Now your splitting hairs but with out question in my mine 460! Spend the 110.00 oh and get a little bigger bar!
Do I need a 460?
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Now your splitting hairs but with out question in my mine 460! Spend the 110.00 oh and get a little bigger bar!
Well....I'm in the market for a 60+cc good used saw. Been trying to nail a Home Depot Makita 6401. I could get interested in a 390 Stihl with a known track record....and I'm in Western NJ....
Just sayin is all.....
I'd say get the 460, and never look back . Great saw ! Stihl's just starting to release the ms461,so the 460 will become harder to find . And , having said that, I don't believe the 461 will come for less $$. 
Get the 460 , put it in a log , and I guarantee you that you'll have and ear to ear grin , and the price will be forgotten .
Get the 460 , put it in a log , and I guarantee you that you'll have and ear to ear grin , and the price will be forgotten .
MS460, dual-port muffler cover, and a 20"/28" bar pair should make for a very versatile saw. Big enough to cut up the big stuff, light enough to not beat you up.
The comment heard from some that a 460 needs a bigger bar than the 18-20" in order to justify its displacement is a comment being made from the perspective of someone doing American-style felling work in softwood, not blocking up hardwood firewood. The feller is not cutting the same log every 16-20" whereas the firewood guy is.
FWIW, I run a Dolmar 7900/28", Husqvarna 272/20", and Stihl 044/20", for my bigger saws.
The comment heard from some that a 460 needs a bigger bar than the 18-20" in order to justify its displacement is a comment being made from the perspective of someone doing American-style felling work in softwood, not blocking up hardwood firewood. The feller is not cutting the same log every 16-20" whereas the firewood guy is.
FWIW, I run a Dolmar 7900/28", Husqvarna 272/20", and Stihl 044/20", for my bigger saws.
The Stihl ES "wide" bars are a personal favorite because of the top-notch construction and durability, I favor the wide nose for the occasional plunge cut. Heavy mothers tho and once I get out over 24" I start thinking about a lightweight bar.
Bars are interchangeable between the 390 and the 460.
I'd say get the 460, and never look back . Great saw ! Stihl's just starting to release the ms461,so the 460 will become harder to find . And , having said that, I don't believe the 461 will come for less $$.
Get the 460 , put it in a log , and I guarantee you that you'll have and ear to ear grin , and the price will be forgotten .
Nor will it be a better saw
So what are the "advancements" on the 461? I didn't see it on the stihl site. Im bummed that stihl got rid of the 440 and am now worried that I may miss out on a 460 if I don't move fast!
The 441 has the new air filtration (like Husqvarna) and also auto tune.
So just guessing, but I am sure most (All Saw Manuf are gonna have to comply w/ regulations) are gonna go with both of those features. As the centrifuge air intake and auto tune is the way of the future. As much as we may not want it. Its Emissions and EPA garbage.
I have my 3 staple saws now. The 455 said good-bye this weekend. Traded 2 tons of Softwood Pellets for it! Good saw, but with a MS-260, 036, and an MS-460, I didnt need it. The 460 has the Dual Port on it and High jet richened slightly... Runs ridiculous. Ridiculous! 
So just guessing, but I am sure most (All Saw Manuf are gonna have to comply w/ regulations) are gonna go with both of those features. As the centrifuge air intake and auto tune is the way of the future. As much as we may not want it. Its Emissions and EPA garbage.
I have my 3 staple saws now. The 455 said good-bye this weekend. Traded 2 tons of Softwood Pellets for it!
Good saw, but with a MS-260, 036, and an MS-460, I didnt need it. The 460 has the Dual Port on it and High jet richened slightly... Runs ridiculous. Ridiculous! 
Dairyman
Minister of Fire
As to the 461 , don't know if it's an advancement , or just an EPA concession . Same with the 440 . Time will tell.
Seems like the 441 has gotten some good reviews though? I have to admit I did look at one and the specs are close to a 460.
A 441 is not a 460 . Get the 460 and be done with it . Seriously ,don't make things so hard . Of course you might consider a 390 xp ,or 395 xp .... They'll destroy either of the saws you've mentioned . But then that's for another thread .
Sorry for my indecision, im having a hard time making my choice w/ all the options out there. Pretty sure its gonna be a 460 though! I have a feeling if i dont get one ill always wonder if the 460 would have been a better saw!
No you won't wonder, eventually you'll drive yourself nuts & go buy one no matter what else you have, then you'll kick yourself for not buying it in the first place. If I could only have one saw, it would be the 460.
BTW: I'm still lookin for a clean used one. A C
Agree with Nixon, no apologies.
Here is a pic. In case you forgot already.....
With Dual port muffler (look close on right) Smiles all day long.....![[Hearth.com] Do I need a 460?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/74/74179-9759f701c74f198530b5526d15ff82a7.jpg?hash=vvcoGIh7XB "[Hearth.com] Do I need a 460?")
Dairyman
Minister of Fire
Dex, that saw would cut alot more wood if you'd stop setting it down to take pics of it!
I cant stop.... I have more pics of it, than I do my Wife!
Besides. I have enough wood for several years. Takin my time now
Besides. I have enough wood for several years. Takin my time now
Don't know what price they are getting for them in your neck of the woods but the new Husqvarna 562 is nearly beyond belief. It's3-4 pounds lighter than a 372. Virtually the same cutting speed unless you have a 24" bar with all of it buried in a piece of oak, auto tuning of the carb (actually closer to fuel injection) unreal throttle response. A friend who has used Husky and Stihl all his life cutting wood as a pro told the 562 is going to stand the saw industry on its ear.
My BIL has a 562XP. Although its a nice saw. There is no replacement for displacement.
Its still 59cc's st the end of the day.
![[Hearth.com] Do I need a 460?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/74/74181-8bfcdb47461319d2e1f0c5d742e77875.jpg?hash=Kop-p9l77W "[Hearth.com] Do I need a 460?")
Its still 59cc's st the end of the day.
Just a wild-ass guess but I'm sure the move to the 461 will much like the 440 -> 441. Stratocharged motor, air filtration improvements, AV improvements and of course mTronic/AutoTune. Fuel economy improvements to the 460 would be welcome. That's exactly what a stratocharged motor should deliver in addition to improved emissions.
MS261, MS362, and the MS441 all are getting good marks in the field.
If done right, and so far so good, AutoTune/mTronic could be as welcome and ubiquitous on saws as EFI is on todays cars and trucks.
I kind of like the idea of an auto tune carb since I don't know how to tune a carb correctly. I think I am going to mess w/ my 180 before I play w/ a 460! If you were to switch from a 20" bar to a 32" bar on an auto tune saw it also adjusts the carb for the bar size I assume? The guy at the Husky store didnt have a straight answer for me and the husky web site doesnt mention it either.
Nope, it will adjust mixture to match load on the saw within certain parameters. Saw has no clue what size bar you put on it. A C
Nor should it matter. Changing bar sizes shouldn't affect your carb tuning at all. Adjust the oiler and get on with it.
Fuel mileage is where a 441 has its real advantage, but if your needing it for monster logs then the 460 is the answer. You just need to know where your average log will be. I seem to get everything 40+ because no one else can handle them. If I had my own forest I would lean towards the 441.
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