ms260 Pro Or ms361 ???

[deezulsmoke]

Hello all, I am new to this forum. I am needing some help on deciding which chainsaw I should purchase. I currently have an 034av and an ms290. The ms290 is not cutting quick enough for me and the chains dont stay sharp long at all. I have already wore the bar out on the ms290, I am running a 20" bar with .325 chain. I am wanting something that will run a 20" bar, but I am looking at a 3/8" chain. The ms290 is just not ripping thru the wood as quick as I would like for it to be. I am really looking at the 260 pro, I like the fact that it weighs 3 lbs less than the ms290 but has the same amount of power. But there is also the 361 which I am looking at. Just cant decide ??? Also is it me or are these chains junk compared to what I use to use on my 034 ?? The chains I run on my 290 are new but they dont stay sharp any time at all ?? Would a full chisel last longer and rip quicker ??? Appreciate all the help or comments.

thanks

 

[SawTroll]

If 20" bar and 3/8" chain is what you want, you will surely need the 361 to be satisfied.
It is also a much newer and better design than the 260.

 

[belgian]

Whatever saw you want to use, it won't cut without a sharp chain. Most standard new chains will cut well and for quite some time if you treat them right.

I think you have to be more careful how you cut. keep them out the dirt all the time, and learn how to sharpen by hand. There's lots of info on this site, if you search a bit.

what brand and type of chains do you use ?

 

[deezulsmoke]

I am just using stihl brand chains. It just seems like I never had to sharpen the chains on my 034 as often as I do the 290. I didn't know if they were made out of a softer steel or what. .325 RMC3 are the chains I am currently using on the ms290.

 

[deezulsmoke]

By the way, what is a good price for a new 361 ??

 

[computeruser]

First off, welcome to arboristsite!

I ran a 290 for years. Not the fastest saw ever made, but dependable as heck and I never had a problem with the chains holding their sharpness if I did my part. I ran Stihl RS in .325 and the Carlton equivilent. Most problems with chains not holding an edge comes either as a result of the chain being dulled - hitting stuff, cutting dirty wood, etc. - or error in sharpening the chain in the first place. Are you sharpening these yourself, or are you having a shop do it? Are the depth gauges being lowered as the chain wears so that you maintain .030 of clearance?

The decision to run a full (round) chisel instead of a semi-chisel should be made on the basis of what you're cutting. Most folks keep a few loops of both types and use the one most appropriate to the cutting task at hand. If the wood is dirty, then you will get a much longer interval between sharpenings with a semi-chisel (Stihl RM, for example). If the wood is clean, a full (round) chilsel will provide superior results. Out of curiosity, how long are you getting per sharpening - 1 tank of gas, 2 tanks, more? - and how many tanks would you prefer to get? Do you re-touch your cutters after each tank, or wait until the chain is dull and swap it out, leaving the sharpening to be done at a later time?

In response to your original question, if you want more power with a 20" bar AND want to run 3/8" chain, the 361 is a vastly superior choice to the 260. You will NOT be impressed with the 260 over your 290 running a 20" bar, I can assure you. The 260 is at its best with .325 chain and a 16" bar, and used primarily in a limbing role.

You can expect to pay $550-590 for a 361 with a 20" bar.

 

[chipper]

All I gotta say is; keep em' out of the dirt and treat em' like you would your woman....with respect. In the end, it all comes out good.

 

[wagonwheeler]

At one time I had pretty much narrowed things down to the 260pro and 361, but for the minimal cost difference ($100 is minimal compared to YEARS of mumbling 'I shoulda'...) I got the 361 and haven't looked back except with a big grin and releif that I stuck w/ my gut.

I took back the 20" bar within a couple of days and stuck on an 18" and it's been ideal.

The 361 is such a pleasure to use you'll start looking at 460's and 660's...

 

[chipper]

460...........that's my dog!

 

[deezulsmoke]

Computeruser,

I am sharpening them myself with a round file. I usually run them until they are dull then swap them out with another and sharpen them later. I did get to thinking and I know it said that they are dulling quickly but when I think about it the stuff I have been cutting is 30" plus in diameter. It takes a long time to cut thru it. My bar is already getting worn quite a bit. I am getting groove marks even with swapping the bar over frequently. Also the tip of the bar is wearing pretty badly. I am wondering if maybe I just dont have enough saw to do what I am wanting to do ?

 

[wagonwheeler]

460...........that's my dog!

I thought you sold that dog a long time ago?

 

[Lakeside53]

30 inch? get a 361... Put a full skip 24 on it and you'll be in heaven. Try to get RM sskip if youre in dirty bark... RSC skip if not.

 

[computeruser]

Computeruser,

I am sharpening them myself with a round file. I usually run them until they are dull then swap them out with another and sharpen them later. I did get to thinking and I know it said that they are dulling quickly but when I think about it the stuff I have been cutting is 30" plus in diameter. It takes a long time to cut thru it. My bar is already getting worn quite a bit. I am getting groove marks even with swapping the bar over frequently. Also the tip of the bar is wearing pretty badly. I am wondering if maybe I just dont have enough saw to do what I am wanting to do ?

That's probably part of your problem. Wrong tool for the job. I was there a while back, asking a 290 to do more than it was designed to do and being less-than-thrilled with the results. A Dolmar 7900 solved that problem for me.

If this is the size of wood that you are encountering on a regular basis, I'd seriously consider going larger than a 361. If you only get into big wood occasionally and spend most of your time in 20" wood, a 361 can pull a 25" or 28" bar in hardwood with skip chain for those odd occasions where a longer bar is required.

Here's a plan: keep your 290 for use in the smaller stuff and as a back-up saw, and look for something like a used 460 or 660 for the big stuff. You should be able to find one in very good condition for the cost of a new 361 and you will then have a saw that will not be strained by 30"+ wood. Or for just a few bucks more, you can buy a Dolmar 7900 brand new. Either way, you'll then have a tool that is a proper match for the job at hand.

Completely rebuilt, my 066 still cost less than a 361 and can cut wood that is a LOT bigger without straining itself:

 

[talon1189]

Go with the 361 :greenchainsaw: I got one a few months back and love it >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Talon

 

[deezulsmoke]

Computeruser, can you explain the differences in the chain types, for example full skip, chisel, ect. I have cut firewood all my life but I have never really known what a full skip chain does verses a regular chain, ect.

thanks

 

[SawTroll]

Study this Oregon manual, and you will know most of it.....


....or you could look here, at the Stihl web-site.

 

[computeruser]

Computeruser, can you explain the differences in the chain types, for example full skip, chisel, ect. I have cut firewood all my life but I have never really known what a full skip chain does verses a regular chain, ect.

thanks

If you do a search here on AS or look back a few pages in the old posts in the Chainsaw section, you should be able to figure most of it out pretty easily.

Here are a couple good links that should explain it better than I can:

Madsens on Saw Chain explains chain types - skip, semi-skip, full-compliment - pretty well.

Stihl Chain Types has some good illustrations of different cutter designs. Not the difference between the sharp point on a round-filed chisel like Stihl RS and the rounder cutting profile of a semi-chisel like Stihl RM. The RS, as its shape might suggest, cuts faster but dulls easier, whereas the RM cuts a bit slower but doesn't have that sharp point to quickly dull.

 

[Just Mow]

Welcome, between the two saws listed go with the 361:rockn:

 

[CaseyForrest]

I say if you are looking at a 260 or a 361, then get the 361. You can run a 24" or 28" occasionally if you need.

Heres mine with a 28" bar cutting a piece of White Oak......

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

30 inch? get a 361... Put a full skip 24 on it and you'll be in heaven. Try to get RM sskip if youre in dirty bark... RSC skip if not.

How can I disagree with my friend Andy? Regardless, he said exactly what I was thinking. Go with the 361.

As far as chains, they dull not because of the saw they're on, but rather how you run them. Like Andy said, that RM will hold a relative sharp longer than an RS cutter.

Where are you in Southern Indiana? I'm from Leavenworth, and the rest of my family is from Bedford. Welcome to AS.

Jeff