Stihl 461 R crazy for homeowner saw ?

[quantico]

I have several smaller chainsaws.. i really only like top handle and wrap handle chainsaws.. looking for an overall larger saw for cutting up the occasional tree into pieces... i have a good friend with an old stihl 260 that i have used.. it has very low power in my opinion. Plus i have large hands and really prefer a wrap handle design.. been seeing discussions on stihl 461 vs 462 saws.. and think the plain carb saw might be better long term. I would want a 20 inch bar.. the 362 is 200 bucks less but also less power .. so is the 461 just too much saw for hanging out at home ??

I am a large man and have been running chainsaws a long time.. so i am familiar with running a saw safely...

 

[ammoaddict]

It's not about if you "need" it. If you "want" it, go for it and have fun with it.

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[dws_az]

the 362 is 200 bucks less but also less power .. so is the 461 just too much saw for hanging out at home ??.

If it's the saw you want, I say go for it.

The 461 is a lot more saw than the 362 and very good for the bigger stuff.

I'm very happy with my 461 and it wears a 25 inch bar

 

[Kyfan]

Look at it this way if it brings you joy and you can afford it then go for it.

 

[quantico]

I will go to my stihl shop locally and look at it again.. i need to buy a bar and chains asap anyway.. i just hate always having too little saw... great for tree work.. great for trimming.. but at times the smaller saws just seem small.

 

[motorhead99999]

Definitely acceptable as a homeowner saw if you want it.

 

[Skeans]

Here’s a good question why such a short bar on that size of saw? Short bars with a lot of power introduces a greater chance of kick back. The factory 3/4 Stihl wrap is ok but not a personal preference for falling timber all the time you a little hand positioning when taking out undercuts from the clutch side.


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[LonestarStihl]

I’m a homeowner that now at even a wood burner regularly and have an 046 and 660. Go for it. At $300 you’ll have more than you need and have a great saw. Never know when you could use more power

 

[quantico]

Skeans.. i appreciate your interest.. thinking 20 inch to keep saw a little lighter. And i dont do much falling , but quite often i do cutting up of large limbs and thru the tree core chunks. I am older and beat up with bad knees.. but i love the sound and feel of a real saw cutting thru a couple feet of tree.. it just makes me happy.. i think the next common bar size is 24 inch.. i might want one, but i think at 20 inches i would likely use the saw a lot more often..


I just bought a 200T i have wanted a long time.. so that i now have a great tree pruning bucket truck saw.. that i can use on my river front angled property the next saw i want would be a couple steps up in power..

Those saws are not getting cheaper.. and i want a pro quality saw made with more metal and less plastic.. and less computer interface..

 

[Ryan'smilling]

No, it's not crazy. Personally I don't prefer a wrap on a firewood saw, but that's my preference, not yours. The R model also includes the bigger clutch cover (to keep your fingers out of the chain while using the wrap) and a high output oiler. Probably dual spikes and the roller catcher also. These are all nice upgrades, and the R model will be worth more when you want to sell it also.

Heck, I'm a firewood guy and I just received a 50" Cannon bar in the mail a couple days ago. It'll see VERY occasional use on my 395xp which yes, has a wrap. Sometimes, anyway.

 

[canamkayaker]

I only cut firewood for my house and my parents. I will never regret buying my 461. It’s a huge step up from my previous ms310. Mine wears a 20” most of the time. It came with a 25” bar. I have plans to soon buy a 32” with a skip chain for the occasional need.

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[mogulmasher]

I'm a home owner with a 461 wearing a 25" bar. Love it!

You can cut small trees with a big saw, but can't cut big trees with a small saw.....

 

[Skeans]

Skeans.. i appreciate your interest.. thinking 20 inch to keep saw a little lighter. And i dont do much falling , but quite often i do cutting up of large limbs and thru the tree core chunks. I am older and beat up with bad knees.. but i love the sound and feel of a real saw cutting thru a couple feet of tree.. it just makes me happy.. i think the next common bar size is 24 inch.. i might want one, but i think at 20 inches i would likely use the saw a lot more often..


I just bought a 200T i have wanted a long time.. so that i now have a great tree pruning bucket truck saw.. that i can use on my river front angled property the next saw i want would be a couple steps up in power..

Those saws are not getting cheaper.. and i want a pro quality saw made with more metal and less plastic.. and less computer interface..

If you’re doing a lot of limbing you might try a 32” bar it’s less bending over, I normally walk out timber for limbing vs walking along the side of tree it’s faster and easier. I feel you there on the knees but the longer bars like a 32 do help more then a short bar for back issues down the road.


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[Skeans]

I'm a home owner with a 461 wearing a 25" bar. Love it!

You can cut small trees with a big saw, but can't cut big trees with a small saw.....

You can’t? It’ll depend on what you call a small saw, the smallest saw I run falling timber is a 60cc with a 32” bar for a break in it was ran in 5.5’ wood.


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[catbuster]

A 20 inch bar on a saw with that much power is a waste. Your big dawgs with the R model will eat up a bunch of it too. I know I talk about not cutting with the back of a bar but a 20 on that saw I wouldn’t mess with a wrap, I’d just backbar it. That’s a kickback hazard waiting to happen though. The Stihl wraps are mediocre anyway.

I’m short, almost exceptionally so, and run a 28 on mine. They run out to a 32 just fine. My 6’4 buddy runs a 32.

But in all, yeah, I’d say a 461 isn’t required for any homeowner. The solenoid controlled saws work, and have been on the market for a long time now. Definitely long enough to prove their worth. There’s nothing to be afraid of.

And to the guy who said you can’t cut big wood with a small saw, it’s pretty easy to dump a six footer with a 32 inch bar, which is small in that size wood. It’s all relative.

 

[huskihl]

Most 70-90 cc saws here wear 20-24” bars.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

For bucking oak and hard maple 18-30", I will pick up a 70cc saw with a 20" bar almost every time. There's a 20 on my 2166 and an 18 on my 440 right now.

 

[Derf]

Lots of “enablers” I see on here. Lol.

There are many on here who will tell you to get whatever you want, regardless of what you need, but then there are many on here that use and collect chainsaws for a hobby and the mentality is come join us.

The only downside I see not mentioned to buying a 461, besides the larger up front cost, is that it’s a bigger saws, and it weighs more, so it will tie you out faster. Buy the biggest saw you need for your wood. A 60cc saw could run a 20” bar full comp chain buried in wood. I know the Stihl Oiler is a little stingy, but I think you could run a 25-28” bar with semi-skip chain if you had the occasion “big” job. A 75cc saw could run a 24-28” bar with full comp chain buried in wood, with a 32” in a pinch.

I’m a Husqvarna guy, but the 461 is pretty equivalent to my 372XPW, both in weight and displacement. Once I got a 562XP, equivalent to the 362CM, the 372XP only comes out when I want a 24”+ bar. Why? Because who wants to run around carrying the heavier saws when a lighter one will cut the same thing (maybe a second slower) without all the weight? The 562XP will handle anything a homeowner could throw at it and won’t tire you out as fast.

 

[Tinman204]

I'm a "homeowner" look my sig line. Thats my current fleet of saws.

Which one gets run the most??

My 562xp cause shes light, low on the vibes and rips though 90% of the stuff I cut.

For the average or even the serious homeowner a pro grade 60cc saw is a great choice.

Buy whatever you like, if it makes you happy I say buy a 461.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

No one is saying it so I will. Yes, you are crazy, why would you purchase Stihl saws!