stihl 361 or husky 357xp

[sethknight]

I am giving my stihl 390 to nephew so he can cut wood to earn some bucks, I want to replace that saw with a nother 24" saw. I own a 372xp and a 455 rancher along with my 390 stihl right now. I like both husks and stihl.

both the 357 and 361 have 4.4 horseys movin the chain adaquate enough for a 24" bar, not sure on top rpms and help would be good also the price for the 361 I need, the 357xp is about 700 bucks. In northern cali huskys are more expensive than stihls are for whatever reason I dont know. I love huskys and many people have bad things to say which are unfair and simply not trure. I am a professional in the ccc and have worked as a wildland firefighter in past and both organizations used/use only husqvarna saws, and they are more expensive then a stihl by far around here. So that must say something lol so spare me the throw the husky in the trash cuz they are darn good saws as are the stihls. The 390 smokes my husky 455 rancher and my 372 leaves my 390 in the dust however its a larger saw with way more rpms so not a fair comparison lol. but the 455 is a good saw for cutting 18" rounds or smaller, if I could do it again I would of just boght a stihl 290 cuz its 50 bucks cheaper than the 455 rancher, $380 for the 290 and $430 for the 455 rancher. $800 for my 372 "money extreemely well spent". and $ 460 for my 390. Please give me some unbiased info on these two saws that u guys might know. Not down with the husky garbage please I like stihls too.

 

[maccall]

They're booth good saws, so either one will make you happy! While the 361 might be the slightly better saw of the two, I would say that life get's easier if you stick with as few brands as possible and thus go with the 357. I might not do as I preach, but call it experience then...

 

[DougNH]

Why not just sell the 455 and get a NE346XP? The 372 will do just about anything, and the 357 is not all that much lighter. If you are adamant about getting a 60cc saw, the MS361 does everything the 357 will do at a lower price. I respectfully disagree with the "one brand" strategy if you want to own both 60cc and 70cc saws, since the 357 uses small-mount bars and few parts are interchangeable with the 372. Once you use a 346XP, that 455 will be history!

 

[mdavlee]

I think you would be better off with a hotrod 50cc saw than a 60cc to go with the 372. Most 60cc saws weigh within a lb of the 372.

 

[thinkxingu]

To answer your question, the 361 is selling for $599 around here, and if you can find one your dealer might make you a sweet deal--mine did two days ago. My local dealer sells both Husky and Stihl, and he recommended the 361 both for cost and performance--he said his lumber business customers have used both and maintain that the 361 feels stronger in the cut, especially with larger bars. I didn't ask about other saws besides the JRed C2156.

By the way, good luck finding negative comments on the 361! Besides people sayin' to get smaller or larger, I'm not sure I found anybody criticizing the 361--this says a lot, since every other saw gets beat up around here.

S

 

[mikefunaro]

Sell 455, get a 346xp, and forget about your desires for a 60cc saw. The 346xp NE is so light and maneuverable that you'll want to use it anytime you can. Add to that the fact that it can pull a buried 16-18" bar in most hardwoods and I think you'll see that there's really no reason to own a 60cc saw. Especially because the 372 is pretty light and nimble for a 70cc saw, you're really creating quite a bit of redundancy in your saw collection if you get a 357/361

 

[SawTroll]

They're booth good saws, so either one will make you happy! While the 361 might be the slightly better saw of the two, I would say that life get's easier if you stick with as few brands as possible and thus go with the 357. I might not do as I preach, but call it experience then...

:agree2:


...but wtf does the OP consider those saws for a 24" bar, when he already has a 372xp????

 

[wooddog]

If they are equal on price and dealer support is the same for both 357 and 361. I would buy the 361. Your price of $700 seems inflated :jawdrop:.

 

[sethknight]

reason for 24" saw

When i go wood cuttin I go with my dad so we have two saws in use, I usually use the 372 and my pops uses the 390 which im gettin rid of, and the 455 is there just in case one cruds out lol, more less a paper weight.

Thats the reason for another saw, we also cut down big big snags usually at least 22" in diameter so the longer bar is easyer.

 

[Oldsawnut]

I would take the 361 over the 357 any day but I would take a husky 390 over them all

John

 

[nmurph]

i have both and i can tell you there is not a lot of difference in power. the 361 lighter by a few ounces, and has an in-board clutch. otherwise, go with the best deal or dealer support.

 

[WoodViking]

i have both and i can tell you there is not a lot of difference in power. the 361 lighter by a few ounces, and has an in-board clutch. otherwise, go with the best deal or dealer support.

:agree2: and I own both too. The 361 has a tiny bit more power (mine is the euro one) and the 357 is a bit smaller and the oiler is a bit better - but all minor differences. nmurph's suggestion about going with the best dealer is great advice IMO.

 

[sethknight]

I think im gana get a 361

well after reading a crud load of reviews and pricing the saws at my local dealers it was a very close and trough decision especially since I love huskys a dad bit more but im gana half to say im getting a 361, My dealer will charge me $590 for a 361 with a 24" bar. VS the $700 for the 357. I had to look real hard to even find any negetive reviews anywhere on the 361 so it must be a good saw, im sure I wont regret it.

As for sellin the 455 i would however its always good to have a back up saw, in addition it makes a good paper weight in the mean time lol. Its not a horrible saw though better than a homelite or poulan. but any who thanx for the input, im tryin to learn how I can also improve the 455 for kicks and giggles.

 

[fishercat]

they are both great saws

unless you HAVE to have a Husky or your Stihl dealer sucks,for the money,the 361 is the way to go.

 

[CentaurG2]

By the way, good luck finding negative comments on the 361! Besides people sayin' to get smaller or larger, I'm not sure I found anybody criticizing the 361--this says a lot, since every other saw gets beat up around here.

S

Sheesh, I bad mouth my ms361 all the time. I did not name that thing “Miss Daisy” because of its color scheme. Truly one of the worst “pro” saws I have ever purchased. I will admit that criticizing such magnificent piece engineering on this sight is bad for the karma but one does need to ask why the Stihl gods discontinued the 361 in less than 6 model years? Stihl must have made too much money on that design.

 

[2000ssm6]

Sheesh, I bad mouth my ms361 all the time. I did not name that thing “Miss Daisy” because of its color scheme. Truly one of the worst “pro” saws I have ever purchased. I will admit that criticizing such magnificent piece engineering on this sight is bad for the karma but one does need to ask why the Stihl gods discontinued the 361 in less than 6 model years? Stihl must have made too much money on that design.

The 361 gets the most hype from any saw I have seen. A great saw indeed, had one and sold it. Now I have another.

Stihl is dropping the 361 due to the 362, a better saw if that was/is possible. The reason behind this is due to the EPA, the 362 is a strato and burns much cleaner.

 

[CentaurG2]

Huh, due to the EPA? You must have a little more insight into the mysterious vortex called Stihl USA than me. Perhaps you are stock owner.

I would have figured that if the change was due to the EPA, both stihl ms361 and the husqvarna 357xp would have gotten the axe. I guess stihl is just so far ahead of the competition that they don’t need to copy things like strato-charging and spring mounted antivibe. With stihl ingenious innovation in charge and the need for lower emissions, I would have expected the new 362 to be a 4-mixer. I wonder why it was not???

 

[SawTroll]

Huh, due to the EPA? You must have a little more insight into the mysterious vortex called Stihl USA than me. Perhaps you are stock owner.

I would have figured that if the change was due to the EPA, both stihl ms361 and the husqvarna 357xp would have gotten the axe. I guess stihl is just so far ahead of the competition that they don’t need to copy things like strato-charging and spring mounted antivibe. With stihl ingenious innovation in charge and the need for lower emissions, I would have expected the new 362 to be a 4-mixer. I wonder why it was not???

Well, it is just about EPA, and the 357xp replacement has been under development for quite some time - I sure hope it is more exciting than the MS362 is........

 

[THALL10326]

Well, it is just about EPA, and the 357xp replacement has been under development for quite some time - I sure hope it is more exciting than the MS362 is........

Why you say that Sawtroll, is there something you don't like about the 362? I mean it will indeed outcut the saw its replacing, the 361, its smoother beleive it or not, easier on fuel, better filtration, what more ya want? Oh wait, your disappointed because its a tad heavier than the 361, powerhead weighing 12.3 on the 361 and 13.0 on the 362. Hmmmm, lets see here, 372 powerhead weighing in at 13.4 lbs, its replacement, the 576xp powerhead weighing in at 14.55 lbs. Looks like Stihl is doing ok. Any idea how much the 357 replacement is going to weigh???

 

[SawTroll]

Why you say that Sawtroll, is there something you don't like about the 362? I mean it will indeed outcut the saw its replacing, the 361, its smoother beleive it or not, easier on fuel, better filtration, what more ya want? Oh wait, your disappointed because its a tad heavier than the 361, powerhead weighing 12.3 on the 361 and 13.0 on the 362. Hmmmm, lets see here, 372 powerhead weighing in at 13.4 lbs, its replacement, the 576xp powerhead weighing in at 14.55 lbs. Looks like Stihl is doing ok. Any idea how much the 357 replacement is going to weigh???

More weight is exactly what a 60cc saw doesn't need - then you can as well get a 70cc one instead!

Also, the 362 specs show no increase in power vs. the non-US 361s.

...and no, I don't have any high hopes for the new Husky either...


Happy New Year, my friend!