New Stihl 241 or 261?

[John Lyngdal]

I run a 16" .325 bar & chain with a 8 pin drive on my MS260 and it's hard to beat for cutting small stuff.
I think a saw should have 2 bar nuts, rather than a single like that on the 241.
I'd go with a 261.

 

[rumatt]

Specs indicate the 241 is 9.9# and the 261 is 10.3#.

The latest gen 261cm is 10.8 lbs, not 10.3

I already have a 2018 261cm and I will be getting my 241cm on Thursday.

I'll post some weights side by side.

 

[1Alpha1]

When it came to buying a chainsaw, I can't think of a single time that it's weight was ever really a big concern to me. A lb. here or a lb. there, really never mattered.

For me it was size (cc) and price.

 

[ericm979]

Weight can be important to me. It makes more of a difference for brush clearing, clearing down trees and limbing. Those are activities where you're holding the saw in different positions and sometimes at shoulder height. When felling, bucking or cutting logs into rounds, saw weight does not matter as much as the saw's down low and usually in wood. For the brush clearing, limbing etc saw weight makes a noticeable difference in how long I can go before I get tired. I learned from motorcycling that when you're tired you make mistakes that can get you hurt.

 

[rumatt]

Weight can be important to me. It makes more of a difference for brush clearing, clearing down trees and limbing. Those are activities where you're holding the saw in different positions and sometimes at shoulder height.

Exactly. If weight didn't matter, we'd all be using 80cc saws for everything, right?

As saws get lighter you're getting more power for a given amount of weight that you're lugging around.

WWhen felling, bucking or cutting logs into rounds, saw weight does not matter as much as the saw's down low and usually in wood.

You may have just convinced me to grab a 461 rather than wait for the 462

 

[1Alpha1]

Some things are inherently more dangerous than others. Chainsaws are kind of at the top of that list. Some have never held or used a chainsaw in their life.

I don't cut wood for a living. Never have, although my father's family had lots of relatives working in the timber industry. I'm a weekend hack, and do even less cutting as I get older. I no longer volunteer to help others cut wood like I used to.

Anyways, cutting wood will tire you. That's a fact. I never understood those that were concerned how fast a saw could cut cookies. What's a second or two quicker overall during a full day of cutting? You save maybe what, 30 min. tops?

If you are cutting and feel tired, STOP and take a break. I'm talking about weekend hacks like me. What's the rush? If you are a commercial cutter, then that's a whole other different story.

I have two saws. I feel I have whatever would be needed, for what I do. As I stated previously, weight isn't a big deal for me. No one makes a saw that is so light, it simply out classes all the other saws in it's category.

I can't imagine a lb. or two less weight would make any difference in my cutting. People need to take more breaks while cutting, not less!

 

[Tex68w]

Agreed @1Aplha1, we are talking less than a pound here with a 33% power advantage, I'll take that power over the 0.9lb/8-9% weight savings any day.

I won't cut more than 20 mins straight and then I force myself to take a few minutes to relax, hydrate, and plan my next move.

 

[1Alpha1]

Surprising what a 10 or 15 min. break will do for one's energy.

It also gives the ole brain a rest, so that hopefully you won't make a mistake. I know some that did make a mistake. They had plenty of time to think about it once leaving the hospital and then recovering at home.

 

[mountainlake]

Nice vids above, I'd sure take the 241 over the 261, cuts almost as fast and I'd bet 2# lighter ready to cut full of gas and oil. For all of you that claim your saw holds 12000 RPM in the cut, sure it does but you are cutting slower as proved by all 3 of the vids above. keep them around peak power rpm about 9500 on these saws. Steve

 

[JimM]

I actually feel sorry for guys that can’t make these decisions on their own. Seems sort of feminine. Plus, he hasn’t been back since he posted the question. Lol

 

[Overkill338]

Especially for the size wood the OP it's cutting, I'll take my ported 241.

This is dead, dry Ash.

Brad do you use the 6 pin or 7 pin on that saw? How well does the full chisel Picco hold up if you hit dirty wood?

 

[Wood Doctor]

Let's go back a few years. I have two 026 PRO's that I use all the time and do not wish to sell. I also have an 024 AV that I rebuilt because the top end was shot. It's a pleasure to use now, and I don't want to sell it either. However, last year I offered the 024 to a friend for $150. He turned me down and instead, he went out and bought a new Wild Thing at Wally World. He's already trashed the Wild Thing.

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

The picco bar and chain knocks off even more weight when the saws are ready to work...if that matters to any of you ?

 

[KiwiBro]

I actually feel sorry for guys that can’t make these decisions on their own. Seems sort of feminine. Plus, he hasn’t been back since he posted the question. Lol

And you dropped from the womb armed and ready to take on the world? Worse than seeking answers is to be too scared to ask questions.

 

[Overkill338]

Let's go back a few years. I have two 026 PRO's that I use all the time and do not wish to sell. I also have an 024 AV that I rebuilt because the top end was shot. It's a pleasure to use now, and I don't want to sell it either. However, last year I offered the 024 to a friend for $150. He turned me down and instead, he went out and bought a new Wild Thing at Wally World. He's already trashed the Wild Thing.

LoL wow, a Wild Thing over the 024.

By the way, I discovered yesterday actually, that the 024 uses 3003 bars where as the 241 uses 3005. I was thinking the 024 and 241 were similar like the 026/261

 

[Derrick Sawyer]

Why not get a 250 or 251 if you want a light saw for cheap? I can't see spending close to $600 for a 241 and then paying someone to port it, however much that might be. Just my opinion, plus i cut Oak often so i sold my 241 and bought a 550xp for my small saw. Now if you have 30 saws and every model stihl and husqvarna on the planet, then yes a 241 is cool, cooler than the husky 543 for sure...my dealer stopped stocking both those saws since they didn't sell. I just bought a 261cm last week, loved it and it sounds great too, all in stock form, cuts fine with 20" bar, for 550 plus tax. I still break out my 041 super once in a while for fun, but the power to weight and instant rev of these newer 50cc saws will spoil you.

 

[rumatt]

Why not get a 250 or 251 if you want a light saw for cheap?

The 251 has less power than the 241 but weighs the same as the 261.

Were you intentionally aiming for a "worst of both worlds" solution here?

 

[blsnelling]

By the way, I discovered yesterday actually, that the 024 uses 3003 bars where as the 241 uses 3005. I was thinking the 024 and 241 were similar like the 026/261

Not much at all similar between a 260 and 261.

 

[Derrick Sawyer]

The 251 has less power than the 241 but weighs the same as the 261.

Were you intentionally aiming for a "worst of both worlds" solution here?

My father has a 10 acre lot and has cut firewood and cleared forest for 25 years, with an 025, then 250, and now 251...he gave me the 025, then 250 when he upgraded (mostly for newer features and better emissions) and they still work fine since he took care of them...he is quite an exceptional human being but now i am even more impressed he has survived with a saw that is the worst of both worlds!

 

[ericm979]

I'm thinking of getting a 241. I have an 025, a MS362CM and an MS460. And an Echo CS352. The 025 is the right size for limbing and cutting smaller trees. But it's so hard to pull over that I've developed "golfers elbow" from it. The 025/MS250's actually got a decent power to weight ratio for a homeowner saw of that size- very close to the 241. The 251 is a 250 with ez-start but it's nearly the weight of the 362CM. I'd consider an Echo but there's none in that power class that are light.