Stihl MS 261 CM, Shindaiwa 491 S or Husqvarna 550 XP

[Dr. Cornwallis]

I've been lurking here on this excellent board and doing a lot of research, and while I think I have my answer I want to make sure I'm making the right decision before I pull the trigger and sink money into a saw. While I feel I could probably get away with a medium duty farm/ranch saw, I want a professional saw. I'm a big believer that you get what you pay for and I'd rather have more saw than I need than less.

While not a professional logger, I have a good amount of experience with saws, my family has a 48 acre working ranch, I'm a career firefighter and own/operate a small lawn care business. I want a versatile do it all saw that I can use for felling, processing and limbing/pruning from a ladder. It will be used around the house, the ranch and with my business. I fairly frequently have customers ask me about doing the occasional tree job. Also, being in Florida, id like to have a saw for the stormy season as I've seen friends of mine in the business make a substantial amount of money after a bad storm blows through.

I've never used any saw except for Stihl, my dad has an 029 Farm Boss which is what I grew up using. We have beat that saw to hell and probably used it to cut stuff way bigger than it was intended for and it keeps going strong. At work we have mostly 461 R's, which seem to work exceptionally well for heavy duty cutting but seem like they would be way to big for a general use only saw.

I have a good Stihl and Shindaiwa dealer close by. I've done business with both of them over the years. I've had nothing but great experiences with both Stihl and Shindaiwa. I currently exclusively use Shindaiwa hand held equipment for my business which is why I'm considering a Shindaiwa saw. I also included the Husky because it seems to get good marks as well, however, I know nothing about my local Husky dealer other than they sell Husky where as I'm on a first name basis with the Shindaiwa and Stihl dealers.

My questions are:

1. Is the 50cc size the best size for my needs or would a 60 be better? It seems like going from a 50cc to a 60cc saw you tend to gain 2-3 lbs, and that's a lot of weight when you're muscling it around all day.

2. If a 50cc saw is the correct size, is the Stihl MS 261 CM the best option when it comes to overall build quality and reliability? It's the most expensive of the three, but I'm a firm believer that you don't "pay for just a name." Usually names with an expensive price tag got that way for a reason. I also tend to believe that if my fire department pretty much exclusively buys Stihl professional saws, that's probably a clue, as there are certainly much cheaper options out there.

3. Is the Shindaiwa 491 S even worth considering for a hard use professional saw? I'm a big believer in that you get what you pay for and at nearly half the price of the 261, I feel like I have to be giving up something substantial.

4. Is the Husky such a good saw that it's worth taking a risk with a different/unknown dealer?

Thanks in advance for any help, I look forward to some good insight.

[Jesper Jepsen]

First of both the MS 262 and the Husky 550 are saws that are used big time by the pros around the world and are great saws so I would go with the one that feels best in my hands.
50c og 60c? well the difference is around 2lb(dry weight) but you get more power and you go from the .325 chain to 3/8. I went with the MS 362 because I needed it to run a 20" bar and 18" deep cuts with my sawmill and it have no problem doing that even in oak.
For pruning from a ladder I think that even the 262/550 is too heavy but I seen people pruning with a MS 661 and 36" bar ( it was needed)  so maybe a combo with a MS 362 and a smaller 35c saw for pruning.
I don't know the Shindaiwa brand bit the thing I would look for is the vibrations in the handles and there Stihl and the husky ahead all others.

Jesper

[ladylake]

 Ask your dealer to try out the 491s, the quality is every bit as good as Stihl or Husky pro saws and no problem with vibration.  They still have adjustable carbs vs the autotune on the Stihl and Husky which can be trouble, some like them some hate them.  They come with a real choked up muffler thanks to the EPA that cuts down on the power if left stock but only takes a couple of minutes to open up, take the deflector off and pull a tube out of the muffler and open up the deflector as it comes with a pea sized opening.  Also give the Stihl and Husky a test run.  Steve

[ButchC]

The pro quality saws from Stihl and Husky are above reproach, as good as it gets, I own some of both. I also own a 446S and 757 Shindaiwa and they have been very good saws. The 446 will cut cookies right beside my son's 260 untill you are tired of watching but  is a tick behind my 550 Husky. I think the 446 is out of production now but the 500 Echo is on the same platform as is (I think) the 491?  If so you will like it.

As to your 50 vs 60 question I used to be a 60 CC do it all guy and they are still good for the one saw plan. After I branched out into bigger and smaller sized saws I found that I was felling with larger saws in the 70-90CC range then limbing with a good 50CC saw and then going back to the large ones when I needed to park the 50 and by passing the 60 all together. I still have a soft spot for my 036 and use it when I only take one saw to the woods.

[ladylake]

  Echo came out with a new saw CS501p  17% more power than their Cs490.  I don't think the CS501p made it to the Shindaiwa lineup yet but I'd think it will.   Steve

[khntr85]

Hey guys just to let you all know, you can still get the newest version Ms261 in an adjustable carb....if your dealer doesn't have one in stock they can order one...

[sawguy21]

"I have a good Stihl and Shindaiwa dealer close by. I've done business with both of them over the years."
I think you just answered one of the most important questions, a good dealer will make the purchase much more satisfying now and in the future. Shindaiwa and Stihl are both top quality brands, give them both a try and see which one you like best.

[Dr. Cornwallis]

Thanks to everyone for all the advice! I ended up getting an MS 261 CM with the 16" bar and I'm extremely happy. This saw really is extremely capable. Down the road I'm definitely going to get an MS 193 T and an MS 661 CM or MS 441 for felling and bucking some bigger stuff; I've been extremely impressed however with the 261 and what I've been able to cut with it. I had also forgotten how much fun trimming trees was. I grew up doing it with my father all the time and somehow had gotten away from it over the years. It's really rewarding work and an excellent workout too.

[bladerunner]

i have a stihl 192T 30cc and a husky 338XPT 39cc

although the stihl feels better balanced in the hand [slightly smaller bar]. i find the husky with the extra grunt & bigger chain gauge..more versatile and used more often

huskys lasted model is the T540 XP 37.7cc, and for stihl ms 200T 36cc, but geez they're expensive