MS241 and MS201 rear handle

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merkel

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I am looking for a light rear handle and see the 201 is out there now but also see the 241 is a good saw IF they can be found. I already have a 261 and am looking for something that's lighter to run a 14" bar.

My dealer said no more 241's as he check this morning but didn't know if anyone knew where to find a new on or if the 201 would be the go to for my need. The concern is that the 241 is real close in weight to the 261. I just don't hear much on the 201 rear handle but do hear the 241 is a great saw. Finding a 241 is another story. If Stihl does not fit the bill would Husky or Echo have a PRO saw to fill this niche?
 
The 201c is almost two pounds lighter than the 241 and will run a 16” bar quite satisfactorily with minor muffler tinkering. Very strong with a 14” bar (Sugihara light is fantastic if you can spring for it).

the 241 is a feisty little saw and definitely feels lighter than the 261, but not tremendously so like the 201.
 
I was asking exactly this same question 1 year ago and I ended up with the 241. The 241 might be my favorite of all my saws, but I'm still not sure I made the right decision given how close it is to the 261.

The 241 is seriously impressive. It's a good bit ligher than the 261. Full of gas and oil, the 241 w/ 14" bar and picco chain is 12lbs, 10.6 oz, while the 261 w/ 18" bar and 325 chain is 15 lbs 2.6 oz. But if you put a 16" on the 261 and the gap narrows - particularly the new lighter-weight 325 bars stihl is releasing this spring.

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Also impressive for the 241 is that with the Picco chain it cuts damn near as fast as the 261 with .325. The picco chain is cutting a narrower path, and the reduced effort required nearly compensates for the reduced power of the saw. But again, stihl's new lightweight bar / narrow kerf 325 chain is supposed to be 15% faster should make the 261 pull away more here.

Based on my experience so far - if all you want is a saw to cut hundreds of 2"-5" branches, skip the 241 and get something lighter. I read somewhere that the 201c-em is supposed to be getting lighter (8.1 lbs?) and more powerful this spring. A lot of people crap on it for being a strange compact design, but you'll also find some die hard supporters. It's also expensive. $700+ for a 35cc saw is just offensive, and is what pushed me over the edge to go with the 241.

There's also the Echo 361p which is similar specs to the 201c-em, or even the 2511WES (not for sale yet in the US but there are links you can buy overseas and have delivered) which is insanely light. If you port the 2511WES it's supposedly nearly as powerful as a 201c and 2.5-3 lbs lighter. That's crazy.

However, where the 241 shines is if you want a saw that is light-ish for limbing but can also fly through wood with the 14" bar burried. When I start limbing at the top of the tree and work my way down, I don't stop and switch saws when the tree starts getting bigger. I just keep going until the 14" bar is burried. And I'm usually thinking, "I can't believe this little saw is doing this well in this sized wood." If this sounds appealing to you, then the 241 is the saw you want hands down.

So bottom line - if you don't mind overlap, get the 241. You'll use it and probably love it. But if you plan to do a crap-load of limbing and want the lightest saw possible, or having 2 saws that majorly overlap, go 201, Echo 361p, or Echo 2511WES.

Right now I have a 241, 261 (MMWS ported to help separate it from the 241) and a 462. If I could only have 2 saws, it would be a ported 241 and a 462 - no questions asked.

If I could have 3 saws, would I replace the 241 with a 201? Never having tried a 201, I'm not sure... but possibly yeah. Particularly the rumored new lighter faster variant. The 241 and 261 are just so close it seems silly. Then again, the nice thing about having overlapping saws is that when you send one one away to get ported you have something to use in the mean time. :D

tl;dr - I don't know, and it depends what you are looking for. :)
 
I have both, well a 200 rear handle,same basic thing and I prefer the 241 C on the ground.
What exactly do you prefer about the 241? I assume it's because you can get into bigger stuff before you have to swap to a bigger saw?

If all you had to do was limb little-to-medium stuff, does the 200 shine? Or do you still pick up the 241? Are there any scenarios where you grab the 200?
 
What exactly do you prefer about the 241? I assume it's because you can get into bigger stuff before you have to swap to a bigger saw?

If all you had to do was limb little-to-medium stuff, does the 200 shine? Or do you still pick up the 241? Are there any scenarios where you grab the 200?
More power, but still light! It is the best limbing saw I ever ran. Get a 241 no doubt!
 
What exactly do you prefer about the 241? I assume it's because you can get into bigger stuff before you have to swap to a bigger saw?

If all you had to do was limb little-to-medium stuff, does the 200 shine? Or do you still pick up the 241? Are there any scenarios where you grab the 200?
The 200 sits on a shelf the 241 is the best
little saw ever on the ground period. Keep in mind it aint always limbs.

43 years tree Service owner.
 
Keep in mind it aint always limbs.
Yes! This is where the 241 is amazing.

I'm intrigued by the 5 pound 2511WES though. I mean come on, that thing has to be fun to use.... until you hit a 12" section to cut.
 
If I had a scale handy that could do it, I'd weigh my 201 rear handle for you. With a 16" bar, chain, and full tanks, it might be 11 pounds. It's wonderfully light and nimble, and very well balanced.

For me, I wanted a light saw, with power being secondary. Here in the Midwest, I'm commonly dealing with brush, saplings, and big deciduous trees with big canopies. So, I have lots of small diameter stuff to cut, and lots of work above waist level.

The 201 is just awesome for that sort of stuff. 16" bar gives some reach, and it's got ample power to cut up that small stuff without turning my arms to jello and tuckering me out.

Sure, it's not a great choice for 14" wood, but, I have a bigger saw for that.
 
If I had a scale handy that could do it, I'd weigh my 201 rear handle for you. With a 16" bar, chain, and full tanks, it might be 11 pounds. It's wonderfully light and nimble, and very well balanced.

For me, I wanted a light saw, with power being secondary. Here in the Midwest, I'm commonly dealing with brush, saplings, and big deciduous trees with big canopies. So, I have lots of small diameter stuff to cut, and lots of work above waist level.

The 201 is just awesome for that sort of stuff. 16" bar gives some reach, and it's got ample power to cut up that small stuff without turning my arms to jello and tuckering me out.

Sure, it's not a great choice for 14" wood, but, I have a bigger saw for that.
I'm kinda in the same conditions that you are, and that's why my MS200 is my most grabbed saw. Thing absolutely screams through small stuff. Anything bigger than 4" and I'll grab the MS241. It's light, nimble, and very smooth to use.

The MS 170 has only been started to check spark plugs...
 
I'm kinda in the same conditions that you are, and that's why my MS200 is my most grabbed saw. Thing absolutely screams through small stuff. Anything bigger than 4" and I'll grab the MS241.
This is where I start to question the 200/201. If it won't be seeing wood over 4", why not get the 2511wes which is three (THREE) pounds lighter.
 
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