hawkfeather
ArboristSite Lurker
Sorry Red but I have to stay with Stihl... I never even considered another brand. I think I am going with the MS 361 with the 20" chain/bar after hearing the advice on here!
Buying a MS 260 Pro Tomorrow
- Thread starter hawkfeather
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skid row
ArboristSite Guru
Cant go wrong with that.
:agree2: :agree2: :agree2:
:agree2: :agree2: :agree2:
RED-85-Z51
Addicted to ArboristSite
Dont hurt yourself tip toeing around my statements.
If they arent lasting, they arent being cared for at all. Ive serviced a number of Echo 670's, 520's, 4400's and 440's that were being used commercially, especially after Ivan, when the local Stihl dealers got caught with their pants around their ankles and their collective groins thrust into the tiny exhaust port of a 009. The Echo and Husky's were all that were available for a good week after a Cat 4 storm moved over the panhandle. Pallet after pallet rolled out all day long for a week..440's, 520's, 670's and 8000's...After cleanup, many were sold off and are now used commercially...They are holding up, 4 years later. New Rims and bars/chains, knock the filter out...right back into service.
Lakeside53
Stihl Wrenching
Stihl updates their "powerheads" also.... they have to meet epa like everyone else... and everytime they do everyone on AS pisses and moans...
Is Echo stuff "bad" - no... is it great? No.... will they last 2500 hours in the hands of pro ? .... the 026/MS260 will...
Echo... around here, try to get them fixed. Even the local dealers (ACE and Home deport) don't offer service.. Oh.. Home deport will take them in and ship them away to a "repair depot" - whoever bid low enough to get their repair business...
And with HD whoring them out, the Echo light can only get dimmer...
Oh... back to the orginal poster -MS260-pro - great saw/choice..... 361 - even better.. both? why not
Is Echo stuff "bad" - no... is it great? No.... will they last 2500 hours in the hands of pro ? .... the 026/MS260 will...
Echo... around here, try to get them fixed. Even the local dealers (ACE and Home deport) don't offer service.. Oh.. Home deport will take them in and ship them away to a "repair depot" - whoever bid low enough to get their repair business...
And with HD whoring them out, the Echo light can only get dimmer...
Oh... back to the orginal poster -MS260-pro - great saw/choice..... 361 - even better.. both? why not
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RED-85-Z51
Addicted to ArboristSite
The fact you wont even think of picking one up to get a feel for it...you are missing out on a whole lot man, I mean a WHOLE LOT.
You must maintain an open mind on purchases...Staying with a single brand, just because, cuts you off from a whole mess of opportunity.
Personally, I always leghumped John Deere Garden Tractors...As far as I was concered they were all there was. Id has a 1967 110-H, 316, 318, STX38, 425, and a 445, both with loaders...but on a whim I picked up a nice used Wheel Horse 416-H. Now I have 1 Deere and like 6 Wheel Horses. The WH design is easier to repair, cheaper to repair, easier to operate and just out and out fun to use. I stepped outside the box and found something I really enjoy....
Stihl051master
ArboristSite Operative
I have both an 026 (the precursor to the 260) and a 361. I really don't think you'd be unhappy with either. I love both of mine, and would buy either again in a heartbeat. The 260 is definately lighter and is physically smaller. How big is the wood on average that you will be cutting? Is it bigger stuff, or are you just wanting a longer reach to avoid having to bend down as much? If you're cutting smaller pieces, the 20" won't hurt a thing, if it's constantly buried in hardwood, a 20" bar may be a bit much.
I know you mentioned you were wanting a light saw, but do check out the 361. It weighs a couple pounds more , but it is one awesome saw. If you can handle the extra weight, one thing you will like is the anti-vibe on it is so smooth. I've been clearing a lot of trails with my 026, and while it is like carrying around a feather, it does vibrate more than the 361, due to the rubber AV mounts rather than the spring mounts on the 361. Catching a little more vibes will wear you out just as fast as carrying an extra couple pounds around.
I guarantee though that the 260 will vibrate less that the saw you're running now, and you won't believe the difference. They will take a serious a$$whupping too and last and last.
I know you mentioned you were wanting a light saw, but do check out the 361. It weighs a couple pounds more , but it is one awesome saw. If you can handle the extra weight, one thing you will like is the anti-vibe on it is so smooth. I've been clearing a lot of trails with my 026, and while it is like carrying around a feather, it does vibrate more than the 361, due to the rubber AV mounts rather than the spring mounts on the 361. Catching a little more vibes will wear you out just as fast as carrying an extra couple pounds around.
I guarantee though that the 260 will vibrate less that the saw you're running now, and you won't believe the difference. They will take a serious a$$whupping too and last and last.
THALL10326
The Champ
Flamed forwhat, its ok to like them Echo saws Red. I mean they need lovin too,LOLOLOL
RED-85-Z51
Addicted to ArboristSite
Will they last 2500 hours? I can honestly say that I cant see why not. The Air filtration is the best in the business, the internals are top notch...only leaves user error, and no brand is immune from user error.
Around here, we have as many Echo dealers as Stihl Dealers..The Echo dealers are all repair/retail gigs, so if you buy it there, it can be fixed there. Yes, HD whores out the Echo stuff...and it doesnt mean its a bad product, the bad rep is stupid people who are too stupid to pick up the manual and read the BIG BOLD LETTERS that say ADD MIXED GAS TO FUEL TANK. ADD BAR OIL TO OIL TANK. INSTALL CHAIN PROPERLY AND TENSION. it's all layed out in 3 languages...yet saws come in brand new seized from straight gas...burnt bars and chain from a dry oil tank or yes...a oil tank full of gas. You name it, Ive seen it.
But we dont have that problem with stuff we prep and sell. In fact, Echo dealers ALL unbox, assemble, and PREP all equipment before it leaves the premises. The only retail outlets that dont are HD. We demo saws/trimmers, we show the new owners how to properly use them...never a problem.
Heck ot be honest Ive had to show a few new Stihl owners how to use their saws because the dealer down the road did the ol sale and rushed em out the door with a 5 second crash course on operation.
Just Mow
Don't touch my Willie !!!
Please don't share your leghumping experiences here. Save those for your private conversations with AOD...........
meangreen92lx
ArboristSite Member
I've owned a 260pro for the last 5 years. Was my only saw until recently. It has a 18" bar and 3/8 chain and has done everything I asked of it. Never a problem. Great saw. Very light and nimble. I personally wouldn't run a 20" bar on it unless you need a longer reach and are cutting smaller wood. The 361 is also an awesome saw and can pull the 20" with no problem in most any wood. Toss them both around at the dealer and see which one feels the best. You won't go wrong with either one.
:greenchainsaw:
:greenchainsaw:
Just Mow
Don't touch my Willie !!!
:agree2: :agree2: :agree2:
OilHead
ArboristSite Guru
Not sure what rim sprocket will come with the 361 but what ever it comes with get both a 7 pin & an 8 to try out. For $ 10 more have the dealer upgrade the bar to an ES rather than the farm boss style. 
Sence you know how to run a saw forget the safety chain its for little girls & children.
Sence you know how to run a saw forget the safety chain its for little girls & children.
rms61moparman
Addicted to ArboristSite
I would have thought that with your obvious love affair with ECHO products,
they would have been more prevalent in your signature. I only see one listed. (Not trying to stir the pot, just an observation)
Mike
Lakeside53
Stihl Wrenching
uh oh....
Just Mow
Don't touch my Willie !!!
But one is all he needs, since they are the greatest.....LOL
hawkfeather
ArboristSite Lurker
Hey oilhead, if he will upgrade the bar to the ES for $10, then how much you think it will cost to get a more aggressive chain upgrade, and which one do you suggest in lieu of the standard RSC3 that comes on that saw??
MuleyJ
Addicted to ArboristSite
If the price difference is only $70 the 361 is quite a bit more saw and will run the 20" better and a lot faster. The AV mounts on the 260 seem to me to be a little softer than on other rubber saws like the 036 and the vibes in the cut to me don't seem that much different than the 361, but again it is a bigger saw. I ran my 260 with a 20" .375 and full skip for a while and it did not cut as well as I would have liked, so I went to a 16" .325 setup and it seems to do much better. If your doing mostly bucking and not many limbs the 361 would probably perform better. If you have to do a lot of limbing with the saw you will notice the extra weight of the 361. In the end these are both very sturdy reliable saws and it boils down to fit. Both these saws will cut firewood for many years with few problems if properly maintained.
Ghillie
Addicted to ArboristSite
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RED-85-Z51
Addicted to ArboristSite
I stumbled into my CS-520. A man brought it to me prior to a Hurricane a few years back..I fixed it, he didnt have the money to pay the bill, and because the Storm missed us by hundreds of miles, had no need for it. I tried for a year to get him to contact me...finally last I heard he moved out of state...so I got the saw, new bar and chain, new clutch, new brake band, and the saw itself wasnt beat up at all, just the guy loaned it to an idiot who ran it with no bar oil..My ocst on the whole thing was under a hundred dollars.
Im looking at getting a new CS-450 when they come out...also Im looking at an OLD Kioritzu CS-802 saw. Talk about a hoss...It's got a 28" hardnose with .404 full comp and it pulls like a freight train. I refurbed it for the owner last year, been trying to buy it ever since.
All the saws in my signature were free, or extremely cheap, I have no need for them, no need at all...but Im not going to say no to a good cheap saw.
Heck, the Husky 350 I have, was a new 0 use saw that was a Lowes Warranty repair...The cylidner was scored, owner put in straight gas and ran it a minute and it seized. Never saw wood once.
Lowes replaced the saw..told us to keep the old one. So I tore it down, honed the cylinder lightly, cleaned up the ring on a wire wheel, cleaned up the piston with a file and wire wheel, put it all back together and I went from 45psi to 150+ with the Decomp off. Saw looks and runs like brand new. Bought it from where I work for 75 dollars...
I run both a 260 Pro and a 361. To me they are very different saws. The 260 is a bit heavy for its displacement because it truly is a pro saw and built for long term usage. Until recently it had an 18" .325 bar on it but when that wore out I changed to a 16" bar. In the past I have tried Baileys narrow kerf 325 chain and Arbor Pro bars but the results were a disaster. The bars wore out in no time and the side links on several chains broke. I use the 260 for some limbing but mostly for brushing. This week we started a 5 week job that is very hard on saws. It is all small stuff and is very sandy. The 260 has held up well for 5 years on this job. Other Stihl and an orange saw have died in my hands on this job. Beware, the 260 does vibrate more than the 361. Some day there will be a MS 261 with better vibes.
The 361 is a saw that can hold its own with a 20" bar and fall trees all day long in that size range. Mine wears a Stihl 3/4 wrap handle kit and a Cannon bar most days. It also has a hardnose and a nearly worn out Stihl E bar. ( And has a minor muffler mod). This saw is the heavier of the two but is more comfortable to run all day long due to better vibration damping. The 361 will pull a 25" bar in softwood but it will not be fast. Oh, all my 3/8 chains 20" and longer are now full skip. When the 18" chains wear out they will all be replaced with full skip too but I don't cut much hardwood except oak.
So, both are great saws. The deciding factor will be the wood you plan to cut. Good luck.
The 361 is a saw that can hold its own with a 20" bar and fall trees all day long in that size range. Mine wears a Stihl 3/4 wrap handle kit and a Cannon bar most days. It also has a hardnose and a nearly worn out Stihl E bar. ( And has a minor muffler mod). This saw is the heavier of the two but is more comfortable to run all day long due to better vibration damping. The 361 will pull a 25" bar in softwood but it will not be fast. Oh, all my 3/8 chains 20" and longer are now full skip. When the 18" chains wear out they will all be replaced with full skip too but I don't cut much hardwood except oak.
So, both are great saws. The deciding factor will be the wood you plan to cut. Good luck.
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