Ms361...Amazing!!!

[361kid]

Hey guys, this being my first post I thought I would share some of my thoughts about how sweet this saw is. Im 17 and I've browsed this site for some time as a guest and gathered as much information as I could before eventually buying an Ms270 wood boss with 18in bar. Now I know what you're thinking,(homeowner saw), but give me a chance here, it was my first saw ever and I dont think and still dont think that it is a bad saw. Compared to the first saw I ever ran, my dad's craftsman, it was like night and day. But as time went on and I began cutting more and more wood and bigger logs, the wood boss came up short on the power scale. I browsed here for a good 4 months before deciding on a 361 and I just recieved it before Christmas. I have to say, it's everything you guys made it out to be. After running my 270, my uncle's 290, and my dad's craftsman, this thing feels like heaven. The anti-vibe is amazing, it balances perfectly with the 20in bar, and has all the power that i'll ever need.Sorry about the long post but I had to share my feelings with someone because my dad doesn't really care for cutting wood and i'm the only one who does it now(but that's ok, more cutting for me ) You guys rock and this site rocks!!!!!

 

[clearance]

Congrats-make sure the chain is on goot and tite (German virgin). I used one with new sharp chisel skip chain that came off at high rpm, cut gash in the gas tank.

 

[West Texas]

Congratulations, you can tell from my signature below, that I also like the 361. Welcome to the AS. Tom

 

[bump_r]

Congrats, 361!

Your story runs kind of parellel to what's going on with me. A buddy at work and I were both running Polans, until for some odd reasons we both switched to Stihls in the same seasom, He went MS390, I went 290. Same Craftsman/poulan to homeowner-grade Sthils. Well, this guy went with muffler modifications, of which the results impressed his bro-in-law. Buddy had his eye on an ebay 361, so he sold the 390 and won the 361. He told me that the smoothness and overall sense of quality he experienced going from Poulan to MS390 was about the same as going from homeowner Stihl to Pro Stihl. He was blown away. Now the fire is burning in my wallet to move up, and am currently $650/759.95-plus-tax to getting my MS460. Can't wait for the "wow factor", myself.

 

[361kid]

Thanks for the replies guys When I was first looking at getting another saw, I looked at the 440 and the 460 but after picking them up and feeling the weight, i realized that there was no way I could use one all day without me keeling over At 6'1 130 pounds i'm not very big and after picking up the 361 it just felt natural. I never knew what you guys were talking about when you said how well balanced this saw was until I had it in my hands. It actually feels lighter than my 270 even though it is a pound heavier. Today I went out and cut up a few downed trees and have to say that every time i start this saw i have a big smirk on my face when it fires up. It just purrs when it's warm and gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside What is wrong with me! I find myself looking for any little excuse to go and cut with this thing. If i even see a small branch down i have to fire her up. I was driving down the road today when I saw some guy cutting up some brush. Now maybe it's just me but whenever I see someone cutting, I make it a point of slowing down and looking to see what saw they're using. Anyway long story short, I went home and had to do some cutting. O well, I'm a chainsaw-aholic and i don't care who knows it!!!

 

[clearance]

361= I hope you are wearing fallers pants/chaps, a hardhat with screen and muffs, boots. Know where the bar is and will be if it kicks. I wouldn't want your fun to be ruined by a nasty cut, been there, no fun.

 

[361kid]

Thanks for your concern clearance and yes I do wear chaps,hardhat w/screen,boots,and gloves. I learned about kickback real quick when I was 14 and was cutting away some brush and absentmindedly let off the throttle during a cut:bang: I wasn't hurt but it sure as hell woke me up From then on I've been safety conscious and always aware of where that bar is. Just recently I became confident enough to try the rs33 chain(rm2 safety chain before) and I must say this thing really flies through the hardwood! although the risk of kickback is noticably increased. I have another question for you guys... when you're cutting dirty wood or wood that has been on the ground for a while and is slightly indented into the ground, how do you avoid hitting dirt? Also when I cut brush on the ground I sometimes knick the dirt. Now I know this dulls the chain and curse myself everytime it happens but for some reason dont know how to stop. I've tried releasing pressure at the end of the cut, but with the really small twigs and such, I sometimes very slightly knick the dirt. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I might stop doing this? Thanks for your help guys and keep the replies coming

 

[Simonizer]

Hey guys, this being my first post I thought I would share some of my thoughts about how sweet this saw is. Im 17 and I've browsed this site for some time as a guest and gathered as much information as I could before eventually buying an Ms270 wood boss with 18in bar. Now I know what you're thinking,(homeowner saw), but give me a chance here, it was my first saw ever and I dont think and still dont think that it is a bad saw. Compared to the first saw I ever ran, my dad's craftsman, it was like night and day. But as time went on and I began cutting more and more wood and bigger logs, the wood boss came up short on the power scale. I browsed here for a good 4 months before deciding on a 361 and I just recieved it before Christmas. I have to say, it's everything you guys made it out to be. After running my 270, my uncle's 290, and my dad's craftsman, this thing feels like heaven. The anti-vibe is amazing, it balances perfectly with the 20in bar, and has all the power that i'll ever need.Sorry about the long post but I had to share my feelings with someone because my dad doesn't really care for cutting wood and i'm the only one who does it now(but that's ok, more cutting for me ) You guys rock and this site rocks!!!!!

Excellent choice. I see very few problems with this model. Cheers.

 

[Diesel JD]

I cut firewood for some extra cash and for personal use(more than 1 chord/year) and run into the dirt problem all teh time. With the Stihl or Oregon round chisel I just sharpen it often or throw a new loop on every few tanks, but to avoid the dirt as mucha s possible I usually just cut the log leaving a bit of wood holding it(about 7/8 of the way through) then roll it over and finish the cut. I think you will have no prolem if you touch that chain up every 2-3 tanks unless you make a habit of cutting dirt.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

361, welcome to AS. You've made a good choice in the 361. The 270 was a decent saw, but there's nothing wrong with moving up. The first saw I bought new was a 310, and I had to move up as well, and well, you can see where that ended up.

As far as cutting dirt, if you're cutting alot of stuff on the ground, look at the Chainsaw Buddy in Bailey's. Supposed to work well. If you're only making the occasional cut on the ground, just roll the log. Likewise if you're cutting alot on the ground a Timberjack from Bailey's is a good investment as well for moving and rolling logs around. Spend an afternoon cutting where half your time is moving logs around, and you'll see what I mean. Beyond that, I'll use Stihl RM chain if I'm cutting in dirty conditions overall and can't avoid dirt in the bark. It'll hold a usable edge longer than RS in dirty stuff.

Don't run your chain too tightly. It has to have some room to cut, as the cutters need to move up into the wood to properly work. There was a chain tension thead a while back and Rocky said it best, "No sag, no drag."

Since we're talking about 361's here's some pics-

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25905&d=1124125509

Jeff

 

[361kid]

Thanks for your help guys. Jeff, is that a 460 and 660 that I see in the background sheesh, your 361 barely resembles a 361 anymore...I like it My next question for you guys is this. Right now I use the RM2 for dirty wood and the RS33 for standing timber or cutting hardwood logs. Would there be a noticable cutting speed difference in switching to the standard RM for dirty wood? The safety chain works but not as fast as I'd like it to cut. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[Lakeside53]

Thanks for your help guys. Jeff, is that a 460 and 660 that I see in the background sheesh, your 361 barely resembles a 361 anymore...I like it My next question for you guys is this. Right now I use the RM2 for dirty wood and the RS33 for standing timber or cutting hardwood logs. Would there be a noticeable cutting speed difference in switching to the standard RM for dirty wood? The safety chain works but not as fast as I'd like it to cut. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Yes, you will notice a difference. If it's bigger wood, then use the RM full skip. It will keep your chain speed up AND you can whip around the chain real quick with a file to touch it up. Your stihl dealer can get it for you in loops if he doesn't stock it in rolls.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Thanks for your help guys. Jeff, is that a 460 and 660 that I see in the background

Yes they are!!

And yeah, ditch the RM2. RM2 is the same as RM, but it has the additional safety straps between the cutters. Get rid of it. You can keep it as a back up, should you break a chain someday or something. You can never have too many chains laying around.

Jeff

 

[tek9tim]

361, you sound a lot like me. Except my first saw was a 460. And I was a couple years older. I hear what you're saying about being able to sling a big saw all day long, I'm the same build as you, but it really isn't that hard. Don't underestimate yourself.

Second, the dirt issue. I'm a sawyer on a Forest Service initial attack hand crew, and cut a lot of line. For fire, I run an 044 with a 32" bar and full-chisel, full-skip (brand varies) chain. Here are some of the tricks I use: for half-buried logs, I only use the tip when finishing the cut, keeping it in the wood. Cutting through most of the way and then rolling isn't much of an option for me, since I'm usually alone, don't have a peavey, and speed is critical. But, if I'm cutting firewood, I almost always cut & roll, unless the log is suspended. Remember to keep your bar parallel to the ground, too. For brush: in general, you always want to cut through stems at 90 degree angles. If you are cutting at anything but square, you increase your odds of throwing a chain. Along with that, I try to keep my bar parallel to the ground as much as possible. What we call butter-kinfing, swing the saw back and forth at full rev. (fully paying attention to what you're doing) Keeps the chain and the dirt at non-intersecting angles. Now, if you're cutting sagebrush or something like that, you just have to be delicate. I rest the starter side of the saw on my left leg, get the saw at full rev, then ease into what I'm cutting, being especially careful as I finish the cut. Cutting this way, I can cut sagebrush stems that are fully resting on rocks, without hitting the rock. (although it might be a little tough with a 361 and a 20" bar) That kind of country is a good place to use a swamper close by too, and have him (after lots of training and working together, using established communications methods, and him having all PPE) pull the brush off the ground as you cut it. Be sure to keep your chain sharp, because as it dulls, you have to push harder, and in pushing harder, you are more likely to go through the cut and hit dirt, making your chain even more dull.

Practice. Try to improve your cutting each time you take the saw out. The 361 is a really good saw, nice choice. Happy cutting!

 

[361kid]

Thanks for the help guys. I plan to go out tomorrow and buy a loop of standard RM and i'll report back later. Tek9tim thanks for the tips, tomorrow when I go out and cut i will use some of your suggestions. Later

 

[hydro2]

Hey guys, this being my first post I thought I would share some of my thoughts about how sweet this saw is. Im 17 and I've browsed this site for some time as a guest and gathered as much information as I could before eventually buying an Ms270 wood boss with 18in bar. Now I know what you're thinking,(homeowner saw), but give me a chance here, it was my first saw ever and I dont think and still dont think that it is a bad saw. Compared to the first saw I ever ran, my dad's craftsman, it was like night and day. But as time went on and I began cutting more and more wood and bigger logs, the wood boss came up short on the power scale. I browsed here for a good 4 months before deciding on a 361 and I just recieved it before Christmas. I have to say, it's everything you guys made it out to be. After running my 270, my uncle's 290, and my dad's craftsman, this thing feels like heaven. The anti-vibe is amazing, it balances perfectly with the 20in bar, and has all the power that i'll ever need.Sorry about the long post but I had to share my feelings with someone because my dad doesn't really care for cutting wood and i'm the only one who does it now(but that's ok, more cutting for me ) You guys rock and this site rocks!!!!!

Great grammer for a kid. Don't take offence at me calling you a kid. I truly am impressed and mean it as a compliment. Pretty cool when a 17 year old can write this well.

 

[361kid]

Thanks for the compliment hydro2 Looks like 12 years of school paid off after all

 

[skwerl]

Welcome to the site. I especially like the part where you claim the 361 "has all the power I'll ever need". LMAO! That's a crock! You can never have enough power! You'll be ordering a modified 460 by next summer, I'll bet $5 on it.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

I started out on Stihls, now I have an "assortment" of saw brands.

I just bought an EHP361 from Ben Walker.

Good strong saw!!!

I like the 361............stock or modded!!!

 

[Freakingstang]

edit: still searching