I have usually cut firewood with a 372 or even an old 390 falling saw I retired,but my plan is to leave this saw with my dad when I head back out to Co, he is 72 & has an old 360 that’s on its last breath, he likes locust & has a good amount on his property, pretty good dealer support at a place I have found, I have voided the warranty immediately on nearlyevery saw I have purchased in the last 20 yrs! Well not me personally doing port work but had them modded. Last 461 only a muffler mod.
Right on, what works for one doesn't work for everyone, at least that day :).
 
New as in new or a fresh grind? What does he do with all the ones he takes off?
Probably brand new, put them in a bucket lol.
There are a good number of tree guys who do this when you're charging 50 an hr for a guy the price of a chain gets diminished quickly, you can sharpen chains later, if you feel like it. Most rental companies put a new chain on every time a saw comes back, I think some of that is liability, but I don't know that for fact.
Want to swing by, I have a few rental chains we can sharpen and then grind the shark fin safety rakers off of, they make great chains for flush cutting stumps.
About 4.5 gallons of chains:lol:.
 

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New as in new or a fresh grind? What does he do with all the ones he takes off?
New chain. Uses it maybe twice a year. I think everyone that has had a saw shop sharpen a chain has the "They really messed this chain up" story. What sucks is when it's a 100+ dl chain. My brother borrowed my 066 with a 36" bar once. He ran into some dirt in the crotch of a maple tree, and he had it sharpened. Every tooth was blue. 1st cut after sharpening ok, 2nd starts trying to turn left, 3rd barely cuts but at least it's straight. I figured it was the hard blue edge braking off, first one side then the other. To OP sorry to hijack your thread!
 
But you could easily do a muffler mod on one of the others and buy a nice RW bar and still have money left over.
Don't get me wrong the 261cm vr II is a great running saw.
It’s a gamble, I researched quite a few. After the stihl my next go to would have been the 550xp v 2, but I don’t like husqvarna bars as much as Stihl or the Oregon chain. I couldn’t find anything else in that price range with 4hp. My thought is why would I want to hot rod a new saw that is under warranty just to save some cash? I absolutely hate the fact that they went to a plastic handlebar on the stihl though, but better that than a crankcase I guess.
 
Seems like an easy start 5105 would be a great saw for you, or if you want more power an easy start 6100.
If I couldn't start my 70cc saws I'd get one of these ported, strong saws, I just don't like the handling, but I don't like the way a 461 handles so you might like it lol.


Right on, what works for one doesn't work for everyone, at least that day :).

Man I don’t know if that is joke or not, I have no problem starting any saw, I mean I haven’t owned an 880 or a 3120 husky, I had rotator cuff ,labrum,bicep tendon surgery I didn’t get my balls cut off! An easy start wtf, I don’t want to use one of my woods ported 461 falling saws to cut firewood because it is a woods ported falling saw, I like the little 261 stihl, my neighbor has one that I ran Sat. Dang lol
 

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