MS 362 vs. MS 391

[SawTroll]

Thanx for all the suggestion.

I did strongly consider the 562XP, but I'm just not much of a husky fan. They seem to flex and carry on a bit while the STIHL's just feels more rigid to me.

Well, you got that part of your consideration totally wrong, but do as you like....:msp_wink:

 

[hangfirew8]

This is my first post here.

Welcome to the forum. Read a lot and learn a lot, but be aware that if you post an opinion you'll get several back in return!

HF

 

[t3t4]

Well, you got that part of your consideration totally wrong, but do as you like....:msp_wink:

Like I said, I have never held an XP let alone run one. Have you run the 362? Held it , felt it, etc?

I don't claim to know anything aside from what I like and what I have experience with but I do wish I had a dealer local to me with an XP on shelf. The traditional choke lever being dual as it is on the Husky's,,,, well, it feels like something I could snap off if heaven for bid I farted hard enough, let alone sneezed! The irony to me at least, both are German design (562XP and Stihl 362) but the overall difference is what? Perhaps quality and chain speed? I see that most Husky's cut a bit quicker due to higher chain speeds, so re-sprocket a Stihl to see apples to apples, but nobody seems to do that while recording their Youtube videos.

It all comes down to choice and as you said, "do as you like".

Nothing more to say about that....

t3t4

 

[Locust Cutter]

I miss my old 039. It was heavy, solid and DEAD reliable (until it got roasted when my pickup burned to the ground). It was a good solid saw but a tad slow. I did a M.M. and re-tune on it and it would keep up with my Step-FIL's stock 362. The filtration wasn't the greatest (especially compared to my old 346xp) but it wasn't hard or all that more time-consuming to periodically pop the cover to clean the filter. If it hadn't burned, I am sure I would still be using it. I do like the 362 as it is well balanced, pulls a 24" bar in Burr and Blackjack Oak well and is a terror in Hedge with a 16"-20" bar.

My 039 cut a lot of the wood that I burned/sold over the last 17 years working between 6-20 cords/year and still had great compression. My B.I.L has a 391 that I've only used once but liked it overall. The handling is similar to the 362, but where the 391 signs off in the upper power band, the 362 keeps pulling. I believe a M.M. would help it as much as it did my 039. For a lot of firewood hacks (like myself), the 391 is all the saw they're ever likely to need. That said, my Father taught me to buy the best tools I could afford as they tended to last longer and give better service all-else being equal...

 

[rms61moparman]

Like I said, I have never held an XP let alone run one. Have you run the 362? Held it , felt it, etc?

I don't claim to know anything aside from what I like and what I have experience with but I do wish I had a dealer local to me with an XP on shelf. The traditional choke lever being dual as it is on the Husky's,,,, well, it feels like something I could snap off if heaven for bid I farted hard enough, let alone sneezed! The irony to me at least, both are German design (562XP and Stihl 362) but the overall difference is what? Perhaps quality and chain speed? I see that most Husky's cut a bit quicker due to higher chain speeds, so re-sprocket a Stihl to see apples to apples, but nobody seems to do that while recording their Youtube videos.

It all comes down to choice and as you said, "do as you like".

Nothing more to say about that....

t3t4

I didn't know the Germans had started designing Swedish saws!!!
When did that happen???:msp_scared:


Mike

 

[CATDIESEL]

the stock filters on the 562 and the 550 are nothing to write home about either. there is a reason stihls' are a little heavier/bulkier, they are simply built better. they always have been, and always will be. sure the 562/550 are a little quicker, but it does come with a price, always has, always will as well. i do run both brands in my operation, and prefer the stihls. all we do is service and run the stihls, and the same cannot be said for husky. again, both good saws, and this is just my opinion.

 

[nmurph]

...and thanks for that opinion, it was so well thought and fact-filled.

 

[SawTroll]

Like I said, I have never held an XP let alone run one. Have you run the 362? Held it , felt it, etc?

I don't claim to know anything aside from what I like and what I have experience with but I do wish I had a dealer local to me with an XP on shelf. The traditional choke lever being dual as it is on the Husky's,,,, well, it feels like something I could snap off if heaven for bid I farted hard enough, let alone sneezed! The irony to me at least, both are German design (562XP and Stihl 362) but the overall difference is what? Perhaps quality and chain speed? I see that most Husky's cut a bit quicker due to higher chain speeds, so re-sprocket a Stihl to see apples to apples, but nobody seems to do that while recording their Youtube videos.

It all comes down to choice and as you said, "do as you like".

Nothing more to say about that....

t3t4

No, nothing - as your statement is too far removed from reality!

 

[SawTroll]

...and thanks for that opinion, it was so well thought and fact-filled.

 

[t3t4]

I didn't know the Germans had started designing Swedish saws!!!
When did that happen???:msp_scared:


Mike

Yeah, well it was just a matter of time I suppose till someone busted my nuts over the EU. Over seas is over seas and I call it the EU unless we're talking about Japan/china. That would equal a different over seas location....... So yeah, Swedish, German, Italian or French, then what? It's all the same basic location in my book, otherwise known as the EU. But then again, I almost failed geography, so take it for what it is my friend!


What I can and will gladly tell you all from experience about my MS-362 is this:


I just went through 7 cords of you name it, but mostly seasoned red oak and white oak. I went through it like butter! However, there was a pine or two in the mix, one of which was a telephone pole with climbers embedded. One of them killed my chain! Otherwise, I did 4 cords easy until I even thought about swapping chains or sharpening.... Point is, 7 cords and two chains where no problem! But I did have a helper that seems afraid of the saw, so take it for what it's worth. My helper used mine and seemed afraid of it then, but he still went out the following day to buy the same exact make and model, so go figure.... Coming from a Poulan wild thing and growing up to a Stihl 362, it's understandable to say the least. This Sthil MS-362,,,,rips!

You guys telling me about break-in, yeah, I feel ya, now finally! You'd have to be die hard woodsman to need more then this 362, and that's about all I can say in this regard. Either way, cut safe and have fun, but if you aint got the power then it aint no fun!

Oh, and just food for thought here, I weighed in at 18 lbs with a 20" B&C almost fully wet (meaning gas and oil). So 13 lbs my butt! This gets heavy when you run it 2+hours straight!

t3t4

 

[Sabertooth]

the stock filters on the 562 and the 550 are nothing to write home about either. there is a reason stihls' are a little heavier/bulkier, they are simply built better. they always have been, and always will be. sure the 562/550 are a little quicker, but it does come with a price, always has, always will as well. i do run both brands in my operation, and prefer the stihls. all we do is service and run the stihls, and the same cannot be said for husky. again, both good saws, and this is just my opinion.

I probably see more old ass Huskies running than Stihls. Saying that Stihls are heavier because they last longer is a bit of a joke TBH. They're both built strong and therefore cannot be judged on longevity.

 

[t3t4]

I probably see more old ass Huskies running than Stihls. Saying that Stihls are heavier because they last longer is a bit of a joke TBH. They're both built strong and therefore cannot be judged on longevity.

I'm a Stihl fan true and true again, but, my only issue from feel in terms of the husky is this: You still cannot sneeze too hard or you'll snap off the goofy weak and pathetic choke lever as the dual stage waste of time garbage that it is. Stihl got this basic thing right form day one, but the world keeps waiting for Husky to catchup....... I've run both and I like both in various packages or models. But I will say from my personal experience, I'll take an underpowered Stihl over a high revving faster chain speed Husky any day of the week!

No news here, but slow and steady wins the race.....

t3t4

 

[Sabertooth]

I'm a Stihl fan true and true again, but, my only issue from feel in terms of the husky is this: You still cannot sneeze too hard or you'll snap off the goofy weak and pathetic choke lever as the dual stage waste of time garbage that it is. Stihl got this basic thing right form day one, but the world keeps waiting for Husky to catchup....... I've run both and I like both in various packages or models. But I will say from my personal experience, I'll take an underpowered Stihl over a high revving faster chain speed Husky any day of the week!

No news here, but slow and steady wins the race.....

t3t4

Slow and steady wastes more time :msp_wink: Opinion is the biggest factor in machines, so it doesn't really matter. The two Sthils I had their dumb switch system broke, so I had to flood em out to shut off ( Off switch was broke)

Here where I live Sthil is actually cheaper, because most people like the husky. Even Dolmar are more here, but I see why

 

[Adelia473]

Take a look at this THALL's thread. He rebuilt a 310 as a 390 and it seems to be more simple than an ordinary pro saw.

 

[t3t4]

Slow and steady wastes more time :msp_wink: Opinion is the biggest factor in machines, so it doesn't really matter. The two Sthils I had their dumb switch system broke, so I had to flood em out to shut off ( Off switch was broke)

Here where I live Sthil is actually cheaper, because most people like the husky. Even Dolmar are more here, but I see why

Just curious here: When you broke the simple but clever STHIL one lever does it all, where you awhere that the throttle lock out must be depressed "prior" to opening the throttle to the wide open position? I assume you know now that you must be WOT before you can go to full choke, but likely not then if Husky is your breed in Canada. Even the way older STIHL's functioned, very similar, minus the lockout.... Yep, it's plastic, but heavy duty plastic and very likely not broken but rather dislodged from it's socket. If you force it that is!

You Canadians and your brute force, ya just break stuff. How did the Husky ever survive as the breed of choice?

Just being sarcastic, please take no offense.

t3t4

 

[Naked Arborist]

I'll take my 361's every time if I had only one saw to chose from. The time is drawing near to get one of the parts beasts 361's and do some serious mods to see what is really hiding in there. I want to know how Randy MM's like new ported 361 runs when somebody gets there hands on it. It's still up for sale here. I don't think anybody's getting hurt on the price either. Just my 2cents. I in no way endorse anything that ugly (ape like avatar) with a gun.:msp_tongue:

 

[user 64030]

opcorn:

dw

 

[Brushwacker]

I think rather then pour more $ in the new saw I'd find a good used that pulls 24" and bigger bars for $300 give or take. You might be surprised how well a Makita 6401 does that or many other used older saws generally in the 70 cc range and up. My self, I find cutting in adverse conditions that put the saw at risk of getting smashed etc. now and then. I hate using a high dollar saw at those times. Lost 1 already at a time that I couldn't afford a replacement and didn't have a spare.

Thanx for all the suggestion.

I did strongly consider the 562XP, but I'm just not much of a husky fan. They seem to flex and carry on a bit while the STIHL's just feels more rigid to me. Maybe the XP's are better, I couldn't say either way since I've never held one let alone run one. But anyway, I do cut wide open. It's just in this case I had very little to cut and a brand new saw sitting there staring at me saying come use me dangit. You know how it is..... I had nothing truly worthy of this saw to cut, so I used what little I did have somewhat inventively for the sake of testing out my new saw. I maybe ran 1/4 of a tank full with it and was out of things to cut.

What I'd like to experience and the reason I purchased this saw, is some of the big ole ugly trees/stumps that I keep getting every year it seems. The stuff that just laughs at a 16-18" saw. The kind of 50" trunks that swallow up an entire saw! I can't imagine going with less then what I have for spinning a 20" B&C. And I can see the need at least in my case to run a 25" B&C at times.

I'm not a logger or even a die hard woods man, but I do seem to get the kind of wood that makes me work just as hard at times. All in the name of heat, and cooking too. I'll have more to say once I have more trigger time on the 362 and more break in, but I was just surprised and disappointed the first time I stalled the chain while testing. I really wasn't pushing hard! However, it was a healthy chunk of read oak that I was ripping and you guys know how rock hard that stuff can be. On a side note however, do any of you guys know if performance aftermarket parts are available for the 362? I would entertain the idea of intake and exhaust mods but not so much on the internals. If I have to go that far it would make more sense to me to simply buy a bigger saw. I would think that putting this 362 in the 5HP range should be fairly easy. But then again, maybe not.

Thanks,
t3t4

 

[Termite]

I have worked on a stihl 390. Although the plastic crankcase is strong enough, durability of all the screws that go into that plastic is not very good. Also, the chain adjuster breaks real easily. Also, the muffler has no support except for the two screws at the jug, it likes to come loose and fall off.
I would look for something better.

 

[t3t4]

I think rather then pour more $ in the new saw I'd find a good used that pulls 24" and bigger bars for $300 give or take. You might be surprised how well a Makita 6401 does that or many other used older saws generally in the 70 cc range and up. My self, I find cutting in adverse conditions that put the saw at risk of getting smashed etc. now and then. I hate using a high dollar saw at those times. Lost 1 already at a time that I couldn't afford a replacement and didn't have a spare.

Thanks Brushwacker,

After some break-in time (8) tanks of gas or so, this saw runs more like I expected from day one. It rips now and I can't complain much at all. It was hellishly expensive in my opinion, but so far has done everything I asked without a gripe or complaint. And too it's rated to run a 25" B&C and I do believe that it would with minimal issues.

I've been there having a saw stuck, cutting dangerous scenarios. In fact, I just went through that a few weeks ago with my ms-362. A bad cutting decision equals a stuck saw, but I still had the power to spin the chain even though I couldn't pull back or push threw. It took another saw to cut me out a couple times. Even though I built a log lifter with the power of god, it's still limited to the stability of the ground. This saw has balls, no doubt, but it still takes two if one gets stuck!

I don't regret my purchase after some break-in time, but I'm a guy that always wants power. This thing will make your ears ring in stock form, so I can just imagine what a muff mod would do in terms of decibels..... I feel the erg to coax more power from the "engine" but I'm not a die hard woodsman and I don't typically need anything like that. So I rest at odds, fighting myself over a very capable saw if ya know what I mean.... I dropped a couple live ones and both of them just barely swallowed the bar. I had enough with a 20" B&C to drop them both single pass, but I also had power in excess. No nasty monster logs this year, at least not yet!

This saw is not a monster in weight or power, but VERY respectable in either case. I'm 177lbs @ 5' 8" and holding 18 lbs of saw while hunched over gets a bit tiresome very quickly! Yeah, 13 lbs of power head by spec maybe. Real world weight ready to cut is 18, tested and proven! However, this saw will fit where needed and has the power to drop what is needed. I ain't stopped it yet in a real world live tree, but I did get it stuck while cutting up said live tree. Anyway, it gets heavy, quickly, but still worth the money in my opinion. Maybe a muffler mod is in my future, but I'd rather deal with the outrageously expensive air filter first!