2 saw plan for hardwood property

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You have a 261 50cc saw I'd go with at least the next size up 362 (if on a budget) and for the price id probably go ms400 not much more than a 362 and over 5hp. (All around good option). The 462 or 500i or 661 if the cash is not a problem. If the back is a problem choose the lighter one.
 
I only glanced through the first page of this thread. As far as bar lengths, if you port the 261, it should run great with an 18" bar. 16" is ideal for the 024 and 026, but the 261 was a pretty good bump in performance over the 026. On paper, it's almost as much as an MS361 which is a little overkill on an 18" bar. The reason I say 18" is because you could run that same bar length on both saws. Leave the chain on the 261 set up like stock with the drag links at .025", but drop the rakers on the 462 to .040 and let it eat. 18" will be long enough to handle over 75% of your needs and it will keep the weight of the saw down. It's also nice to have as many common components as possible between your saws, especially the consumable ones. Rock an 18" chain out on the 462, just grab another out of the tool box, or grab the B&C off the 261 and keep going and full speed. Rock a 25" or 28" chain and that saw will be out of operation for the remainder of the day. I have my 036 set up this way with a 9 pin rim, and it's a real pleasure to cut with. With a sharp RSC chain, it eats through oak, hickory, and locust like nobody's business. I'd say like a hot knife through butter, but I really don't think that a hot knife would go through that much butter that fast. Especially useful when I'm cutting medium to large limbs off flush with the trunk. The extra power makes a huge difference cutting through what is essentially one big knot. The 462 would just take it up another step.

I'd also recommend getting at least one bigger bar for the 462 to start out with. My 064 normally wears a 28" bar with .404 chain and pulls it very well. Works great on large rounds over 24". 28" is also a great length for noodling large rounds into smaller pieces that can be lifted onto a splitter. Its long enough that even on 24" long rounds, the nose stays clear of the wood on the other side (burying the nose eats a lot more horse power/torque), but it's not so long that it sticks out too far and risks getting into the dirt.

As far as oils and such, I run Stihl's 2 cycle mix exclusively. Other's may be as good or better, but we've been running it since the early 70s and have never had an issue. My main gas can is 2 gal. I buy the bottles for 2.5 gal and mix it a little rich. I do that partially because I always end up overfilling the 2 gal can with gas (Rec 90, non-ethanol from the pump), and partially because I don't really care if the saw smokes a bit or the plug gets fowled a litter faster. Plugs are cheap, cylinders are not. ;) I run the cheapest bar oil I can find. If I'm pushing the limits of what my saw can do as far as providing enough oil (like having a 42" on my 064), I'll grab a bottle of Stihl and just grit my teeth and eat the cost. In the dead of winter, I keep a bottle of Stihl's blue bar oil (their winter bar oil is in a blue bottle) handy to mix in with the cheap stuff. That stuff is as thin as water, but it will flow decent even when the temps are in the single digits or below. I use an empty bottle of Tide to pour out of because it drains back into the bottle, and because the bottle is orange and easy to see in the woods. If I need to mix in the thin stuff, I just add a little to the Tide bottle, and move on.

Eventually you will probably end up with a bar longer than 28" for the occasional really big tree. I would think that the 462 could run up to a 36" bar which could easily take down trees in the 6' to 7' range. If you run into a tree bigger than that, it's worth buying, renting, or borrowing a bigger saw for a day to make those cuts. There are plenty of 066/660s around (as well as other brands), and those saws need an opportunity to stretch their legs once in a while :)
 
Just an update on the saw. Used it all day on mostly green live oak with the RM3 chain. It handled everything very well. I haven't used the RS chain yet, but if the green chain cuts this good I don't know if I will be using it much. Some of the cuts were slightly dirty near the ground and then bucking some with dirt.
Does the saw really improve after several tanks of gas? I've run 3 tanks so far. Also, I am not mechanically inclined to port, but I have read that it really improves the saw. I just wonder if it shortens the life of the engine.
I thought I might switch to a 16" B/C, but so far it has been great witht the 18". Things may change when I get to the bigger 24" trees.
 
Just an update on the saw. Used it all day on mostly green live oak with the RM3 chain. It handled everything very well. I haven't used the RS chain yet, but if the green chain cuts this good I don't know if I will be using it much. Some of the cuts were slightly dirty near the ground and then bucking some with dirt.
Does the saw really improve after several tanks of gas? I've run 3 tanks so far. Also, I am not mechanically inclined to port, but I have read that it really improves the saw. I just wonder if it shortens the life of the engine.
I thought I might switch to a 16" B/C, but so far it has been great witht the 18". Things may change when I get to the bigger 24" trees.
Saw should be mostly broke in between 6-10 tanks.
Porting can wake a saw up but is can also put more stress on bearings and such as well so can be a give and take depending on how much porting is done, something as simple as opening the muffler a bit and or doing a base gasket delete can show some improvement with out over doing it. I have only done these mods on carbed 026, 260 and 261 so not sure how much improvement can made to the Mtronic.

In your original post you indicated 8-12" or such with an occasional 24" tree, IMHO if your consistently cutting larger trees requiring a longer bar 20"+ you might want to also consider a larger power head 60-70cc.
How many cuts does one make that do not require cutting from opposite sides of the tree anyway? compression side first finished with cutting the tension side.
 
Watched the video posted on March 8th 32" b&C looks like the Mtronics is able to compensate for a muffler mod.

Saw should be mostly broke in between 6-10 tanks.
Porting can wake a saw up but is can also put more stress on bearings and such as well so can be a give and take depending on how much porting is done, something as simple as opening the muffler a bit and or doing a base gasket delete can show some improvement with out over doing it. I have only done these mods on carbed 026, 260 and 261 so not sure how much improvement can made to the Mtronic.

In your original post you indicated 8-12" or such with an occasional 24" tree, IMHO if your consistently cutting larger trees requiring a longer bar 20"+ you might want to also consider a larger power head 60-70cc.
How many cuts does one make that do not require cutting from opposite sides of the tree anyway? compression side first finished with cutting the tension side.
 
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