Buying a MS 260 Pro Tomorrow

[hpontap]

O.K. Hawk, my two cents worth for you. The ms260 is alot lighter than the 361. Remember the longer bar even adds more weight to the front, so leverage gets changed big time. We recommend to our customers that you buy a saw that will cut what you want 75% of the time. If your only cutting 20" or smaller, the 260 is the saw. Other wise your wasting your money for the 25% you "may" need a longer bar, but you can cut from other side. Also stay with full comp chain, skip tooth we use on 24 or longer bars. The vibration stays lower with full comp. All stihl saw are shipped with safety chain, so buy an extra non-safety chain, or sometimes we just throw one in, depends on your dealer.

 

[spacemule]

If your only cutting 20" or smaller, the 260 is the saw. Other wise your wasting your money for the 25% you "may" need a longer bar, but you can cut from other side.

Depends on what your time is worth. If you're a minimum wage gofer, then maybe. If you actually have some tangible value, the negligible cost between a small saw and a proper tool for the job is quickly dispersed by the increased productivity and satisfaction.

 

[hpontap]

Depends on what your time is worth. If you're a minimum wage gofer, then maybe. If you actually have some tangible value, the negligible cost between a small saw and a proper tool for the job is quickly dispersed by the increased productivity and satisfaction.

Check the price difference, and then the ability of the user, a little longer out cutting, or cutting your leg off?

 

[spacemule]

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Check the price difference, and then the ability of the user, a little longer out cutting, or cutting your leg off?

A small saw will cut you just as quickly as a big saw.

 

[hpontap]

A small saw will cut you just as quickly as a big saw.

Think about that now, if something were to happen, forbid it does to anyone, and they person has either a weak grip or something else going on, now what? Sell him an overkill saw, or one that will do the job, and maybe be a little safer.

 

[BIGBORE577]

My buddy has an Echo dealership with a bucket load of dead saws of all types in his basement. There is one, like new 520, that is sitting there. It probably has a toasted P&C from running on straight gas. I've been tripping over it for 2 years while cherry picking all the other goodies. I'm going to pick it up tomorrow and see if I can get it up and running. It would be worth the dealer price of a piston to get it going and compare it to my other 50cc class saws for a relatively unbiased opinion. As you probably can tell, I really have no brand loyalty. If it's a saw or any other destructive device I have a propensity to like them. Who knows, maybe I'll have to get a soap box and join Red, extolling the virtues of the highly under rated Echo products. However, I wouldn't count on it. The owner of the dealership was a dyed in the wool Husky operator until I ran my Dolmars next to his Huskies in the wood pile. He now runs Dolmars and took on the line. I'd dare say that a guy that moves a few thousand Echo units annually through his dealership has a little insight.

 

[Lakeside53]

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??

UNLESS you are boring, there is little difference in the cut speed of a RSC3 than an RSC..

If you are mainly cutting firewood - RM (semi-chisel) is the way I'd go... and it's what I use unless in really clean wood.

 

[spacemule]

Think about that now, if something were to happen, forbid it does to anyone, and they person has either a weak grip or something else going on, now what? Sell him an overkill saw, or one that will do the job, and maybe be a little safer.

No tool is as unsafe as forcing a small tool to do a big tool's job. Add a tired operator and a dull chain in the mix, and you've got a recipe for disaster. The proper tool for the job is much better than one that will do the job.

 

[jlh26oo]

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.

Red, what would you say is Echo's closest offering to compete with the 361? I am kind of in the O.P.'s position, in that I wanted an M.S. 260 PRO and now leaning toward the M.S. 361. I did look at the Echo C.S. 400 in home depot, but will there be a different line-up of models (I.E. "pro" vs "consumer" grade etc) at an actual Echo dealership? I notice they refer to the 400 as professional on their website, but I also assume the gray and orange models designate some type of distinction in this regard.

 

[hpontap]

No tool is as unsafe as forcing a small tool to do a big tool's job. Add a tired operator and a dull chain in the mix, and you've got a recipe for disaster. The proper tool for the job is much better than one that will do the job.

Read the very 1st post.

 

[hawkfeather]

Well... I gotta hit the hay cuz it is really late here so I will be back to read somemore tomorrow. So far, Thanks to all of you great folks, I have summized that a MS 361, 20", with an ES bar and an RM chain will most probably be what I come home with tomorrow... I can't wait to get in the woods with it after hearing all your stories and opinions! LOL Good nite good people and God Bless! Hopefully my dealer will be nice to me and throw in a case and chain upgrade!!!

 

[OilHead]

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??

Just dont get anything that ends in 3. Try the RSC full comp for soft wood & a loop of RSLFK full skip for hard wood. Watch the nose & never get your self posisitioned directly behind the saw & there wont ever be a problem. They both will end up sharper after you pass a file over them vrs. right out of the box. Oregon 72 LG blue color is pretty good stuff to for half the price but the cutters arent as hard nor does it have machined out slot that ramps up the bar oil via the drive links. Either case 2 tanks of gas then swap out the chain or file it a tad is the rule. Full throttle cuts in 4" & above wood smaller than that .325 chain ,none of which I own. You'll like the saw, havent heard of to many problems other than people straight gassin them .

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Red, what would you say is Echo's closest offering to compete with the 361? I am kind of in the O.P.'s position, in that I wanted an M.S. 260 PRO and now leaning toward the M.S. 361. I did look at the Echo C.S. 400 in home depot, but will there be a different line-up of models (I.E. "pro" vs "consumer" grade etc) at an actual Echo dealership? I notice they refer to the 400 as professional on their website, but I also assume the gray and orange models designate some type of distinction in this regard.

A dealer will carry the larger models, like the 670 and 8000. But Echo doesnt make a "homeowner" line and a "professional" line and a "commercial" line. All the equipment is Commercial grade and All echo powerheads carry the industries highest EPA compliance period rating and Engine life rating of 300+ hours...NO OTHER MANUFACTURER CAN SAY THAT.

 

[Just Mow]

A dealer will carry the larger models, like the 670 and 8000. But Echo doesnt make a "homeowner" line and a "professional" line and a "commercial" line. All the equipment is Commercial grade and All echo powerheads carry the industries highest EPA compliance period rating and Engine life rating of 300+ hours...NO OTHER MANUFACTURER CAN SAY THAT.

Wow, you are gulliable. You will believe everything your rep tells you.
There is no such thing as an engine life rating. dumbshi:censored:

 

[hawkfeather]

A dealer will carry the larger models, like the 670 and 8000. But Echo doesnt make a "homeowner" line and a "professional" line and a "commercial" line. All the equipment is Commercial grade and All echo powerheads carry the industries highest EPA compliance period rating and Engine life rating of 300+ hours...NO OTHER MANUFACTURER CAN SAY THAT.

Red...

I'm new to this forum and I'm a real nice guy, but what does any of what you are interjecting into this thread have to do with my original question. Please respect me as I will respect you and stop!

Hawk

 

[walexa07]

If he does not throw in a hard case, he will most likely discount it........expect to pay between $25-$35 for the case. Get the stihl ultra oil.......it is in the white bottles.......it is supposed to be better than the regular stihl oil in the orange bottles.

Back to 260 vs 361. I have had an old 026 for 13 or so years and it has been a good saw and got the job done.........but with a 16" bar. This past spring I added a 361 to my collection with a 20" bar, and there is no comparison between the 2 saws........361 wins hands down. I know it is comparing apples to oranges, but if you are wanting to pull that 20" bar in 20" wood or larger, there is a huge difference. And the antivibe really shines as well. The extra weight only comes into play while felling the trees, or carrying to, from, or in the woods, or limbing. When bucking up the tree, the weight makes no difference as you are just laying the saw on the wood and allowing gravity to pull it through the cut. True, the 260 will be a BIG step up from any homeowner saw that any of the department stores carry, but the 361 is a big step up in performance over the 260. I am glad it looks as though you are headed for the 361.......I really think you will be very happy with it, especially considering the small price difference.

My dealer outfits the saw with whatever bar & chain you want........negligible cost difference. He put the ES bar on there w/o even asking what I wanted. Someone mentioned getting an 8 pin rim........if you are in large hardwood I would just stay with the 7 pin that comes stock. The only way I would consider the 8 pin is if I was cutting small logs, 10" or smaller, or mainly using the saw for limbing.

Another reason I think the 361 is the saw for you is you have your old smaller lighter weight saw for backup. If you are doing alot of limbing or small stuff, you always have that saw to use if the 361 gets tiring from the extra 2 pounds.

I would also recommend you pick up 3 extra chains or so.......Amicks has the oregon LGX on for about $11 or $12 for a 20" loop of chain.......and honestly I can't tell a performance difference between this chain and the stihl, except half the price. I find it easier to swap a fresh chain on instead of hand filing in the woods.

Let us know what you decide, if you have any other questions, and get us some pics of your new toy! Just glad I was able to be first at recommending the 361......you do realize it heals cancer, has won more gold medals than Michael Phelps, promotes world peace, runs on hopes and dreams, etc.?

Waylan

 

[SawTroll]

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!

That is a very good choise for a 20" bar, even though I prefere 18" and shorter on it, because of balance.
Replace the RSC3 with RSC.

Just forget a 260 with a 20" bar, at least for hardwood, unless it is just for reach.

 

[SawTroll]

....

Let us know what you decide, if you have any other questions, and get us some pics of your new toy! Just glad I was able to be first at recommending the 361......you do realize it heals cancer, has won more gold medals than Michael Phelps, promotes world peace, runs on hopes and dreams, etc.?

Waylan

At least it is very fuel-efficient!

 

[hawkfeather]

OK... I'm a little confused about which chain I should use primarily. One suggested the RM because of the mix of woods and chance of dirt, the other says RSC and another said RSLFK. Any more? LOL BTW, thanks for all the help!
Basically, I just want to be able to blast through any wood I come across that will work for firewood with ease and speed... There will probably be a lot of maple and some cherry in the mix.

 

[walexa07]

Just get the RM or RSC, doesn't really matter much so long as you stay away from the safety chain. Most on here prefer the full chisel (RSC), but I am not going to argue with Lakeside.......if he prefers RM (semi-chisel) then it must be a great choice as well, even a better choice if you get in a little dirt.

Waylan