ms 362cm

[421Altered]

Ok guys, I am thinking about replacing my trusty old Stihl 032 with a modern Stihl pro saw.  I created a post on the ms 261cm and got many good reply's.  Many things that I had not thought about before.  So that brings me to the Stihl MS362 CM.  Is it just as good of a saw as the ms 261cm?  By that I mean the automatic fuel mixture controls.  I know Stihl quality first hand, that is the only brand that I have ever had.  Is there anything on the ms 362 cm that is not "right"?

[btulloh]

Very happy with mine. Couple or three years old and flawless. Nice balance and weight and excellent power to weight. 

You could go with a 261 and a 462.  Or a 40cc and the 362. The 362 isn't a bad one-saw solution, depending on what you need to do. 

Of course having more saws is better, except for the paying for them part of the deal. 

[lxskllr]

The 362cm was my first good saw. I've had zero problems with it. Never ran a 261cm to compare. I imagine either would serve you well, so I'd choose based on specs. "More" isn't always better. Maybe the 261 has *enough* power, and is lighter weight?

[stavebuyer]

I have both. The 261 is my "need a saw" saw. 18" .325 it covers most of what I did around the mill, fencing, building etc. The 362 wears a 20"bar 3/8 pitch and will pull a 24" if you only need a 24" now and then. I use the 362 for felling larger firewood trees and blocking anything over 16". Both saws have been trouble free and blocked 100s of cords of wood. 

[B.C.C. Lapp]

I have three 362's and they cut logs and firewood every day.  I've no complaints.

[Reddtigger]

So I had the 261cm and traded it in for the 362cm. Bigger saw. More power then the 391, uses 3/8 chain.  can hang a 24 in bar on it. (how I purchased it)

I ended up getting several bars for it, 16,20,24.  it liked the 20 best of all.  Didn't really like the 24 in anything harder then popular..  Never got to use the 16 but maybe once..

I was trying to keep it a one saw system with the 60cc saw. Very nice saw, but was heavy in comparison. so I got a small 180 for very light work and kept the 362 for big stuff. It worked for a while for me, but I kept coming into larger tree's where more power would be better for the life of the saw.

After a couple of months I traded it in for a 462R-CM and the power of a 70cc saw is amazing. Now I am on the hunt back for a 261CM (soon enough)

I am a huge fan of the M-Tronic and the 362 performed flawlessly in this regard.

the 261 has 4.0hp and weighs 10.8 lbs  2.7lb /hp
the 362 has 4.69 hp and weights 12.35 (or 13.2 wrap handle) 2.63/(2.81)
the 462 has 6.0 hp and 13.9 lbs (wrap handle) 2.31lb/hp

[421Altered]

Thanks for all the replies to my post.  I have a 024, and a 032 that I was thinking of getting one modern saw to replace both of them with.  I'll probably get a 261cm down the road.  At my age a lighter saw looks pretty good!