Stihl MS 381

[Mesquite cutter]

I have an opportunity to purchase a used Stihl MS 381.  I called my local dealer in Texas to prices and they said they don't sell that model in the U.S.  How hard would it be to get parts for this model if it is not sold in the U.S.?  Do any of you own a MS 381?  Are they good quality?  I don't want to buy a tool  that I cannot get parts for locally.   

[Al_Smith]

As I understand it the 381 is more or less an 038 magnum .They made a zillion 038 mags so I doubt parts will be a problem .
Stihl has so many dealers if you get a fussy one just move on to another one .I have one two miles away but travel 15 miles south to one I've had excellent service with over the years .The local guy not so much .
Of course when you go buy parts and already know the parts numbers that should be an indication you have at least some idea of what you are doing . ;D

[Mesquite cutter]

As I understand it the 381 is more or less an 038 magnum .They made a zillion 038 mags so I doubt parts will be a problem .
Stihl has so many dealers if you get a fussy one just move on to another one .I have one two miles away but travel 15 miles south to one I've had excellent service with over the years .The local guy not so much .
Of course when you go buy parts and already know the parts numbers that should be an indication you have at least some idea of what you are doing . ;D

Thanks for the advise.  I have been looking on several websites from other countries and cannot find the MS 381 model.  The closest I have seen is MS 382. 

[Spike60]

I'm not really up on Stihls, but wasn't the 038 long gone before Stihl switched to the "MS" model nomenclature? Did they ever actually sell those saws as MS381's in North America? There are so many clones of those saws out there it's worth checking to be sure it's a genuine Stihl and not a chicom copy.

[Al_Smith]

You can find it on Google and E-bay has plenty of parts .It's been a while but I think they were sold in South America .I have a Stihl 038 Magnum that was made in Brazil .

[joe_indi]

I have an opportunity to purchase a used Stihl MS 381.  I called my local dealer in Texas to prices and they said they don't sell that model in the U.S.  How hard would it be to get parts for this model if it is not sold in the U.S.?  Do any of you own a MS 381?  Are they good quality?  I don't want to buy a tool  that I cannot get parts for locally.  

Al said it right. The 381 is the 038 Magnum  but, with a few differences
It has a decompression valve, so the top cover is a little different. But in a pinch the 038 cylinder can be fitted with no cover change provided you dont mind that hole  ;D
The good thing to go is the Bing carb of the 038, which is now replaced with a Zama
The muffler no longer hangs on the cylinder as in a 038, but has two support screws at the bottom that go into the crank case, like in a 460
Everything else remains the same as in a 038, so you should have no trouble sourcing parts.  Performance? If you have used a 038 Magnum you would like to open up the stock muffler on the 381 to get that same feel. Otherwise there is not much difference with any 038 that had the 52mm P&C
Parts would not be a problem, there are even many clones of this saw just in case your Stihl dealer says sorry.