Saw arrived yesterday ru-vid.comUgkxfQm1wmg0ItKDLavxj1nXtQY9HP7EF504 and today I cut about 3/4 cord of wood with it. Make sure you get an extension chord that is at least 12 gauge wire, minimum. This is my first electric in about 10 years, and things sure have improved. The self-sharpener works great, and it just kept cutting through some pretty decent logs. Wear your eye protection, and ear protection. Excellent saw.
I got 3 new saws when I purchased my land I need to clear. I got a ms180 an 261C And the 362c. I also have my oldie but goodie 036 pro. Its funny that each saw i like for certain cuts or work. The 261 is the best saw all around but It gets heavy for brush and limbing and cant really cut the bigger stuff as nice as a 60cc saw can. Its the best all around saw however. The 180 is no joke. I have cut and cut and CUT with mine and its just getting broken in. IM clearing Land not cutting up one tree... The little 180 has a 2 year warranty and its AWESOME for smaller stuff or just limbing work. People think its about the same weight as the 261 they are wrong. My 261 has a 20 inch bar and a MUCH bigger chain profile its a huge difference in weight over the 180. Now the 180 has a smaller task work. Its NOT a saw you can but up a 24 inch oak with... You need to use the right saw for the job. NIce work 500i is an amazing saw for sure But im happy with the 4 I have. =)
I like the comparison between the mid weight and heavy weight. Too many reviewers compare saws that are almost exactly the same size, price, etc. That's great if you have an exact, strict budget, but videos like this show the difference in a "step up" or even a couple steps up. It lets people gauge cost/benefit. Like comparing a 250 to a 261c, almost twice the price but you get metal casing, elastostart, electronic carb, more HP, and so on. Some people may not know if they want to spend ~350 or 600, so the mismatched comparison helps out a lot. Thanks.
I have 2 saws in my arsenal and they happen to be the MS 261 c and the MS 500i !!! Both modified and both beast ass tools in they’re own right! Great video
I have the 500i and love it however I thought about buying the 261 because after carrying the 500i around all day with a 25" bar my arms are gone. We clear properties so every tree that hits the ground I have to delimb them or cut logs so I think the 261 would make it easier on me.
I have found the Stihl MS 250 to be the best overall saw for myself! I cut a lot of wood ,all hardwoods,and it handles it all for me .I can cut thru very large trees and it is light enough to limb with ! Just wanted to shout out for the MS 250. It has been overused ,and never let me down!
@@treemands Yep , I own my home and i cut hardwood trees almost weekly all year round . i also fell trees with it and maintain a bunch of woods for some people . Definitely a saw for someone who owns their home. I am not now a professional arborist nor have I been . Although I did work in a sawmill in Eagle ,Colorado in 1975 . Lol. It's a great saw.
One of the best saws I ever used was a Stihl 025 which is basically the same as an ms250. It was used 3-4 days a week for probably a decade before it was stolen. Dropped it about 50ft out of a tree and it was laying there running on a pile of brush when it landed. I have an ms250 now and it’s a great saw too.
I have a 170, 440 and a 441. The 170 does OK on limbs. I cut all hardwoods 14-22 inches. I use 20 inch bars. The 441 is a 72 CC electronic controlled saw that was replaced by the 462. The 462 is a little bit lighter and a little bit higher HP. I cut a lot of locust. It is a hard wood. The 500 might be nice.
Hello I'm from warm springs oregon reservation. I have small 271 looking for a better chain for it or buy myself a bigger chainsaw for big blocks like dry pine and large tamerack poles but mostly big red fir blocks and looking 4 for something bigger or different chain to cut straighter and last longer without filing down.any advice or show or send videos.
I replaced my old MS 260 with a MS 261 C-M Few weeks ago. Like it a lot. You said on the video, that the price in US in around $500. Here in Finland the price is 799€, $960...
I think your chain was dull on your 261 after the second cut threw that hollow log i think it would have shown better in the time race had it been done 1st .i run a 261 and 660
With that freshly-dulled chain on that 261 it didn’t stand a chance. It was throwing powder by the time you got to the fresh log up off the ground. I still subscribed though! Sucker for chainsaws, I guess.
Im starting to think im the only guy that starts his cold saw and then sits it on the ground and let it idle and warm up for a minute before sending the RPM thought the roof.
You aint. That's why our saws have spotless pistons after 10 years while other people very quickly get mild piston scoring and lower compression from uneven dilatation and wear in the first year of the saw running. The saw will still run and most don't know it doesn't run at its full potential anymore.
Right? That drives me nuts. We have a guy at work that does that with his truck. Starts it, even cold and rips it right down the road. Same with watching all these guys start their saws and immediately red line them....ugh...
You push your saw way to dam much. When the sound bogs down your trying to cut the wood by pushing the saw. You just let the saw cut. You dont need to push.
*Coming up on having had this saw for a year....am a casual user and bought it to cut up sections for bowl blanks. Easy to start, **Bestfor.Garden** also recommend even after storage for a couple of months. Simple chain tension adjustment. Just cut up some 20" Osage Orange, including ripping bolts in half (at an angle). Like butter!*
At 72 a very light weight nimble and still powerful saw is very important to me. I have both a 261 and a 462 but the 261 sees more wood than the 462 just because of the weight factor. The 261 takes less effort to use even though it takes longer in the cut. I love my 462 and when the wood gets up to 18 inches or larger the 462 is my saw of choice. :)
I’m on the same 2 saw plan. Wouldn’t mind a 500i but and the difference in price wasn’t really deciding factor . I know a 500i will pull a 40” bar if needs be but I’ve seen a lot of videos were the 462 will beat a 500i just bucking . Plus I figured the parts are probably easier to come by for the 462
MS261C 4HP @10.8LB its a very good amount of power for the weight. The Ms261C is a legit professional saw and definitely isn't cheap. It is an absolutely outstanding saw for those who own one it is one hell of a refined, lightweight, and powerful saw and continues to impress me every time I use it! I really want to buy an MS400C for my next saw it's either that or the MS462C but I will keep my 261
I’d be going for the bigger saw as the next one. Stock 261 cut close to the speed of 362 just because of the chain difference (.325 vs .375). The 400 is a step up from the 362 but not enough if you can afford the 462! Just my thoughts though!
i still cant figure out why everyone thinks you only need a long bar if you're in big wood... STOP USING THOSE SHORT BARS AND STAND UP AND BUCK. watching you cut wood is like watching a trainwreck waiting to happen. Also, the 462 has a higher power to weight ratio than a 261... its power to weight ratio is .44 hp per pound which is the same as the 500i, while the 261 is only .37 hp per pound... also, bar length doesn't affect chain speed... at all... unless the saw is underpowered... which the 500 is definitely not. I'm not saying you're an armature when it comes to running a saw. But i am saying you sure look like one the way you work that wood pile... on top of that NONE of your facts were correct... i take that back... you got the saw displacements right... and that was it.
When you're doing a timed trial, you probably shouldn't make a dozen cuts with the brand new chains beforehand. Otherwise, you have no clue what was hit prior to the run and putting new chains on them was pointless. 😂
I'm curious...are you using CC/Weight for your power to weight ratio? It appears so when I do those calcs. Wouldn't the actual HP be more accurate. For instance, a homeowner 60 CC saw may produce way less power than a Pro 60 CC saw. When I look at the numbers in LBS/HP I get : 1. MS500i at 2.075 lbs/HP 2. MS462CM at 2.237 lbs/HP 3. MS 362 at 2.623 lbs/HP 4. MS261 at 2.7 lbs/HP. Either way, I think they are all awesome and I want one of each!!
Buy yourself a ms 400 c m from ripsaw. And sell all your other saws. There 400 cuts like a 500i and weights like a 261. Awesome saw from ripsaw. I run a 32” light bar on mine. Carry cut all day. Just love it
Quel intérêt de comparer,2 machines totalement differente? Quel intérêt de faire la course avec une voiture de 500 chevaux contre une voiture de 200 chevaux?
το να συγκρίνεις τα αλυσοπρίονα στο κόψιμο του ξύλου δεν είναι σωστό, τουλάχιστον όχι με το χέρι, γιατί και η παραμικρή γωνία κοπής έχει διαφορά , το ξύλο μπορεί να έχει διαφορετική πυκνότητα, μπορεί η αλυσίδα να βρεί κάποια πέτρα κτλ....
Carrying a saw all day ain’t bad when you go to cut brush in four spans an got to days to do it you and your crew that’s smallest saw feels like a whole ass ton
I'm not too keen on putting a small bar on a big saw. I have a 461 with a 28". It makes it nice not having to bend over so much. Most people do that so they can use the bucking spikes without going into the ground. Which is another issue, using the spikes and cranking on the saw puts a lot of pressure on bearings and chain. If it sharp let it do its thing, it should pull itself. If it's dull then sharpen it.
@@timbertimeoutdoors9836fyi - good long bar 25” and above is what you should have for bucking so you don’t have to bend over. You can keep an upright posture while working. Huge back saver….
I have a 660 and a 460 so can't justify a 500i but I do need a 261. It's next on my shopping list. Followed by an order to West Coast Saws for fangs and mufflers.
I bought the 261c in Canada (in 2022) and it was $900+. Pretty expensive! However, I cut about a cord a week (into 16" rounds for firewood) of pine and spruce and I gotta say, as long as the chain is sharpened, it works great! I love it. One of my favorite tools for sure.
The 261 is a great option if you want a lighter saw, but it has never had the best power to weight ratio (especially if you consider bar weight). In fact, the 261 has the worst power to weight ratio of all the Stihl Pro saws. If you look at HP/LB this is what you get: 500 - 0.497 462 - 0.462 661 - 0.442 400 - 0.422 880 - 0.386 362 - 0.380 261 - 0.270 If you add a 20" bar, the ratio difference gets even worse for the 261: 500 - 0.394 661 - 0.362 462 - 0.361 880 - 0.332 400 - 0.329 362 - 0.294 261 - 0.278 Personally, if money wasn't an issue, I would run a 261 for light work and have either a 462 or 500i for heavier stuff.
The "best" chainsaw for cutting firewood - if we're talking Stihl, and considering power-to-weight-ratio - is, unquestionably, the Stihl MS 362 C-M. The saw is an absolute DREAM to use (even on the hardest of hard-woods!) and won't break your bank (or your back!) to use it. If firewood is your one and only BUSINESS, the Stihl MS 462 C-M should be on your bucket list like yesterday: unmatched cutting speed, power-to-weight-ratio and ease of use... UND ES WIRD IN DEUTSCHLAND GEMACHT (AND IT'S MADE IN GERMANY!). Nuff said... and happy sawing! ;)
You know your saws. I've been a Stihl dealer for 20 years and your summation of these models is very good. I personally am a big fan of MS362 since I've become older.
had the ms 250 for 8 years and its been a learning saw for me and its certainly cut alot of wood and taken a beating, bought the ms 362cm a couple years ago and its just amazing! wish id bought this saw earlier..
When you have a ported 461 (and a ported 661 and a ported 880) no need for the 500i. Also have a ported 261c and it is a fanfkntastic saw up in the trees on a belt or in a bucket. 362 great saw as well. lol on that hollow rotten wood being cut on.
If you want a better saw I would look at the new 362 I believe you would very surprised I have had both of them. I have a MS 500 I can also be 362 I really enjoy the 362 in cuting Fire Wood the 500 I is great for falling smaller timber. It is only 4.8 cubic inch I have a 32 inch bar for that saw and that is plenty a bar for that size and on my 362 I have a 24 inch bar and can use a 28 inch bar. If I like to do that for 261 is too small in cuting Fire Wood that saw primarily is used for camping or putting on four wheeler, side-by-side, and carry-on with you occasionally need it
I think you need to know a bit more about and how to use a saw before you start making videos that just dont make sence, ? there is a thing on both them saws called a front hand gaurd which doubles up for the chain break, you started both saws with out on ! the chain on the 261 was running instantly and you never applied it once when you put the saw down !!
power to weight is pointless as the power isnt being used to propel the weight of the saw. hp and torque are the ones. this being said chain sizes and widths make a difference to the cutting times. more chain cuts more wood, more wood needs more hp.
that saw is a monster I love mine and once it is modded it just eats logs and I swapped mine to a .404 chain and it is great for cutting big nasty logs as the .404 takes forever to dull even when ripping through logs
I think the MS 462C-M and MS 661C-M both have higher power to weight ratios than a MS 261C. I have the facelifted MS 261C-M and would recommend it as a great all-around saw, except when cutting through very hard wood (such as orange osage). On those woods, a MS 500I or a 661C-M is going to be a MUCH better option. I think you did a great job comparing the two saws regardless!
Seems a good 361cm or 562xp is the single saw of choice for firewood fellas like myself. We have like the 6 saw plan i beleive tho?? Ported 346xp, ported 550 and 562xp, husqvarna 261, 372xp and 350. Personally i still favor the 60cc saws for all around.
Thanks for the comparison, they are great saws each in their own way. Did the 500i come as standard with the 20inch? Most come standard with the 25inch light bar.. I hope to buy a 500i very soon so im looking forward to it! Cheers..
A quick bit of math shows that the MS 362, 400, 462, 500, and 661 all have better power to weight ratios than the 261. Doesn't make them the right saw for the job though. Personally I'd love to see a comparison of the MS 362 to the MS 400, as I like having that little bit of extra power, and those two saws are fairly close in specifications. Still, looking forward to when the 500i is more readily available.
Yes, I need to get a longer bar and try it. I am a pretty short guy so the 20" works for me. a 25" is on my list. I know what a lot of you pros say. Stand up and Buck! Makes sense. Thanks for watching!
Look I know this is a video about firewood cutting Saws but Stihl claims both these Saws are professional grade....well to that I call B.S., The new 500 is a pos period. The Case and side cover as well as handle break very easily as I have seen several do in less than half a dozen trips to the woods. Honestly, I like the power curve of the 500 but it still lacks grunt at peak rpm (actual in the wood cutting power) I am a logger/ Faller by trade and have been most of my adult life, I've run every saw from there to here just about and used to carry ONLY stihl Saws to work every day till the mid 90s. Whatever they did to them around that time soured me and 95% of the other Fallers I know because they were so high priced even we couldn't afford one and on top of that they somehow lost about 90% of their dependability and craftsmanship. They were little more than glorified weekend firewood cutter Saws ( no offense to homeowners who go cut firewood half a dozen times a year intended either ) they just wouldn't stand up to what we need and depended on them for every day like they used to. So little by little when we needed a new power head, almost all of us went to Husqvarna Pro Saws and have never switched back!. The reasons are simple, price and quality of saw, but even so some of us (not me any longer) but some of the younger guys keep hoping stihl comes up with a good one again but so far it's still just hope. We are constantly getting approached to try this new saw or that new saw....and all I can tell you is....at the end of the day when we swing down to the landing....were all still packing Husqvarna Pro Saws to the timber everyday......if that tells you anything because a saw has to stand up to the day in day out use and abuse we give a powerhead in one years time is like what your average homeowner firewood cutter would give a saw in 10 years use and that ain't bragging either it's just plain cold hard truth....when your on the job your saw has to start and run and perform or it dont last long. Hell we will buy new powerheads and have them ported and tuned before we have ever held it in our hands just because we know how much weight to power ratio we wanna tote up and down the Mountain. We deal in speed and efficiency with as big and powerful but lightweight saw we can tolerate...and so far Husqvarna has beat all comers and the dependability is 2nd to none I have found. R.C. "Charlie" Hill Black Hills of South Dakota.
Not sure. I would guess they were trying to keep it light. Its a trade off but you are probably right about long term durability for someone that cuts every day. all I know is I love cutting with the 500i
