More confused than ever... MS362 , MS441 or MS461

[Elguano]

We just bought an OWB and are currently cutting hardwood 12-16" log to throw in there... I had a MS251 which obviously wasn't enough so I ended up buying a used MS290 from a neighbor... What A POS... this thing hasn't got much more power and needless to say am not impressed (Maybe thinking about doing the muffler mod...)

So I ended up reading a little bit an was about to buy the MS362 which seem to be a good choice (Power vs Weight), My Stihl dealer recommended for this kind of work minimum 70CC saw, (Where the MS441 came on topic...) so after looking on Stihl website, if am about to throw 1200$ for a saw... why not an extra 75$ and go Straight at the MS461, same weight more power.

Any recommendation I could definitely use, am kind of a newbie at this wood cutting game and would like to make my life easier... I thought about a buzzsaw in the back of the tractor on the pto but seem like I would need to built a rig to get the log on the saw table , so that idea went thru the door at this point...

 

[Franny K]

Since you asked for a recommendation, If you still have the 251, get from Stihl a picco rim drive kit and chain I suppose the matching bar as well though one could use brand x. Wait for the fuel injected saw for the bigger one. You only put 16" on the high side. Perhaps consider the ms 261.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Save yourself some money.

 

[Rob Stafari]

I'm with Dahmer on the Makita personally. But if you're dead set on Stihl, the ms461 is the only one of that lot I'd even consider keeping around if it were given to me for free.

 

[Elguano]

Never seen the Makita in Canada, will have to do some digging, unfortunatly i do not have the 251 anymore, I sold it to a coworker thinking the 290 would do an appropriate job...

 

[Elguano]

Only one i could find is the 60.7 cc at Homedepot pretty cheap too compared to the others

 

[Deleted member 117362]

Wait for the 462. Or grab a 461 now, 462 is not much of a gain for price. Buy used, Stihl saws look beat in a short time anyways.

 

[longbowch]

You’ll never regret getting a 70cc saw. The 462 won’t be out until sometime next year. Between the 441 and 461 is personal choice. I love my 441. Better filtration, very smooth and mtronics. The 461 has a little more power.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

I don't know, 70ccs for bucking 12-16" wood sounds like overkill to me. I buck a lot of firewood and for stuff that size i usually reach for a ported 50cc saw. Once the wood gets over 16" I'll go for 60-70cc.

 

[saxman]

I have a MS441 and 362 and like both. The 441 is super smooth and I keep a 25” on it but have used a 28” a few times. The 362 has a 20” and does fine, it’s a torquey saw, more so than the 361 it replaced. Get what feels best to you. Open the muffler up on the 290 and run no bigger than a 20” on it. The 251 should spin a 16”-18” ok for limbing It’s your money, buy what YOU want


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[Deleted member 149229]

I have a MS441 and 362 and like both. The 441 is super smooth and I keep a 25” on it but have used a 28” a few times. The 362 has a 20” and does fine, it’s a torquey saw, more so than the 361 it replaced. Get what feels best to you. Open the muffler up on the 290 and run no bigger than a 20” on it. The 251 should spin a 16”-18” ok for limbing It’s your money, buy what YOU want


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Saxman is correct, we can suggest saws all day but just like a firearm, fishing rod or bow, it can be the best there is but if it doesn’t fit you it’s worthless.

 

[user 122190]

I have a 7yo ms290 and it rips thru 12-16inch logs. There is something wrong with your 290 if you label it a POS. The magic muffler mod will hardly turn it into a monster. A compression check is a good first place to start.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Only one i could find is the 60.7 cc at Homedepot pretty cheap too compared to the others

That 60 cc Makita will do everything you ask of it and still keep coming like a honey badger.

 

[cuinrearview]

If 16" wood is all you're ever going to cut one of the modern 50cc saws with a 16" or 18" bar would suffice. But feeding the 8-10 cord a boiler chews up every year means that you'll probably run into larger wood now and then. In that scenario I would want a 70cc saw, which would be a nice compliment to a smaller, 40-50cc saw. So, to answer your question, I would buy the 441 or 461 now and use your 290 on the smaller stuff and keep an eye out for a used 241 or 261. That's if I were buying Stihl, but that's a whole other debate all together.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

I have a 7yo ms290 and it rips threw 12-16inch logs. There is something wrong with your 290 if you label it a POS. The magic muffler will hardly turn it into a monster. A compression check is a good first place to start.

A compression test can be helpful, but I'm my opinion looking at the chain is usually the first place to start. Unless we really know otherwise, disappointing saw performance is usually a result of a poorly sharpened chain.

 

[user 122190]

I agree. I have cut with people who were making dust. When I pointed out their chain was dull, they said, "I don't know why, I just sharpened it".

A compression test can be helpful, but I'm my opinion looking at the chain is usually the first place to start. Unless we really know otherwise, disappointing saw performance is usually a result of a poorly sharpened chain.

 

[rupedoggy]

The ms 461 is one of the best Stihls made. Loggers and fire wood sellers out here love em. There is a reason you don't see them for sale used very often and then they are expensive. They get rebuilt over and over because they are so good. Mike

 

[Elguano]

The 290 is freshly rebuilt, thanks to the expert at work who knew everything about those saw , he adjusted the carb too lean and it ended up busting the piston, so i brought it back to the stihl dealer to get rebuilt...(Lesson learned on so call experts)...

I do not have a dull chain , i have about 7 that i rotate and get it sharpened on a regular basis (i guess i should learn how to do it, again newbie at this a lot!) but i do know what a dull chain feel like

Dont get me wrong , the 290 isnt that bad but it just miss that kick when you need it at half of the log, you have to backup let it regain power and go back at it...

On the stihl choice, i tried one of my neighbor husky 70cc dont like the feel of it, start up was weird compare to the stihl and talking about a dull chain that thing couldnt cut more than 3 tree before going dull...

 

[Elguano]

But on another note nobody so far recommended the 362 so i guess we are down to 2 making progress thank guys!

 

[Deleted member 149229]

The 290 is freshly rebuilt, thanks to the expert at work who knew everything about those saw , he adjusted the carb too lean and it ended up busting the piston, so i brought it back to the stihl dealer to get rebuilt...(Lesson learned on so call experts)...

I do not have a dull chain , i have about 7 that i rotate and get it sharpened on a regular basis (i guess i should learn how to do it, again newbie at this a lot!) but i do know what a dull chain feel like

Dont get me wrong , the 290 isnt that bad but it just miss that kick when you need it at half of the log, you have to backup let it regain power and go back at it...

On the stihl choice, i tried one of my neighbor husky 70cc dont like the feel of it, start up was weird compare to the stihl and talking about a dull chain that thing couldnt cut more than 3 tree before going dull...

A sharp chain can dull very quickly if not sharpened properly, just because you had a shop do it doesn’t mean it was done correctly. Some shops take pride in their work and some want a quick turn around for maximum profit. Dead, dry, dirty wood is tough on chains.