Some new saw guidance request..

[guym3]

For 12" wood the 261 is a no-brainer. If you need bigger the 400 is a much better saw than the 362.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Really don't see why anyone would get a 362 when the 400 is so close in size, weight, price but with more power? Much more bang for your buck but that's just my personal view!
Also to the original poster I'd maybe consider a smaller 261 for your needs? Less weight to lug about, less fuel to consume, and for 12" wood more than capable! Have fun!

You are not located in the high North where all items are scarce to not available, older designs with simple carbs are what one wants for far remote areas. I am fully aware of remote settings, so all my saws would be regular non mTronic types no matter the power difference, it means nothing if the saw won`t run. There is nothing at all wrong with a MS362 regular carbed saw I run one myself, most guys that live in remote areas are 100 times more self sufficient than the city folks. They are the McGuyvers of the world so its best to keep it stupid simple so the machines spend more time being used as compared to sitting waiting for months for parts to arrive. The older 0 series saws are the better choice for remote setting useage, so simple to repair and a stock of wear n tear items needed are are easy to assemble, no electronic terminals needed or wanted.

 

[djmercer1]

so, a few questions and i will try and lump together:
1) 391 is not an option - i am going 'pro' saw all the way - so 261/362/400/462 are options
2) nothing available in canada in pro saw unless it has m-tronic or i go used. 'farm' grade saws can be had with intelli carb - not an option since i going pro level 100%
3) sea-lifts done for year and nothing til June 2025 - so, what's here is here unless flown in. for flying dangerous goods (including a saw or anything previously fueled) either a dedicated flight must be used ($$$$$) or sit and wait until sealift
4) i am going to log all the sticks and sled (got a vk for this) back to town for processing. anything suitable for a saw log will be set aside until i can get my mill setup on next sealift. i have 3-4 separate woodlots to tend to - 1 for me and a couple fro elders in town.
5) typical saws in town are 250 with a couple 271 and 291 - 291 is largest currently here. a few huskys and the saws i have in my place now are MS170 and husky 240. my saws enroute next sea-lift are PP260, 048 and 051
6) town fuel was dropped from tanker in November - not a huge issue not, but end of season in May/June supply gets short and bulk storage tank quality starts to show

appreciated all the help. anything questions i missed just let me know.

 

[Valpen]

Regardless of which saw you end up with, given the degree of isolation you have described, my strong recommendation is to have a backup saw...
And if it can share bars and chains with your main saw, that is a real benefit.

 

[Scyry]

My father in-law, brother in-law and I all bought MS 261-CMs in 2019 and mine in 2020. Mine was never right. Not as strong as their saws and wouldn’t restart once warm. Cutting side by side with a friend, his 271 Farm Boss did better. Got to the point it wouldn’t restart for 6+ hours after running a tank through it. Warranty tried replacing the fuel line, filter and something else thinking it was vapor lock. Prior to that blamed old gas after they sat on it three months. Sold it last spring. I live at 9,600 ft of elevation but can be cutting at 6,500 ft so thought the auto tune would be nice. Saw never seemed to figured out the high elevation but I couldn’t do anything to dial it in.

Father in-law’s solenoid died on him this summer, $170 for the part. Part wasn’t sitting on a shelf either, think it took a week to get. We think my Brother in-law’s solenoid died last week.

I switched to a Husqvarna Rancher 455 for my firewood saw, didn’t want to spend that much again and don’t trust auto tunes after that experience. Rancher cuts way better than the 261 did so I know there was more wrong with the 261 and I got a lemon. The 261 bogged down when I was cutting anything bigger than 8”, only pines and aspen here. Something to be said for simplicity of parts and availability of parts.

 

[Mad Professor]

Really don't see why anyone would get a 362 when the 400 is so close in size, weight, price but with more power? Much more bang for your buck but that's just my personal view!
Also to the original poster I'd maybe consider a smaller 261 for your needs? Less weight to lug about, less fuel to consume, and for 12" wood more than capable! Have fun!

Mtronic

 

[djmercer1]

for those interested, here is update:
1) location, very rough: 57n, 61w - check it on google earth
2) i still dont have sea ice, so gonna go in small boat and set trails, clear brush, set sled trails, etc for the next couple weeks til sea ice sets in
3) we got a 9' tide here - thats gonna mean pressure ridges near shore when sledding and causes a nuisance when going by boat
4) sleds are being prepped - gonna do tandem sleds. i figuring 1 cord per trip
5) for doing the lots, i just gonna put it all on the ground 1st in logs and then concentrate and sledding home for processing
6) got a small emerge cache set including tent at each location

for the saw, my dealer is a buddy (and he wants my new skidoo purchase) - he got a NIB 362(i leaning hard this way) and a 400 enroute due week, i can try either and he will exchange then put in his rental fleet... the saw will have 20" light bar and 3/8 - all quick repair parts like filters, sprockets, chains are due here this week....

as it happens throughout this, i found a set of 041s including a gear unit and a mac 10-10 and a pioneer p62 all in near new condition that i about to buy this week.... expensive week....