To buy Stihl 261 or 261cm?

[smokymtnman]

First time caller, long time listener(reader) here.

Was initially look at a 250 or 271 to replace my old flood damaged saw but have been persuaded by perusing the forum to spend the extra bills on a 261.

I like to buy once, cry once and plan to have this saw for the next 20-30 years. Therein lies my concern - it seems that people like this M-tronic technology and the way saws perform with it, but if my saw has issues 20 years down the road would I be better off having a plain old 261 without M-tronic in terms of having it repaired? I'm just worried that the electronic components could be outdated and potentially hard to source and/or repair by that point in time. Call me old fashioned...thoughts or advice?

Thank you in advance,

 

[cuinrearview]

Depends on how much you use a saw. A 261 is too much saw for a lot of people. How much wood do you cut?

 

[Ozhoo]

I came here looking for the elusive 621... teaser!

261 is a great little saw. I wouldn't fret over future parts availability. One of the big advantages of mtronic is that you can mix and match carbs/ignitions without needing to get things reprogrammed. Cost wise mtronic parts really aren't that much more expensive than traditional parts.

 

[smokymtnman]

Whoops...heckuva typo in the title -- fixed!

The 261 is definitely more saw than I NEED...I will probably only cut 6 or so cords a year. I'm sure I could get by with a 250.

 

[cuinrearview]

Meh, if I were cutting six cord per I could justify a $550+ saw to myself. Despite opinions of individual dealers, Stihl has a solid support network. Parts will always be available in or out of the dealer network. Based solely on your brand preference and desire to pay for quality, I would recommend the 261cmV2.0

 

[Ryan'smilling]

I have a 261cm Version 2, and I LOVE it. It's super easy starting, especially after the first time of the day. It idles beautifully and i like that I don't have to mess with the jets to get the mixture right. I haven't tached it, but it turns pretty quick. I still need to open the muffler a little and maybe advance the timing a hair. For 6 cords a year, it'd be a great saw as long as you don't want to bury a 20" bar all day.

 

[Cope1024]

I think the MS261CM is an excellent choice.

 

[porsche965]

Where the older MS260 had you wishing for a 60cc saw at times, the MS261c V2.0 has the jump in HP to eliminate the need for a 60cc saw. Great choice. 6 pack of oil gets you extra warranty too. I've really pushed mine hard and it always asks for more.

 

[adimice]

I've had a 261c for over a year now and use it daily. I knock the big ones down with a 361 and do all the limbing with the 261, once I got used to the starting routine I'm totally satisfied with it and love the mitronic.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

Is the 261 rewind like that crazy 250 rewind?

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Is the 261 rewind like that crazy 250 rewind?

Do you mean the "easy-start" business? Some of the smaller saws are available with the Easy Start which feels pretty goofy, you pull the cord all the way out, and then at the end it spins the engine over a few times. The 261 is not like that. It's a regular traditional pull cord. Once it's been warmed up though, one mild pull, even with the decomp pressed in, and it fires right up.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

Exactly. Repaired 250 and that starter seemed to be a danger. Pull it and wait, then it starts. WTH?

 

[Conquistador3]

First time caller, long time listener(reader) here.

Was initially look at a 250 or 271 to replace my old flood damaged saw but have been persuaded by perusing the forum to spend the extra bills on a 261.

I like to buy once, cry once and plan to have this saw for the next 20-30 years. Therein lies my concern - it seems that people like this M-tronic technology and the way saws perform with it, but if my saw has issues 20 years down the road would I be better off having a plain old 261 without M-tronic in terms of having it repaired? I'm just worried that the electronic components could be outdated and potentially hard to source and/or repair by that point in time. Call me old fashioned...thoughts or advice?

Thank you in advance,

In a few years, let a lone a decade, fuel injection akin to that seen on the TS420i and 500i concrete saws will be commonplace on professional saws making every other fuel delivery system obsolete. So don't worry.
I am absolutely happy with M-Tronic so far and the local Stihl dealership is as well. Stihl follows M-tronic up very closely and if there are issues will go out a limb to fix them.

 

[Tigdim]

I love my Muffler modded 261cm! I cut 4-6 cords per year for myself and help the farmer where I hunt cut 10-12 more. The 261 is my "Big saw" and my backup is a little 170 that I use for limbing, great combo! Most of what I cut in the past few seasons has been 16-24" dead elms.

 

[blsnelling]

A 261 is too much saw for a lot of people.

How do you figure? The 261 would be a fantastic choice. I highly recommend the MTronic MS261C.

 

[1Alpha1]

How do you figure? The 261 would be a fantastic choice. I highly recommend the MTronic MS261C.

Yeah.........what he said!

 

[cuinrearview]

How do you figure? The 261 would be a fantastic choice. I highly recommend the MTronic MS261C.

As stated above, for his application it would probably be a good fit. But, for many many people, probably the majority of people(outside of AS, and even that would be debatable), a ~$550 50cc pro saw is more than is needed. Walk out your front door and look around at your neighbors. If they're anything like mine, the vast majority have no use for anything more than a Home Depot rental or for Uncle Terry to come over with his Rancher every few years when a bad storm blows through. But, we're enthusiasts, and sometimes that is forgotten around here. When you're a hammer....

That's all I was saying.