Stihl Question

[Farmer Sue]

I will try to keep this short. My hubby and son where out during the last snow storm 24''. repairing the damage to the horse fence area
from 3 trees that had fallen. I have been told that his home depot saw was thrown into a tree. And the back-up saw would not start.
They cleared the area with an axe. Took them 14 hrs at 25 degrees
I went out and measured the bottom of the trees and the biggest is 26 ''.

I want to buy, for him a quality saw that will save his back next time.

I went to a Stihl store today, and got tottaly lost. MS this and Pro this??

What should I ask for??

Thanks.
Susan

 

[Farmer Sue]

I will try to keep this short. My hubby and son where out during the last snow storm 24''. repairing the damage to the horse fence area
from 3 trees that had fallen. I have been told that his home depot saw was thrown into a tree. And the back-up saw would not start.
They cleared the area with an axe. Took them 14 hrs at 25 degrees
I went out and measured the bottom of the trees and the biggest is 26 ''.

I want to buy, for him a quality saw that will save his back next time.

I went to a Stihl store today, and got tottaly lost. MS this and Pro this??

What should I ask for??

Thanks.
Susan

P.S.
This will be a birthday present.

 

[trailrated]

I have a MS290, 18 inch bar farm boss. Great saw, as are all Stihls. I wouldn't get anything smaller than an 18 inch bar since it seems your on a farm. How much wood does he cut? The Stihl pro versions usually are lighter with a little more power. Depending on your budget, any Stihl with at least an 18 inch bar, you can't go wrong. Hopefully others will chime in and give you a bit more info.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I also have an MS290. For shear reliability nothing can beat it. There's plenty of saws out there that are as reliable but none of those saws have an OTD price under $400.

 

[bogydave]

I think a 20 inch bar is easy on the back, less bending when trimming & safer if/when cutting larger diameter trees.

If you tell a salesman you're cutting 26" diameter trees, he will want to sell you a saw with a 30 inch bar. Professional model. Heavy & big.
The Farm boss & Rancher are both good saws made for hard use by farmers, ranchers & home owners & will do almost any cutting needed.
Sounds like your husband know his way around a chain saw, so I'm guessing he'd be happy with either.
The 20 inch bar is just my favorite length.
Stihl & Husqvarna both top rated saws


select NO in the "easy start" ? , (toy saws) :
http://stihlusa.com/productselector/saw_selector.html


20 inch: Husqvqrna:
http://www.husqvarna.com/us/landowner/products/chainsaws/460-rancher/

If you want to go up one level, semi pro kinda the Husqvarna 372 Rancher, 28" bar or
If Stihl is your plan: the Stihl MS 361 20" or MS390 with a 25" bar. It's a matter of weight & $$ (more of each)

I know I'd be happy with a Stihl 361 20" or 390 with a 25" bar, both light weight. rated for the professional user. Quality saws!
Ask the dealer if your husband want a bigger saw, can you bring it back & go to the 441 Magnum with a 32" bar (starting to get heavy though 15 lbs+ big $$)

Hope it helped some.

 

[thinkxingu]

Farmer Sue,
You sound like a wonderful woman. Give us a price range you want to be in; otherwise, there are about 8 saws that might work.

S

My take:
<$400, MS290 (~$370). Gets great reviews for reliability. Downfall seems to be weight, but if it's not used for 8 hours at a time, probably not a big deal.
>$400, MS361.(~$600). I've not yet heard a complaint on this saw--literally.

--18" bar on either, and ask for something to 'sweeten' the deal. Some bar oil, an extra chain maybe, etc. That's the least the dealer can do for such a nice lady.

 

[Kong]

Sue, I've owned a 290 (they used to be called 029's) for years now. Don't buy him one. They are underpowered with a 20" bar on them though better with an 18" bar (which is about what you'd want). They are also heavy and not particularly agile saws.

From your introductory post its clear your clan make serious use of their saws. So they're going to need a serious saw. You mentioned the mumbo-jumbo MS-this and Pro-that stuff the salesperson was tossing at you and I really did feel sorry for you. I'd bet they tossed in a bunch of CC's and maximum torque and RPM numbers at you too. None of that stuff is necessary to know when you're in the market for a Stihl saw. Really, there is a trick that sorts them out at a glance without a single word of technical information. Just look to see what color the handle is. Its either orange or its cream/white. If its orange the saw is light duty, suitable for a pile of firewood now and then for the occasional user. If its Cream/white it is a serious saw.

The saw I'd suggest to you is the 260. It is a far better saw (particularly with a 16" bar/chain) than the 290. Oh, and before people start jumping all over me for saying that please note that I own both of the models in question and have a lot of hours behind each of them. I have used both saws with 16", 18", and 20" bars; If there were two of me cutting wood all day long and one of me had the 260 with a 16" bar and the other me had the 290 with the 20" bar at the end of the day the 260 me would have cut the most wood and be ready to go out dancing, the 290-me would be plum worn out.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Take the 20" bar off the 290 as that is too much for that saw. A 16" bar works great.

btw, I too have had a bit of experience with saws large and small. I like my little Stihl with the 16" bar.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Sue, I've owned a 290 (they used to be called 029's) for years now. Don't buy him one. They are underpowered with a 20" bar on them though better with an 18" bar (which is about what you'd want). They are also heavy and not particularly agile saws.

From your introductory post its clear your clan make serious use of their saws. So they're going to need a serious saw. You mentioned the mumbo-jumbo MS-this and Pro-that stuff the salesperson was tossing at you and I really did feel sorry for you. I'd bet they tossed in a bunch of CC's and maximum torque and RPM numbers at you too. None of that stuff is necessary to know when you're in the market for a Stihl saw. Really, there is a trick that sorts them out at a glance without a single word of technical information. Just look to see what color the handle is. Its either orange or its cream/white. If its orange the saw is light duty, suitable for a pile of firewood now and then for the occasional user. If its Cream/white it is a serious saw.

The saw I'd suggest to you is the 260. It is a far better saw (particularly with a 16" bar/chain) than the 290. Oh, and before people start jumping all over me for saying that please note that I own both of the models in question and have a lot of hours behind each of them. I have used both saws with 16", 18", and 20" bars; If there were two of me cutting wood all day long and one of me had the 260 with a 16" bar and the other me had the 290 with the 20" bar at the end of the day the 260 me would have cut the most wood and be ready to go out dancing, the 290-me would be plum worn out.

Except for the handle color-coding everything above is true after a fashion. Here are some additional truths.

1) The 260 is a fabulous saw but it's not more reliable than a 290 (not less, either) and it has an OTD price about $150 more than the 290

2) The 290 has plenty of power to run a 20" bar

2A) Don't worry about bar length. Personally I wouldn't bother with the 16" but switching bars is easy and new bars aren't prohibitively expensive

3) The color-code is as follows: Black handle = lowest grade/occasional use saw - Orange handle = mid-grade saw - White handle = pro-grade saw

3A) Stihl, for reasons unfathomable, needlessly complicates the color-coding. For example, the 270 and 280 both have white handles and are priced at pro-saw prices but are listed as "mid-grade" by Stihl

3B) The MS290 (and 310 and 390) are listed by Stihl as "mid-grade" saws and are the only saws in the line up with orange handles. I have had my 290 for 7 years and have cut 7-10 cord ever year with it and it has never once failed to start or function other than perfectly and I will take the reliability Pepsi-Challenge against any other saw

4) In your original post you didn't really say to what purpose and how often your husband might use the saw. However, regardless of application, I would not recommend the bottom grade saws. Life is too short for sh_tty tools. If he's clearing a couple trees from the fence every couple years and needs a saw that simply starts every time then the 290 is the hit. If he's cutting a couple cord of firewood every year in addition to the occasional blowdown, the 290 is still the hit

5) I wouldn't bother with the MS260 at all. The jump in price from 290($369) to 260($509) is about $140, and for that premium you do get a pro-grade saw, but it's a pro-grade saw with a smaller engine and less power.

5A) IF you have the means and the will to spend $509 you might as well step up to the MS361 ($589)

6) All of the above saws have anvil-like reliability and will never be worn out in non-professional service

7) Other saws to consider priced between the 290 and the 361: MS270 - MS280 - MS310 - MS390

For reference - http://stihldealer6.reachlocal.net/categoryinfo-dealer-_rdj4aa-toplvl-2-catid-2.aspx

 

[smokinj]

sounds like your going to be doing this for a long time and the tree will get bigger ms 361 or 362 runs a bar from 16-25 in. you will never need to buy another one and will have great resale vaule if need be. 600.00 bucks

 

[Gooserider]

I would say first to decide on the size of bar you want to run most of the time - what was on the old saws is probably a good place to start... You want a saw with an engine size that is about 3-4 times as many cc's as the bar was in inches - i.e. to run a 20" bar, you want close to a 60cc engine saw, but not more than an 80cc engine - only go for the bigger engine if you want to be able to occasionally mount a really big bar for "huge" trees...

I would second the advice to go for at least a mid-range, preferably a pro-grade saw - they are more reliable, and easier to service if they need it... Pro grade saws also tend to make a bit more power per cc, so you can go a bit over that size rule I mentioned above...

If you want Stihl, none of the advice above is bad.

I prefer Dolmar brand saws myself, and they are far easier to deal with, as the model numbers reflect the engine size, and they are a lot simpler... The first two digits in the number is the engine size in cc's. If it's a 3 digit number it's "mid-grade", if it's a 4 digit number, it's a Pro-grade (Dolmar doesn't make a homeowner grade line) - IMHO Dolmar pro-grade is equal in quality to the Husky / Stihl pro-grades, but tends to be a bit less money for the same size saw... If picking a basic do everything saw, I'd go for a 5100, with a 16-18" bar on it. If you want a bit bigger, with the ability to cut just about anything that comes your way, I'd go for the 7900, with a 20" bar for most use, and a 28 or 30" bar for the really big stuff... This is the saw that I use for everything from felling to limbing and bucking - it's a bit hefty for limbing, but it cuts like a light saber, and has been dead stone reliable for me... Your choice, but if you have a Dolmar dealer in your neighborhood, they might be worth taking a look.

Gooserider

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I would say first to decide on the size of bar you want to run most of the time - what was on the old saws is probably a good place to start... You want a saw with an engine size that is about 3-4 times as many cc's as the bar was in inches - i.e. to run a 20" bar, you want close to a 60cc engine saw, but not more than an 80cc engine - only go for the bigger engine if you want to be able to occasionally mount a really big bar for "huge" trees...

I would second the advice to go for at least a mid-range, preferably a pro-grade saw - they are more reliable, and easier to service if they need it... Pro grade saws also tend to make a bit more power per cc, so you can go a bit over that size rule I mentioned above...

If you want Stihl, none of the advice above is bad.

I prefer Dolmar brand saws myself, and they are far easier to deal with, as the model numbers reflect the engine size, and they are a lot simpler... The first two digits in the number is the engine size in cc's. If it's a 3 digit number it's "mid-grade", if it's a 4 digit number, it's a Pro-grade (Dolmar doesn't make a homeowner grade line) - IMHO Dolmar pro-grade is equal in quality to the Husky / Stihl pro-grades, but tends to be a bit less money for the same size saw... If picking a basic do everything saw, I'd go for a 5100, with a 16-18" bar on it. If you want a bit bigger, with the ability to cut just about anything that comes your way, I'd go for the 7900, with a 20" bar for most use, and a 28 or 30" bar for the really big stuff... This is the saw that I use for everything from felling to limbing and bucking - it's a bit hefty for limbing, but it cuts like a light saber, and has been dead stone reliable for me... Your choice, but if you have a Dolmar dealer in your neighborhood, they might be worth taking a look.

Gooserider

Yeah. . . if you can find one

 

[heffergm]

Ask for an ms290 farmbosswith a 20" bar.

 

[smokinj]

I would say first to decide on the size of bar you want to run most of the time - what was on the old saws is probably a good place to start... You want a saw with an engine size that is about 3-4 times as many cc's as the bar was in inches - i.e. to run a 20" bar, you want close to a 60cc engine saw, but not more than an 80cc engine - only go for the bigger engine if you want to be able to occasionally mount a really big bar for "huge" trees...

I would second the advice to go for at least a mid-range, preferably a pro-grade saw - they are more reliable, and easier to service if they need it... Pro grade saws also tend to make a bit more power per cc, so you can go a bit over that size rule I mentioned above...

If you want Stihl, none of the advice above is bad.

I prefer Dolmar brand saws myself, and they are far easier to deal with, as the model numbers reflect the engine size, and they are a lot simpler... The first two digits in the number is the engine size in cc's. If it's a 3 digit number it's "mid-grade", if it's a 4 digit number, it's a Pro-grade (Dolmar doesn't make a homeowner grade line) - IMHO Dolmar pro-grade is equal in quality to the Husky / Stihl pro-grades, but tends to be a bit less money for the same size saw... If picking a basic do everything saw, I'd go for a 5100, with a 16-18" bar on it. If you want a bit bigger, with the ability to cut just about anything that comes your way, I'd go for the 7900, with a 20" bar for most use, and a 28 or 30" bar for the really big stuff... This is the saw that I use for everything from felling to limbing and bucking - it's a bit hefty for limbing, but it cuts like a light saber, and has been dead stone reliable for me... Your choice, but if you have a Dolmar dealer in your neighborhood, they might be worth taking a look.

Gooserider

Yeah. . . if you can find one

Stihl Question?

 

[Danno77]

whatever Stihl you decide to get, please don't let it get thrown into a tree.....

 

[CrawfordCentury]

I will try to keep this short. My hubby and son where out during the last snow storm 24''. repairing the damage to the horse fence area
from 3 trees that had fallen. I have been told that his home depot saw was thrown into a tree. And the back-up saw would not start.
They cleared the area with an axe. Took them 14 hrs at 25 degrees
I went out and measured the bottom of the trees and the biggest is 26 ''.

I want to buy, for him a quality saw that will save his back next time.

I went to a Stihl store today, and got tottaly lost. MS this and Pro this??

What should I ask for??

Thanks.
Susan

Some good advice to this point. The three I'd suggest would be the 260, 290, or 361/362, depending on fequency of use and size of tree. Down in MD, you've got a lot of hickories and other very dense, close grained trees. The size of the bar that pulls the chain depends less on tree size per se, than on tree species. The 16" bar on my lil' 210 runs through white pine just fine. Not so much through hardwood.

Also, Stihl is a German company. "MS" stands for "Motor schlagen," the German word for chainsaw.

 

[HittinSteel]

If you want to make him happy 290 with a 20" bar and chain. If you want to be up for best wife in the world award 361 20" bar and chain.

 

[Highbeam]

If you want to make him happy 290 with a 20" bar and chain. If you want to be up for best wife in the world award 361 20" bar and chain.

I'll go with this. I have a 290 and it is perfectly adequate and I am happy. The 361 would be better and much more expensive but I wouldn't get any more work done with it, don't need to. Might just get it done a little faster.

 

['bert]

Sue, point of clarification, are you also making wood for fireplace use / wood stove, or just cleaning up fence lines and storm downfalls? If the latter is the case you do not need a $ 600 chainsaw to clean up fence lines.

 

[hoverp]

MS 310, 20 inch bar, light weight medium price plenty of power...best all around saw I have ever owned.

 

[Farmer Sue]

whatever Stihl you decide to get, please don't let it get thrown into a tree.....

Thanks for all the info.
Let me start by clearifing why the old chain saw was sent flying. I lent it to my brother, so he could clean up some branches. He put fuel in the tank and than put the 2 cylce oil in the bar lube fill. He thought this was the proper way to mix. And used a oil can to lube the chain. We have had a family meeting and all have agreed this is HISTORY.


P.S. My brother is expected to have a full recovery.

Thanks Again for some great advise.
I'm leaning on getting a MS390 and 20''saw. It fits the budget to the $$'s.

Susan

 

[smokinj]

whatever Stihl you decide to get, please don't let it get thrown into a tree.....

Thanks for all the info.
Let me start by clearifing why the old chain saw was sent flying. I lent it to my brother, so he could clean up some branches. He put fuel in the tank and than put the 2 cylce oil in the bar lube fill. He thought this was the proper way to mix. And used a oil can to lube the chain. We have had a family meeting and all have agreed this is HISTORY.


P.S. My brother is expected to have a full recovery.

Thanks Again for some great advise.
I'm leaning on getting a MS390 and 20''saw. It fits the budget to the $$'s.

Susan

390 top of the line midrange saw should do more than you need Congrats!

 

[Farmer Sue]

Thanks
I have been worried sick about this . The ms260 pro or the ms361 just cuts us a little short. $$

 

['bert]

whatever Stihl you decide to get, please don't let it get thrown into a tree.....

Thanks for all the info.
Let me start by clearifing why the old chain saw was sent flying. I lent it to my brother, so he could clean up some branches. He put fuel in the tank and than put the 2 cylce oil in the bar lube fill. He thought this was the proper way to mix. And used a oil can to lube the chain. We have had a family meeting and all have agreed this is HISTORY.


P.S. My brother is expected to have a full recovery.

Thanks Again for some great advise.
I'm leaning on getting a MS390 and 20''saw. It fits the budget to the $$'s.

Susan

Amazing!! How can you and my wife have the same brothers?? :grrr:

 

[chad3]

Plenty of people are going with the 290. I'll go with the 361/362. Some time last year I had a breather go out on the 361. It took me all of 3 minutes to pop out the old one and put in the new one. Mid range saws will have you pull the tank to replace this breather. I'd rather go with one to cut time and again. Most pro saws are made to work and if not it will take less time to make them work again.
I'd go with the 361 if you can get it.
Chad