Recommendations for best smaller Stihl Saw

[Gilderbeast]

Hello everyone. I picked up a "new to me" Stihl MS390 for $100 and did a muffler mod to it. It cuts wood pretty good. I got to thinking that it might be a good idea to pick up a smaller saw for trimming, firewood, brush, etc. So I am looking for recommendations on the best smaller Stihl saw I can get.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Ms261c and you’ll probably send the 390 down the road.

 

[Gilderbeast]

So get a MS261C, sell the 390, and maybe look for a bigger saw down the road?

 

[Tomos770]

MS 241cm if you can get it....

 

[xtremez]

024/240 026/260/261 are definitely nice saws if you can find a deal on them. A 170/180 is usually what i see pop up at dirt cheap prices and they make for a nice light around the yard trim saw.

 

[Cliff R]

If you are talking new or recent production the MS-170's are popular, but not all that great. No carb adjustments removes them from my list. I just got one in the shop that quit oiling the chain. The oil pump is a PITA to get to and I found nothing wrong with it or the drive mechanism on the back of the clutch. I'm guessing at this point that the oil pump rotated far enough in the bore that the supply hole no longer lined up because I pulled the pump, inspected it, put it all back together and it works fine. Most smaller saws have much better designs and a lot easier to work on.

Anyhow, Echo makes some really nice entry level small CID saws. My first pic would be a CS-400 or even a CS-370. Even the CS-490 or the later spin-offs of that model are small and light for the cc's and more "pro" features than the CS-370/400's.......

 

[tJKrider]

So get a MS261C, sell the 390, and maybe look for a bigger saw down the road?

This makes sense, if you even need something more capable down the road. The 261 is so light and powerful it could fill both roles, obviously, depending on your particular needs. I went the same route with an Echo 4910 (50cc) and ended up selling the MS211 I had. I thought I would keep it for light duty work but the weight wasn't much different between them so I always grabbed the Echo. I think a .325/.050 chain is good middle ground - not too big or small. I still have an MS250 as a spare/extra saw too...

 

[Gilderbeast]

This makes sense, if you even need something more capable down the road. The 261 is so light and powerful it could fill both roles, obviously, depending on your particular needs. I went the same route with an Echo 4910 (50cc) and ended up selling the MS211 I had. I thought I would keep it for light duty work but the weight wasn't much different between them so I always grabbed the Echo. I think a .325/.050 chain is good middle ground - not too big or small. I still have an MS250 as a spare/extra saw too...

Yeah I started to look at power to weight ratios. Looks like the 261, 400, and 500 will be on my radar.

 

[teacherman]

I am a big fan of the 024 and 026. Excellent pro grade saws with a large array of decent aftermarket parts available, as well as some OEM parts for those willing to be patient. It might be that the newer 50 cc class saws will outcut them, but I'm not convinced they'll outlast them. I regret turning loose of a couple of very nice 026s I had a few years ago. I expect the NOS 024 I found on ebay a few years ago to last me the rest of my life.

 

[fields_mj]

Need more information on what you're cutting. I've handled an MS170, but that's about it. Picking it up and looking it over was enough to make me put it back down. It's certainly lighter than an MS261, but it's also a lot slower which more than offsets the weight difference for me.

I've never used a top handle saw (MS211) but the numbers say its barely lighter than the 261.

All that to say that I agree with the others. Work towards getting a 261 if you're wanting something lighter. Its substantially lighter than your 390 and has close to the same HP despite the 390's noticeable advantage in displacement. Depending on how long of a bar you have on the 390, and what you're cutting, you may actually be able to cut just as fast with a 261 wearing 16" bar. So find a 261 for sale, clean the 390 up real good and sell it, then use the proceeds to pay for the 261. There are plenty of people out there willing to pay substantially more for the 390 just because it's "bigger"...

If your cutting needs have you looking for something bigger down the road, pair it with a used saw from the 460 family or the 660 family, or one of their clones if you're willing to turn a wrench on them. Personally, I run an 026 and an 036. I can tell a big difference with the 036, but the newer 261 cuts into that difference noticeably. Enough so that I'd probably skip 60cc saws all together and go straight to a 70cc or larger. The down side to the 70cc saws is that (around here anyway) they hold their value on the used market extremely well. I've frequently seen them bring more than a used 660 in the same condition. Personally, for the extra pound and a half, I'd rather have more power so that I have it when I need it. You don't ever think you're going to need a 36" bar until the day that you do

 

[Ed Penney]

Lots of people selling smaller newer stihls, I got a little MS181C to use when I got some quicky job to do. It's got a picco chain so it cuts pretty clean. I use it alot on dimensional lumber and low branches. It's easy to hold overhead very lightweight

 

[Howard Justice]

Have had 170, 180, 201 rear handle, 211, 250, 261 290, 362 and up. IMO The 261 does every thing you need up to a 461. If I could only have one saw … would be 261.

 

[Ed Penney]

I g

Have had 170, 180, 201 rear handle, 211, 250, 261 290, 362 and up. IMO The 261 does every thing you need up to a 461. If I could only have one saw … would

 

[Ed Penney]

I got a MS280 I've been trying to peice together for awhile that was given to me. I never had one in my hand running. The old stihl tech said they were pretty good runners. Guess I will find out. Seems a little on the heavy side. It's got a strange brake system that's a little off the wall. It does have a mag case and P&C are like new

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Not a firewood saw, but a great trimming saw, the stihl ms180. I seem to have this thing about it, maybe because it was just my first saw. It’s light, zippy, great power for a little saw, has twist caps rather than the flippy, it’s cheap, accessible, parts are easy to get. Although I didn’t when I owned one, I have been told a muffler mod and timing advance makes them even better too.

I would add a WT215 carb to it, a side tensioner and metal bucking spikes, but I think you’ll really enjoy it.

 

[Seachaser]

I had rather have a saw that is too big versus one that’s too little. A good all around is a 262. With that said, I was limbing and bucking yesterday with a 500i. Got through in a hurry. And I’m not a youngster.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I sold a Stihl 025 with three 16" chain loops to a lady who operates a poultry farm about five years ago, thus replacing a worthless, worn out Wild Thing. She uses the Stihl today and loves it. She also has a Husky 450 Rancher that she bought but she admits that the Stihl 025 is her go-to saw and uses it most of the time. She told me today that buying that 025 from me was the smartest thing she ever did. 'Nuff said.

 

[teacherman]

Need more information on what you're cutting. I've handled an MS170, but that's about it. Picking it up and looking it over was enough to make me put it back down. It's certainly lighter than an MS261, but it's also a lot slower which more than offsets the weight difference for me.

I've never used a top handle saw (MS211) but the numbers say its barely lighter than the 261.

All that to say that I agree with the others. Work towards getting a 261 if you're wanting something lighter. Its substantially lighter than your 390 and has close to the same HP despite the 390's noticeable advantage in displacement. Depending on how long of a bar you have on the 390, and what you're cutting, you may actually be able to cut just as fast with a 261 wearing 16" bar. So find a 261 for sale, clean the 390 up real good and sell it, then use the proceeds to pay for the 261. There are plenty of people out there willing to pay substantially more for the 390 just because it's "bigger"...

If your cutting needs have you looking for something bigger down the road, pair it with a used saw from the 460 family or the 660 family, or one of their clones if you're willing to turn a wrench on them. Personally, I run an 026 and an 036. I can tell a big difference with the 036, but the newer 261 cuts into that difference noticeably. Enough so that I'd probably skip 60cc saws all together and go straight to a 70cc or larger. The down side to the 70cc saws is that (around here anyway) they hold their value on the used market extremely well. I've frequently seen them bring more than a used 660 in the same condition. Personally, for the extra pound and a half, I'd rather have more power so that I have it when I need it. You don't ever think you're going to need a 36" bar until the day that you do

I think you make some good points. One thing to consider is that the 170 and its ilk are really bizarrely built. My neighbor got one a while back, the ol $179 new Stihl promo. So when it quit working a couple of years later, I tried to figure it out. I, despite being a Stihl devotee, suggested that he throw it away. I have not seen the innards of the 211 or 311, but if they are similar to the 170/180 series, I would have zero interest in dealing with them. I used to have well over fifty Stihls, and through theft, two long distance moves, and what I hope is a semblance of late-onset maturity, I have a 200T, 024, 036, 440, and 064, all in excellent condition. I don't see the need to ever do anything different. The 660 I bought new in 2011, shown in my avatar pic cutting our wedding cake (canola bar oil, flushed the system) ten years back would have been a really nice one to keep, but unfortunately the thief had other ideas.

All this would change if the 500i technology were to filter down into the ranks of the smaller saws. All indications are that these are phenomenal saws, with a power to weight ratio and reliability that make the 064 look like an Edsel by comparison.