Help Me!! With my two saw plan

[JKendrick87]

Ok gang, I'm struggling with what to buy, I'm replacing my MS 310 with a pro-saw to accompany my 201tc. I'm torn between 3 currently the 261, 362, and 400c. I help my father in law on his 150 acres mainly just property upkeep and storm cleanup but it always seems to be never ending. We deal with mainly maple, beech, birch, oak, ash, and pine. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[lxskllr]

400C for sure. The 362 isn't even a competitor since the 400 was released. The 261 is interesting, but your 201 can cover the small stuff well enough, and the 400 for the bigger wood.

Welcome!

[Clark]

I agree with lxskllr. 

If you're starting from scratch or willing to trade off the 201, I think a 261 and a 462 make the perfect 2-saw set-up that will cover a wide range of woods work.

Clark

[sawguy21]

What length bar will get the most use? If 16"-18" for thinning and/or limbing the 261 should be all you need. It is light with plenty of power for its size. For falling and bucking bigger stuff the 400 with a 24" bar would be a good choice. The 362 imho has become a bit of an orphan.

[JKendrick87]

I run 14-16" on the 201tc it's pretty spicy so it'll handle quite a bit. Currently running 20" on the 310 but it's just slow. Biggest we deal with is 18-24" diameter.

[barbender]

 I have a 261,  and its a great saw. But I find a 60-70cc saw to be most versatile for my purposes. My Husky 562 is probably my most used saw. I also have a Husky 390 and Stihl 500i. The 390 is a big saw and while the 500i is light for its power, it is still a big saw. That 60cc Husky 562 is the sweet spot for size, weight, and power for me. 

 Now if I was cutting bigger wood my opinion would be different no doubt. 

[Ianab]

My "small" saw is a MS310  ;) It's "Perfectly OK" and reliable, but there are much better machines. My 2 saw plan is that and a 79cc Dolmar for anything serious. I still end up cutting from both sides with a 28" bar, but you have to be sensible with bar length. 

If you can swing a MS400 go for it. A 362 is a step up from the MS310 (lighter and more power etc), but the MS400 is another step above that. I'd suggest a slightly longer bar than standard for the 400, locally they come with a 20", but should be fine with a 24". And because you have a very good small saw for the limbing and lighter work. 

[Magicman]

Depends.  If it's for the fairly light duty that was described, all of the saws listed seem adequate.  The use should determine the saw's size, etc.

I went from a MS310 to a MS362 because the MS310 did not have a decompression button and it was hard for me to start in cold weather with my arthritis fingers/hand. 

I tried this:  Saw Cranking Strap but I did not like the idea of being connected to a running chainsaw, so...

My ultimate fix was this New MS362.  Same cc saw as the MS310 but lighter and more power.  I am very satisfied.

I have recently replaced my MS170 with an New MS261 for my small saw.

[firefighter ontheside]

My big saw is my 362 and I love it.  I bought it used for a good price and it was very lightly used.  Looking at the price of new saws, the 400 is only like $150 more than the 362.  I guess if I were going to buy new, I would go with the 400.  I keep a 20" bar on it, but have a 25" I can use if needed.  I have not used it yet.  My small saw is a 261 with 18" bar.  With the 18" bar I don't notice it to be less powerful than the 362.

[SnoJetter]

You only want two saws?!

;D

[JKendrick87]

You only want two saws?!

;D

Oh believe me I have a 3 and 4 saw plan but that will take some serious convincing to the wife! 😂

[JKendrick87]

My big saw is my 362 and I love it.  I bought it used for a good price and it was very lightly used.  Looking at the price of new saws, the 400 is only like $150 more than the 362.  I guess if I were going to buy new, I would go with the 400.  I keep a 20" bar on it, but have a 25" I can use if needed.  I have not used it yet.  My small saw is a 261 with 18" bar.  With the 18" bar I don't notice it to be less powerful than the 362.

Everything I see on the 400 has been positive but that over $1k price tag 😳 I've had my eye on the 362 for along time and I'm leaning that direction just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

[JKendrick87]

Depends.  If it's for the fairly light duty that was described, all of the saws listed seem adequate.  The use should determine the saw's size, etc.

I went from a MS310 to a MS362 because the MS310 did not have a decompression button and it was hard for me to start in cold weather with my arthritis fingers/hand.  

I tried this:  Saw Cranking Strap but I did not like the idea of being connected to a running chainsaw, so...

My ultimate fix was this New MS362.  Same cc saw as the MS310 but lighter and more power.  I am very satisfied.

I have recently replaced my MS170 with a New MS261 for my small saw.

I totally get that my shoulder gives me issues from time to time and pull starting that and my FS 110 just about kill me. So that is definitely something to look forward to with the 362. I just feel like I wouldn't be gaining enough for my investment in the 261 because my 201tc runs so strong.

[lxskllr]

I'm assuming the 362 is still $800. If we also assume the 400 is $1,100, that would be a $300 difference prorated over the life of the saw. If we say the saw lasts 10 years, that's $30 a year extra you'd pay for the 400, so virtually nothing. Two lunches for two at Mcdonalds every year for ten years.

I have a 362, I think it's a great saw, but there's no way I'd buy one today with the 400 available. The 400 is like the 362, but better in every way with only a 0.5# weight penalty. Those are my thoughts on it anyway.

[JKendrick87]

I'm assuming the 362 is still $800. If we also assume the 400 is $1,100, that would be a $300 difference prorated over the life of the saw. If we say the saw lasts 10 years, that's $30 a year extra you'd pay for the 400, so virtually nothing. Two lunches for two at Mcdonalds every year for ten years.

I have a 362, I think it's a great saw, but there's no way I'd buy one today with the 400 available. The 400 is like the 362, but better in every way with only a 0.5# weight penalty. Those are my thoughts on it anyway.

I like the way you think!

[firefighter ontheside]

The 362 is more like 900.

[weimedog]

Me? Husqvarna 585 with Husqvarna X-Tough 28bar & c83 chain for most of what I'm doing now & 565 with Oregon 24inch VersaCut & c83 chain for small work.

[AndyVT]

I bought a Husky 562xp AT to replace the old Jonsy 2255 that was beginning to be a bear to start and love the power to weight. when the big 2171 started acting up I went and got a 2nd 562. I don't miss the extra power or weight of the 2171 at all.
With a 20 inch bar they'll cut anything I'm likely to encounter and with 2 identical saws everything is interchangeable. Bonus was I got the new 562 on sale for about $750.

[barbender]

I'm in the same boat, I have a 2171 and bought a 562. I noticed the 562 is in my hands all the time. I bought a used like new Stihl 500i because it was really cheap, but sometimes I think I should've just got another 562🤷

[JKendrick87]

I really like the 562 but Husky dealers are few and far between where I'm at. I have 5 Stihl shops within a 10 mile radius of me.

[JD Guy]

I will add my vote for the MS400. Although I don't have a huge amount of hours on it and have not run a 361/362, for the reasonably small difference in price it really makes sense. My MS400 runs a 25" Stihl light bar and is very well balanced. I have other saws with 20",18" and 16" to grab for smaller tasks. 

Hey, it's only money and you've been a good boy this year right?  smiley_christmas

[barbender]

 I'm not promoting Husky so much as that size of saw. There's a sweet spot of saw size that you will find yourself reaching for more than others, and that size will depend on what you cut the most. For me it's my 562. Not too big, not too small, just right😊 I haven't ran a Stihl 362 or 400 but I'd imagine they'd serve my needs just as well.

[Big_eddy]

I bought a Husky 562xp AT to replace the old Jonsy 2255 that was beginning to be a bear to start and love the power to weight. when the big 2171 started acting up I went and got a 2nd 562. I don't miss the extra power or weight of the 2171 at all.
With a 20 inch bar they'll cut anything I'm likely to encounter and with 2 identical saws everything is interchangeable. Bonus was I got the new 562 on sale for about $750.

I have a 1989 Husky 50 that was my only saw for almost 30yrs. About 4 yrs ago, my son gave me his old 562xp when he bought a new one. A year later I bought a second one. Until I deliberately took pity on the 50 last month and ran it for a day, it hadn't been run since the first 562xp arrived. So a second vote for 2x 562xp. It has enough power for everything I cut, yet isn't too heavy for limbing and brushing.

[slider]

I have a tree service so we have several saws and i do like stihl but i have an echo dealer that i like and buy my chains by the roll from him so i bought a 620 from him i thought i wanted a 590 but he said the 620 was a better saw for 80 more bucks. My guys love this saw . I did do a muffler mod and it pulls a 22 in bar but i think it could handle a 24. plus i got a 5 year warranty .

[lxskllr]

Echo isn't a bad idea. It's easy spending someone else's money. I figure if you have $800 for a saw, you also have $1,100 for a saw. It isn't much additional money for a purchase that'll be around for years. OTOH, if $800 is a stretch, echo will give you a very nice saw for <$500. The web says the difference between the 590 and 620 is >$80, but I guess it depends on the local dealer. The 590 is a good saw that'll serve you for years, and a nice alternative to buying a used pro saw that may need some work.