what you think is a better saw husky 346xp or stihl ms 260 pro

567paloggger · January 16, 2010, 05:13:52 PM

guys what do you think is a better saw the 346xp or the 260 pro almost the same saw but the 346 i believe is a little lighter whats your opinion on them

Rocky_J · January 16, 2010, 06:42:19 PM

Not even close, the 346 by a mile. The 346 is the best in class and the 260 is probably Stihl's worst pro model saw as far as power to weight. The 260 was ok 10-15 years ago but it is an old and tired model that can't hold a candle to the current top 50cc saws.

The last Stihl 260 I owned was one of their infamous fixed jet models where they decided that users no longer needed to be able to tune the carbs. That move ended up with my 260 getting flung from a tree at about 40' and I went many years without ever touching another Stihl because of that piece of junk. Thankfully Stihl gave up on that awful tactic on the pro saw models and went back to adjustable carbs (after you trim the limiter caps).

Cut4fun · January 16, 2010, 07:05:24 PM

The 260 is lighter, but the NE 50cc 346xp is light years ahead in the cut.

ladylake · January 16, 2010, 08:03:57 PM

Seems like on the ither forum at the GTG the MS260 was about 1 second behind the 346xp and the Dolmar 5100 in a 10 second cut and almost 1# lighter. Steve

des170stihl · January 16, 2010, 09:57:55 PM

I,m kind of partial to the STIHL stuff since I own a 260. I,ve lost a lot of faith in the Husky co. since they sold out to the Vacuum Cleaner Co. called Electrolux Co. I guess they both would work allright when they are brand new. But which one will be worth more when they are 5 years old ????

windthrown · January 17, 2010, 12:29:45 AM

First off, which 346xp are you talking about? There are two of them. One is 45cc, the ther is 50cc. I do not know why Husky has multiple saw engine sizes with the same model numbers (not just the 346). Stihl has a slightly larger P&C on their later model 260; a 44.7 mm (new) vs. 44.0 mm (old), but the the 026 and 260 are all 50cc class saws. The Husky has more plastic, the Stihl has older technogy. The Husky also has an outboard clutch. I hate outboard clutches. I can flip from an 8 pin .325 rim to a 7 pin 3/8 rim on my 026s in about a half a minute. Also the new 346 has a cat in the muffler for EPA. Stihl is changing the 260 into a 261, but it will be one of the last saws they convert to 2010 requirements. The 260 is still around becasue it is one of the most popular saws that they have. Stihl planned on phasing it out years ago, but high volume sales kept them from scrapping them (the 270 was developed to replace it, but it is heavier and never caught on, similar to the 280).

Personally I love my 026s. I have 4 of them. If you want to toss them from trees, toss them my way. These are great little saws. They take a muffler mod well, and they are really easy to port and get a whopping gain in power. If you are going to run *ANY* saw with a fixed H jet carb? Well, you are going to have a POS saw, regardless of brand. You cannot run them richer so you cannot tune them properly or modify them. $35 will get you a brand new Walbro WT-194 with fully adjustible H&L jets. That is the best carb to run on an 026 or a 260. But do not blame a good saw (or a complete brand) becasue one had a fixed jet carb!

I ran a woods ported 50cc 346xp last summer and that thing screamed. It got me into woods porting my 026s and bringing out the real power in them.

cb6048 · January 20, 2010, 05:51:17 AM

I'm always raving about my 346xp.....my favorite

567paloggger · January 20, 2010, 09:09:52 AM

i have a 346xp 46cc saw idk how the new ones are since they changed them just was wondering how the 260 pro compaired to the husky since im in the process of converting over to stihl when the huskys fully die then ill replace them with stihls

windthrown · January 20, 2010, 06:08:29 PM

Well, you had better replace your saws soon, as Stihl is phasing out all their line of saws with the new strato-version engines now. The 260 will be one of the last saws converted to the 261 but converted they will be. Probably by the end of 2010. Stihl has already dropped the 260 non-PRO version. They are just as professional as the PRO version though. Only diff is the adjustible oiler, and the decomp button on the PRO model. The non-PRO model oils a 20 inch bar just fine, and the decomp is not needed on a small saw like this one (especially if you drop start your saws). A light frame woman like my ex might want/need the decomp button on the 260 though. The 261 will be heavier... and have a strato (air injected) engine as well as a bolt on air filter cover and centrifugal (Husky style) air cleaner. They will also be more expensive than the 260 is now.

jumpinmp · April 11, 2010, 06:28:01 AM

If it was my money, I would go with the 346xp. I have a 2 old fart loggers as customers that run a 24" bar with 3/8 chain on their 346xp (not that I would recommend that...). They let the younger guys carry around the "heavy saws". :D

STIHLFULLSKIP · April 11, 2010, 04:40:37 PM

the 260pro my be an old design,but it is a good one. it is lighter than the husky,and w/a 5min. muff. mod it will run with it too. a 260 will last you 20+ yrs. if cared for. a husky running @ 14,700 will be dead in 4 or 5yrs. they are heavier,they have a 1970's tiny,outboard clutch,and the quality of huskys' plastic is horrible. who is gonna notice a second or two in a cut. i run a 260pro,MM,.325/16" full comp,w/8pin driver, and it will run with and comparable 346. i am not trying to start a bash fest here,just stating my opinion. the 261 will be available here in late may,it will be 1lb. heavier,it will have 3.8hp,it will be strato,and it will be expensive.

Al_Smith · April 11, 2010, 05:37:21 PM

I won't pick sides but will point out something regarding these two saws .

There is a thread going as I type on two different forums featuring the 346 Husky which is getting reworked . If you know anything about engines designs and saw how that model is ported it becomes plain as day why they run so good .

The thing has very large double tunneled transfers which in itself is superior to the single tunnel design of Stihl with regards to moving air . With no windows in the piston ,it's a bottom feed stuffer which kind of raises the pressure just a tad bit on the transfer cycle . It's a well thought out design,I like it .

Eventually I'll run across one fairly cheap and own one myself to be converted into a 3 cubic inch cookie cutter . Heaven only knows I don't need anymore larger saws . :D

peppone · April 11, 2010, 06:02:07 PM

346xp. ms 260 is not so good, probably one of the worst professional saws by stihl. anyway ther's another 50cc I consider better than 346xp: dolmar ps5000. from my point of wiev it's the best 50cc chainsaw...

saluti
peppone

windthrown · April 11, 2010, 08:11:33 PM

I have four 026s, and the newest one is 6 years old (and it has a new 260 engine in it). The oldest is over 20 years old. They run and run and run. Thye are fun saws to run too. Nice and light and nimble. I would not rate it the worst Stihl saw by far. The worst pro Stihl saw? Maybe, but its the cheapest, the smallest, and the one with the most plastic of the Stihl pro line.

I dunno about the Dolmar 5100s. I was not impressed. 346xp impressed me the most of the three when we ran them at a GTG last year. Then there was this fully ported 346xp. That thing SCREAMED! Had almost the same power of a stock 361. If it were not for that outboard clutch, I would own one now. I hate outboard clutches. To the point that I got rid of all my saws with outie clutches.

Rocky_J · April 11, 2010, 08:22:17 PM

The outboard clutch is only a big deal if you constantly throw chains. ;D

I dumped my last 026 Pro for a 346 with the outboard clutch in order to escape the outrageous proprietary parts costs and the horrendous fixed jet carbs they were using at the time. Stihl finally got smart and gave up the fixed jet carbs but by then it was too late for me. I was unwilling to go back to a saw with the same weight, higher cost and half the power. My oldest 346 is now about 8 years old and is still my 'go to' limbing and smaller bucking saw.

SawTroll · April 12, 2010, 02:29:39 PM

Quote from: peppone on April 11, 2010, 06:02:07 PM
346xp. ms 260 is not so good, probably one of the worst professional saws by stihl. anyway ther's another 50cc I consider better than 346xp: dolmar ps5000. from my point of wiev it's the best 50cc chainsaw...

saluti
peppone

- for handling in the woods the PS5000 feels like a brick compared to a sabre (346xp)..... :D :D

My 5100S was "demoted" to yard use/bucking only several years ago, after comparing them in the woods.

SawTroll · April 12, 2010, 02:38:21 PM

Quote from: 567paloggger on January 16, 2010, 05:13:52 PM
guys what do you think is a better saw the 346xp or the 260 pro almost the same saw but the 346 i believe is a little lighter whats your opinion on them

I don't understand that people still ask this question - the debate really was over a long time ago. ;)

The original 346xp was out in 1999, and the debate really was over a few years after that - later the gap between the two models have opened up considerably........ 8) 8)

Rocky_J · April 12, 2010, 10:40:04 PM

I'm not big into saw racing, more into work production, but here's a little saw p0rn with an old style 346. 8)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ykMzW2IFg

downeast · April 15, 2010, 07:44:11 AM

A story from the trenches.....a dreaded "homeowner". (Why so-called "pros" need to throw this out is beyond us.

)

Been harvesting, cutting, scrounching, clearing for firewood and enjoyment for years before retiring on this 60a woodlot here. Mostly using a Husky 137 for climbing, a Stihl 028 and a Stihl 044 for ground work and felling. With age and past injuries ( mil and sports from former- repeat, former-- brainless macho days) , I needed a smaller, lighter saw. After a close call with the 044 in brush and no protection yielding only 8 stitches above the patella ( note to fellow dumbos: don't cut without PPE, Forest Gump time ) it was time to learn how to use the most dangerous tool made correctly: to cut efficient, safe, fast. I took both the CLP and Game of Logging programs. Incredible learning experience, better than grad school or AIT or Camp Elgin or having kids.

Which saw ? It had to reliable, torguey, familiar, carb adjustable.....and light. Many users of the 346XP said they loved it....cured baldness it was and is said. BUTT: reports of reliability and "fussiness" in the cut were concerns. Tools for filter cleaning and caps were another downside. One local logger using it for limbing said that he had to replace it every year. Others, "pros" BTW, liked the MS 260/026 for light use for them.....it ran and ran for years without problems. For us, what's a second in comp cutting anyhow ?

Choice was the MS260 that is now the go-to saw for everything. Even used a 20" bar on it for some oak noodling; not so hot, it bogs when buried --expected. For the past 7 years the 260 has performed. Work: T.S.I., plenty of softwood blowdowns, 6-8 cords of firewood, pulp when the market is up. NO problems other than B&C replacements 1x-2x/year, sprockets, filters, plugs. All the harvesting is done in out winter only. Starts when cold, when hot, in snow, in mud. And those wondous "flippy caps"--use 'em correctly, never a problem. Can be used with mittens (no concern for you in the banana belt. Everywhere is south of here.) I have yet to read or hear about a 346XP used hard for more than a few years. Users speak up ?

Old design, sure. Sexy, no. I don't want that in the woodlands here. I got old reliable. Too bad Stihl is RIFing it. :(

Rocky_J · April 15, 2010, 09:17:13 AM

I posted it in another thread here, but my very first 346 is now 8 years old and still running strong. It was ported when new, before I even took delivery, and was strong enough to snap a couple clutch springs in the first three years of use due to the abundant torque. Here's a couple short videos I took about a month ago. Remember, this saw has been used commercially for 8 years, not just on weekends but all week long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCTUqAOd634
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gacT09X92oQ

downeast · April 15, 2010, 11:08:11 AM

Quote from: Rocky_J on April 15, 2010, 09:17:13 AM
I posted it in another thread here, but my very first 346 is now 8 years old and still running strong. It was ported when new, before I even took delivery, and was strong enough to snap a couple clutch springs in the first three years of use due to the abundant torque. Here's a couple short videos I took about a month ago. Remember, this saw has been used commercially for 8 years, not just on weekends but all week long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCTUqAOd634
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gacT09X92oQ

Nice to hear Rocky. Butt, too many pro ( whew ;D) users here report otherwise. I've got 3 pro (whew ;D ) arborists and a logger that simply get a new 346XP every year---professional priviledge. Read carefully: my MS260 is used hard all winters---6 (six) so far. This "homeowner" does some "commercial" ( whew ;D ) cutting e.g. pulp. The TSI, firewood, blowdown clearing, pulp is often done Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, weather adjusted. Weekends are for drinking, playing, @%$#&%*.......still.

And how about that Stihl no tool filter ? Or, those better-than-silicone no tool oil and fuel caps ? Wouldn't go home without them. Wait one second, I am home, I'm a "homeowner". ;D

Hey, how's your Workers Comp insurance ? Cutting without full protection. Then cutting over your head. One way to cure baldness with the 346XP. How's that workin for ya ? A no-no. Two no-no's

Back to sitting on the butt, eating bon-bons, and watching soaps.

Homeowner out. :D

Rocky_J · April 15, 2010, 09:43:55 PM

downeast,
Sorry you seem to have taken offense at my post. I wasn't referring to your usage whatsoever, I was simply vouching for the 346 holding up to my full time commercial use for 8 years and still running strong. You said that the 346 didn't hold up to full time use for more than a couple years. Please tell me where I called you a 'homeowner' because I must have missed that part. 8)

downeast · April 16, 2010, 08:22:52 AM

Quote from: Rocky_J on April 15, 2010, 09:43:55 PM
downeast,
Sorry you seem to have taken offense at my post. I wasn't referring to your usage whatsoever, I was simply vouching for the 346 holding up to my full time commercial use for 8 years and still running strong. You said that the 346 didn't hold up to full time use for more than a couple years. Please tell me where I called you a 'homeowner' because I must have missed that part. 8)

No offense taken, or calling anyone anything. I'm Mr. Thick Skin. :D Many posts use the "pro" vs "homeowner" silliness too often. And what's with the "weekend" thing ?

Hey, there are many non-pro chainsaw users ( look at the G.O.L. and Stihl competitions for example) who out cut in all aspects most of the self-appointed pros: climbing, speed cuts, bore accuracy, felling targets. There are even 'girl' competitor classes .......and "Landowner" classes. Why not actually see one in your state ? Eyeopener.

BTW Rocky: us homeowner users would never cut over the jugular. Posting a video show of it is a bad example for the more inexperienced here. Unless of course, we have a Magical Thinking syndrome of Superman being able to control a kickback into your jugular. ;D Get those chaps on boy; taxes pay for E.R. and EMT care.
That's an order.

Shetland Sheepdog · April 16, 2010, 03:17:00 PM

I gots a 346XP (I bought) and 2 - 026 Pro's (inherited from FIL). They all get the job done! If I was backed into a corner, and had to keep only one, it would be the Husky! I'm pretty sure that my 346 is the 45cc model.
JMHO, HTH, Dave

downeast · April 16, 2010, 07:22:08 PM

Apologies for highjacking this thread with my rant---no excuse. But can we get rid of this "pro" vs "homeowner" thing ?

I've used the exaulted 346XP often. It is a highbread fussy that needs too much attention at work. The MS260 does not: it cuts well at any speed depending on the user's state. The caps are simple, easy to use, reliable. The easy-off filter cap also.
You're sometimes tired, sometimes clearing a messy hedge of blowdowns, often cold in our winter when starting a job--the 260 does it in all cases. The 346XP on the other hand ALWAYS needs WOT. Yes, I know you're supposed to cut at WOT, but it doesn't work like that in the real world.

The other concern is about reliability for those of us who choose to use one saw for most cutting. The 260 is an old (proven) design. Other than usual maintenance--sprockets, plugs, filters, lines, etc...--- the 260 is a go-to tool. Works and works. I don't give a flying %$#@&%* about that extra second of speed in a cut. This skilled user :

has dropped it running into water, snow, run over it, had trunks roll on it, it runs. It even ran badly when this skilled homeboy put oil in the fuel tank, mix in the oil tank. Kind of reminds us of the new improved standard issue rifles to replace the heavy, standby, slow M-1. The MTBR ( Mean Time Between Repair ) of the M-16 was terrible at first in combat ( before your time for most of you

). The newer M-4 and M-5 worse; 5% failure rate of these is deadly.

We'll see if the new , improved MS 261 super duper stratosphere saws match the 260. Anybody ?

And please, use your PPE and safe cutting.