Got a load of Elm, thinking about getting a MS 290 Farm Boss

[shutup-n-cut]

I was debating the purchase of one a few months ago and had some good and some bad feed back from many here on AS ( thanks to everyone for their input).
Long story short I broke down and bought one ; my dealer gave me a great deal on it so I went for it. As a firewood saw for the guy who is going to cut a few cords it is a great saw ; it is on the heavy side.
Mine cuts great with 18 inch bar.
Is it a ported saw , not even close but a muffler mod seems to have helped a little.

Just my input for the original question.

 

[Mike from Maine]

I remember when I thought the 290 was a good saw

 

[ash man]

Me to mike. like I said earlier, look at some of the great prices for pro, already modded saws from trusted people on this site tradnpost. Uhmmmm. Nmurphs 262

 

[coog]

Unless I'm mistaken, that's Red Elm you've got there. The bark falls off and the wood doesn't rot like American Elm. A very good score, whatever you choose to cut it up with.

 

[zogger]

Really no need to buy new when good used works and there are so many deals out there. A good shape pro saw, to me, is money better spent over a new clamshell saw.

Heck, you want a deal, for the same loot as a new farmboss you could find a used pro saw plus a new earthquake to your door.

edit: just looked at the trading post here, nice husky 372xp for dang close to that new farm boss price...no contest....

 

[griffonks]

You can try a 390 I just rebuilt if you like, I'm in Boulder... Start a conversation with me.

 

[shutup-n-cut]

You can try a 390 I just rebuilt if you like, I'm in Boulder... Start a conversation with me.

Thats a nice offer. Not everyone gets an opertunity(sp?) like that.

 

[NSMaple1]

I brought home a nice load of elm last night on my flatbed trailer. There are three more loads where it came from. The picture is slightly deceiving. There is actually quite a bit of wood in the pile. There are several large pieces in the 28"-30" range. There is also a lot of stuff in the 10"-20" range and some around 20-26", a good variety.

View attachment 323036

For the last three firewood seasons I have been using an Echo CS400. It's not the most powerful saw but it gets the job done. Sometimes it takes longer than I want it to. It does good in 10"-16" rounds but anything bigger really drags it down. I actually cut everything in the picture with the CS400, including the big stuff. Still have more of it to buck up, though. I usually stay away from anything over 20" only because it takes the Echo so long to get through it. I feel if I had a saw with more power I could go after some of the larger wood.

I would like to buy a saw that has more power. I dont think I need anything bigger then a 18" bar. I have been thinking about the MS 290 Farm Boss for a while but also like the MS 261 CM. I called the local Stihl dealer today. He is running a special on the MS 290 Farm Boss until the end of the year for $389 plus tax with a 18" bar. The MS 261 CM is $619 plus tax. He said you just can't beat the MS 290 Farm Boss for power to price ratio. The only thing I use a chainsaw for is cutting wood for the wood stove. The Echo has done a fine job the last couple years but I would like to have something with more power. I want to cut more wood in the same amount of time I spend now.

I know the 261 is a pro saw so it is a lighter saw. The dealer told me that the 290 will do all the work that the 261 will do but it's just a little bit heavier. But I won't be using it all day everyday. It is only going to be used as my personal firewood saw. What are your thoughts on the two saws? It is a $230 price difference. I also considered the MS 391 which is $579. As the dealer told me you can't beat the Farm Boss for it's price to power ratio. He told me he sells 2-3 MS 290's per week.

Thanks

Nice pic - but where's the snow?

I think the 290 is a better fit for your situation, given the big price difference. I've actually got my eye on a used one here for $225.

But what do I know - I also really like my ms250 POS.

 

[Wolfcsm]

FIrst, you talked about the 290 and 391, they are basically the same saw. Just a different piston and cylinder. Also in that family is the 310. I have run a 310 since 2000 and find that it is the saw I use the most. I did send it to be modded two years ago. It is now a 390 that is ported. Made a big difference. You can start with the 290 and if you find you want more, have it modded to a 390 and get the additional power.

You should be able to cut just about anything you run into - except the reall large trees(Over 36") with no problem at all. Is it a little heavy?? Yes. Does that weight justify spending $250 more for a "PRO" saw? Not in my mind. I think when you need a "PRO" saw to work big wood, you are looking at something like the 066 I have. It normally has a 36" bar and I don't think I have run into more than one or two trees it could not handle.

The best advice: Get a saw that will do the job you need done and can afford.

Hal

 

[ash man]

I had a 029 super, 025 and a ms 250 and they are fine saws for ocational firewood cutting, but now that I've upgraded to a ne 346 instead of the 250 and a 372 instead of the 029 I've never been happier. It has enabled me to cut faster and bigger wood I could have only dreamed about cutting before. Nothing wrong with a good used pro saw if you trust who you are buying it from. They last a long time if maintained properly.

 

[XSKIER]

So wolfcsm,
Why is it that people stihl think that their old MS 290 is the same as a new MS 391? They might share the same spark plug?

 

[luckydozenfarm]

I'm with Maple on the ms250. With the right chain and bar the MS250 is an amazing saw for its weight while you are climbing through a dropped tree hacking off the limbs. Any saw is a good saw if used in it's correct setting. A 660 is terrible for overhead limbing and a 250 is the last saw you want to be felling trees with. That's why you need at least 3 saws on hand of various sizes or in case you can't get one to start in an emergency. I will bet good money that not a single person in this forum has only 1 or 2 saws.

 

[memory]

I'm with Maple on the ms250. With the right chain and bar the MS250 is an amazing saw for its weight while you are climbing through a dropped tree hacking off the limbs. Any saw is a good saw if used in it's correct setting. A 660 is terrible for overhead limbing and a 250 is the last saw you want to be felling trees with. That's why you need at least 3 saws on hand of various sizes or in case you can't get one to start in an emergency. I will bet good money that not a single person in this forum has only 1 or 2 saws.

Are you sure about that? We only have 2 saws and for years, we just used 1 saw. We just can't afford to have multiple saws like alot of people on here. Would we like to have more saws, well yeah. I would love to have a nice limbing saw but just can't justify it right now. And I would say there are many others on here with just 1 or 2 saws.

Back to the topic at hand, I would go for the 290. That saw used to be Stihl's best selling chainsaw for a reason.

 

[MarcS]

BRAVO!!!!! Marc, brother that's one of the best video's I've seen on practical noodling...masterful job sir!
btw...think my Stihl 034 with 20 inc bar/chisel chain can do that????

Thanks Reggie, with a light touch on a 16"-18" round I think you could do it. It takes RPM's to keep the chips clear. Lately I've been cutting a lot with my 2153 that just got woods ported and it is surprisingly a good noodling saw. A ported 034 Super would be an amazing saw... I also do a lot of noodling with my 111s setup with a 28" .404 b/c but the kerf is so wide I end up with more chips than firewood!

 

[griffonks]

Since you have a 40cc saw why not go a little bigger, like a 60cc saw? 20 inch bar, better for felling.... A 40cc and 50cc is not a heck of a lot different. Or are you going to sell the Echo?

 

[Wolfcsm]

So wolfcsm,
Why is it that people stihl think that their old MS 290 is the same as a new MS 391? They might share the same spark plug?

The 290/310/390 family are the same. Don't know about the 391. Like the 291 and 311, the 391 is an upgraded version of the older saws. have never had a reason to find if the 311 and 391 share the same frame and have different P and C, as the 290/310/390 family did.

Perhaps you can share some information on the new 291/311/391 family.

Hal

 

[XSKIER]

Are you sure about that? We only have 2 saws and for years, we just used 1 saw. We just can't afford to have multiple saws like alot of people on here. Would we like to have more saws, well yeah. I would love to have a nice limbing saw but just can't justify it right now. And I would say there are many others on here with just 1 or 2 saws.

Back to the topic at hand, I would go for the 290. That saw used to be Stihl's best selling chainsaw for a reason.

I concur. Two years ago I started wooding with a $250 used MS 290. It was able to cut everything I needed. Now that saw has been sold and I have 4 new pro saws at nearly eleven times the investment, and I stihl cut the same amount of wood!

Damn Arboristsite!

So, for my needs a MS 290 is equal in firewood production to a MS 192 T C-E, MS 260 PRO, MS 261 C-M VW, and MS 441 R C-M.

 

[XSKIER]

The 290/310/390 family are the same. Don't know about the 391. Like the 291 and 311, the 391 is an upgraded version of the older saws. have never had a reason to find if the 311 and 391 share the same frame and have different P and C, as the 290/310/390 family did.

Perhaps you can share some information on the new 291/311/391 family.

Hal

www.stihlusa.com

For a limited time both the farm boss and all "1" saws are up. You can see first hand for yourself.

 

[griffonks]

I concur. Two years ago I started wooding with a $250 used MS 290. It was able to cut everything I needed. Now that saw has been sold and I have 4 new pro saws at nearly eleven times the investment, and I stihl cut the same amount of wood!

Damn Arboristsite!

So, for my needs a MS 290 is equal in firewood production to a MS 192 T C-E, MS 260 PRO, MS 261 C-M VW, and MS 441 R C-M.

Yep, me too, I cut less wood with more saws, the 95 yr old lady who owns the farm I lease moved in with her daughter and doesn't need her 5/6 cords per year.

And I have two more new to me saws on the bench, just had to work on some Huskies. To think I came on AS looking for help with repairs on an old home made splitter. If I had just stayed in the firewood forum and stayed out of the Chainsaw forum.

 

[ash man]

Buying a nice used farm boss for @250 makes sense. A new one for $400 with great used pro saws that are lighter and more powerful for the same price not as much. Just my humble opinion.