Stihl MS361

[jhines]

So, I guess that I am one of the few people on this board with a Stihl MS361. Overall, the saw has performed well and feels far lighter than my '89 Stihl 028 AV. In my area the softwoods (think Southern Yellow Pine) far outnumber the hardwoods. I bought the saw from a friend that recently opened a power equipment sales and service place - they sell Stihl, Ferris, Simplicity, etc. I was in the shop getting a new oil pump for the 028 and saw the 361. I figured it would be nice to have a second saw and knew that I wanted something with more power than the 028 and an adjustable oiler. I really wanted an MS440 or MS460 but somehow rationalized that I didn't need something that big (I know, I know - what nonsense, but it seemed to make sense that day).

My question lies in saw longevity. I know that the model is new and no one will be able to speculate on the future. I am concerned after reading the forum that Stihl saws have fallen to some "un-usable" level of quality and that EPA rulings have caused increased intake and exhaust restrictions that combined with the suggested 50:1 mixture ratio may have the engine running too hot. Do you guys have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jon

 

[bwalker]

Stihl saws have fallen to some "un-usable" level of quality

Anyone that says that is a moron. Stihl saws are very solid when matched to the application. Of course a 029 wont hold up as well as a pro saw when used everyday, but neither will a consumer Husky.

intake and exhaust restrictions that combined with the suggested 50:1 mixture ratio may have the engine running too hot.

Thats debatable, but never the less is easily fixed with a muffler mod and a richer oil ratio.

 

[Erik D. Schmid]

The one I have runs like a champ. The muffler was opened up and the mix was oil richened a bit. Just turned the rpm's up to somewhere between 14-15,000. The little bastard just screams now. I have been cutting down a stand of oaks the last couple of days and it has performed great. Of course I only use it for limbing as I have larger saws that do the big work. The trees all average about 100 to 150+ years old. Beautiful wood. I'm just waiting for Stihl to update the 660 with some of the same mods the 361 has so I can trade my old one off on it. All in all a very impressive saw.

Anyone who says modern Stihls are at an un-usable quality level is an idiot who most likely doesn't take care of their equipment.

 

[Dadatwins]

With proper mantainence, clean fresh gas, premium mix according to saw specs and no abuse to saw you should get long life out of unit. By abuse I mean cutting with dull chain, overreving saw out of wood, and letting dirt / sawdust build up around cooling fins. Chainsaw is a machine that when taken care of will last. Abuse it and see ya.

 

[jhines]

Thanks guys. I feel better about my purchase and what you have said is basically how I felt. For clarification, what I meant by "un-usable" was more to say that Stihl seems to take a lot of abuse from the members of this forum. I am a bit pround of owning two good saws (I don't know many 26 year old's around here that would even know the difference). The engineer in me would love to be able to afford a comparable Husqvarna and Dolmar to determine for myself which saw wins for my apps, but until that time comes, my Stihls will continue cutting.

Also, Erik, do you have pics or description of the muffler mods you have done?

Thanks, Jon

 

[Lawn Masters]

For pics of muffler mods, just do a search on the site, you'll find some with ease.

As far as I'm concerned, I prefer husky products over stihl, the trimmers from husky are WAY lighter, the FS85 from stihl feels like its about 14pounds with string head, while the 323L that I own weighs only about 10 pounds with string head and full tuel tank.

 

[bwalker]

Husky saws are good stuff. Husky BP blowers and trimmers are a joke. Cruise over to lawnsite.com and see for your self. Very few lawn jockeys use Husky stuff.

 

[jokers]

Originally posted by bwalker
Husky saws are good stuff. Husky BP blowers and trimmers are a joke. Cruise over to lawnsite.com and see for your self. Very few lawn jockeys use Husky stuff.

I guess it depends on what you call a trimmer. I tried a Husky 245 and liked it but was persuaded to go for the Stihl FS250 because so many people use them that more parts are stocked, or so I was told anyway. Turns out that the shaft on the 250 is just a hair too short for me to use it well as a trimmer and the aluminum shaft cover gets a nasty flex in it when I try to use it as a clearing saw. I`m wondering how long it`s going to last before that outer shaft becomes brittle. Other than that, the 250 runs smooth and is pretty powerful and the deluxe harness is nice.

Russ

 

[JimL]

Russ? ive got a 250 and a 550.

Ive cut alot of big brush with the 250 and not had any shaft problems. Ive noticed a little flex in the shaft but not much more than what is put on it from the weight of the head.

 

[bwalker]

your just too tall, Russ,lol. As for shaft durability. I got 5 years out of my fs-85's shaft before it bent and then it was only because one of my employees used it. I actually suspect it got ran over by a atv.
If I where to buy a trimmer today it would be a Redmax though. IMO they have the best units on the market closely followed by Shindaiwa.

 

[jokers]

I bought the 250 to clear a couple acres of doghair, mostly maple and less than 3" diameter. I`ve also made only about 6 cuts with it and it seems to have a wicked torque reaction on the shaft where you can see visible movement in the head. I`m going to continue to use it, if it breaks it breaks, I already spent the money.

Brian,

I`ve tried the bit about moving the lower handle but then the attachment point for the harness(which I`ve also moved) becomes the limiting factor, or so it appears. I will experiment more with it to get the correct balance and reach, no doubt I can find some improvement. I`ve only got about 3hrs on it so far and got tired of putzing with it.

BTW, what line do you guys use? I`m using triangular .105 Shakespeare, and I go through it pretty quick, but there again, improved balance and position of the head will no doubt help.

Sorry about the off topic.

Russ

 

[Erik D. Schmid]

Jon,

The muffler mod on mine looks very similar to those done by Walker's. I may redo it and just have a single tube coming out the passenger side over the cover like the one Ben Walker had done to his which he posted pics of. It looks much better as well. The muffler on the 361 is a bit more of a pain in the ass to modify due to it being a sealed unit. However, it isn't hard to get it open it just takes a bit of patience.

 

[jokers]

Originally posted by Erik D. Schmid
Anyone who says modern Stihls are at an un-usable quality level is an idiot who most likely doesn't take care of their equipment.

I don`t think any rational person said that modern Stihls are unusable. It`s more likely that it was said that modern Stihls are not the same quality as old Stihls and that most current models aren`t cutting edge technology when compared to the competition.

Russ

 

[wiley_p]

I will second the thought that current Stihl's arent the same in use as the older versions of pro saws. Got my 056 running again it makes me laugh, alot.

 

[bwalker]

I dont know about Stihls slipping quality wise. Stihls pro saws all have a good reputation for reliability. Maybe even better than Husky's XP series saws. You can fault stihl for not updateing their saws more often and for them being slightly slower in stock trim, but you can not say they are not high quality IMO.

 

[jokers]

Ben,

I don`t think that you and I disagree on this issue, but it seemed to me that Stihl was at one time, head and shoulders above everyone else in terms of quality and technology, and performance was always respectable. I don`t see that favorable balance any longer. From what little I`ve seen of the 361, the tide may be turning. This year is going to be a good one for anyone looking to buy a pro quality saw in the ~50cc - 80cc range if you consider all of the strong contenders, the 346xp, ms260, 357xp, 361, 372xp, ms440, 7900, and probably the new Dolmar 50cc when it finally arrives.

Sorry if I offended anyone by leaving out their favorite in any class, this is just my list of favorites for performance, quality, and user comfort(low vibes and ergonomics). Having a choice of local dealers is also a plus.

Russ

 

[bwalker]

Stihl has grown complacent as many companys do after having been #1 for so many years. Hopefully this will change with the 361 and hopefully a 261, 441, 461, 661.

 

[glens]

I was just eyeballing the 361 again this afternoon.  I brought my 036 in from the truck and had them side-by-side on a cardboard crate for a while turning them over, shaking them, etc.  I didn't remove the clutch cover on the 361, though I'm sure I could, but it sure appears as though the spline is larger than on my 036.  It seemed to be about the same size as the one on the 440.

The 361 w/laminated 20" bar and safety chain feels every bit as heavy as my 036 w/solid 20" bar and chisel chain; and in separate comparisons they both feel lighter than 357XPs outfitted with a couple of different bars.

I asked the store owner what he'd <i>really</i> sell one to me for, and he nodded toward the $539 price tag.&nbsp; They had a 440 w/25" bar, 11t nose, and safety chain; and a 390 w/25" bar, 13t nose, and chisel chain.&nbsp; I told him the bars and chain should be swapped between the two saws.&nbsp; He said he should probably get me in there to sell saws since I know more about them than he does.&nbsp; Maybe we'll work something out...

Glen

 

[bwalker]

I have noticed the 260 feels lighter than the 346 also. Same with the 044 and the 372. One thign you have to remember is that husky published weight does not include the falling dog, sprocket cover, and bar nuts. Dolmar does the same thing FWIW.

 

[glens]

Somewhere around here recently I reported on a weigh-fest over some brewskies at Jeff Sikkema's place.&nbsp; See if you can find it, Ben.&nbsp; You can probably best find it by searching for "I hope Ben sees this".&nbsp; Oh heck, here <a href="http://www.arboristsite.com/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=201665&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending">it</a> is.

Glen