Help me pick my next saw! (241/251/261)?!

[Phecda]

Long time reader- first time poster

. After owning 5+ disposable saws I picked up an ms180 to see what all the "quality" saw rage was about. After THREE southeast Texas hurricanes I knew I was on to something... But I had saw envy and couldn't let the neighborhood's husky ranchers, farm bosses and echo's keep laughing at my toy saw.

I passed the 180 as a gift on to a friend in need and picked up a used MS361 locally and started tossing it around. It came with a "stihl timbersports" marked bar (green)with green chain. I stepped up to a stihl ES yellow and stihl 3/8 20" RS .50 chain. What a saw!!!

On a recommendation from the local stihl dealer and saw shop I picked up the .63 bar and chain ES 20" RS chains (.63). I got an extra bar and a few extra chains. Love drunk on cutting power I impulse bought the "biggest saw you have in stock right now" when an oak fell at my grandmothers property after some storms Last month- an MS461 with 25" .63 ES bar and rapid super chain.

I am in no means a professional arborist or commercial lumberjack. just a medium sized property owner with a mix of hardwoods and softwoods. I previously purchased wood to barbecue with. I now have a lifetime supply of oak, pecan and pear just by saving trees that are killed by lightning or rolled over from storms instead of dozing them into a pile and burning them like I used to.

I do a couple non-profit bbq's a year and use up quite a bit of firewood. I have a couple volunteers that help me get everything ready to split and I pay a neighbor with a splitter to split it all for me. Unfortunately the help I get usually has garbage saws or no saw at all. I'm looking to add more saws and am at a crossroad- I am looking at a second 361 locally used in good shape- I love my 361 and it'd be great to have a second bucking saw- but 13lb saws wear almost anyone out after a long day. After giving away the MS180 I have a void for a small saw- something to clean up trash, limb, and see a bit of abuse.

Should I pick up a pair of 241? Pair of 261? Another 361 and some disposable 170/180/250's?
With a pair of hot rodded 261's would I even use the 361 anymore?

The obvious solution is to buy two of the 241, 261, 361 and 461 and send them all to blsnelling, haha, but it's not in the budget... Right now at least.

My local saw shop only carry 170.180.250.271.291.311.391.441 and 461.

But there are about 6-8 stihl shops within an hour of me.

Pic of my two big saws and a friend's 250.

Oak limb that fell on my truck this week.

 

[moondoggie]

Long time reader- first time poster

. After owning 5+ disposable saws I picked up an ms180 to see what all the "quality" saw rage was about. After THREE southeast Texas hurricanes I knew I was on to something... But I had saw envy and couldn't let the neighborhood's husky ranchers, farm bosses and echo's keep laughing at my toy saw.

I passed the 180 as a gift on to a friend in need and picked up a used MS361 locally and started tossing it around. It came with a "stihl timbersports" marked bar (green)with green chain. I stepped up to a stihl ES yellow and stihl 3/8 20" RS .50 chain. What a saw!!!

On a recommendation from the local stihl dealer and saw shop I picked up the .63 bar and chain ES 20" RS chains (.63). I got an extra bar and a few extra chains. Love drunk on cutting power I impulse bought the "biggest saw you have in stock right now" when an oak fell at my grandmothers property after some storms Last month- an MS461 with 25" .63 ES bar and rapid super chain.

I am in no means a professional arborist or commercial lumberjack. just a medium sized property owner with a mix of hardwoods and softwoods. I previously purchased wood to barbecue with. I now have a lifetime supply of oak, pecan and pear just by saving trees that are killed by lightning or rolled over from storms instead of dozing them into a pile and burning them like I used to.

I do a couple non-profit bbq's a year and use up quite a bit of firewood. I have a couple volunteers that help me get everything ready to split and I pay a neighbor with a splitter to split it all for me. Unfortunately the help I get usually has garbage saws or no saw at all. I'm looking to add more saws and am at a crossroad- I am looking at a second 361 locally used in good shape- I love my 361 and it'd be great to have a second bucking saw- but 13lb saws wear almost anyone out after a long day. After giving away the MS180 I have a void for a small saw- something to clean up trash, limb, and see a bit of abuse.

Should I pick up a pair of 241? Pair of 261? Another 361 and some disposable 170/180/250's?
With a pair of hot rodded 261's would I even use the 361 anymore?

The obvious solution is to buy two of the 241, 261, 361 and 461 and send them all to blsnelling, haha, but it's not in the budget... Right now at least.

My local saw shop only carry 170.180.250.271.291.311.391.441 and 461.

But there are about 6-8 stihl shops within an hour of me.

Pic of my two big saws and a friend's 250.

Oak limb that fell on my truck this week.

sorry about your truck

 

[Khntr85]

Damn man sounds like you got a awesome piece of land....lots of fun cutting all that wood lol....

Now regarding your question, I have a ms461, ms362, ms290, ms250, and recently rebuilt a ms180...... I know the ms250 get all kinds of crap off of people, but mine has been great.... Pro saw- well no it isn't but if you take care of it, she will give you great service... Mine has a 18" bar, some say a 16" is better and they are probably correct.... I am alittle over 6' tall so the less bending over the better for me personally.....

I guess it also depends on what knowledge your "help" has too.... I mean if a guy destroyed my ms250 I would be pissed, but if they ruined the ms242/261, hell i would be ready attack them with the ms362!!!

 

[LoveStihlQuality]

"After THREE southeast Texas hurricanes I knew I was on to something..." Move! lol Following all flooding too.
What are you mostly needing bucking, limbing? And how much and how often? Why are you wanting pairs? As Khntr85 said, ms 250 can cut and not a disposable. Not pro but consider it. If you get and don't like, easy resale and not lose a lot. Kee

LoveStihlQuality

 

[Phecda]

Truck is fine, just the bed beat up a bit.
Yeah, we have hundreds of native pecans- big old growth. Lots of oak as well. Some sweet gum, iron wood, pear. The rest is mostly Chinese tallow trees.
The local 361 they want 350 for. I'm going to offer 3 and see what happens. The plan being 461 for felling trees, pair of 361's for bucking, and probably 241 C's for clean up and limbing. Of course if I got 250's I'd have saws people could "borrow" I wouldn't have to feel bad about if they got trashed or not returned.
Decisions decisions. Right now it's more of a 241 VS 251 VS 261.

How much- the average pecan or oak is a full cord.
How often- every time one hits the ground.
So far it's may and I've done four or five cords.
It typically only takes one day, with one person helping.

The two additional saws will be for limbing, cleaning up, cutting junk.
These will be my first non-3/8 saws since I learned what I am doing, so I have a lot to learn about other chain pitches, widths, sprockets etc. the journey continues

 

[Khntr85]

Well you come to the right place lots of PROS here without a doubt......these guys can answer any questions you have!!!!

Ya sounds like you will be cutting enough hardwood to justify the ms241/261's for sure..... Hell as long you let the more "experienced" guys use them, and mix the gas YOURSELF you should be ok....

Oh and by the way you will love the ms461, I have never regretted buying it.... I went with the cry once when paying for it new, and plan on it giving me years of great service.... I actually got a decent deal and got it for the price of the ms441 at the time they weren't selling or re-stocking it....

 

[Phecda]

Well you come to the right place lots of PROS here without a doubt......these guys can answer any questions you have!!!!

Ya sounds like you will be cutting enough hardwood to justify the ms241/261's for sure..... Hell as long you let the more "experienced" guys use them, and mix the gas YOURSELF you should be ok....

Oh and by the way you will love the ms461, I have never regretted buying it.... I went with the cry once when paying for it new, and plan on it giving me years of great service.... I actually got a decent deal and got it for the price of the ms441 at the time they weren't selling or re-stocking it....

Yes, I love the 461.
The second 361 followed me home.

The guys that help me out generally keep blades out of the dirt. They're no more hard on equipment than I am, I don't think.

So the big decision, 241/251/261.

 

[Phecda]

It followed me home.
New bar and chain, probably needs a new clutch, chain wants to spin at idle.

Any recommendations on a video on tuning the carburetor on these guys?

 

[MountainHigh]

Honestly, forget the MS251. I have buddy who runs an MS 250 beside my little EA4300/Dolmar 421 and my Makita/Dolmar kicks its butt in every category, yet is about the same price.

The Makita/Dolmar is Pro quality spring suspension and mag case (not plastic clamshell and rubber mounts), strong torque, great speed, nimble handling, pro level anti-vibration.

If money is no object and you don't mind an electronic carb, you might get a nice MS 241 CM, but if you want a GREAT little saw (almost buy 2 for the price of one Ms241cm) that cuts above its power rating and is the best buy out there, get the Makita/Dolmar PS421.

It eats up 12" and under wood but can routinely cut 16" Alder, Fir and Maple without breaking a sweat if you don't lean on it.
Easy to mod - easy to adjust the carb - sturdy build made to stand up to daily use, and cheap like Borscht!

http://makita.ca/index2.php?event=tool&id=1234&catid=7
http://www.dolmarpowerproducts.com/productcatalog/chain_saws_gasoline/ps-421/

My typical small load cut with Makita ea4300:

 

[SawTroll]

.....
It followed me home.
New bar and chain, probably needs a new clutch, chain wants to spin at idle.

.....

It doesn't have to be the clutch, have you tried to adjust the idle screw on the carb?

 

[Frogfarmer]

Given that you have already gone with other PRO saws I would only consider the 241 or 261. Because I have not personally ever seen a 241 my choice would be 261. I believe you would be very pleased using a two saw plan of the 261/461. I have a few of the 361 size saws and they rarely see any use.

 

[Phecda]

Given that you have already gone with other PRO saws I would only consider the 241 or 261. Because I have not personally ever seen a 241 my choice would be 261. I believe you would be very pleased using a two saw plan of the 261/461. I have a few of the 361 size saws and they rarely see any use.

That's why I picked up another 361- I do love the saw and don't want to put too much stress on the 461 using it for all the felling, bucking, etc- and at the same time don't want a cute little clean up saw getting beat on hard doing serious bucking.

 

[Phecda]

It doesn't have to be the clutch, have you tried to adjust the idle screw on the carb?

Yeah, I did try and turn it down to idle around the 461 and it died before the chain came to a halt. I have a feeling more settings need to be adjusted to get it where it needs to be.
I have a feeling the previous owner removed the spark arrest or screen or gutted the muffler as well. It has plenty of compression- no doubt. Runs great. But sounds significantly lighter than its brother 361, which has a much deeper throatier tone.
Thinking I should get new mufflers for both of them.

 

[MountainHigh]

Yeah, I did try and turn it down to idle around the 461 and it died before the chain came to a halt. I have a feeling more settings need to be adjusted to get it where it needs to be.
I have a feeling the previous owner removed the spark arrest or screen or gutted the muffler as well. It has plenty of compression- no doubt. Runs great. But sounds significantly lighter than its brother 361, which has a much deeper throatier tone.
Thinking I should get new mufflers for both of them.

Most guys prefer gutted mufflers as long as the saw is tuned for it - keeps saws running cooler and provides more juice, but definitely add a spark arrester onto the saws, as you don't want to light anything up out there.

 

[Phecda]

Most guys prefer gutted mufflers as long as the saw is tuned for it - keeps saws running cooler and provides more juice, but definitely add a spark arrester onto the saws, as you don't want to light anything up out there.

Is there a off the shelf ready to go modded muffler?
Or should I just save up some dough and send them off to a reputable modder off these forums?

 

[MountainHigh]

Is there a off the shelf ready to go modded muffler?
Or should I just save up some dough and send them off to a reputable modder off these forums?

Have a peek inside the mufflers yourself to see what is left in there. I don't have any experience with those saws but if they come apart easy, check it out, then try a search on here to see what others suggest or have done for muffler mod on those particular saws. Yours might be good to go already.

Muffler mod on a lot of saws can be simple. Some need welding and can be more laborious. I'm no authority on this, but most saws will need to richen up the carb a bit to handle a muff mod.

 

[SawTroll]

Most guys prefer gutted mufflers as long as the saw is tuned for it - keeps saws running cooler and provides more juice, but definitely add a spark arrester onto the saws, as you don't want to light anything up out there.

I agree on the muffler, but it is best to leave the spark arrestors out as well, as long as the conditions (and state regulations/laws) allow it. They block about 20% of the outlet, even when clean.

 

[SawTroll]

Yeah, I did try and turn it down to idle around the 461 and it died before the chain came to a halt. I have a feeling more settings need to be adjusted to get it where it needs to be.
I have a feeling the previous owner removed the spark arrest or screen or gutted the muffler as well. It has plenty of compression- no doubt. Runs great. But sounds significantly lighter than its brother 361, which has a much deeper throatier tone.
Thinking I should get new mufflers for both of them.

When you move the idle screw, you may have to adjust the L screw as well - and you should perform a full carb adjustment on a newly acquired saw anyway.
Hopefully that solves the problem, but if the saw really is "racing" (high idle rpm, that can't be brought down to normal level with the idle screw) there may be something more up, like an air or fuel leak - or you may need a carb kit.
If the idle speed is normal (around 2.700 - 3.000 rpm), and the idle screw can't stop the chain from turning, the clutch may well be the culprit.

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

Yeah, I did try and turn it down to idle around the 461 and it died before the chain came to a halt. I have a feeling more settings need to be adjusted to get it where it needs to be.
I have a feeling the previous owner removed the spark arrest or screen or gutted the muffler as well. It has plenty of compression- no doubt. Runs great. But sounds significantly lighter than its brother 361, which has a much deeper throatier tone.
Thinking I should get new mufflers for both of them.

You might just need springs..hopefully you dont have a leak.

 

[Phecda]

Well, I'll take some time and look into this today. Looks like a compression tester and a tachometer are must-have.