MS290 Performance

[stonykill]

Sick, twisted freak. I think not, just a dedicated Mac man that uses a well built older saw that you probably don't have an arm and a leg invested into that gets the job done. How dare you? Stick around, I'm sure one of the saw therapist here will try and give you a cure for your Mac 10-10 sickness that you have. Good luck!

lol, I'm a Glenn Beck fan, hence the sick twisted freak remark. Yes I am a Mac fan. I have $60 invested in my 10-10 and only $50 invested in my near mint 1-53. Both bought off ebay, only bidder. Yes both prices include shipping. Both macs start 1st or 2nd pull. Can't say that for my 346, 026, or my 031. Not only that, I worked in a plastic plant for 5 years and absolutely despise plastic ever since. Everyone that worked in that plant for more than 25 years died of cancer before they retired! . Love all my saws, but the macs are definitely my favs.:rockn:

 

[windthrown]

Used the 290 today...

With a razor sharp RM chain (Oregon bar-clamp sharpener at 30 degrees) on a 20" bar, the 290 ripped through a half cord of madrone like it was butter today. Madone is very dense wood. The 290 is a tad heavier than the 361 and has a different feel (rubber vs spring anti-vibe), but if you keep the revs up before starting a cut it will go some pretty tough wood pretty fast. Today I got what I call the 'German zing' out of it. It is the sound that a good sharp chain well oiled spinning around the bar with a nice high pitch. I really kept the revs up before getting into the wood and that seems to help a lot. I want to mod the muffler and tweek the carb setting to get some extra zip out of it. Not as forgiving as a 361 and it does bind/bog down a bit more in the bigger wood, and not as good for bore cuts, but stihl, it is not a boat anchor either. Makes a pretty good backup saw for the 361.

 

[windthrown]

Got a full skip loop today for the 290...

We will see how she does with a full skip chain on her. Should be able to keep up the revs better, and not bog down as much.

 

[IchWarriorMkII]

Good reviews.

I look forward to the 20" skip review.

 

[michael j]

My neighbor's got an 029. We've probably cut 60 to 100 cords between us, and his saw is a good using saw for the money. Most of our cuttin' is fence lines and such. Oak, elms, ash etc. And he's not the best at maintenance, but it keeps workin'. He's blown up three Macs in as many years, but the 029 ain't quit yet.


Mike

 

[SawTroll]

There is lots of old discussions here, on the MS290 vs. Husky 55 Rancher - search for them..........
The lower rated, and very old design (P500) Husky, allways "won" that discussions......

 

[windthrown]

MS290 full skip chain test

OK, we finally got some clear weather here this weekend and I got out there and ran the RM and full skip chain comparison on a MS290 with a 20 inch bar. The 290 is running in top shape and both chains were sharp. The RM may have had a slight edge in that it was sharpened at 0 degrees and I use files with an Oregon bar mount file guide sharpener (read razor sharp and an edge that lasts). The full skip chain was off the spool and had a factory edge.

There were some interesting observations. Cross (bucking perpendicular to the log) cuts were about the same. It was easier to keep up the revs of the 290 with the skip chain. Bog was about the same with about the same pressure in a really dense hardwood (madrone). Bog was less in softer wood (doug fir) with the skip chain, and the skip chain seems to cut better in softer wood. Noodle cutting some madrone rounds and the skip chain was better. It cleared the noodles, or curly fries better from the sprocket cover.

Now, the skip chain may have had a 10 degree offset in the edge of the cutters, and that may have caused it to dull faster. But I suspect that the real reason it dulled faster in hardwood was the fact that a skip chain has far fewer teeth than a regular chain. Chain stretch and dulling was more noticable and faster with the skip chain cutting about the same amount of wood.

So, overall? Noodle cutting was certainly better with the skip chain as it clears the sprocket cover better with fewer cutters. The revs were easier to keep higher with the skip chain overall, but the chain dulled faster after the same amount of cutting than the RM chain. Is the skip chain the answer to livening up a 290 with a longer bar like a 20 in? Maybe. Depends on the wood that you are cutting. In hardwood, I think that a smaller bar would be better with a regular non-skip chain. In larger softwood the longer bar seemed to benefit from the skip chain (as seems to be the consensus of the long bar loggers around here with 30 in plus bars on 440-460s that use full skip chains). Overall they seemed to cut about the same to me, really.

 

[Lakeside53]

Good report!

Just to clarify... the "full skip" was chisel?

You can also get full skip RM... we stock it frot he smaller saws or juts those guys that like skip.

 

[Peacock]

frot he smaller saws or juts those guys that like skip.

What language is that?opcorn:

 

[ben14826]

just read through the thread and figured I would put in my two cents. The only saw I own is an ms390, and I have cut literally thousands of facecords of wood with it. They are good saws if the operator knows what they're doing. Now for my answer to your question. In my opinion it is simple. You are using way too long of a bar. I use an 18" on my 390. Your 290 should have a 16" bar or in it. Four extra inches of bar is a huge amount of extra work for the saw. A 290 with a 16" bar and a sharp chain will cut like crazy for any homeowner, farmer, firewood guy, etc. I couldn't believe how many people have been bashing these saws?!?! The 290 is one of Stihl's most popular saws, and they really are great long lasting, low maintenmance saws. Good luck and let us know how a shorter bar works.

 

[windthrown]

Good report!

Just to clarify... the "full skip" was chisel?

You can also get full skip RM... we stock it frot he smaller saws or juts those guys that like skip.

Not full chisel (no 'v' shape). Round cutters. The guy at the local Stihl shop here is an old timer, and did not know what RM means. He offered me v shaped teeth chain (he called it chisel) with round sharpening, but I declined that for round cutters on full skip chain. He just got a computer 'cause Stihl is forcing him to do online ordering from now on, and training him. He was ranting about that so I did not press him for the name on the skip chain that I got. He has all these spools of chains with numbers only. Old shop, stuff piled high. Not like Eugene where everything is gleaming and well organized. I try to help the local guy out if I can, and buy stuff there if he has it in stock. He is an excellent mechanic and repair guy. In Eugene they have every little doo-dad in stock for all the Stihl saws. Huge inventory.

 

[windthrown]

The 290 w/20 inch bar

just read through the thread and figured I would put in my two cents. The only saw I own is an ms390, and I have cut literally thousands of facecords of wood with it. They are good saws if the operator knows what they're doing. Now for my answer to your question. In my opinion it is simple. You are using way too long of a bar. I use an 18" on my 390. Your 290 should have a 16" bar or in it. Four extra inches of bar is a huge amount of extra work for the saw. A 290 with a 16" bar and a sharp chain will cut like crazy for any homeowner, farmer, firewood guy, etc. I couldn't believe how many people have been bashing these saws?!?! The 290 is one of Stihl's most popular saws, and they really are great long lasting, low maintenmance saws. Good luck and let us know how a shorter bar works.

I agree that the 290 is a good saw, but for its weight it is underpowered compared to the 361 which weighs less that it and the 390. Or compared to the 400 class saws which do not weigh much more and have oodles more power. I think with a muffer mod the 290 will be a way better saw. Still a tad heavy though. However, I will probably keep the 20 inch bar on it. If I had a 16 or 18 inch bar and chains I would test it. Too expensive to buy just to test. But really, the only place that the 290 bogs down for me is in large diameter dense hardwood (where there is a lot of chain contact). I was cutting really dense seasoned mardone yesterday (madrone is as dense as hard oak). So what if I have to ease up a little at times? In the medium wood like alder, fir and pine is is fine.

 

[Cam501]

I agree that the 290 is a good saw, but for its weight it is underpowered compared to the 361 which weighs less that it and the 390. Or compared to the 400 class saws which do not weigh much more and have oodles more power. I think with a muffer mod the 290 will be a way better saw. Still a tad heavy though. However, I will probably keep the 20 inch bar on it. If I had a 16 or 18 inch bar and chains I would test it. Too expensive to buy just to test. But really, the only place that the 290 bogs down for me is in large diameter dense hardwood (where there is a lot of chain contact). I was cutting really dense seasoned mardone yesterday (madrone is as dense as hard oak). So what if I have to ease up a little at times? In the medium wood like alder, fir and pine is is fine.

all the full skip RM talk, must be a west coast thing:monkey:
we can't get that here.

 

[chowdozer]

The MS361 is 5.6kg, 3.3kW (3.4kW in Europe).

The MS290 is 6.1kg, 2.8kW.

Those weights are from independent testing, not Stihls numbers.

...but more important are the totally different construction of those models, the 361 is a quite new pro design, while the 290 is an old consumer class design.

I'm wondering why you didn't put dealer list price in there with your specs. Must be a reason?

You can't plunk down Ford Escort cash and leave with a Ferrari, can you?

I would think as long as you've been quoting chainsaw specs, you'd have understood by now you get what you pay for. The MS 290 costs considerably less than the MS361.

The two saws are not even directly comparable. I would venture to say that a pro saw ALWAYS has better power to weight ratio than a homeowner saw. Prove me wrong.

 

[Lakeside53]

all the full skip RM talk, must be a west coast thing:monkey:
we can't get that here.

Na na na na....:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Lakeside53]

What language is that?opcorn:

The language of a few to many Thunderhead IPA...

 

[windthrown]

I'm wondering why you didn't put dealer list price in there with your specs. Must be a reason?

You can't plunk down Ford Escort cash and leave with a Ferrari, can you?

I would think as long as you've been quoting chainsaw specs, you'd have understood by now you get what you pay for. The MS 290 costs considerably less than the MS361.

The two saws are not even directly comparable. I would venture to say that a pro saw ALWAYS has better power to weight ratio than a homeowner saw. Prove me wrong.

Well, I will ask you: do you own or regularly use both of these saws? I do.
I do not think that the power difference is all that great between the 290 and the 361, nor the weight difference. The 361 has more high quality components and costs more, but IMHO they are very much comparable firewood saws. I get so tired of hearing how the 290s are just boat anchors, or non-pro, dorkey homeowner saws. They will cut wood. A lot of wood. I have used the 290 for over 3 years to cut a hell of a lot of wood around here. It is a dependable saw. It vibrates more, weighs a little more, and it may not last as long as the 361. So far it is holding up quite well, and with a muffler mod I think it will open right up and probably have the same power as a stock 361. It is not a Ford Escort compared to a Ferrari. I would compare them more like an Audi and a Porshe. Anyway, I think the Troll is right on to compare the 290 and the 361 in power and weight classification.

And what is it with the pro model is always better than the homeowner saw attitude? I was a pro arborist/landscaper and I used Echo and early Stihl saws when people laughed at them. I had 2 monster Macs then too, that were "pro" 36 inch bar models. Talk about boat anchors. Chainsaws are just tools. Give the 290 saw to a top notch pro sawyer and a 361 to an intermediate experienced user. I bet the pro will fell and buck the tree faster, better and with less effort and strain on the saw. So, in that sence, what is the meaning of pro and what saw is better??? Oh, hey, that might actually be why we compare chainsaws, huh?

 

[Lakeside53]

What he said!!!

 

[Bowtie]

+2

 

[NYH1]

opcorn: