# Stihl MS 261 Vs. MS 362



## JRJC (Aug 19, 2015)

Hi there, this is my first post.

I'm currently trying to decide between the Stihl MS 261 and MS 362. I'm interested in finding out about people's experiences of comparative performance and reliability. I've been advised by a couple of pros to go for the 362 as I won't have any trouble handling the larger saw, but I want to make sure I've done my homework before dropping the money. I have read a lot of independent reviews, but wanted to know if anyone here has experienced both saws? I plan to use an 18 inch bar for now.

About me - I'm not a pro, just a hobbyist. I've got about 5 cords to get through right now, mostly cypress, but will have some hawthorn and other hardwoods to get through soon. Maximum log dia. of approx 24 inches, bust mostly around the 12 inch range. Based on my research I think I could probably get away with the 261, but if the 362 is the better saw in people's experience then i'm willing to pay a bit more. Just looking to make sure I get the best bang for my buck.

Any advice will be appreciated.


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## 1Alpha1 (Aug 19, 2015)

Between the two, and if $$'s ain't too tight, I'd go with the MS-362 C-M.


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## JRJC (Aug 19, 2015)

Thanks for your response 2123. Is that just for the bit of extra power, or other considerations?


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## redfin (Aug 19, 2015)

I have owned both but still have a 261. They are built almost the same, with great filtration and av. The 362 just has more HP and weight. Is this going to be your only saw? If so, I would buy the 362 but it sounds like a 261 would still take care of your needs.


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## JRJC (Aug 19, 2015)

Good little selection of lures there! Yeah it will be my only saw, definitely don't need more than one. I quite like the quick chain tensioning option on the 261. I want to run an 18 inch bar, but the Stihl catalogue indicates that the 261 is optimised for a 16 inch bar. Do you mind me asking why you stuck with the 261?


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## Definitive Dave (Aug 19, 2015)

I own and run both, but the 362 is ported or it would still be a 361 which is a better saw in my opinion.
261 feel slighter and more nimble, both wear a 20" b/c 3/8 .050. 
I use the 261 for anything on the small side (10" or less usually) and the 361 for anything up to maybe 15" and stumping smaller trees.
I like the 261 more but obviously the 362 has more power to go with its extra weight.

All the guys on our crew at the time preferred to run an older 036 pro, MS360 and MS361 over brand new MS362s at the time. 
One it visited Brad we sold the other saws, but he literally saved it from being sold and replaced by an older used saw.
I have not run a C-M so all this may be wiz in the wind, but unless you plan to spend a little extra coin on upgrading then I would consider the choice between a 261 and a 441 which is a real saw out of the box.
Not what you asked but....
Dave


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## moondoggie (Aug 19, 2015)

Have to be a Stihl?? Cause there is a ninja saw available


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## JRJC (Aug 19, 2015)

Thanks Dave. The 441 is just too big for my needs, also considering the extra £. I handled one in the shop and it would be overkill.


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## Duane(Pa) (Aug 19, 2015)

You will appreciate the extra HP or KW of the bigger horse. Buy once, cry once....


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## Full Chisel (Aug 19, 2015)

If you are going with a one saw plan and getting into 24" wood, the 362 is the obvious choice. 50cc saws are nice, but only if you have a 70cc+ saw to handle the bigger stuff. A 60cc saw is a good one saw plan for most users, a 50cc is not.


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## pro94lt (Aug 19, 2015)

562


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## Ryan'smilling (Aug 19, 2015)

I'm with these guys. If you will only have one saw, and you're sure of that, then go for the 362. I bought a 361 as my first saw, but it was underpowered for bucking big material and heavy for limbing, so I sold it and got a 50cc Shindaiwa and a 76cc Stihl. I'm happier now, but I cut quite a bit of wood. If I had to choose just one saw, I'd definitely go with the 60cc and both a 16" & 20" B&C to accompany it.

Let us know what you end up with.


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## 1Alpha1 (Aug 19, 2015)

redfin said:


> I have owned both but still have a 261. They are built almost the same, with great filtration and av. The 362 just has more HP and weight. Is this going to be your only saw? If so, I would buy the 362 but it sounds like a 261 would still take care of your needs.





I couldn't have said it any better.


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## lindnova (Aug 19, 2015)

One saw - get the 362. 

362 will cut faster and weight is not too bad. 

I got by for years with only a 260. Great saw but wish I bought the 362 first.


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## moondoggie (Aug 19, 2015)

pro94lt said:


> 562


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## porsche965 (Aug 19, 2015)

Guys usually never complain about too much power....even if it weighs more.


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## KenJax Tree (Aug 19, 2015)

Best bang for your buck is a Husqvarna 555 or JRed 2258 or even the Dolmar 6100. If it has to be a Steal then 362.


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## computeruser (Aug 19, 2015)

I think a lot of it depends on what you plan to cut most often and how quickly you need or want to get it done. If you're cutting whole trees, you're going to spend a lot of time in the limbs and upper trunk sections; very little of the tree is going to be 24" material. In that case, the 50cc setup should do fine. I know I've cut up some big oaks and turned them into firewood with a Husqvarna 346xp, running either a 13" .325 pitch setup or a 16" 3/8" pitch setup. Sure, you have to cut from both sides, or roll the log, but you never get tired and never inadvertently stick your bar tip in the dirt.

If you do go with the 362, which is not a bad plan for a one-saw guy to follow, please don't go all American and hang a longass bar off of it and leave it there for all purposes. Get at 15" for everyday use and a bigger one - 20" or 24" - for the rare occasions when you really, honestly need the length.


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## Full Chisel (Aug 19, 2015)

The earlier recommendation of a 16 and 20" bar combo seems like a good one for the 362. A 24" would be pushing it in hardwoods, IMO.


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## SAWMIKAZE (Aug 19, 2015)

Have you considered a ported 044 ?


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## huskihl (Aug 19, 2015)

moondoggie said:


> View attachment 442042


That's funny. I'm still loling. Dude puts up a pic of his avatar and everyone knows what he meant


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## moondoggie (Aug 19, 2015)

If it has to be a Stihl. 362 with a 20" bar all day every day. Maybe a 24" on 36" + to make it a little easier. I cut 167 cord last year with a 445 with 18" bar. Took some patience but it got done. Now I have a 562xp which I believe to be the ULTIMATE firewood saw with a 20" bar cuts 96% of the wood I need to cut. I have operated a 362 and a 260 both are better than your teeth I assure you. 260 take a little more patience but a fine saw. 362 is a great firewood saw but its not a ninja!!! Lol! Get what is in the budget. Has nothing to do with your manhood! It just needs to cut wood efficiently right


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## moondoggie (Aug 19, 2015)

Hmmmmmmmmm I see that it's a 261 in question.... I have zero experience with that one. 260/is a good one though


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## ReggieT (Aug 19, 2015)

SAWMIKAZE said:


> Have you considered a ported 044 ?


 Ah, Hell Yeah!


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## redfin (Aug 19, 2015)

SAWMIKAZE said:


> Have you considered a ported 044 ?



Haha, an 044 is why I sold my 362.


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## MustangMike (Aug 19, 2015)

I don't have a 261, but very happy with the 362 C. For a one saw plan, that is what I would get, and I like it with a 20" bar, but that is a personal preference.

Note: They gain an appreciable amount of power after the first 5 or 6 tanks of fuel.


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## KG441c (Aug 19, 2015)

Stihl 038 super ported


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## treesmith (Aug 20, 2015)

Never run a stock 261 but we have stock 362s at work, they're alright but nothing special, I'd rather use my ported 261cxb though it ups the price a bit from stock cost

How about a rebuilt 357xp? They're pretty damned cool


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## walterg (Aug 20, 2015)

Two saw plan Stihl 024, and a Stihl 036 Super.


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## blsnelling (Aug 20, 2015)

I'd rather run a ported 50cc saw than most stock 70cc saws.


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## sunfish (Aug 20, 2015)

blsnelling said:


> I'd rather run a ported 50cc saw than most stock 70cc saws.


Same here & would rather have a 261 than a 362.


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## 906 (Aug 20, 2015)

Im in similar situation to you and had to make the same decision last year. Alot of wood in the 12"+ range when bucking, 24"+ at the base occasionally when falling. Minimum of 6 cords a year. I got the 362cm and love it. Either would do you fine, but with the extra hp of the 362 I rarely feel like I need more. Im 6' and 195 lbs and the saw does seem to get a bit heavy when limbing. I don't think I would ever get a bigger saw, but eventually I would like to get a smaller 30 or 40 cc saw (250 or 241 look pretty good).


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## Full Chisel (Aug 20, 2015)

blsnelling said:


> I'd rather run a ported 50cc saw than most stock 70cc saws.



Ported 50cc saws are fun to run but they just don't have the grunt of most 70cc saws. You don't see anyone running 24" bars on them for a reason(unless you are into the whole piltz "hotsaw" thing, lol) I would definitely take a ported 50cc over a stock 60cc saw though.


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## MustangMike (Aug 20, 2015)

I was gonna say, I would put my stock 70 cc saw against a ported 60 cc any day, much less a 50 cc. They are just in a different league, and a ported 70 cc even better!

IMO, while they are great for a 2 or 3 saw plan, for a one saw plan 50 cc is too small.


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## sunfish (Aug 20, 2015)

It's not that a 50cc is better than a 70cc or vise versa. It's what a person would rather run. 
No such thing as a one saw plan anyway.


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## MustangMike (Aug 20, 2015)

But since he will have just one for a while, a 60 cc is a good starting point.

When he talks about a 24" bar in hardwood, that s/b on a 70 cc saw, but a 60 cc will handle it better than a 50 cc.


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## KenJax Tree (Aug 20, 2015)

Y'all run what you want, but i'm gonna keep runnin' the snot outta my 562 and 2260


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## sunfish (Aug 20, 2015)

MustangMike said:


> IMO, while they are great for a 2 or 3 saw plan, for a one saw plan 50 cc is too small.


I logged, thinning, heated a large shop and two houses with a 45cc saw for 9 years.


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## JRJC (Aug 20, 2015)

Thanks for all the advice guys, didn't expect so much feedback. Haha, I figured all these Ninja references were something to do with Husqvarna. To be honest I am sold on Stihl based on research, personal recommendations and the dealer network / after market service close to where I live. I'm sure the Huskys and other recommendations are great. I've read really good things about the 562 xp, however i'm not sure it's available in the UK. The 560 xp is available, which I understand is slightly different (bar mount size / air filter size / overall weight). Tech/quality wise it's a tough choice and I would just deliberate forever, so I have to consider the stronger Stihl presence where I am. Long story short, I bought a cheap piece of crap 62cc saw on Amazon and it was hands down the worst power tool I have ever owned, so I plan on doing it right this time. Don't know what I was thinking. Should have learned from my experience with breaking cheap splitting mauls . I 'm down to only a large bowsaw right now and an increasing amount of wood, so it's getting a bit out of hand.

I'll consider all the good advice and sleep on it. Will let you know what I go with in the end.

@sunfish - If chainsaws are anything like rods and reels, then there is definitely no such thing as a one saw plan!


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## sunfish (Aug 20, 2015)

JRJC said:


> @sunfish - If chainsaws are anything like rods and reels, then there is definitely no such thing as a one saw plan!


Yeah, I have too many of those also.


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## MustangMike (Aug 20, 2015)

Don, I've run ported 346s and I'm very impressed by them, but it would never be my primary saw. But as I have said before, it depends on what you are cutting and who is doing the cutting, and there is no one right saw for everyone. I'm 6'1", so I like a 20" bar on my limbing saw, shorter bars make me reach down too much, but I see lot of other people who want shorter bars, and nothing wrong with that, we are all different.

I find myself swapping the ported 362 out for an 044 when bucking good sized limbs, I don't have a lot a patience! But hey, both the ported and non ported 044s really cut! And the 362 is fast & smooth on the smaller stuff (up to 18").


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## Babaganoosh (Aug 20, 2015)

036


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## sunfish (Aug 20, 2015)

MustangMike said:


> Don, I've run ported 346s and I'm very impressed by them, but it would never be my primary saw. But as I have said before, it depends on what you are cutting and who is doing the cutting, and the is no one right saw for everyone. I'm 6'1", so I like a 20" bar on my limbing saw, shorter bars make me reach down too much, but I see lot of other people who want shorter bars, and nothing wrong with that, we are all different.
> 
> I find myself swapping the ported 362 out for an 044 when bucking good sized limbs, I don't have a lot a patience! But hey, both the ported and non ported 044s really cut! And the 362 is fast & smooth on the smaller stuff (up to 18").


It's all good Mike. Everybody likes what they like and uses what works for them.


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## dave53223 (Aug 21, 2015)

Get the ms362c you will like it.


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## leonito (Mar 6, 2021)

hi guys.i am from romania and i have found ms361 and ms 260 brand new for sale.they both have 2019 year of fabrication.was stihl still making these saws in 2019?


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## DND 9000 (Mar 6, 2021)

Yes these saws were still produced in 2019. I don`t know if they are in production now.


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## leonito (Mar 6, 2021)

thanks for the answer


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## president (Mar 6, 2021)

MustangMike said:


> Don, I've run ported 346s and I'm very impressed by them, but it would never be my primary saw. But as I have said before, it depends on what you are cutting and who is doing the cutting, and there is no one right saw for everyone. I'm 6'1", so I like a 20" bar on my limbing saw, shorter bars make me reach down too much, but I see lot of other people who want shorter bars, and nothing wrong with that, we are all different.
> 
> I find myself swapping the ported 362 out for an 044 when bucking good sized limbs, I don't have a lot a patience! But hey, both the ported and non ported 044s really cut! And the 362 is fast & smooth on the smaller stuff (up to 18").


T1


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## sbhooper (Mar 7, 2021)

Just get the 362, do a muffler mod and go cut. Both will work, but more power for a little more weight is a good tradeoff.
Ah, heck. Just buy a 462 and be done with it!


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## MustangMike (Mar 9, 2021)

A ported 462 paired with a ported 261 is my favorite combo!


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## kielbasa (Mar 9, 2021)

I've ran a 261 and a 362 (both mtronic), MUCH prefer the 362 strictly due to having more bottom end grunt, ran a 462 that same day also - was NOT impressed (vibrated more, didn't seem to have THAT much more power than the 362, although the 362 was well broken in and the 462 had approx 5 tank thru it), surprisingly was a huge turnoff for me after reading how it fixes the worlds problems........


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## MustangMike (Mar 9, 2021)

Maybe you had an off one. I love both of my 462s, the I had a VG running ported 362.

Mine are also both very smooth.

The dyno tests on the other site back up my impressions of them. Did 6.7 Hp stock and over 7 hp with just a muffler mod.

A couple of the builders are also very impressed with them. Mine are both ported (now), and they scream!


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## Wood Doctor (Mar 9, 2021)

After reading this thread, I have decided to give my Husky 257 a rest and pull out my Stihl MS361 that has been my shelf queen for three years. The time has come to open up the closet and stop protecting the mink stole. She may forgive me for hiding her:


OP, if you can find one of these in good shape, buy it.


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## thomasinvancouver (Mar 9, 2021)

362 was my first saw. Bought to be a one saw plan. It’s a good choice.


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## MustangMike (Mar 10, 2021)

I'm not knocking 362s, I really liked mine, and the newer V II ones that are 1/2 lb lighter must really be nice.

But the 462s have spoiled me ... real nice saws. First time in 30 years that a saw is both lighter and more powerful than either a 044 or 372.


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## kielbasa (Mar 10, 2021)

Now I want to try that 462 again, i DO remember hating the on/off powerband! For guys that like to lean on saws, like I said it was a huge turnoff. We were swapping 24" b&c between the 361, 362 (V2) and the 462. Bar buried in red oak. 361 and 2 amazingly held their own, but maybe we all were just expecting too much from that 462! Was so easy to bring that thing down to it's knees. Did it have more nut than the smaller saws, sure, but was NOT the gap I was expecting.


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## Woodslasher (Mar 10, 2021)

THIS THREAD IS DEAD!! PLEASE don't start rehashing 261 vs 362 debates for a long-gone OP. He hasn't been here since August 21st 2015 so I think he's solved the debate by now.


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## MustangMike (Mar 11, 2021)

Why don't you just stop reading it a leave us be???


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## Woodslasher (Mar 11, 2021)

MustangMike said:


> Why don't you just stop reading it and leave us be???


Come now, who on this site has ever done such a thing? Bickering is a key part of AS! Actually, I just have a thing against unnecessarily revived necro-threads. If someone just wants to piggyback a question, fine. But if people start rehashing a long dead debate when the OP's long gone I gotta ask, what's the point?


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## U R Stihl the 1 (May 5, 2022)

Woodslasher said:


> Come now, who on this site has ever done such a thing? Bickering is a key part of AS! Actually, I just have a thing against unnecessarily revived necro-threads. If someone just wants to piggyback a question, fine. But if people start rehashing a long dead debate when the OP's long gone I gotta ask, what's the point?


If you don't like the topic just scroll past. No reason to ***** just to be one. Sure there is many other topics out there for you to complain about....my 2 pennies..✌


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## bwalker (May 5, 2022)

Forget the 362. Go 400C..


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