Bought new MS361

[RCR 3 EVER]

Just bought the ms 361 today and learned the saw at the store, started it up and such. Then I took it over to my dad's house to show it off against his 34 yr old Jonsereds 651. I should have left it in the case and stayed home and brought over an axe instead, at least that worked. I can not believe the stupid bleepin,bleepin thing would not even start or come close to starting. My dad then started his old trusty tank of a saw with 1 pull.
My worthless saw is indeed lighter by 3# actual weight but it feels more like 10# lighter. his saw has a 16" bar and mine has a worthless 20" bar.Does the length make the balance and felt weight so much difference.
It did get flooded so we took out the plug and dried the thing and other procedures to no avail. The only result is a painful back and bruised knuckles.Any suggestions before I go back to store 65 miles away.

 

[2000ssm6]

Might need to take a trip back to tha dealer. Did he start it up and show ya how to use it?

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

waste of money -361

Dealer showed us the basic maintenance, upkeep, and how to start the saw. he then started the saw up and showed us how it was done as to how to set the choke setting for cold and warm starts and how to use the decompression button.
Saw ran fine at the store for about 5 minutes,but not 2 hours later.

 

[BostonBull]

Sounds like you didnt hear it "POP" on full choke. And instead of "CLICKING IT UP" one notch you kept pulling.
If this is the case bring it back and get another lesson on staring the Stihl saws.

Is the plug fouled? if not let it dry overnight witht he plug out and try restarting it. the starting procedure is also in the owners manual.

 

[dustytools]

It took me a few starts to get the hang of starting my 361. No looking back now!

 

[Four Paws]

Just bought the ms 361 today...Any suggestions before I go back to store 65 miles away.

Should have bought a Husky 357XP opcorn:

Just teasing you, but having run this MS460 Stihl I have, it isn't the easiest starting machine. It is a reliable starter...2-3 pulls on choke until it pops, 4-5 pulls on fast idle until it starts. However, all my Shindaiwa saws pop on the first pull on choke, start on the 2nd pull without choke.

Once you figure out what you did wrong, the 361 should make you happy.

 

[stihlaficionado]

Man, how can you give up on such a great saw after 1 bad experience??
Take it back to the dealer, get another one or have him look at it, start it there, run it awhile at the shop.

 

[Dadatwins]

Sounds like a case or OE or 'operator error'. Yours would be the first complaint I have heard about the 361, it is a great saw. I also think you pulled it past the first choke blurp and flooded it. I agree to leave the plug out overnight and try it again tomorrow. Why the bruised knuckles? Are you using the decompression valve on the saw?

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

I will let the fouled plug and chamber dry out overnight then try it again. I do not recall hearing a "POP" just the normal noises made during the the rope yanking.
I guess the Stihls" start up sounds may be different than the Jonsered.
This is the first Stihl we have owned but have used a Jonsereds for 34 years.

I needed a lighter saw than the Jon saw because of back problems, but I found out that saw has had a 16" bar on it. Mine has a 20" bar and although I do not have to painfully lean over so far now would a shorter bar maybe 16-18" be significantly lighter or not worth it for weight balance etc. The 16" bar can usually handle trees we cut.

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

The dealer did NOT say anything about a POP or a blurp and then the need to move the lever up a notch to the "warm" start position. Since I have not heard of this or experienced this before I did not notice that he may have done the procedure without letting us in on the "secret".
The guy probably had this as a part of his routine and we have not needed to use this procedure.
We had told him we are familiar with chainsaws, but each chainsaw obviously has different start up procedures. He assumed incorrectly we knew about His procedure.
It is not our OE but an error on the part of the dealer.
I am not giving up on the saw but it was mighty embarrasing to show off a non starting saw.

 

[Fuzly]

Should have bought a Husky 357XP opcorn:

Just teasing you, but having run this MS460 Stihl I have, it isn't the easiest starting machine. It is a reliable starter...2-3 pulls on choke until it pops, 4-5 pulls on fast idle until it starts. However, all my Shindaiwa saws pop on the first pull on choke, start on the 2nd pull without choke.

Once you figure out what you did wrong, the 361 should make you happy.

I agree, my Stihls are great saws, but they always take a few more pulls than the other brands in my small stable.

You have to let her talk to you, my old 036 will either make a sound, "the pop" or sometimes "pull back" a little on the rope and I know it's time to go to half choke or it will be flooded. I don't know if the newer model with the decomp will pull back, but I don't always hear a "pop".

I learned on my Dad's old Jonsered, probably the same generation as your Dad's, it starts very easy. I could drop start it when I was a kid (I know, not safe, but that was the rule in our family, if you can't drop start it, you're not strong enough to be running it yet).

As far as balance, I've always run an 18" on my 036, felt funny with a 20" on it.

 

[Log Splitter]

Never pull it more than 3-4 times on full choke.

If it's warm, just start it at idle, no choke. One pull every time. That works for my 361, 270, and 180.

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

I knew I could count on some help here, Thanks, I will try in the am. and hopefully it starts without problem.

 

[Gologit]

I knew I could count on some help here, Thanks, I will try in the am. and hopefully it starts without problem.

I have a 361 and it floods REAL easy. Give it some time, run a few tanks of gas through it, mod the muffler,adjust the carb...you'll be glad you bought it.

 

[Four Paws]

I learned on my Dad's old Jonsered...I could drop start it when I was a kid (I know, not safe, but that was the rule in our family, if you can't drop start it, you're not strong enough to be running it yet).

Nothing wrong with drop starting a saw...I start them like that all the time...seems safe to me.

 

[THALL10326]

Just bought the ms 361 today and learned the saw at the store, started it up and such. Then I took it over to my dad's house to show it off against his 34 yr old Jonsereds 651. I should have left it in the case and stayed home and brought over an axe instead, at least that worked. I can not believe the stupid bleepin,bleepin thing would not even start or come close to starting. My dad then started his old trusty tank of a saw with 1 pull.
My worthless saw is indeed lighter by 3# actual weight but it feels more like 10# lighter. his saw has a 16" bar and mine has a worthless 20" bar.Does the length make the balance and felt weight so much difference.
It did get flooded so we took out the plug and dried the thing and other procedures to no avail. The only result is a painful back and bruised knuckles.Any suggestions before I go back to store 65 miles away.

Dontcha feel silly, you flooded it and now here ya are complaining about the saw. It ran fine at the dealer but you couldn't start it once you got it home, there's ya sign. I'm sure you'll get the hang of how to start it, complaining about it isn't helping you learn how not to flood it. Complaining only compounds your fustration, need to take the positive approach and use some patience and learn how to start that new saw. Let me help ya. Saw is cold and not already flooded now, use full choke, crank it till she pops or fires, stop and up the switch one click up, crank it up and you'll have a very fast idle speed. Let it warm up a few seconds and hit the trigger and she goes back to idle, jod done. Saw fully hot, push the switch down one notch to run and pull the rope. No need to choke a hot saw. See nothing to it.

Your pappy's saw started on one single pull, thats pretty durn good.

 

[Burvol]

That's odd, my 460 pops on the first cold choke pull and fires on the second warm choke pull.

 

[SawTroll]

....
It is not our OE but an error on the part of the dealer.
I am not giving up on the saw but it was mighty embarrasing to show off a non starting saw.

I would call it an OE to not read the user manual.........:taped:

Anyway, don't pull more than 3-4 times with the choke on, and turn it off earlier at the slightest sign it wants to start - don't trust the decomp valve to tell you.

Never pull it more than 3-4 times on full choke.

If it's warm, just start it at idle, no choke. One pull every time. That works for my 361, 270, and 180.

Yes!!!!! (didn't see your post before making mine)

 

[Andyshine77]

Burvol It seems to me that the bigger saws start easer cold than the smaller cc saws, I think the bigger saws pull fuel up from the tank faster.

RCR 3 EVER Check your pm's.

 

[SawTroll]

As for bar lenght - I'd avoid the 20" unless when really needed.

I use an 18" for most felling, and a 15" one for most limbing and and bucking.

It balances perfectly with the 18", but is more nimble (and lighter) to handle with the 15".