# stihl 260 vs 290



## stihlman260 (Jul 21, 2010)

startin a fire wood business either this fall or next spring and wonderin which saw would be better for the job. 290's are cheaper and have more power, but is it too much power for just cuttin some 16-18" diameter fire wood. 260s cost more but have less power, but would it be worth lookin for a used one for the job i need it for>


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## smokinj (Jul 21, 2010)

880


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## stihlman260 (Jul 21, 2010)

haha i dont need that much power it would be nice tho


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## saxman (Jul 21, 2010)

The 260 is a lighter and better built pro saw, having said that, a 290 will do what you want it to so take your pick


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## smokinj (Jul 21, 2010)

saxman said:


> The 260 is a lighter and better built pro saw, having said that, a 290 will do what you want it to so take your pick



Yep I would go out on a limb for that 290 open up the muffler and its a good firwood saw.....260 just enough money that the 441 makes more sence!


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## biggenius29 (Jul 21, 2010)

260 hands down

The 290 is good for a paper weight. And they are a pain in the butt to work on. I personally hate that series of saws. But it is also one of Stihls most popular saws.

Yea, the 260 is a little more, and a little smaller of a saw, but it is lighter, and for the size wood you are going to be cutting it fits the bill.

I would look for a used 026 or 260. One can be had for $150-300. I see them on CL a couple times a month around here.

If you are looking at new and want to shop around and are not brand loyal check out Husky's 346. That is a awsome saw.


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## TXTreeSurgeon (Jul 22, 2010)

When you are running a firewood business, the efficiency and reliability of your equipment determines how much money you will make (assuming that you have a good business model and will work hard). I sell wood at about $200/cord. One extra cord of wood covers the price difference between a 260pro and a 290. With that in mind, get the 260pro and don't look back. The 260pro is just built better than the 290. If you are going to use it several times each week, you want a pro saw. 

By the way, if you are going to be cutting wood over 18" on a regular basis, I would recommend a 362... that's the primary saw for my firewood business. Lastly, make sure you get a "yellow" chain from Stihl. You can tell the difference by the yellow master-link in the chain. The low-kickback (read "slower") chains have a green master-link. I recommend getting a RMC and a RSC chain. If you buy new, ask the dealer to credit you the money back for the RMC3 low-kickback chain that comes on the saw.


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## Chuck Diesel (Jul 22, 2010)

I agree with TX, the 362 is a great power to weight ratio saw and will last you along time. Good Luck 
Chuck D


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## smokinj (Jul 22, 2010)

Ok if where going 650.00 bucks no sence stoping now 441/460 and 880 for back up! lol


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## amateur cutter (Jul 22, 2010)

"290's are cheaper and have more power, but is it too much power for just cuttin some 16-18" diameter fire wood. "

No such thing as too much power:greenchainsaw: Maybe too much weight for your application, but power is good. MS 290 modded is an ok saw for light to medium duty use, but mine seems to stay on the trailer more than get used. As was mentioned, they're not the easiest thing to work on, & are a bit heavy for the power they make. If you're serious about cutting a large quantity of firewood to sell you'll need to be as productive as possible. If you come up with the cash one of the pro grade saws mentioned above will pay for itself quickly. Even a good used 036 or similar will be a very good saw. Maybe pick up a 290 or 029/026 as a second saw later on. Just to be able to keep cutting in the event of a breakdown. Just my .02 worth. Have fun & BE SAFE! A C


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## fields_mj (Jul 23, 2010)

I tend to stay away from Stihl saws that don't start with an 0. That being said, my current set up is an 024, 036, and 064. I would love to upgrade the 024 to an 026. I've used one, and I like it a lot better. It makes a great light weight saw for limbing and cutting smaller firewood up to about 6". It will certainly cut bigger firewood than that, but at around 4" I would put it down and pick up my 036. 

For reference, I saw a good rebuilt 034 AV Super sitting on a shelf for sale with a new 20" bar and chain, and a new top end, all for $180. I was there buying the 064. If I didn't already have the 036, I would have left the 064 sitting there and walked out with the 034 Super. Apparently the reason the 064 was still sitting there is because the night before a potential buyer did exactly that. He walked out with the other 034. 

Between the two (026 vs 029) , I think the 026 is the better saw, but I also don't think it's quite big enough to make a buisness with unless you have a LOT of firewood to cut that's 8" to 10" or smaller. It's a fantastic little saw to use on stuff that you're not going to have to split. If you are only going to buy one saw, then I'd probably opt for an 028 over either of your choises. They handle an 18" bar very well, and will make quick work of anything up to about 12" Again, over that, they start to get a little slower, but still do a good job. Ultimately, for a buisness, I would think you will need at least 2 saws, and in that case I would opt for an 026 and an 034 or 036. That combination will do a good job on about anything that's reasonably sized. I cut my wood in the winter after deer season, and by then most of the "easy" wood that's in the 6" to 10" range has already been cut by someone else. I find myself cutting a lot of 20" to 30" white oak and ash. The 036 does fine at this. I don't own a log splitter (or at least I didn't), but the 064 will fix that problem for me  I've also got a large ash tree that I've been working on, and the 18" bar on my 036 will not reach any more (and I still have a LOT of trunk left to cut), so the 064 will get the job done on that too. 

Anyway, that's just my 2 bits,
Mark


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## wvlogger (Jul 23, 2010)

stay away from the 290's and any of the 3 series except for the 361 362 360. I got a 270 wich is a 260 in diffrent plastic and a little lower in price


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## smokinj (Jul 23, 2010)

wvlogger said:


> stay away from the 290's and any of the 3 series except for the 361 362 360. I got a 270 wich is a 260 in diffrent plastic and a little lower in price



Please explain


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## wvlogger (Jul 23, 2010)

smokinj said:


> Please explain



pro saw bearings pro carb and some other things i can not rember but i know i have never heard of a burnt 270 but all kinds of 290's


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## smokinj (Jul 23, 2010)

wvlogger said:


> pro saw bearings pro carb and some other things i can not rember but i know i have never heard of a burnt 270 but all kinds of 290's



I have seen some old 029 still humping. I wouldnt discount the 290,310,390 or the older versions. I have used them myself not perfect but what the heck good value for the money (cut good few issues). Pro saw's are just that, you better be working them hard to pay for them. Just starting out its an option for sure. 260 vs 290 to close to call in production performance. The real work is in "splitting and stacking".


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## wvlogger (Jul 23, 2010)

smokinj said:


> I have seen some old 029 still humping. I wouldnt discount the 290,310,390 or the older versions. I have used them myself not perfect but what the heck good value for the money (cut good few issues). Pro saw's are just that, you better be working them hard to pay for them. Just starting out its an option for sure. 260 vs 290 to close to call in production performance. The real work is in "splitting and stacking".



i don't like them i think power to weight is way the hell off


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## TreePointer (Jul 23, 2010)

I own and use a 290 and 361.

Besides raw HP, the 361 is better than the 290/310/390 series: 

lighter weight (better hp:weight)
better fuel efficiency
better antivibration
easier to clean air filter
split case (not clamshell)


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## Jed1124 (Jul 23, 2010)

If your going to spend the money on a 290, you might as well get a 310 or a 390.(311,391).But then again if your going to spend the money on a 391, you might as well get a 362. When your in 362 territory, whats 150 bucks more for a 441. Awww heck, just go for a 460:greenchainsaw:


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## TreePointer (Jul 23, 2010)

Jed1124 said:


> If your going to spend the money on a 290, you might as well get a 310 or a 390.(311,391).But then again if your going to spend the money on a 391, you might as well get a 362. When your in 362 territory, whats 150 bucks more for a 441. Awww heck, just go for a 460:greenchainsaw:



LOL!


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## smokinj (Jul 23, 2010)

wvlogger said:


> i don't like them i think power to weight is way the hell off



lol I am sure most here dont....It is what it is. And if he doing firewood and going to make it? the bottle necks the splitter not the saw(good splitter 1000.00 and up). I may not like it but sure I could keep 2 guys buzy with a 290. With that said a 460, I will be on the splitter crew very fast. The Option the OP is a 260 or 290 ok what gives its a pro saw but not much faster. If it where me and its not I would be looking at a "441/460" "husky 372" or "dolmar 7900" and trying to find a 100+cc saw. 
The little guy who can make it with a 290 or 260 and a maul is one bad mofo!


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## wvlogger (Jul 23, 2010)

smokinj said:


> lol I am sure most here dont....It is what it is. And if he doing firewood and going to make it? the bottle necks the splitter not the saw(good splitter 1000.00 and up). I may not like it but sure I could keep 2 guys buzy with a 290. With that said a 460, I will be on the splitter crew very fast. The Option the OP is a 260 or 290 ok what gives its a pro saw but not much faster. If it where me and its not I would be looking at a "441/460" "husky 372" or "dolmar 7900" and trying to find a 100+cc saw.
> The little guy who can make it with a 290 or 260 and a maul is one bad mofo!



im just saying i don't like them i love the 270 they are a awesome saw 290 is what it is like you said. good for a small timer not a major cutter


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## smokinj (Jul 23, 2010)

wvlogger said:


> im just saying i don't like them i love the 270 they are a awesome saw 290 is what it is like you said. good for a small timer not a major cutter



My first saw was a 029 and a maul...lol start cheep lots of down time...


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## fatjoe (Jul 23, 2010)

They`ll both do what you want them to.Buy three used 290`s on ebay for the price of one new 260.Then you`ve got two extra saws.


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## TXTreeSurgeon (Jul 23, 2010)

The 260 makes better long-term business sense. The OP is running a small-time business, but he wants to be wise in how he invests his money. If his business does well, he will probably want to buy a 441 or 460 later to make a two saw plan. However, if he bought a 290 and later bought a 441 or 460, he would probably never pick up the 290 again. A pro saw is a better investment because it is a better built saw and is more pleasing to use.


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## fatjoe (Jul 23, 2010)

TXTreeSurgeon said:


> However, if he bought a 290 and later bought a 441 or 460, he would probably never pick up the 290 again. A pro saw is a better investment because it is a better built saw and is more pleasing to use.



I`ve got 3 440`s, but I still use my 455 and my Echo 4400.Stihls 029/310/039`s are all very good saws for firewood.taken care of, they will last many, many years.He doesn`t need the best to get started.The clamshell engine to me is easier to do a full rebuild cause you don`t need special case splitting tools like you do with a 2 piece crankcase.The ms 310 will fill your cordwood needs until your established and think you need a pro saw.The farmboss saws are well know for their reliabilty and longevity.Buy three for the price of one.


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## smokinj (Jul 24, 2010)

fatjoe said:


> I`ve got 3 440`s, but I still use my 455 and my Echo 4400.Stihls 029/310/039`s are all very good saws for firewood.taken care of, they will last many, many years.He doesn`t need the best to get started.The clamshell engine to me is easier to do a full rebuild cause you don`t need special case splitting tools like you do with a 2 piece crankcase.The ms 310 will fill your cordwood needs until your established and think you need a pro saw.The farmboss saws are well know for their reliabilty and longevity.Buy three for the price of one.





:agree2::agree2::agree2:


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## luke_w (Jul 26, 2010)

the 029 saw is to stihl what the s-10 is to chevy.....absolute crap!!!!


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## woodchuck361 (Jul 26, 2010)

I will have to say that if this is going to be how you make ALL your money you will want to but at least a 361 to start. It can pull a bigger bar and you will need it at times and it can run a 16in and still handle very well. its lighter the the 290 and better anti vibe which you will want day in and day out. if you are going to be a fire wood pro.. you need a pro saw... and after you do it a while you will learn as i did, that you dont want to do it with just one saw. You will want a very light saw like a 200 rear handle or a hopped up 180 for knocking the limbs off. the 361 to buck it up and in my case a dolmar7900 or a larger saw for the stump and the times you need a 36in bar.. and there will be those time ... Good luck its hard work and the pay is not the best.. but its honest work...


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## giXXer (Jul 27, 2010)

woodchuck361 said:


> I will have to say that if this is going to be how you make ALL your money you will want to but at least a 361 to start. It can pull a bigger bar and you will need it at times and it can run a 16in and still handle very well. its lighter the the 290 and better anti vibe which you will want day in and day out. if you are going to be a fire wood pro.. you need a pro saw... and after you do it a while you will learn as i did, that you dont want to do it with just one saw. You will want a very light saw like a 200 rear handle or a hopped up 180 for knocking the limbs off. the 361 to buck it up and in my case a dolmar7900 or a larger saw for the stump and the times you need a 36in bar.. and there will be those time ... Good luck its hard work and the pay is not the best.. but its honest work...



I agree. If the budget allows, get the 361. It's a major bummer to make that kind of investment, be sorry in the long run and wish you had gone bigger. I don't know your exact situation, but if it were me I would start with a nice used saw so a back-up can be purchased more quickly. I've gotten a little lazy (and spoiled) and never go cutting without a second or third saw in the truck. Just drive into the woods and go to start your only saw and have the recoil break. If you are doing this for income you can't afford to have too many days like that.

I bought a 260 pro last year and do use it quite a bit when I am in the woods. However, I do more bucking off of log piles now than going into the woods so the small saws don't get used as much anymore. I don't own a 361 (actually, since it stays at my house...ownership...9/10th's  ), but use my dad's very frequently and love it. Not too heavy to lug around and enough power to efficiently cut firewood. As mentioned previously, if you run into some larger wood it will also pull a larger bar if you need it to.


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