Stihl MS 241 c-m questions

[weedkilla]

It's such an unusual situation - for husky to be selling a pro saw and a mid range saw that are essentially the same, with minor differences in tune. Although there are other cases of husky doing similar things, in this case I think they nailed the tune to suit the different users - they didn't just cheapen/strangle the saw to suit a price point.
Normally the lower end models have a different engine, and simply aren't as good as their pro siblings. The stihl 251 isn't in the same league as a 241 for instance.

 

[Tnshaker]

I will have to agree with sawtroll.....not much weight difference in a 241 and a 545/550 but a huge increase in power. I am just not a 241 fan because of tthe 545/550.

 

[weedkilla]

I will have to agree with sawtroll.....not much weight difference in a 241 and a 545/550 but a huge increase in power. I am just not a 241 fan because of tthe 545/550.

I notice it more when I compare a 261 to a 555. I think the 241 is a sweet little saw.

 

[tacomatrd98]

I'll bite...I have a 241, HAD a 261cm(that should say something there), have a 550xp and a 562xp. I tend to overbuy things due to the theory that using a small saw too hard will shorten it's life versus using a larger saw to less than it's design capabilities will extend it's useful life.

With that said, I really like a 562xp as a one saw plan. Light enough to be a good limber and enough snot to fell/buck decent size wood with. Even bone stock they run like they have an attitude problem and are angry with the wood. Not as angry as a ported 346xp but close.

I also really like the 550xp and I feel this would probably be you're best option. I run 3/8 18" on mine and it pulls it just fine despite what other think, with a reasonably skilled hand you do not need 70cc's to pull 3/8 chain.

Onto the 261cm...I do not own it anymore...Maybe it was a factory dud, maybe it wasn't "broken in" but either way, it was a dud. And I'm a stihl guy. It was a slug from day one. With .325 it wasnt bad but it had no nuts with the 3/8th on it. A 261 does not feel light and flickable like a 241 or 550 feel.

Enter 241cm. BADA$$ little saw. Build quality is great sans the bleeping plastic clutch cover and handlebar. The air filter is great, stainless muffler, mag cases, spring av, etc etc. It is lighter and forgive me, handles better than the 550xp and 346xp. I haven't tried .325 on mine yet. I run 18" stihl bar and 3/8 PS Picco chain. You can burry it in whatever wood you want and it will hold it's rpm's really well and keep throwing chips. I'm not saying it is the fastest cutting saw, just that it is a pleasure to use.
I love the little thing but I don't think it would be my go to firewood saw unless I do not tackle anything over about 16" and weight was a concern. Mine is a used for limbing. I assume with heavy firewood duties you would be scrapping bar/chains often as they are made pretty light for these saws. Awesome saw for it's intended purpose.

Now that you are confused, I'd go with 550xp as my first choice, then the 241. The 241 has better filtration but the 550 with 3/8 semi chisel would be ideal for cleanup work with great power and little weight penalty. In most situations, The 241 will do anything the 261 will. In your situation, I think the 562 would be overkill.

-AJ

 

[Fishnuts2]

Thank you for those observations. That's a nuance I haven't seen elsewhere and one I suspect might generate further "debate". I would definitely fall into the "infrequent" cat so the 545 and 241 are now the top candidates for my next saw.

Popcorn anyone???

regards
John

If you are looking at the 545, don't overlook the Jonsered 2252. Same saw, different colors and perhaps you can secure a better deal from one of the vendors here. It is a most impressive little saw. Mine has an 18" bar with .325 and has a bad attitude for wood.

 

[MCW]

For those that haven't run a 241 next to a 550XP in a production type environment they probably haven't realised the 241 will get around 10% more trees on the ground by the end of the day through fuel efficiency alone. On trees around 8-14" the 241 is actually a far more effective saw. I'm a Husky fan too

 

[KenJax Tree]

In the 40cc class i like my Dolmar 421 for $200 less

 

[bryanr2]

241 16'' .325 semi chisel 7 pin

that video proves that the 241cm benefits greatly from a trip to Cuddle LN.

 

[MCW]

In the 40cc class i like my Dolmar 421 for $200 less

I've heard good things about that model Dolmar and I am a Dolmar fan. Have you run one against the 241C though? My situation is probably a bit different to most as all I do is fall trees moving from one tree to the next. In a 10 hour day the saw is probably running for nearly 9 1/2 hours. The extra efficiency of the 241 over for example the 550XP isn't apparent unless the run time is significant. For shorter faster jobs I generally grab the 550.

 

[AKDoug]

We all use saws for different things. In my case, 99% of my current saw use is bucking wood for firewood and 99% of that wood is held up in the air by an excavator bucket. The 241 in this case won't keep up with a 261 in any way. Since you can refuel while in between log moves, fuel efficiency really doesn't come into play. After watching MCW's falling videos, I can easily see why a 241 is an advantage for him.

 

[SawTroll]

For those that haven't run a 241 next to a 550XP in a production type environment they probably haven't realised the 241 will get around 10% more trees on the ground by the end of the day through fuel efficiency alone. On trees around 8-14" the 241 is actually a far more effective saw. I'm a Husky fan too

I highly doubt that fuel efficiency is a big factor in most peoples use of chainsaws this size - even though it is in yours.

Mostly it simply is about trading a small gain in weight for a big loss of power.

 

[SawTroll]

I will have to agree with sawtroll.....not much weight difference in a 241 and a 545/550 but a huge increase in power. I am just not a 241 fan because of tthe 545/550.

I would have bought one years ago if it wasn't for the 346xp. As it is, I simply can't define a need for a 241 or any other 42/43cc saw.

 

[Mastermind]

The 241 is a great little saw......no doubt.

We have a 241, 261, 2252, and a 562XP.

All of them get used quite a bit.......but the 261 is still my favorite.

The 241 gains less from the port work than the others though. I get 25% or so from them, it's a pretty good runner stock.

 

[MCW]

I highly doubt that fuel efficiency is a big factor in most peoples use of chainsaws this size - even though it is in yours.

Mostly it simply is about trading a small gain in weight for a big loss of power.

It depends on how far away from your fuel source you are. Fuel efficiency however is probably underrated by a lot of people and fill up times actually add up to a lot more time than people think. I know people who can't even use 5 litres of fuel before it's stale so in these people's cases fuel efficiency means nothing. Also most people have never done the same work while having a variety of similar saws to use. Most guys have a small, medium, and possibly large saw, generally the same brand, and only use one at a time. When you have a few saws in the same class you can compare notes a bit. For example with these smaller trees in the 40-50cc class I've used an MS261, MS261C, Husky 353, MS241C, 550XP, Dolmar 5100-S, Stihl 026, and even a Sachs Dolmar 115i. I now only have the 241C and 550XP after selling the rest. For these smaller trees I actually rate the saws in this order for many reasons, not just fuel economy:

1) MS241C
2) Husky 353
3) Dolmar 5100-S
4) Husky 550XP/MS261C (Husky feels better but 261's filter and spikes are better)
5) Stihl 026
6) Stihl MS261
7) Sachs Dolmar 115i

I honestly regret selling the 5100-S. That was a cracker little saw and I kept my MS261 at the time instead. The throttle response and speed of the 5100-S was absolutely perfect for these smaller trees.
As mentioned if I just need to cut a few things up I generally reach for the 550XP. It is significantly faster than the 241 in the cut - the downside is the filter is pretty average and the felling spike is next to useless. I would suggest that when designing a spike on a saw most engineers with half a brain cell would make the spike long enough so that uneven tree shapes actually clear the front of the case. It would seem that Poppa Husqvarna and his clan overlooked this point and didn't realise that there are trees in the world that aren't perfectly spherical. Hence I have a caved in muffler and no paint on the front of the saw
Like always though there are people who make comments about which saws are best without taking all saw use situations into account. I have a situation where the 241 has shown to be faster than the 550XP which makes people think about things a bit more. Many people rate saws simply by running them in a cant race and seeing which one finishes the cut faster. Using that analogy I should be using the 3120 which 18" bar to fell these smaller trees

 

[weedkilla]

I still don't get how the 241 gets a flogging for being too close to the 550 weight, and the 261 gets a free pass when it can be compared to the 555.
I guess I have to weigh them or look up independent tests to check - but they feel really close to me, and the 241 feels noticeably smaller and lighter than the 550.

 

[bryanr2]

all this talk about weight in these saws is amusing. We basically are passing judgement over a weight difference that boils down to a can of beer. Weight differences should be absolutely irrelevant in this class of saw.

 

[Termite]

"I honestly regret selling the 5100-S. That was a cracker little saw and I kept my MS261 at the time instead. The throttle response and speed of the 5100-S was absolutely perfect for these smaller trees.
As mentioned if I just need to cut a few things up I generally reach for the 550XP. It is significantly faster than the 241 in the cut - the downside is the filter is pretty average and the felling spike is next to useless. "

I agree with these two statements. 5100 is a very nice and very smooth saw. I actually preferred running it to my 262xp.
And the spikes on the 550 and 2253 are ridiculous. I replaced the original 2253 spike with the one from my 2260 and bought the heavy duty spikes for the 2260. It is an improvement for both saws.

Not being a heavy user of chainsaws, why should the OP spend over $500 for a 40cc saw. If he has CAD or just wants one fine. But honestly, I use a 40cc saw more than any other because it is the correct size for the cedar I cut. I can not see how a Stihl 241 is 300+ dollars better than a Redmax 3800.

 

[flyinlow]

I have both a Snellerized 241cm and a Snellerized 261cm and they both have attitudes. You can't tell the difference between them until the wood gets over 10" and then the torque of the 261 really shines. But------ why use a heavier saw to cut all the smaller limbs? My 241 weighs 13.2 lb and the 261 weighs 15 lb. ready to cut with 16" bars and .325 chain. I use 100LL at 40:1 with Stihl Ultra because it's the only high quality fuel available without alcohol. Both my saws are at about 195 lb compression and have advanced timing and the like the 100LL. I seldom use my bigger saws because these 2 put a smile on my face. And I cut hedge 80% of the time. These sure work for me.

 

[tacomatrd98]

"
I can not see how a Stihl 241 is 300+ dollars better than a Redmax 3800.

It's like the jeep thing, you just wouldn't understand.

 

[Chris-PA]

"Not being a heavy user of chainsaws, why should the OP spend over $500 for a 40cc saw. If he has CAD or just wants one fine. But honestly, I use a 40cc saw more than any other because it is the correct size for the cedar I cut. I can not see how a Stihl 241 is 300+ dollars better than a Redmax 3800.

I use 40cc saws to cut most of my firewood, because they are more than enough to do it with ease. But there are certainly other people with other requirements. Also, for a professional outfit an additional $300 for a basic tool is not that big a deal - it does provide Mtronic, and at the present time I think it is the only feedback carb 40cc saw.