Hustihler
ArboristSite Operative
Hey guy's, I'm considering a purchase of a 60cc class saw in the next couple of months and I have narrowed my choices down to Stihl 361, 360 pro, or 036 pro and Husqvarna 357xp, 555, 562xp. I had my heart set on finding a good used 361, but I talked to several dealer techs. and they gave me the "evil eye" when I brought up the subject of buying a 361. One tech.-(He sells and services both Stihl and Husqvarna), elaborated on the subject and said there were "muffler issues" with these saws(He said the stock mufflers tended to burn up and fall completely off), he then stated that their local Stihl rep. informed him that on the 362's they fixed this issue. The other tech.(He sells and services Husqvarna and is also a buddy of mine from High School, he does a ton of service work for the majority of the tree services in my area and is a very knowledgeable guy and good friend). He says that there were some "issues" with the 361, he didn't elaborate, but strongly suggested I look at alternatives to a 361. Neither one of these guys' tried to force me into buying a new more expensive saw, and even suggested other used models of both Stihl and Husqvarna, they both seemed to have genuine concern when they spoke of the 361. I'm not here trying to bash any particular brand of saw or model but from all the posts I've read about the 361 nobody's ever said anything bad or reported any issues with these saws, and yes I do know the old saying "Believe half of what you see, and nothing that you hear about." Also I read on a forum here that there are sprocket bearing issues with 036's, but they fixed this problem with the 360/361 by replacing it with a heavier duty bearing. I am not aware of any issues with the Husqvarna 357xp, and I know that the 555's and 562's are new and won't even be available in my area till mid to late October(just got this info from my local dealer today). I would like to hear from you guy's that own or have owned any of these saws (Stihl 361, 036 pro, 360 pro and the Husqvarna 357xp) and can attest to the durability or issues with them. I'm simply seeking the truth and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
