Stihl MS290

[rangerxlt00]

Hello all im new to this site and i am am purchasing a new Stihl MS290 with a 24 inch bar and i am wondering if this saw is a good saw for that? I was also considering the Husky 350 as it was a tad cheaper at 305.00 rather than 349.95 for the stihl. Because a guyi worked with said that the MS290 is a ???? saw and wont ???? anything and the 24" bar will bog down into a log when i am cutting it into 16" sections to put into a wood stove i plan on using this saw intermediatinly and during hunting season albeit a short one but thats what i am purchasing the saw for i am hoping that i might be able to get some help here.

Thanks

ranger

 

[sedanman]

MS-290is fine for the type of use you want it for. A 24" bar is WAY TOO MUCH for an MS-290. I run a 16" bar on my MS-361 most of the time. I wouldn't go any more than a 18" on the 290 and a 16" would be a better choice. I have seen 290's with a lot of wood behind them. On customer cuts 10 12 cords a year and gets 3 or 4 years out of a 290 before ho sells it on e-bay and gets 1/2 his money back.

 

[rangerxlt00]

well then its a good thing that i have put the saw on layaway at the saw shop instead of purchasing it right away i will tell them to put on a smaller bar then 24" maybe 20" but i think i need a few more opinons first.

ranger

 

[BostonBull]

The 290 is great for what you want it for. The 20" bar is way too much for that saw though!! And the 24" bar is just plain craziness!! Thats what I run on my 064!!

Get a 16" bar and you'll be plenty happy.....I wouldnt go any bigger than that though. If you want a bigger bar buy an MS260!

 

[whatsnext]

I have a 290 and have been very happy with it using an 18" bar. I would not go much longer then that. 290's seem to draw a lot of criticism here and I'm really not sure why. I've always liked mine and recently uncorked the exhaust a bit so I can't wait to try it again.
John.......

 

[begleytree]

My 29 runs a 20" B&C (.325) just fine, but does much better wearing an 18"
-Ralph

 

[premix]

My 029 will pull a 20" bar well with a much better .325 RS chain. But the stock 20" .325 safety chain sucked bad on hardwood. It did somewhat better on Fur. Only a complete Moron dealer would sell a 24" bar on one of these saws.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Ranger- good to see another P.A. resident on here. I actually live out past Joyce, but work in P.A. (CG Airstation) and have a P.A. address, so I'm in P.A. Are you one of those guys I see running RC cars out on the spit when I'm driving to work? And are you getting that saw from Mike in town? I'm surprised they'd set you up with a 24" for that saw, as it's really too much. I don't think it makes them morons, but I'm guessing you talked to one of the front desk staff, and if you don't get the right one, (ask for Jayme, she's the attractive brunette who knows her stuff) well, you might end up with a 24" bar on a 290. The 290 is a fine saw, no matter what anyone says. The guys who knock it are the ones who compare it to a 440 or even a 361. Compare the 290 to other saws in it's class, like the Husky 455R, and it holds it's own. But that's another thread.

Like has been said above, that saw matches up well with a 16" or 18". If you're looking at the 290, you might look at the 310, as it's the same saw and weight, but with a larger bore, and an extra 1/4 hp, which makes the 13 lbs it weighs a little more worthwhile, and this would be the saw's main shortcoming, is it's lack of hp to it's weight. The 290 is a good firewood saw, and I don't know how large of diameter wood you're cutting for, but remember that you can still tackle diameters upwards of 32" with a 16" bar. I think you'd be disappointed with the 24" bar, as that bar wouldn't do that saw justice, and you'd think you had a piece of junk in your hands. We do have soft wood out here, fir, WRC, spruce, etc, and alot of folks think we run bars too long for our saws, but the 24" is too long for that saw, even by PNW standards. Like Ralph said, the 20" will work, but the 18" will work better. Ask them to swap out to the 18", and you'll be much happier with it.

Also, search this site for muffler mods for the 290, as supposedly the saw responds really, really well to them.

And I don't want to take business away from our local shop, but there's a 440 Mag in the pawn shop downtown, next to Mambasa, for $350. No decomp valve on it, but I ran it out back, and it starts, idles, accelerates and runs good. 28" bar on it. Good saw if you're looking for something bigger in your price range.

Jeff

 

[BostonBull]

That 440 is a good deal!

 

[rangerxlt00]

Ranger- good to see another P.A. resident on here. I actually live out past Joyce, but work in P.A. (CG Airstation) and have a P.A. address, so I'm in P.A. Are you one of those guys I see running RC cars out on the spit when I'm driving to work? And are you getting that saw from Mike in town? I'm surprised they'd set you up with a 24" for that saw, as it's really too much. I don't think it makes them morons, but I'm guessing you talked to one of the front desk staff, and if you don't get the right one, (ask for Jayme, she's the attractive brunette who knows her stuff) well, you might end up with a 24" bar on a 290. The 290 is a fine saw, no matter what anyone says. The guys who knock it are the ones who compare it to a 440 or even a 361. Compare the 290 to other saws in it's class, like the Husky 455R, and it holds it's own. But that's another thread.

Like has been said above, that saw matches up well with a 16" or 18". If you're looking at the 290, you might look at the 310, as it's the same saw and weight, but with a larger bore, and an extra 1/4 hp, which makes the 13 lbs it weighs a little more worthwhile, and this would be the saw's main shortcoming, is it's lack of hp to it's weight. The 290 is a good firewood saw, and I don't know how large of diameter wood you're cutting for, but remember that you can still tackle diameters upwards of 32" with a 16" bar. I think you'd be disappointed with the 24" bar, as that bar wouldn't do that saw justice, and you'd think you had a piece of junk in your hands. We do have soft wood out here, fir, WRC, spruce, etc, and alot of folks think we run bars too long for our saws, but the 24" is too long for that saw, even by PNW standards. Like Ralph said, the 20" will work, but the 18" will work better. Ask them to swap out to the 18", and you'll be much happier with it.

Also, search this site for muffler mods for the 290, as supposedly the saw responds really, really well to them.

And I don't want to take business away from our local shop, but there's a 440 Mag in the pawn shop downtown, next to Mambasa, for $350. No decomp valve on it, but I ran it out back, and it starts, idles, accelerates and runs good. 28" bar on it. Good saw if you're looking for something bigger in your price range.

Jeff

Some times i go out to the spit and run my rc but its not that often i looked at the 440 magnum and its a little more saw than i wanted but i will defenitly ask in two weeks to have a 18" bar put on the saw instead of the 24" as i have thought about it and that sounds a little bit to much and it was the mechanic Paul that told me that it could run that. Also good to see another person on this site from P.A. so hopefully we will converse more here.

ranger

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

..it was the mechanic Paul that told me that it could run that...

Paul told you that? Or did you ask for it specifically? I'd tend to think the 290 is on the small side of what could handle a 24" bar. I bought a 310 there a while back, and it came with a 24" on it, and most guys will tell you that that bar is too much for that saw. It worked well enough for firewood use. I sold it to a guy at work, and put a 20" on it before I gave it to him, and kept the 24" for my 460. The 290 is only 1/4 hp less than the 310, but man, that seems like a hefty 1/4 hp, as I would never expect to see that bar on that saw. Did you ask for that bar? If I'm not mistaken, they have it on the shelf with an 18" or 20". Because if you asked for it, then yes, the answer would be, "Yeah, that saw can pull that bar." Because physically, it can, although not happily. Go with the 18", and you'll do fine.

And you're probably doing well to skip on that 440. I haven't bought it because it doesn't have the decomp, and it surely was a pro's saw, and has seen use. It's in pretty decent shape, and runs well, but a pro's saw has been put through the ringer. Most pro owned saws though look like the 044 sitting in the pawn shop across from Swain's, also selling for $350.

Take care man, and I'll see you around.

Jeff

 

[Riddler]

Ranger, I recently had the same experience as you. I went into my local Stihl dealer to buy an all-around saw for 20 acres of mixed woodland here in Northern California and the set up I was given was the MS290 with a 24" blade. I used it for several hours and it cut like a champ. However, it seemed rather cumbersome for most of the firewood cutting chores. Then, I posted a thread like yours and, lo and behold, I received millions (or so it seemed) responses from folks much more experienced than me saying that I was nuts to buy that saw with that blade. Well, after thinking it over and factoring in how much cutting I really needed to do over the next several years, I returned the saw and upgraded to an MS361 with a 20" blade. Thought hard about an 18" (better firewood length), but I have too many 18"+ diameter trees to deal with.

I did not get to use the MS290 for that long, but I thought that it was a great saw. For what I have used the MS361 for so far, I believe that the MS290 would have performed just as well. I don't know why the MS290 is not more well regarded by folks who post on this site. If I still had that saw, I am sure I would love it.

I am even going to go out on a limb (no pun intended) and suggest that the MS290 would have performed just fine for me even with the 24" bar. That said, there is a darn good reason to down size to a 16" or 18" bar. The shorter blade makes most work (especially bucking logs and cutting firewood) so much easier. If you will rarely (if ever) need the additional length, why overwork yourself during 99.9% of the time that you're using the saw??? These late model saws, with super power to weight ratios are a joy to use, precisely because they are light, balanced and powerful. Why diminish that ease-of-use unnecessarily with a relatively awkward, longer-than-needed, not to mention heavier, chain bar??

 

[rangerxlt00]

Ranger, I recently had the same experience as you. I went into my local Stihl dealer to buy an all-around saw for 20 acres of mixed woodland here in Northern California and the set up I was given was the MS290 with a 24" blade. I used it for several hours and it cut like a champ. However, it seemed rather cumbersome for most of the firewood cutting chores. Then, I posted a thread like yours and, lo and behold, I received millions (or so it seemed) responses from folks much more experienced than me saying that I was nuts to buy that saw with that blade. Well, after thinking it over and factoring in how much cutting I really needed to do over the next several years, I returned the saw and upgraded to an MS361 with a 20" blade. Thought hard about an 18" (better firewood length), but I have too many 18"+ diameter trees to deal with.

I did not get to use the MS290 for that long, but I thought that it was a great saw. For what I have used the MS361 for so far, I believe that the MS290 would have performed just as well. I don't know why the MS290 is not more well regarded by folks who post on this site. If I still had that saw, I am sure I would love it.

I am even going to go out on a limb (no pun intended) and suggest that the MS290 would have performed just fine for me even with the 24" bar. That said, there is a darn good reason to down size to a 16" or 18" bar. The shorter blade makes most work (especially bucking logs and cutting firewood) so much easier. If you will rarely (if ever) need the additional length, why overwork yourself during 99.9% of the time that you're using the saw??? These late model saws, with super power to weight ratios are a joy to use, precisely because they are light, balanced and powerful. Why diminish that ease-of-use unnecessarily with a relatively awkward, longer-than-needed, not to mention heavier, chain bar??

Riddler,

By far you have made the most since to me and i am begging to understand that even an 18" bar can saw big logs into 16" pieces to fit into wood stoves also i would go with a bigger saw but i really cant afford that thats why i am going with the MS290. And i have to agree it seems that the MS290 is abused here on this site but i think it will be a great saw for cutting firewood to sell come July so i can make some money when the mill is down for a week.

ranger

 

[rangerxlt00]

PAUL told you that!?!?! Far beit from me to argue with a guy that works on saws for a living, but I think he may have been back in the back inhaling two stroke mix a little too much. I bought a 310 there a while back, and it came with a 24" on it, and most guys will tell you that that bar is too much for that saw. It worked well enough for firewood use. I sold it to a guy at work, and put a 20" on it before I gave it to him, and kept the 24" for my 460. The 290 is only 1/4 hp less than the 310, but man, that seems like a hefty 1/4 hp, as I would never expect to see that bar on that saw. Did you ask for that bar? If I'm not mistaken, they have it on the shelf with an 18" or 20". Because if you asked for it, then yes, the answer would be, "Yeah, that saw can pull that bar." Because physically, it can, although not happily. Go with the 18", and you'll do fine.

Jeff

Jeff,

Yeah i have to agree with you on the smeeling too much two stroke fumes maybe he was helping to make a sale along with the Jennifer girl that works there i will go out tommorow and ask them that i want to change the bar size so they dont cut the chain and have it ready for me when i go to pick it up on the 15 of April well all in all they are good people out there and they just want to make the customer happy.

ranger

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Jeff,

Yeah i have to agree with you on the smeeling too much two stroke fumes maybe he was helping to make a sale along with the Jennifer girl that works there i will go out tommorow and ask them that i want to change the bar size so they dont cut the chain and have it ready for me when i go to pick it up on the 15 of April well all in all they are good people out there and they just want to make the customer happy.

ranger

Tell me you asked for that 24" bar. You've got me wondering now if they have it with the 24" sitting on the shelf in there. I can't imagine that. I'm going to have to go in there tomorrow and see! But you're right, they are good people who do want to make the customer happy.


Jeff

 

[Riddler]

Ranger, I suspect that others on this site who have cut a heck of lot more wood in their lifetime than me can advise you better on the capabilities of an 18" bar relative to the logs you will mostly likely deal with. Are you saying that a high percentage of the firewood you will be cutting is larger than 18" in diameter? I have a little over 20 acres of redwood, doug fir, pacific madrone, black oak and California laurel to manage, and I don't often have need for a bar larger than 18" (or even 16"). In fact, although the 20" bar on my MS361 works fine, I may very well put an 16" or 18" on it before too long, especially if I don't find myself needing the 20" as often as I originally thought. Those of us who take up wood cutting have a tendency to want to believe that we are tackling great big trees, so we want to buy a saw with the biggest bar we can get. The reality is that the vast majority of what we tackle is less than 16". The other reality is that larger bars are much heavier and awkward to use hour after hour. Personally, I would gladly give up boasting about the size of my chain bar if it saves me a great deal of aches and pains (not to mention providing more enjoyment while I'm cutting).

I will also repreat what I said before about the MS290. My experience with it was admittedly limited, but for most of the firewood cutting I do, I believe that it would have performed 90% as well as the MS361 I have now. I plan to do some Ripsaw milling as well, so that's where the MS361 will probably separate itself from the MS290. Longevity is a big issue with me too, so that's why I shelled out more to uupgrade. If you don't want to spend the extra cash for "pro" model Stihl, the MS290 is an excellent choice IMHO.

 

[Lobo]

Ranger there has been a lot of good recommendations here, however safety may be the most important one for anyone especially if you are a part time cutter. A 16'' or 18'' bar is whole bunch safer to run for a weekend warrior than a 24 '' bar. Many full timers here can tell you that they can cut a 30 inch tree with a 16 '' bar on a 260 or 290, they don't because they earn a living with it and as time is money they own several series of saws and several bar lengths to save themselves time enabling them to earn a better living.

The 029/290 i believe has gotten a bad rap because contrary to pro model saws its crankcase is 2 piece composite instead of 2 piece magnesium, therefore less desirable for rebuild, additionnnally it is a pound or so heavier than a comparable displacement pro model.
That being said the saw techs here will tell you that they have 290's in all kinds of operations from municipal, to state gov't, to fire fighters, to parc personnel and given regular maintenance it is one tough saw, it ranks in there very well.

Yes a 290 will pull a 24'' b&c, pull it efficiently, not really.

For part time cutting a 290 will do just as well as a same size pro model.

 

[Fireaxman]

Bottom line at the top, I also recomend the shorter bars, for the reasons discussed and for one more slightly different reason.

I handle a good bit of 20 to 30 inch oak with the 18" bar on an MS 260. I cut my wood in 22" length. 22" of 20" diameter green oak is about as much weight as I want to fool with. Over that, I have to use the tractor with pallet bars to get the wood to the splitter. Actually, I think I make more wood faster working with 12" to 18" trees than I do with the larger ones, simply because I can handle them faster and with less fatigue.

I have larger saws and bars because sometimes I have to take the larger trees, but my suggestion is get the smaller bar (it will cut faster) and look for smaller trees (they will be easier to handle once they are on the ground).

Actually, I would rather run the 16" bar on my 260 except that the 18" bar gives me a little more reach on the limbs when I am topping out a tree.

 

[clearance]

A shorter bar is no safer than a longer bar if the saw is used properly. A 24" bar is too long for that saw, I think it is too long for a 361 as well. My opinion-get a good used proven saw, Husky or Stihl that is bigger than what you are thinking of.

 

[bigair]

Just remember what ever wood you cut, you will have to lift. This is why I use an 18" bar. It limits me from biting off more than I can chew. If you have a tractor with a bucket or forks than this is not an issue.