What makes the MS 261 better than the 346 XP?

[sunfish]

Hallelujah is right! :msp_biggrin:

Honestly though, the 261 to me, looks like a higher quality saw...in every aspect and the wider powerband I've been hearing about makes more sense to me for pure firewood cutting. Then there's the obviously better filter, the retained chain tensioning nuts and the flippy caps which I happen to like.

The quality of the 346 is fine, as is the power band. It also had one of the best filter systems in the 50cc market until the 261 stepped it up. My 10+ year old 346 still has the original filter. It is also a fine pure firewood saw and what I use 90% of the time for guess what? Firewood cuttin.

You will like it. Really!

 

[komatsuvarna]

Hallelujah is right! :msp_biggrin:




The quality of the 346 is fine, as is the power band. It also had one of the best filter systems in the 50cc market until the 261 stepped it up. My 10+ year old 346 still has the original filter. It is also a fine pure firewood saw and what I use 90% of the time for guess what? Firewood cuttin.

You will like it. Really!

I agree Don. I haven't found anything wrong with the quality of a 346. Don't think I will either.:msp_biggrin:

 

[procarbine2k1]

:wave: Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wave:

Heheheh!

Glad to hear you pulled the trigger RustyB! You couldnt go wrong with either one! Have a little extra cash in your pocket to boot too.

 

[tallguys]

Ok, I just ordered it...a 346.

So almost half a year later and no opinions regarding your choice? Lets see a review of sorts on how its working out for you. :msp_smile:

 

[JustinM]

Ok, this thread has been going on forever, but I'll chime in with my 2¢

"What makes the MS261 better than the 346XP" (or the 5105, etc etc).

Two words: Personal preference.


ultimately, you're looking at 2 of the best 50cc saws on the planet. What makes one better over the other? well for you it may be that you already have a bunch of stihl bars & chains that will fit the 261, but not the 346. Or maybe you prefer the "feel" of the husky. Maybe you choose one over the other because your local dealer only services one. Maybe you live in canada & the stihl retails for $200 less than the husky.


At the end of the day, you're not going to go far wrong with either. NEITHER saw is better the other for everyone, although one may well be "better" than the other for you.

 

[tallguys]

Ok, this thread has been going on forever, but I'll chime in with my 2¢...
NEITHER saw is better the other for everyone, although one may well be "better" than the other for you.

I hear you buddy, but that wasn't what or why I was asking. This forum is all about personal opinions and as you and I both know, these are to be taken with a grain of salt, as they say. What I am interested in is the OP's experience and perhaps degree of satisfaction with his choice. The "what" behind why he likes it... or not. Otherwise its as you said, the one is not better than the other, just different.

To be fair, a lot of threads go on forever. Just look at the c-list/fleabay one.

 

[rustyb]

So almost half a year later and no opinions regarding your choice? Lets see a review of sorts on how its working out for you. :msp_smile:

Hi,

Thanks for asking. I only have 4 maybe 5 tanks through the saw. I may have opened the muffler and diddled with the ears on the high and lo speed screws before starting it. Any way, I was immediately impressed by the fast throttle response. Really fun to limb with and cut smaller wood (say 8" in diameter or so). It's a screamn' little meanie...but so far, I'm not over whelmed with the amount of power it produces...though from what I have read, it'll continue getting stronger. Now mind you. I'm not complaining about the power. It's just not what I had imagined after reading all that I had here. I also notice that it has a narrower powerband than my 260 had. The 346 seems "pipeier" as we used to say in my moto-x days. I was expecting this though.....again, from what I have gathered here.

All in all, I am happy with it. I find it very enjoyable to use. Lower vibe than my 260 and as mentioned before, superb throttle response. I prefer the build/engineering of the Stihl better but that's ok. The limited coil I do not like at all for tuning. I hope to get a different coil for it eventually. The air filter is like a dream compared to my old 260 and it typically starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull and some times on the 1st, compared to 4+ on my 260.

 

[John R]

What makes the MS 261 better than the 346 XP?

It's a Stihl.

 

[sunfish]

Hi,

Thanks for asking. I only have 4 maybe 5 tanks through the saw.

Took mine 11-12 tanks to wake up. You really do have something to look forward to.

 

[komatsuvarna]

Hi,

Thanks for asking. I only have 4 maybe 5 tanks through the saw. I may have opened the muffler and diddled with the ears on the high and lo speed screws before starting it. Any way, I was immediately impressed by the fast throttle response. Really fun to limb with and cut smaller wood (say 8" in diameter or so). It's a screamn' little meanie...but so far, I'm not over whelmed with the amount of power it produces...though from what I have read, it'll continue getting stronger. Now mind you. I'm not complaining about the power. It's just not what I had imagined after reading all that I had here. I also notice that it has a narrower powerband than my 260 had. The 346 seems "pipeier" as we used to say in my moto-x days. I was expecting this though.....again, from what I have gathered here.

All in all, I am happy with it. I find it very enjoyable to use. Lower vibe than my 260 and as mentioned before, superb throttle response. I prefer the build/engineering of the Stihl better but that's ok. The limited coil I do not like at all for tuning. I hope to get a different coil for it eventually. The air filter is like a dream compared to my old 260 and it typically starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull and some times on the 1st, compared to 4+ on my 260.

What size bar and chain did ya put on it?

A 346 should.....it will smoke a ms 260. It'll probably get stronger with some more use. I guess mine has maybe 6 or 7 tanks through it, it still feels like it gets stronger every time I use it.




Sometimes a man can read about saws on AS, and be dissapointed when he finally runs one. I remember I was in the same boat at one time. Ya get to reading and expect the saw to cut miracles....many are over talked, But I assure you the 346xp is the best 50cc out there.

 

[Hedgerow]

Hi,

Thanks for asking. I only have 4 maybe 5 tanks through the saw. I may have opened the muffler and diddled with the ears on the high and lo speed screws before starting it. Any way, I was immediately impressed by the fast throttle response. Really fun to limb with and cut smaller wood (say 8" in diameter or so). It's a screamn' little meanie...but so far, I'm not over whelmed with the amount of power it produces...though from what I have read, it'll continue getting stronger. Now mind you. I'm not complaining about the power. It's just not what I had imagined after reading all that I had here. I also notice that it has a narrower powerband than my 260 had. The 346 seems "pipeier" as we used to say in my moto-x days. I was expecting this though.....again, from what I have gathered here.

All in all, I am happy with it. I find it very enjoyable to use. Lower vibe than my 260 and as mentioned before, superb throttle response. I prefer the build/engineering of the Stihl better but that's ok. The limited coil I do not like at all for tuning. I hope to get a different coil for it eventually. The air filter is like a dream compared to my old 260 and it typically starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull and some times on the 1st, compared to 4+ on my 260.

On the 12th tank used, re-post... Not 1 tank sooner.... Just do it...
:canny:

 

[rustyb]

What size bar and chain did ya put on it?

A 346 should.....it will smoke a ms 260. It'll probably get stronger with some more use. I guess mine has maybe 6 or 7 tanks through it, it still feels like it gets stronger every time I use it.

Sometimes a man can read about saws on AS, and be dissapointed when he finally runs one. I remember I was in the same boat at one time. Ya get to reading and expect the saw to cut miracles....many are over talked, But I assure you the 346xp is the best 50cc out there.

16" bar and the standard chain......what ever that is.

As of right now, it doesn't feel like it cuts any faster than my old 260 in 10" and above wood. The muffler may have been opened up on my 260 and choke modified for better air flow. However, cutting performance is just a guess based on my memory. I did not run them back to back and have since sold the 260. I am confident though that I can zip through a bunch of limbs faster with the 346....for whatever that is worth.

I should also note some minor gripes. As others have mentioned here, it likes to fall over on its side. The starter handle is also in the way of making carb adjustments...though I fixed that easily enough by Dremeling a groove in the end of the handle that my carb adjusting screwdriver slides through. Otherwise, the handle has to be pushed aside. Again, these things are not big deals but, I do feel it representative of how, as a whole package, it could have been thought out a little better. Details make a difference.

Something else I noticed. The tune seems more finicky to air temps and humidity than my 260 did. For a guy like me without a tach, and considering the limited coil won't allow tuning by ear, this makes it a pain to keep it running optimally. I just don't want to dump money into a tach or unlimited coil right now.

Who knows. I may have preferred the 261. The 346 works though...and it's fun to run, I saved $100 and I got a great price for my 260. I'm content.

 

[Jtheo]

I put a new black coil on my 346XP and it is one of my favorite saws.

I have had new Stihl, Dolmar and Makita saws. All very good saws, but it seems Husqvarna suites my needs better.

 

[rustyb]

More use

Due to having a lot of left over firewood last winter, I don't know that I've put quite a dozen tanks through this 346 yet. Maybe, maybe not. That's soon to change soon though as I have almost no wood for next winter.

At any rate, I'm really liking this little saw for 10" and under stuff. Fantastic throttle response. Revs fast. Fun to use. Nice vibration control. Super filtration...compared to my old 260. As mentioned before though, it seems more finicky to a tune...and it's a pain to have to tune in the wood with its limited coil. Also takes a while to warm up compared to what I'm used to...though that's just an observation, not a gripe. Starts easy...though I'm still not entirely used to the choke control. And the powerband seems narrow. Kept on the pipe and it screams. Not always easy to do in some of the bigger wood though, I'm finding.

That said, if a homeowner firewood cutter, such as myself, who only wanted one saw, were to ask me which saw I'd recommend between the 346 and 261, I'd tell'em not to spend any money until they tried both. If they could not try both, and didn't mind the bit extra weight, I'd say go for the 261 based on everything I've read and pieced together. Does that mean I regret the purchase of my 346? No. It means that it makes me want a second saw with more cubic inches that much more....so I could use the 346 for what I feel it excels at: small stuff and limbing applications.

I'm more tempted than ever to break down and get a 372 to compliment this 346.

 

[H 2 H]

.............

That said, if a homeowner firewood cutter, such as myself, who only wanted one saw, were to ask me which saw I'd recommend between the 346 and 261, I'd tell'em not to spend any money until they tried both. If they could not try both, and didn't mind the bit extra weight, I'd say go for the 261 based on everything I've read and pieced together. Does that mean I regret the purchase of my 346? No. It means that it makes me want a second saw with more cubic inches that much more....so I could use the 346 for what I feel it excels at: small stuff and limbing applications.

.......

That's what I did a local shop brought two saw's out 346 and 261 both with .325 18" b/c and I ran each for a while spent about 4 or 5 hours using the saws and I picked the 261 it just had more torque IMO

Edit: I have around 3 gallons thru the 261 now and I have ran up to 20" bar on it with reg., semi and full skip chain on it if i had a bigger bar I would try it but I don't have anything bigger that a 20" bar

 

[tommyus4]

Kind of odd as I read some of this thread last night and here it is today.

I prefer my muff modded w/ unlimited coil, 346xp, almost all day long over my ms362. The Stihl cuts some bigger wood but not THAT much bigger.

It's a solid saw that should last longer than me. That's why I bought it. But, I'm going to get it ported. I need some seperation between them, otherwise one of them is going to get worn out.

 

[sunfish]

On the 12th tank used, re-post... Not 1 tank sooner.... Just do it...
:canny:

I might have said so early in this thread, but This is important!

The 346 is kind of a dog until it gets somewhere over 10 tanks. :msp_wink:

Bigger saw, different saw? Don't think so, I'll just keep both 346s'

 

[nmurph]

I own both and I can't tell any difference in the power.

 

[rustyb]

I might have said so early in this thread, but This is important!

The 346 is kind of a dog until it gets somewhere over 10 tanks. :msp_wink:

So it will magically gain a wider and torqueier powerband, erasing my desire for more cubes in the bigger wood??

Just razz'n ya!:msp_wink:

 

[sunfish]

So it will magically gain a wider and torqueier powerband, erasing my desire for more cubes in the bigger wood??

Just razz'n ya!:msp_wink:

Yes, it is almost like that. :msp_biggrin:

But really, the 346 isn't a torque monster. It is however a fast cuttin saw and one of, if not the best 50cc saw made.