Chainsaw sizing question

[chainbrake]

Another question, has anybody had issues with the stihl mtronic? And is the ”lightweight“ bars they offer worth it? I feel like if it’s lighter it wouldn’t last as long or hold up to abuse as well(not saying it’ll get abused that much but stuff happens)

It sounds like you and I have a great deal of the same size of wood to deal with.

We own about 20 acres of mixed forest on 3 separate parcels.

The largest parcel (about 10 acres) was logged fairly heavily about 35 years ago and has been untended. It has a few 30" trees and a great number of 6"-12" trees as well as some dense thickets of smaller wood that need to thinned out. For those smaller trees, I will be using my 2 (small) Stihls with a 16" bar.

On our other 2 properties, we have mostly wood that is maturing and will either be felled by me or the wind in the next 10-15 years. We have just a few trees that are 3 feet or bigger at the butt. Most of the rest of the trees are 15"-25" - with a great number of them in the 18-20" range. I am totally happy with my slightly used 400 that I just got about a month ago. It came with a 20" bar. It is enough bar and power to cut all the trees we have.

I like felling and bucking with the 400 and limbing with my MS170 (that I bought new on sale 3 years ago for $179 CDN). It is gutless, but on small wood with lots of limbs (like spruce and fir), the lightness and fuel economy makes up for the lack of power. I use my old Stihl 034 with a 16" as backup for both saws and for limbing our branchy hardwoods (like white & yellow birch, oak and maple). I believe that if most of your time can be spent limbing (and bucking smaller wood from one side of the tree) using a 16" bar, then use a saw with a 16" bar: the saw will run better, the chain will get more oil, you will get better fuel economy, and you will be less likely to "rock your saw" in the dirt. When I was younger and lived on the West Coast, I used bigger saws with longer bars, but I find I don't really need that stuff on the East Coast.

Note that I usually cut all of my kindling while I am limbing. On our homestead 5 acre lot, limbs 1.5" and larger get cut to firewood length while they are held by the tree. Everything else stays on the ground to feed the other trees.

I really like the mtronic component of the 400. The saw knows how it is running; no need for me to do any fine-tuning. Cars have been using that sort of technology for 40 years. They have it figured out.

 

[Seachaser]

It seems not everyone uses the 362, but just jumps to the 400 or the 391, is that just because the 362 is a weird in between where its to heavy and not enough power?

I have a ported 362 with a twenty inch bar. Longer bar, I go with a bigger saw. I have a 24” on another 65 cc saw. Longer bar helps with limbing. In my opinion. Less bending. My 500i carries a 28“ and 572 a 32”.

 

[chainbrake]

I have a ported 362 with a twenty inch bar. Longer bar, I go with a bigger saw. I have a 24” on another 65 cc saw. Longer bar helps with limbing. In my opinion. Less bending. My 500i carries a 28“ and 572 a 32”.

I'm getting old enough that the lighter saw helps with liming. I don't hold a 20 pound saw out in front of me for hours on end as well as I used to. If I were just cleaning all of the branches off the main stem(s), then I would limb with the longer bar. When I am bucking up firewood for myself, then I am running up and down the secondary and tertiary branches cutting the small wood for kindling and for spring and fall use.

 

[ZRAYZIG]

It works fine. It's a carb with a fuel solenoid, not rocket science to work on.
Light weight bars only make a big difference in the bigger ones. If you want to save a few bucks get the regular bars. Having said that, my 400 came with a 20" light weight amd I have a 25" laser light weight (tsumura) bar on it now. It was priced right. So I got it over a standard weight bar. Not enough difference in weight to justify it if it was more expensive, just hit a good deal on ebay.
Edit, since it looks like you're leaning towards a 400, a 20"/25" is a decent combo. a good muff mod, or bark box (loud as fek.. fyi) really wakes them up.

Thx again for the solid advice, I’ll def work on the muff mod, looks pretty easy.

 

[ZRAYZIG]

With the muff mod on some saws without m tronic it looked like you have to Do some tuning on the carb, does this still apply to carbs with mtronic or will it compensate for the muff mod?

 

[sean donato]

With the muff mod on some saws without m tronic it looked like you have to Do some tuning on the carb, does this still apply to carbs with mtronic or will it compensate for the muff mod?

It does it it's self

 

[FLINT]

I’m trying to decide what size saw to get, I have a 2 small saws for taking limbs off and for cutting smaller trees, one with a 16” bar and one with a 20”, I’m looking for a saw to fell trees easily and also cut the occasional larger tree, (usually ones that have fallen already). My question is what’s the biggest tree you could cut (reasonably) with a Stihl ms 261 with 20” bar? And depending on the answer to that, should I get the ms 362 with a 25” bar? Also I don’t cut large trees often, just need something that’ll do em when I need to. Also willing to look at other brands versions of these saws.

Hello,

I have a 362 that's probably 12 or so years old now and it's been an awesome saw. I imagine in NJ it will do anything you need to do.

PERSONALLY, I think "recommended" bar lengths are longer than ideal, at least for eastern hardwoods. I run an 18" bar on my 362 and it CUTS. I also have a 25" bar and it will pull it for sure, but I def wouldn't want that to be my only bar for that saw. an 18" bar will cut most eastern trees - unless you live in town or something and are cutting giant yard trees. Remember, the bar doesn't need to be longer than the diameter of the trees you cut. I cut tons of pretty big trees with a 16" bar on my old 028. A 30" tree would be a pretty huge tree in the east. I personally think it's better to use a reasonably sized saw that will handle 90+ percent of the trees you'll encounter than have to lug around some giant overkill beast for those just in case trees. I scanned through the previous responses and looks like there was some mention of the 391. 391 is not a more powerful saw than the 362. 362 is a much better and lighter saw. I own two saws. 250 with a 14" bar and a 362 with 18 + 25" bars. I've not yet needed anything else.

 

[chainbrake]

Hello,

I have a 362 that's probably 12 or so years old now and it's been an awesome saw. I imagine in NJ it will do anything you need to do.

PERSONALLY, I think "recommended" bar lengths are longer than ideal, at least for eastern hardwoods. I run an 18" bar on my 362 and it CUTS. I also have a 25" bar and it will pull it for sure, but I def wouldn't want that to be my only bar for that saw. an 18" bar will cut most eastern trees - unless you live in town or something and are cutting giant yard trees. Remember, the bar doesn't need to be longer than the diameter of the trees you cut. I cut tons of pretty big trees with a 16" bar on my old 028. A 30" tree would be a pretty huge tree in the east. I personally think it's better to use a reasonably sized saw that will handle 90+ percent of the trees you'll encounter than have to lug around some giant overkill beast for those just in case trees. I scanned through the previous responses and looks like there was some mention of the 391. 391 is not a more powerful saw than the 362. 362 is a much better and lighter saw. I own two saws. 250 with a 14" bar and a 362 with 18 + 25" bars. I've not yet needed anything else.

I'm with you on everything you said, Flint. My two smaller saws have a 16" bar and my midsized 400 has a 20" (that came with the saw). As soon as I drop a couple of 20"+ trees that are in the middle of a small cutblock that I am working on, that 20" bar is coming off and the 18" bar hanging in my shed will go on. ... and I'd be just as happy with a 12 or 14" bar on my smallest saw, but it came with a 16; that bar is holding up nicely, so I'll use it till the bar dies.

 

[user 188535]

I have cut stuff 26'' in diameter with my MS 261.

 

[sand sock]

I’m trying to decide what size saw to get, I have a 2 small saws for taking limbs off and for cutting smaller trees, one with a 16” bar and one with a 20”, I’m looking for a saw to fell trees easily and also cut the occasional larger tree, (usually ones that have fallen already). My question is what’s the biggest tree you could cut (reasonably) with a Stihl ms 261 with 20” bar? And depending on the answer to that, should I get the ms 362 with a 25” bar? Also I don’t cut large trees often, just need something that’ll do em when I need to. Also willing to look at other brands versions of these saws.

i have a 361 with a 20 inch and a 562 with a 24 inch. stihl has more torq and husky more rpm. i wish i would of went with a 572 and maybe a lightweight 26 or 28 inch bar. people say it saves your back and you just dont realize it till you actually use one.