would you get the ms461 or the ms462?

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

nick060200

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Aug 1, 2013
Messages
36
Reaction score
38
Location
19064
found a dealer in NJ with good prices. 995+tax on the ms462 25" bar. The ms461 is about $100 less. Can't decide which to get. I can tune a saw reasonably well. do you think the ms461 would be more durable in the long run? I want longevity mainly. I read the ms461 doesn't have a good air filter, should i be concerned about that?
Thanks
 
I bought the last 461 in my local shop and am really pleased. Heard the 462 can whip up on it as long as the check engine light isn’t on. Lol, I haven’t noticed any issues with the filter to be concerning. I don’t use it daily so the extra pound or so doesn’t bother me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Two professional fallers I use to work with claim the 461 is the greatest mid-sized saw Stihl has ever made.

I think it will be some time before we find out if the 462 will claim that crown (like you say, durability will be factor).

If you want newness and sexiness, go for the 462. If you want a proven, reliable product - go for the 461.
 
I bought the last 461 in my local shop and am really pleased. Heard the 462 can whip up on it as long as the check engine light isn’t on. Lol, I haven’t noticed any issues with the filter to be concerning. I don’t use it daily so the extra pound or so doesn’t bother me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I doubt the 462 will"whip up on it" as the 461 has a slightly longer stroke . I'd look for the 461 to have a bit more torque
The AV champ is the 462 though as the 461 can rattle any loose fillings you may have clean out
 
Never ran a 461 so I can't say anything about it other than everyone likes them that has one. I bought the 462 because my dealer gave me an awesome deal and the guys from across the pond that had them before us really liked them. I've been running the snot out of mine since I got it.
Hoping all the bugs have been worked out.
 
I doubt the 462 will"whip up on it" as the 461 has a slightly longer stroke . I'd look for the 461 to have a bit more torque
The AV champ is the 462 though as the 461 can rattle any loose fillings you may have clean out
So you'll be going to the dentist more often now?:rolleyes:
 
If you run stihl mostly, you won't notice any excessive vibration, as long as bearings are good. Last year to buy 461 to i would prob get one. IF a PNW pro swears buy, then i would buy it. Then you can say you run the same saw as a PNW lumberjack. Can't you put a thin foam sleeve around the outside like the old school 044 metal wire filter and put that foam plastic thing that fits on the inside. They were both blue in color at some point. What filter setup do the pro fallers use?
 
So you'll be going to the dentist more often now?:rolleyes:

Can always get a 462, $1,016 w/ 20 at my dealer.
I'm sure that Stihl will work hard to get it right on the 462, a class of saw that many fallers use.
They wouldn't want bad press, like the initial roll-out of the 661
In my case I'd rather have the 500i, much more power than the 462 in a light weight package.

When the last of the 461s are sold may not be able to get another new one.
Don't plan on running it anytime soon;)
 
The 462 is cutting edge in saws right now, the 461 is a great saw, or you could do like Duce said and get a bottle of red loctite and a Huskie , the loctite is for keeping up with screws and small parts that fall off lol
Oh and by the way the larger Huskie you get the bigger bottle of loctite you will need
 
The 462 is cutting edge in saws right now, the 461 is a great saw, or you could do like Duce said and get a bottle of red loctite and a Huskie , the loctite is for keeping up with screws and small parts that fall off lol
Oh and by the way the larger Huskie you get the bigger bottle of loctite you will need
Must have missed their change in fasteners and sealant. :yes: Will check if I saved picture of Stihl's cylinder bolts coming out. You win, I did not save it.
 
The 462 is cutting edge in saws right now, the 461 is a great saw, or you could do like Duce said and get a bottle of red loctite and a Huskie , the loctite is for keeping up with screws and small parts that fall off lol
Oh and by the way the larger Huskie you get the bigger bottle of loctite you will need
Have had screws come loose on the 365/372, zero on the 390/395.
Had bar stud bolts loosen & come off the 660 I had
 
My vote is attached. The 462 has a bunch of features I do not enjoy, like the one-piece top cover that requires a scrench to get into, as well as the whole super-light plastic side cover, and I wasn’t a fan of how it balanced with a 28. The AV is way too soft stock with a longer bar.

The 461 on the other hand, filters air okay, is built like a tank, and at least compared to the 046/460 it replaced, is very smooth. It doesn’t have spring AV for sure, but you get a better feel for where your bar is and how hard you’re dogging in with it. The 441, 661 and Husqvarnas do a better job, IMO with springs, and we’ll see if it improves over time.

If you want a better filter setup for a 461 there’s a a MaxFlow kit available. Otherwise, the HD2 filter works just fine, it just requires being knocked out a little more often.
 

Attachments

  • E55A66B7-BA9C-44E1-A0AC-D8C9E84EDA4F.jpeg
    E55A66B7-BA9C-44E1-A0AC-D8C9E84EDA4F.jpeg
    2.6 MB · Views: 42
The 461 with a 32” at work is noticeably stronger than the 460 I had with a 28”. It’s a great saw.

If I had the money though I would get the 462. The power to weight is just too tempting.
Then the 500i will be even more tempting as it has .8 more hp than the 462
 
I hate to throw a monkey wrench into this thread, assuming that is what it is, but here it goes. One of the best saws that I have ever owned is a Stihl 046 Magnum. Here it was five years ago as received:
Stihl 046 Magnum.JPG
I cleaned this saw up, fixed the pull cord, added an outside bumper spike, and it runs flawlessly today. I bought it as a non-runner for $300 shipped. I like saving old tough guys.
 
Back
Top