And a bad one IN MY OPINION!
Just an idea...
New purchase Stihl 461 or 661
- Thread starter Hero
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altair
ArboristSite Operative
I have a 661 which wears a 25 or 32 inch bar, and an old well used MS440 which wears a 20 inch bar. Same brand chain, pitch etc etc, and the old MS440 cuts as quick, if not quicker than the 661 wearaing the 25. Noisier and more vibration, but its power always brings a smile to my dial. I vote 441. No need for 91cc for a 20 incher.
porsche965
Addicted to ArboristSite
Isn't that purtty
porsche965
Addicted to ArboristSite
7910. I've sold two. Not quite the saw as a 7900. Sound but detuned.
concretegrazer
ArboristSite Operative
Sounds like a wise move to get a 461 at a good price while one can. The op wants to run a 20" bar and a normal human would most likley advise him to buy a 362, but normal is far from the advice one can expect here so +1 on a 70+cc ported pro saw. He was successfully cutting with an old 028.....but he really does need a 461/661 with 9pin and a port job to replace his 028
. Just remember fellers these saws are not for the faint hearted and what you may be capable of running........may not suit joe blow next door.
. Just remember fellers these saws are not for the faint hearted and what you may be capable of running........may not suit joe blow next door.
Deets066
Firewood hack
Rather have the saw in ur avatar
Just an idea...
Those do interest me, but after getting burnt by an early 7900 Dolmar is out of the question for me.
concretegrazer
ArboristSite Operative
Full Chisel
Slingin' Stihls and runnin' Huskies
Hands down the MS461 is the better choice. You will be blown away by the performance, they have tons of torque stock. I ran one with a 20" bar and skip chain and could not believe how fast it cut. It sounds weird but you had to run it to believe it. The 461 is one of, if not THE best saw on the market right now, IMHO.
I own both saws in question, with a 20" bar I think the 461 wood out cut the 661. If they both had 3\8" chain and 7 pins....
Threads like these make me wish they would have just made a 661 an overgrown 461.
One thing I would add. Several posters have chimed in and said a 661 will cut about the same as a 461 in smaller wood given the same sprocket, chain and bar. This may or may not be true IME. However, why would you run the same chain and sprocket setup with a 661 that you run with a 461? 8T gear and more agressive chain for me.
I understand your point, and if I my 661 wore a 20" bar, it would have a 8 pin or 9, and a aggressive chain, then yes I would expect it to cut faster.
However the OP, did not specify any of that, he only asked between the 461 vs 661, and Most of the time it will probably just have a 20" bar on it, will the 661 cut faster or bout the same?
So if everything was equal, same bar & chain, same stock 7 pin, and in wood warranting a 20" bar, my vote would be that the 461 would cut faster.
Mix things up (like chain size, sprockets, etc) and DON'T keep things equal (but if they both had 20" bars) I would vote the 661 would cut faster then.
.
The point is that no one that knows what they are doing would keep things equal. If your running a 20" on a 661 of course your going to optimize your setup.
I also am not convinced that a 461 would hang with a 661 even with all things equal. I have ran a 660 on several occasions falling timber with a 20" bar and blocking firewood with a 16" and it was scarry fast... this is with 7t gears and off the roll 72 LG chain.
I also am not convinced that a 461 would hang with a 661 even with all things equal. I have ran a 660 on several occasions falling timber with a 20" bar and blocking firewood with a 16" and it was scarry fast... this is with 7t gears and off the roll 72 LG chain.
D
Deleted member 135597
Guest
this is what i'm doing, but it's getting hard to wait. any new info on when it might be released and if it will be m-tronic?
You can bet it will be M-Tronic.
D
Deleted member 135597
Guest
anyone think it will be out this year?
Full Chisel
Slingin' Stihls and runnin' Huskies
I ran a 660 with a 25" bar and was not impressed with it at all. It was slow and really not very torquey for the displacement. The 461 with a 20" was a monster though. One thing I really liked about the 461 is that it really doesn't feel like a "big saw" to me...the 661, not so much.
Deets066
Firewood hack
It's real easy, it's about rpm and torque/HP. The higher rpm you can run the faster the chain will spin. You need a power head to spin the fastest rpm and hold it in the cut according to bar length.
In this case, with deal Stihl is giving on the 461 it's the obvious choice for a 20" bar. But if you ain't scared to spend the cash on a 661 your options are greatly improved for bar length, stumping comes to mind, sprocket tooth count also comes to mind.
In this case, with deal Stihl is giving on the 461 it's the obvious choice for a 20" bar. But if you ain't scared to spend the cash on a 661 your options are greatly improved for bar length, stumping comes to mind, sprocket tooth count also comes to mind.
