If you were forced to choose, which one would you take -....

[rustyb]

...a worked over (ported & what not) MS260 or the new 361 with a simple do-it-yourself muffler mod? I'd be interested in hearing the reasons for one or the other as well.

Hypothetically speaking, lets assume this saw was to be used for a variety of tasks around ones property along with some carving block-outs & cutting several cords of wood per year.

I know there are many other quality saws but I'm really curious about these two (I already have a non-ported 260).

Thanks.

 

[buckwheat]

I have a ported 026 from Walkers, which is tame by the standards of many on this site. I typically run an 18" X 3/8 setup without any issues, but if I didn't already have several bars and chains, I would probably prefer 16". Before I was able to replace my 044 with the Dolmar/Makita, I would periodically run a 25"X3/8 on the 026. Other than being "bar heavy", it did a respectable job pulling that much chain.
Because of its light weight and the majority of wood that I cut (20+ cords of hardwood/firewood per year), this is my bread and butter saw. I am very happy with it, but I intend to take a serious look at the new 50cc Dolmars when they hit the market.
None of this is to take anything away from the 361. Its just that given the choices, I opted for the lighter saw.

 

[z4lunch]

Steve here...
Spend the money on an MS440... I have two friends that have bought new 440's in the last 3 months....They can't find enough wood to cut...lol Have another friend that bought a new MS260 Pro in early spring... Wants a bigger saw already.
my 2 cents
Steve

 

[glens]

I'd like to try the 361 with no mods before I decided on that one.

 

[Crofter]

That 361 is a real nice saw. The vibration level is very noticeably low. Even with the stock muffler which is very quiet, performance is real nice. Certainly the 260 will cut all your firewood, but if you work alonside another saw in the 60 to 70 cc range, you start to envy the faster cut times

 

[tony marks]

i like stihls 361 if its better than the 036 as some say here.. but for the task u mentioned,, id modify the 260. if u like the saw to began with.. jmo.. i had my 026 modified and it really made a difference in an already good saw.. dan henry modified mine well. u mite want to look at the 346xp,, as i hear its hard to beat..

 

[jokers]

Originally posted by glens
I'd like to try the 361 with no mods before I decided on that one.

Hi Glen,

I`m expecting to send you my 361 on Wednesday, I`ve got several others going out to various destinations so a visit to UPS is in order.

I agree with Frank`s assessment while keeping in mind that he has one of the fastest 026s that I`ve seen. The 361 is a nice package and there is something to be said for the excellent performance with a nice quiet muffler.

As an alternative, a person in the market for a good cutting 60cc saw might consider the Redmax 621. The cut times were on par with the 361 and Hunter is selling them about a buck and a half cheaper than the 361. Granted that the design of the Redmax is not as modern as the new Stihl but the saw is well made and pretty smooth in the cut. A great deal on a 60cc saw, should satisfy the needs of many firewooders.

Russ