The Stihl 361 is a new model that just came out this year, so there isn't a whole lot of info on it yet. So, I thought that others may benefit from a little more info from my personal experiences.
When I first bought it, I asked the owner of the shop to adjust it and to start it up in front of me so that I know that its going to start for me when I get home. He went out back and it took at least 20 minutes before I heard the engine start. He reved it for a while, while I winced knowing that the manuals for other saws that I've read warn not to rev the engine out of wood until it's broken in. I rationalized that this guys been in business for many years and knows about his products more than I do. He finally came in and took me out in the parking lot and showed me how to start it, etc. When I got to the car, I tried and it wouldn't start. I took it back in and he had his shop tech look at it. He couldn't either. After blowing it out, changing the plug, and repeatedly drop pulling it w/one hand, it finally started 15 minutes later.
Since then, I've had it back there 3 times for the same problem. With a cold engine, it usually took between 5 and 45 minutes to get it started. It floods too easily, and seems to have a weak spark, but once its warm it normally fires right up. At first I chocked it up to user error, but not now. Its NOT my fault. I've had techs from Stihl USA on the phone walking me through with a cold engine, and also the distributer. The owner of the shop says that since the gvt passed more pollution standards, its difficult for the engineers to build a new 2 cycle engine that meets those standards and functions well. AS for me that might be true, but that's not my problem. I didn't pay $569 so that I could wonder whether or not I can start and complete a job from day to day.
That said, I complained enough and demanded a replacement or a refund and they agreed over the phone. Since then I spent a weekend cutting up some weeping willow and since then it starts pretty easily. Pull a couple of times with choke on until the false start. Then switch up to start. Pull a couple of more times and it starts right up. However, now once its idlling hot for a while it occassionally stalls and once in a while is a bugger to start back up again. It wants to flood. BTW, I'm not choking it again.
Another problem is the lack of bar oil. If you hold the bar over a dry surface long enough you can eventually see oil comming off of it. However, if I stop it in wood, turn it off, and feel the bottom of the bar underside of chain and links, my fingers are nearly always dry. Top side is OK, but by the time that chain rounds the nose, when in big wood, its dry. I call it planned obsellecence. Wear out those chains and bars faster.
Those were the low points. When I first got it, it was weak and dissappointing in the torque and speed. But as it broke in it increased in power two fold. It now can do anything that I ask it to do. I've put it into seasoned cherry, walnut and oak, and as long as it has a sharp chain, it will handle it with its 20" bar. Nice thing about it is that it is also light enough for me to cut fire wood too. It might be the upper limit for a firewood saw and lowest end for downing, but for anyone wanting a good all around chain saw, I can recommend it IF you can find one that starts right out of the box and keeps on going.
At this point I might just keep it IF they can fix it so that it will start easily all the time w/a warm engine. What do you think?
Hope this was a help to anyone considering the 361.
When I first bought it, I asked the owner of the shop to adjust it and to start it up in front of me so that I know that its going to start for me when I get home. He went out back and it took at least 20 minutes before I heard the engine start. He reved it for a while, while I winced knowing that the manuals for other saws that I've read warn not to rev the engine out of wood until it's broken in. I rationalized that this guys been in business for many years and knows about his products more than I do. He finally came in and took me out in the parking lot and showed me how to start it, etc. When I got to the car, I tried and it wouldn't start. I took it back in and he had his shop tech look at it. He couldn't either. After blowing it out, changing the plug, and repeatedly drop pulling it w/one hand, it finally started 15 minutes later.
Since then, I've had it back there 3 times for the same problem. With a cold engine, it usually took between 5 and 45 minutes to get it started. It floods too easily, and seems to have a weak spark, but once its warm it normally fires right up. At first I chocked it up to user error, but not now. Its NOT my fault. I've had techs from Stihl USA on the phone walking me through with a cold engine, and also the distributer. The owner of the shop says that since the gvt passed more pollution standards, its difficult for the engineers to build a new 2 cycle engine that meets those standards and functions well. AS for me that might be true, but that's not my problem. I didn't pay $569 so that I could wonder whether or not I can start and complete a job from day to day.
That said, I complained enough and demanded a replacement or a refund and they agreed over the phone. Since then I spent a weekend cutting up some weeping willow and since then it starts pretty easily. Pull a couple of times with choke on until the false start. Then switch up to start. Pull a couple of more times and it starts right up. However, now once its idlling hot for a while it occassionally stalls and once in a while is a bugger to start back up again. It wants to flood. BTW, I'm not choking it again.
Another problem is the lack of bar oil. If you hold the bar over a dry surface long enough you can eventually see oil comming off of it. However, if I stop it in wood, turn it off, and feel the bottom of the bar underside of chain and links, my fingers are nearly always dry. Top side is OK, but by the time that chain rounds the nose, when in big wood, its dry. I call it planned obsellecence. Wear out those chains and bars faster.
Those were the low points. When I first got it, it was weak and dissappointing in the torque and speed. But as it broke in it increased in power two fold. It now can do anything that I ask it to do. I've put it into seasoned cherry, walnut and oak, and as long as it has a sharp chain, it will handle it with its 20" bar. Nice thing about it is that it is also light enough for me to cut fire wood too. It might be the upper limit for a firewood saw and lowest end for downing, but for anyone wanting a good all around chain saw, I can recommend it IF you can find one that starts right out of the box and keeps on going.
At this point I might just keep it IF they can fix it so that it will start easily all the time w/a warm engine. What do you think?
Hope this was a help to anyone considering the 361.
