If you were to buy a 70 cc saw tomorrow which one

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good deal thank you and thanks to everyone for info and thoughts

today i found a ms461 local for $1000 w/25 inch out door only wanted a 20 inch bar but oh well
Well....late to the party, but tell me, what's ONE thing a 461 will do better than a 7910 Dolmar that can be had for $600-$700. I'd just like to know ONE thing it'll do better??? I know what I'd do in your situation, I'd buy a better saw for much less money. Buy a Stihl hat or T-shirt if you must. Stihl spends huge money making people (like here) think the way they do, sometimes a Stihl is the best answer, in this situation simply its NOT.
 
Most people advising a 461 do so for self gratification, it re-affirms they made a the right choice. But this is emotion based, not based on true facts. The only similar thing between a 7910 & 461 is the sound they make when a skidder rolls over them. And at that point your about $400!!! better off had you bought a better deigned 7910. This is a simple easy answer that should not require many responses. I own more Stihl product than anything else (ms150 2x201's 200t 2x261 660 polesaws 2xbg56 km94 km130) and a few more collectors etc. You work hard for your $$ so spend how YOU want but if your looking for the best 6-7 cube saw the answer is not a 461.
 
14.7 lbs at 5.7 hp at $850
$250 more get 13 lbs at 6 hp with 462, ---but thank you i did look, weight important, i have back issues

Those are 7910 specs. 7900 is 6.3hp at 14.1lbs. But the 7910 is the currently available model. I can attest that my 7900 w/ 20" b&c weighs exactly the same as my 372. But I digress.

[Glugs IPA] [Gets serious]

Here's my serious assessment of some 70cc notables:

If I'm playing ****, marry, kill in the 70cc range..... I'm f*cking the 7900, marrying the 372xp and killing any saw with an outboard clutch and a single lever brake flag (sorry 6800 you're kinda in that boat). But that's me.....

7900 will blow your *&%$ the fastest. 372xp will be there to cook you dinner and is genuinely just good. 462 looks smoking hot but is b1tchy compared to 7900 and the 7900 has better T&A and does that freaky stuff but smokes a pack a day. 500i is way out of your league, might be vegan and probably is crazy as sh!t. 572 is kinda hot in a goth or emo or I don't know yet kinda way. 7910 had a kid or two but still makes you think "damn you were good". The 044/440/441/046/460/461s all married each other, live in New Hampshire and drive subarus. These are facts.

I don't have to work tomorrow. Can you tell? I'll see myself out........ [Glugs IPA]

My point: I love me a 7900..LOVE EM....but get a 372xp and you'll be happy...... Your 7900 days are over and god knows you don't need some new hot thing to try to keep up with.....
 
Most people advising a 461 do so for self gratification, it re-affirms they made a the right choice. But this is emotion based, not based on true facts. The only similar thing between a 7910 & 461 is the sound they make when a skidder rolls over them. And at that point your about $400!!! better off had you bought a better deigned 7910. This is a simple easy answer that should not require many responses. I own more Stihl product than anything else (ms150 2x201's 200t 2x261 660 polesaws 2xbg56 km94 km130) and a few more collectors etc. You work hard for your $$ so spend how YOU want but if your looking for the best 6-7 cube saw the answer is not a 461.

My 461 can whip your 7900’s ass! Lol. Just messing with you but it really can...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
My 461 can whip your 7900’s ass! Lol. Just messing with you but it really can...
Running your 461 against my 681 Solo would make you sad, disappointed, angry and want to cry. And that would be half way through the first cut. There is 'some' truth to that lol, though don't get me wrong never will i say a 461 is a 'bad' saw, that is far from the truth, its a great saw. Its strong & reliable with many good things about it. Parts will be available for years and parts saws could be sourced, plenty of oil goes through its insides, its got a semi-decent air filter, no MT to worry about, easy to work on, you can use all you Stihl bars off your 261-661, it will always sell on the used market for fairly decent money & it sounds good. It has a bunch of good accessories dual dawgs, wrap bars, funky big clutch covers etc...they are a dam fine saw in every respect (except for its old bone shaking rubber AV that next to nobody is using these days). But... Now the 462...well that's a complete different story, price is the only thing bad about that saw. You can even get it in standard carb! They must have fired some designers & engineers at Stihl as the 462 is light, has specs off the chart and has a heart like old Stihl's of yesteryear (440, 066, 064 200t). The 462 is truly simple, clever, fun & fantastic, other than price, why wouldn't you buy one!
 
Maybe a 461 can’t beat a 7900, or a 7910 for that matter. But I can go to a dealer within a short drive nearly anywhere in the U.S and get parts for it, the same day. Same with a 372 Husqvarna.

Try that with a Dolkita. I’d also like to know where I can buy one for $600.
 
Maybe a 461 can’t beat a 7900, or a 7910 for that matter. But I can go to a dealer within a short drive nearly anywhere in the U.S and get parts for it, the same day. Same with a 372 Husqvarna.

Try that with a Dolkita. I’d also like to know where I can buy one for $600.

I found one used on ebay for 450 plus 60 to ship.
 
It will sell better and easier in the used market. I don't know about your 7900 but the air filter is good on the 461 and the saw compensates for a dirty filter. Mike

Sold a ported 6401 with 7910 top end on it locally in about two weeks, maybe 3 cant remember. Guy was headed to the stihl shop to buy a new saw but his buddy knew better and steered him towards my house where he spent less money and received a better saw.

I've got a minty 7910 on my bench right now waiting to be ported if anyone is looking for a badass saw.
 
Also there are several online dealers for makita that can ship you parts in 3 days or less. If you run saws professionally I would assume you have back up saws. Lot easier to get online and order parts than is it to drive to the dealer IMO.
 
Well....late to the party, but tell me, what's ONE thing a 461 will do better than a 7910 Dolmar that can be had for $600-$700. I'd just like to know ONE thing it'll do better??? I know what I'd do in your situation, I'd buy a better saw for much less money. Buy a Stihl hat or T-shirt if you must. Stihl spends huge money making people (like here) think the way they do, sometimes a Stihl is the best answer, in this situation simply its NOT.

After feeling i got taken, for buying a 550xp, im not on husky pay roll to test their products in field - i was not going to even take a chance on a "off brand" not saying "insert your brand here" is not the best thing since sliced bread, just i have owned and own stihl and never had a failure call it good luck nor am i using my outdoor equipment every day -but when i need it i need- my time is important, picking up part 6 miles away also important
 
You can probably buy a used 461 for $600. If not, then the dealer service is what drives the price up. Caterpillar is the same way. Maybe not the best equipment, but the best parts/service network without question.

I do have backup saws, but it still does not change the fact that whatever is broken needs to be fixed. The backup saw is the backup for a reason.

It’s easier for me to walk in to a dealer with a part number or them to pull an IPL and get one than to get the “x fits y” on the internet.

As to whoever said a ported smaller saw will stick with a stock bigger saw that statement is correct until the long bars come out. At that point there’s no replacement for displacement.
 
Shindaiwa 757 Pro, here they were $1250 vs $2200 for a husky 372xp and in my limited opinion just as good, I find it to be a very nice smooth saw.
 
Money not an issue then a 462 or 500i... I doubt it they would be better than any of my other 70cc saws but I haven't had one yet :) The Dolkitas, shins, husky, and stihl all make a good 70cc saw... All are a little bit better at this or that but most all will be proficient up to 28" bar and pull 32 if needed on occasion. The dolkitas and shins are probably a little torquier than the rest. I like the filter better on the 757 but the 7900 is faster and has a side tensioner. Also 7900 parts are way easier to get in the states. The 757 has about the best filter of the old school saws in this class. The 372 is almost as good since it doesn't need to get cleaned as much and does such a good job. The OE372 or xpw is probably my fav 70cc saw although I like my 44/46's almost as much for diff reasons.. I have had a couple 757 and 4-7900's.... I will always have at least one 44/372 around but I never keep the shins or dolkitas.. Great saws to play with (especially the 7900)but I don't find they do anything substantially better than the big 2 and if anything breaks and I don't already have it I can get it right now or have it shipped cheaper.
 
You can probably buy a used 461 for $600. If not, then the dealer service is what drives the price up. Caterpillar is the same way. Maybe not the best equipment, but the best parts/service network without question.

I do have backup saws, but it still does not change the fact that whatever is broken needs to be fixed. The backup saw is the backup for a reason.

It’s easier for me to walk in to a dealer with a part number or them to pull an IPL and get one than to get the “x fits y” on the internet.

As to whoever said a ported smaller saw will stick with a stock bigger saw that statement is correct until the long bars come out. At that point there’s no replacement for displacement.
That’s my take. Small saws are a poor buy if you do the math on hours of service vs price. The 361 type saws will do work but only last half the hours of a 440 class saw. If you don’t really need a saw then 60cc all the way.

No off brands for me. I have a few older stihl saws that the year they were new earned me a living for a whole year without ever being worked on. (I never even knew how to adjust a carb and I cut wood for a living. Because stihl makes such an awesome product. I’m serious. I never knew how to work on a chainsaw because there was no need to. ) of course now I tinker for fun and IMO don’t do enough to justify a new $1300 saw since I own 10 or so older 55-90 cc saws and do 100 or so cords a year. When wood was my primary income I wouldn’t have taken a chance on anything else. But hey 99% of the Internet are hobbyists so we get lots of opinions. Most guys are running like 10 tanks a year through their 70cc saw and it’s hard to know who that is. Most the guys that wear out a 70cc or more pro saw a year don’t have time for online BS so we probably won’t hear from them here.
 
Reliability(maybe, we don't know yet). Possibility for end user adjustment/repair in the field(right now any MT issues=trip to dealer). The same could be said for the 462 though.
It’s made for a guy to work it to death before you have issues. I’d think someone could make 75k of gross income with one and then throw it out and get another. I’d defiantly try one if I was going to still wear a saw out in one year or less. I don’t think it would be something to buy used and run 10 tanks a year through.
 
It’s made for a guy to work it to death before you have issues. I’d think someone could make 75k of gross income with one and then throw it out and get another. I’d defiantly try one if I was going to still wear a saw out in one year or less. I don’t think it would be something to buy used and run 10 tanks a year through.
I don't think the OP of this thread(or me)has that as his intended use. Thus my answer...
 

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