ms462 vs cm661

[SamT1]

Thanks for all the input. One of the things I worry about with saws like the 642 is longevity. They keep squeezing more power out of a given displacement, and dropping the weight, and reducing emissions, it seems like something has to give. I sort of equate a 661 to a V8, whereas the 642 is ecoboost. Lots of power and efficiency out of the ecoboost, but more complex and seems to be more problematic in the long run. Tough call..

Technology is allowing them to pull power. Remember manufacturers know we expect increases so they sand bag and trickle us power. I’d be more concerned about electronics going haywire and us shade tree guys not being able to work on it in the long run.. (could M tronic survive an EMP?) These pro saws are truly bulletproof. I’m a tear up an anvil in a sandbox kind of guy and I run my saws like I stole them and I’ve never had any issues besides flat out worn out parts. Just don’t lean them out or straight gas them and they will run until worn out. I even run stihl 50:1.
I have 2 440’s I have kept past what I normally would, one had needed a piston and rings (just lost compression from use), starter pawls, needle bearing the clutch rides on, and the other I had to put a mag on from some freak failure. I’ve had to fix a rope here and there and some stuff I flat tore up from abuse like broken felling dog spikes, a handle I broke when one came off my flatbed at 70. Tons of bars , chains, and rim sprockets. Mind you all that’s after each of these have cut more wood than a single family could burn in a lifetime.

I do think M tronic is the best thing for a saw a guy is gonna work for a couple years and then swap it for a new one. When I made a living with a saw I traded twice a year and for a long time had never put a part into a stihl saw besides consumables like bar, chain, rim sprockets, air filters. Nor had I even touched a knob on a carburetor, I never learned how to tune a saw before I started moding them, because I didn’t need to. They are amazing machines.

 

[HerbHammer]

Thanks for all the input. I made up my mind that I'm going to go for the ms661R. In the end I want the displacement, and playing with one at the saw shop I don't think the weight is as big as a negative, given how well it balances with the longer bars. I'm also not going to be cutting all day, and I have my lighter saws in the mix as well.

Just talked to my dealer and we're going to work a deal on the 661R with the 28" standard bar, and he's going to throw a 32" light bar and chain for free. He's getting back to me tomorrow to finalize.

One question, do the 661s all come with 3/8 .050 B/C or 3/8 .063? He wasn't sure if they always came one way or the other with every bar length available. He's going to talk to Stihl tomorrow. It seems that consensus is up to 36" .050 is fine and oils sufficiently. Is this correct?

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Thanks for all the input. I made up my mind that I'm going to go for the ms661R. In the end I want the displacement, and playing with one at the saw shop I don't think the weight is as big as a negative, given how well it balances with the longer bars. I'm also not going to be cutting all day, and I have my lighter saws in the mix as well.

Just talked to my dealer and we're going to work a deal on the 661R with the 28" standard bar, and he's going to throw a 32" light bar and chain for free. He's getting back to me tomorrow to finalize.

One question, do the 661s all come with 3/8 .050 B/C or 3/8 .063? He wasn't sure if they always came one way or the other with every bar length available. He's going to talk to Stihl tomorrow. It seems that consensus is up to 36" .050 is fine and oils sufficiently. Is this correct?

I like everything 28" and up to be .063.

 

[Iceboy]

All the 3/8 we havw in greece is 0.63


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[Deleted member 150358]

462 has more lower end torque in a cut over a 461 imho. If I can do the same work with a 70cc over a 90cc and help my back at the same time, why not?

The few 500i vs 462 vids I've seen don't make the 500i look impressive. Be interesting to see them in some 42" elm or some of the aussi hard wood. So far the 500i looks like a novelty.

 

[HerbHammer]

Yea I saw some of the 500i vs 462 vs 661 vids and I dont get the appeal of the 500i at all. More displacement, weaker than the 462, more complicated etc. I considered waiting for it, but performance is unimpressive. My concern is that beyond m-tronic, most of the technical enhancements are going for emissions improvements, not reliability, power, weight reduction etc.

 

[timberdawgs]

I have a 462 and 660 and I always use the 462 over the 660, I run primarily 20"and 25" bars and even 30 on occasions with no problems

I think you'd use the 660 a little more is you had a longer light bar. I find even thought it's 20% heavier leaning over all the time cuts your day alot shorter then a couple of pounds.

 

[timberdawgs]

Hi All,

Long time lurker here with my first post. A little background: I'm a homeowner with a bit of land, I fell trees and cut firewood for fun not out of necessity, and a couple years ago got my first saw, an ms261cm. Love the saw, and since then the bug has bit me hard. I've been learning more, cutting a lot, have done a muffler mod, got into hand filing my chains, got a McCulloch 10-10s, play with that a bit, and now have been itching for a larger Stihl pro grade saw.

I really like full wrap bars, and being tall 6-4", I find it more comfortable to run a longer bar (28"+). Initially the ms461-R caught my attention and seemed like the perfect saw. I realized they don't make a 461 CM model, and I'm a big fan of the M-tronic. I feel that we might be in a golden era of saws, this middle ground where they are still carburated, can still be modded for power and rollback of the EPA neutering, with the advantages of automated carb tuning. The autotune has been an amazing feature in my experience, with no perceived downsides.

Anyway, I started looking at the ms661, and the more I look at it, the better it looks as a top end saw. Its weight isn't absolutely ridiculous (like the 880), larger guys seem to be able to use them as all-day multipurpose saws felling and bucking bigger stuff, and its been around enough to be tried and true. I went an handled one at my dealer, and though its a beast, its not freak show big.

Unfortunately 2019 pricing is already rolled out to dealers. My dealer is working with me a bit, so even though the 32" ms661-RCM model is $1350, he's going to throw in a 32" light bar as well.

Now I'm reading more about the ms462, and I'm wondering if this is the saw I should get. Its a bit cheaper than the 661, but not by much. It seems to have more torque than the 461, has a great autotune, less weight, better power/weight than anything Stihl has made yet. But everything I see on youtube and read about has the ms661 stomping it in terms of sheer cutting power.

I saw a video that looked at powerhead weight with full fluids between the ms661 and ms462, and there was a 4lb difference (15lb even for 462CM, and 19lb even for the CM661R-CM with wrap handle).

My desire is to keep this saw for a long time, and have it be my top end "large" saw, so any advice would be appreciated. Any input from folks who have owned both the 70cc and 90cc class saws and have dealt with the tradeoffs? Or thoughts on whether a 462 would result in an eventual itch for the 661 or its replacement, the 662? Or finally, if the weight of the 661 is just overbearing unless you absolutely need the power for really big stuff or milling?

Thanks
Herb

I was recently in the same boat do I baught them both. I use the 661 for bucking with 32" light bar and milling with 36" solid bar and I light my 462 for felling trees and limping and I have my 28" light bar always on that saw. You're absolutely right the longer bar saves your loolwer back when you're processing for firewood.

 

[sean donato]

Thread died in 2019....

 

[singinwoodwackr]

My .02…
I used to work on a firewood crew…80s, 90s…
when the 066 came out a few of us bought them. We’d been using 044s And Husky 266xps With 24 to 28” bars depending on height. Almond and Walnut orchards…average diameter, maybe 10”, branches, stumps combined… Since we got paid by the cord…not hourly…speed was king. The 66 became my primary saw with my 266 as backup. 3 cord/day is what I worked up to.
with your height I would suggest the 661 and a 28” bar if speed and the occasional need for big bar trees is your goal. With your size the weight difference won’t matter that much, imo. I was under 170# and 5/10…
6 hrs a day, 6 days a week…
That said…you will want a ported saw, period so take that into consideration…$250-300…

now? I have a 500i as my main saw and use a Dan Henry 346xp for limbing,

 

[sean donato]

Thread died in 2019.....