Why do so many people love the 290/390?

[woodguy105]

QUOTE=Normsworld;1415786]VALUE . For half the price they are great saws .For the once a week cutter , the 290 love you long time ! A expensive pro saw may help you look like a pro , but I appreciate the dude that looks like a pro using what ever . Heavy and underpowered , yes . Just properly sharpen the chain and do some pushups once in a while . I got a pro saw too , but the money saved on another 290 will stimulate my love life ![/QUOTE]
:agree2:[
Used my 290 for 6 years on some big oak. Just 6-7 cords a year but that saw worked like a charm...until I came here and now I have a 361 as well

 

[joatmon]

Tell Mrs. Joat that all your saws belong to me and you are helping store 'em. I will collect soon.:biggrinbounce2:

Brian,

Well, don't want to leave the wrong impression. Mrs. Joat knows about all my saws. It's just that I have three IE sessions open. This one on AS chainsaw forum. Another one on the AS Tradin' Post and the third on eBay where I'm watchin' a ported saw.

If we weren't all crazy,
We would go insane,

Joat

 

[woodfarmer]

Aod

from what i've seen there is only about six guys on all of AS that require the "pro saws" everyone else that cuts 6-10 cord could easily get by with the homeowner brands. for years there was never a "pro saw" from any manufacturer, i don't know which one started using that name? but if you need a "pro saw" i've got a good 361 i'll sell ya

 

[woodguy105]

An 029 is NOT a 290.

It's just frustrating to see ignorant people cooing over a mediocre saw.

If they were really hard up for money they'd be running older stuff. An XL-12 can be had for a song and will keep you warm, and will almost keep up with a 290 in bigger stuff.

My point is, if somebody has the money for a new 390, it's stupid of them to not spend a bit more and get the 361 because they think it's "too much saw"

Why are you frustrated because someone is happy with a saw? And I'm ignorant because I happen to think my 290 was a great value for $300 bucks?? Who determines that a saw is mediocre?

"If they were really hard up for money they'd be running older stuff" <-wtf?



Husky, Dolmar, Efco, Makita..whatever if the dude likes it and it does the job it's a good saw that he can be happy about. Geez............

 

[andrethegiant70]

I don't care what anybody says, I want one.. just to check it out. I prolly won't bother with the 290 or 310, just the 390. People like 'em, who am I to argue?

It'll be fun to see what the hubbub is all about.. and if I don't like it, I'll sell it... for a strangely, "poopy" high price. I have this inkling, though, that the saw is a pretty good one.

 

[Honkie]

I don't care what anybody says, I want one.. just to check it out. I prolly won't bother with the 290 or 310, just the 390. People like 'em, who am I to argue?

It'll be fun to see what the hubbub is all about.. and if I don't like it, I'll sell it... for a strangely, "poopy" high price. I have this inkling, though, that the saw is a pretty good one.

You wont be disappointed, as long as ya mod the muffler....

 

[RiverRat2]

Aod!!!!!!

FYI,,,, I think for the money,,,, The 290-310-390 series saws are rock solid saws,,,,,

Do the saw fanatics here on AS bash them!!!! Yep some do,,,,,,,

But for the most part if you take care of them,,,,, They will last a very long time,,,,,,

In fact,,,, I particularly like the 029/039 series saws,,,, But any of them respond to muffler Mods and I have several that I keep just for Loaners and or back up saws,,,,,,

A muffler modded properly tuned 310 will cut right with an MS 361,,,, all day long,,,,

Are they a little heavy??? yes but they arent bad,,,,, the normal fire wood cutter,,,,, home owners dont seem to mind them abit

Ill get them with broken handles or cracked tanks,,,, and I find good used Handles and tanks and swap the parts and sell probably 10 -15 a year,,,

I regularly get $200 -250 for ones I have been through and have modded mufflers,,,

people who buy them & have been running wild things,,,, are grinning from ear to ear after running one of the Muffler Modded saws!!!!

 

[2000ssm6]

I don't care what anybody says, I want one.. just to check it out. I prolly won't bother with the 290 or 310, just the 390. People like 'em, who am I to argue?

It'll be fun to see what the hubbub is all about.. and if I don't like it, I'll sell it... for a strangely, "poopy" high price. I have this inkling, though, that the saw is a pretty good one.

Find a cheap 290 with a smoked top end and install the 390 p&c, you will be doing some then.

 

[Lugnutz]

My dad kept us warm for years using a 028WB. Its heavy for a 50cc class with an 18" bar. But at the time it was a good choice. Its been maintained well for the last 27 years and it still starts cuts and provides.

My first saw was the Wildthing. Yup its cheap and tacky. Yup it aint a pro saw. Yup it did what I needed it for, and it even survived me using it as my only saw to keep my family warm. Yup it still works and I still use it. I've added a JD CS56 and a Makita 6401 to my line up. Why? I was beating the Wildthing to death on 20"+ oak and hedge. The JD is bigger than my dad ever used and the Makita is way bigger. Both will serve me well, and both were relatively cheap compared to other saws. My budget is tight but I have enuff to toy with some different things. These two additions to my line up were both economical and beneficial. The low down is that people buy what they need and can afford or justify. If I had to bet, I'd bet that the norm for most people is to buy what is adequate ( and sometimes a bit less than what is needed ) to save a buck, but get the job done. Then there are people like us on AS that buy a saw for specific jobs...an 026 for anything up to 10" and a 066 for stuff from 10-18" and maybe an 088 for those huge mammoth 20" trees. See....its really all about perspective!

 

[tlandrum]

for my 2 cents the 290, 310, 390 are a good saw for occassional use but the ones my buddys used seem to have there problems with handles breaking and mufflers falling apart. they ran like a champ but those plastic handles are abought 50-60 bucks. and seemed to just outlast the warranty.

 

[RiverRat2]

My dad kept us warm for years using a 028WB. Its heavy for a 50cc class with an 18" bar. But at the time it was a good choice. Its been maintained well for the last 27 years and it still starts cuts and provides.

My first saw was the Wildthing. Yup its cheap and tacky. Yup it aint a pro saw. Yup it did what I needed it for, and it even survived me using it as my only saw to keep my family warm. Yup it still works and I still use it. I've added a JD CS56 and a Makita 6401 to my line up. Why? I was beating the Wildthing to death on 20"+ oak and hedge. The JD is bigger than my dad ever used and the Makita is way bigger. Both will serve me well, and both were relatively cheap compared to other saws. My budget is tight but I have enuff to toy with some different things. These two additions to my line up were both economical and beneficial. The low down is that people buy what they need and can afford or justify. If I had to bet, I'd bet that the norm for most people is to buy what is adequate ( and sometimes a bit less than what is needed ) to save a buck, but get the job done. Then there are people like us on AS that buy a saw for specific jobs...an 026 for anything up to 10" and a 066 for stuff from 10-18" and maybe an 088 for those huge mammoth 20" trees. See....its really all about perspective!

Hey lug Nutz,,,,,,,,,,

The 028 is not the same class of saw as 290-390,,,,,,, they are much better built and are really early pro grade saws,,,,

and Im sure your wild thing has served you well,,,,,,

My post was not knocking the wild thing saws,,,,, I would never do that,,, they serve their purpose abd if maintained will last a good while,,,:monkey:

I feel to go from a 35CC wild thing to a decent, 55-65CC stihl for half the cost of a new one is an upgrade,,,,,

actually a good deal for someone on a tight budget,,,,

 

[Jtheo]

390

Thats the thing. Inexperienced homeowners should stick with the 1xx series, casual users can use a 260 or 270, but if you need a saw the size of the 390 you need the performance and features of a 361. They won't spend the money for a real saw but ride around in a $35,000 SUV that gets traded in every 2 yrs.

Casual users do not need to run a powerful saw with non safety chain. It can eat'um up if they do not know how to handle it.

Just my own thoughts.

 

[Raymond]

:computer: OK I'm gonna ask...What's all this about muffler modifications?
Drilling holes or hole in the muffler? Our is it more than that? I want all I can get out of my saws but is the price of this hard on the saws or make them louder? Thanks

 

[stihl only]

So here's my question, Why doesn't Bailey's or some other quality aftermarket company make a "BB" kit for the 029/290.

"Quality"' and "aftermarket", just don't go together!

 

[Martinm210]

I love my 290, simply because it's been an awesome saw, exceptionally reliable. I've never had an issue with the weight of a 290 or my 066 for that matter.

I never quite understood the complaints about saw weight. A 13 or even 16+lb powerhead isn't even close to the weight of the rounds you've got to sling up into the bed of the truck. It's the wood chucking that gives me a measure of my physical fitness, not the saw weight..

Bottom line for me. I bought a nearly new MS290 about 5 years ago for $200 with only 4 cords cut on it, several chains, and a case. I've since cut about 20 or more cords of wood on it and it's never once let me down. That MS290 is what sold me on Stihl and I've since bought a Stihl trimmer, BR600 backpack blower, an 044, and an 066.

I'd say Stihl did their homework in producing a low cost yet extremely reliable and well performing saw. I've since spent a whole lot more on Stihl products and happy about it..

 

[2000ssm6]

:computer: OK I'm gonna ask...What's all this about muffler modifications?
Drilling holes or hole in the muffler? Our is it more than that? I want all I can get out of my saws but is the price of this hard on the saws or make them louder? Thanks

Pretty much what you said, we open up the muffler to flow more exhaust out, increasing power but also unburnt fuel. Be careful on how big you open it up, too much can hurt power and leave you buying a new muff. Everyone here has covered about all the newer saws made, try a search for your model(s) and go from there. After a muff mod the carb usually needs to be richened up to slow the saw down so it doesn't burn up the p&c, use a tach or have your dealer do it.

 

[Raymond]

Pretty much what you said, we open up the muffler to flow more exhaust out, increasing power but also unburnt fuel. Be careful on how big you open it up, too much can hurt power and leave you buying a new muff. Everyone here has covered about all the newer saws made, try a search for your model(s) and go from there. After a muff mod the carb usually needs to be richened up to slow the saw down so it doesn't burn up the p&c, use a tach or have your dealer do it.

I'm going to look into this further for sure. I do have a good STIHL dealer and we click like peanut butter and jelly. I'll run it past them and maybe have them do it.

So it does make them louder huh? Tell ya the truth I ain't digging that. But yeah thanks

 

[2000ssm6]

I'm going to look into this further for sure. I do have a good STIHL dealer and we click like peanut butter and jelly. I'll run it past them and maybe have them do it.

So it does make them louder huh? Tell ya the truth I ain't digging that. But yeah thanks

Most dealers won't mod a saw for epa reasons, you would be better off to do it here, yourself. Yup, they are louder but gains can be up to 30%, some less. If you saw does all you ask of it now, just learn how to keep the chain like a razor.

 

[joatmon]

Most dealers won't mod a saw for epa reasons, you would be better off to do it here, yourself. Yup, they are louder but gains can be up to 30%, some less. If you saw does all you ask of it now, just learn how to keep the chain like a razor.

Brian,

Dang it. When I put those chains in my boot, it hurts my feet.

Joat

 

[Raymond]

Most dealers won't mod a saw for epa reasons, you would be better off to do it here, yourself. Yup, they are louder but gains can be up to 30%, some less. If you saw does all you ask of it now, just learn how to keep the chain like a razor.

Oh I keep my chains sharp, very sharp. You guys ever take a brand new chain out of the box and lightly touch it up with a file? Talk about a cutting fool!
I've never hit the drags out of the box but one day I may just take a little bit, I mean a little bit off and see what it does.