Well I was just talking to my brother who works for a tree company so he has a good general idea on saws. Turns out that his father n law has a 271 farm boss. My brother has used it often when helping out around the apple orchard. Anyway he knows what/how I use a saw. He believes the 271 would work out well and would be a little step up from the 025 I had.
Sthil 250 vs 270
- Thread starter Ken74
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Have you thought about looking here in the trading post or on your local Craigslist..great saws can be had at half the price of a new one. I've bought and sold saws on both places with great luck, all it takes is a little homework on how to evaluate a used saw.
Brian72
ArboristSite Guru
Have you asked your dealer if he'll let you run any of them? None of us are saying the farm/ranch saws are bad. They're just heavier and less power. That's where the 261 shines. You say you cut a lot of wood. That's the only reason I recommended the 261. Most homeowners don't need pro saws but if you cut a lot and heat with wood, a pro saw is definitely worth the investment.
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Cody
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This is true, I started out with a 330 Homelite. Switched to a standard carb 261, bought a 170 for backup. Traded in the 261 for an M-Tronic and at the same time bought a 661. Opened up the mufflers on all of them as well as swapping out the carb on the 170. Learned a lot here and read a ton of good advice. You wouldn't believe the people that use a sloping back cut around here, some pretty extreme angles too, and some of them having their own tree service.
lknchoppers
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Stay away from the Farm Boss MS290 they only spin at 9500 rpm where the MS260 spins at 13,500 rpm and it's way lighter. I picked my MS260 up for $160 on craigslist with an 18" bar.
sunfish
Fish Head
I agreed about stay away from the farm boss, but that's the loaded rpm for the 290 & unloaded rpm for the 260. The rpm will be about the same, 260 a little higher & a much better saw.
sunfish
Fish Head
I've cut wood for my house, shop & parents house for many years, 10-15 cords a year.
Most of it cut with a pro 50cc since 2001. When I got that first 346xp it was a game changer!!!
Don't buy with your wallet!
Most of it cut with a pro 50cc since 2001. When I got that first 346xp it was a game changer!!!
Don't buy with your wallet!
All i know is before I joined this sight I didn't know I needed an 89cc saw. Now that I have one Idk what I'm going to use it for lol. If you have a good amount of mechanical ability then buy a used saw and save some cash.
As for the 290 farm boss that's a sore subject around here. I like mine but it's also got a big bore kit on it. Gets ya a bit more power for all that weight.
Stihl sold a lot of ms290s. Same with the 026.
As for the 290 farm boss that's a sore subject around here. I like mine but it's also got a big bore kit on it. Gets ya a bit more power for all that weight.
Stihl sold a lot of ms290s. Same with the 026.
I always laugh when the 290 bashing happens ...there's been a lot of firewood cut with 290/310/390 saws over the years . Before I knew I needed Pro saws to cut my firewood I worked up 8-10 cord a year with a clapped-out 029..that's when I learned that good chains are more important than which brand saw you run or how much it cost.
I don't have any issue with my 290 it's a great saw. I cut max 5 cord a year. Not all is with that saw. The guy across the street from me has a husky box store saw he cuts about the same as me. These saws work fine for home owners cutting fire wood. The 290 takes all the heat though. That was stihls number one selling saw for years. Can't be that bad.
Den69RS96
ArboristSite Operative
Check craigs list for a good used ms361. You can get a good one for around 400. It’s not much heavier than the 250, but has way more power. You can run a 16-25 inch bar. I bought mine used and it’s my favorite saw. I also have a ms250 that I bought new 15 years ago. I like it for the smaller stuff. It’s light and has decent power. However after using a pro saw, I noticed how much better the antivibs are on the pro saw. I bought a 046 just to fix up. I don’t need it, but having multiple saws is fun.
NSMaple1
Addicted to ArboristSite
I have a 360 and a 250 - the 360 is quite a bit heavier than the 250. I will usually go for the 250 unless it is bigger stuff where the added HP is wanted.
tomtom85
ArboristSite Operative
Mybad, was just waking up when I put that... the ms 251 is a great saw, think it was right at 400.00
I thought it was a great suggestion. I have a woodboss, farmboss, and a rancher lol
MountainHigh
Selective Tree whacker
Many guys are happy on homeowner and farm saws, but I'm guessing some may have not had the chance to run a pro saw and really feel the difference.
The more wood you cut, the more you'll REALLY appreciate less weight, better ergonomics, stronger build quality and the greater power of pro level saws.
If you're stuck on Stihl, I would definitely wait and find a way to bust the budget and only buy a pro level saw - if you cut wood regularly, once you go pro, you'll never go back.
Stihl 261 (50cc) or 362 if you want a 60cc saw
The more wood you cut, the more you'll REALLY appreciate less weight, better ergonomics, stronger build quality and the greater power of pro level saws.
If you're stuck on Stihl, I would definitely wait and find a way to bust the budget and only buy a pro level saw - if you cut wood regularly, once you go pro, you'll never go back.
Stihl 261 (50cc) or 362 if you want a 60cc saw
porsche965
Addicted to ArboristSite
MS251 nice. MS261 more nice.
I had a 290 and a 390 was stihl 100% and one day stopped at the echo dealer. Ended up selling both the stihls and getting a echo 620p absolutely love this saw might not spin as fast as the stihl but def has a lot more grunt to it. I use it for about 10-15 cord a yr so take it for what it's worth also everyone bashes the 290 but I cut prolly 80-100 cord with that saw while I had it with a simple muffler mod and it was a great saw. Almost wish I would of kept it for a backup saw but do what you want just giving my input from experience. Good luck. Btw echos are cheaper on the wallet
