Do any of you have experience with a Stihl MS 361 or MS 362? What do you think if either of those? Thanks

The original 360,and 460 are great saws(and i buy champsqvarna) but the 1 models are Obamacare saws.

I have had a ms361 for years. For what i have done in the past it has filled most of the check marks i was looking for. It is big enough for a 24-25" bar and a good skip tooth chain. This allows you to cut without having to bend over all of the time. If you are cutting firewood for example. With that size bar you can fell about any tree minus the monsters i suppose. With a smaller bar they have great power. I have a 18" bar for limbing and firewood as well and it really pulls through the wood. I also have a 14" bar with a ripping chain and i cut lumber with my saw as well. Hardwoods like oak and ash. Not ideal but it gets the job done and saves buying multiple saws. I cut a lot in the past with mine and it has never failed me. It is a bit clunky for small work but it is the only saw i own and it does everything i need it to do.

Ran the 361 when they first came out while working for a county road and bridge crew. We were cutting any and all trees that could impact the roads. We had the 360s and a 044 for the bigger stuff. Never had any problems with it except when one of the guys rolled a large log down the hill and smashed it to nothing. When the 362 came out we had a couple and I broke them in and they had a little more power and I tripped some decent size trees while teaching the newer Sawyers it would cut just fine.
Only problem we had was the carbs needed to be adjusted more than I liked. But we moved around the country a lot so Monday cutting at 7000 ft and by Friday cutting at 500ft.
Not for sure what you are wanting or needing but either would make a good firewood saw.

I have 3 Stihl products and I like them all. Good Products. JMO

Have multiple Stihl chain saws, a couple leaf blowers, and a weed eater. No complaints with any of them. If Stihl had mail order brides I'd have one of those too!

You can ask the same question on this website.
These guys are all about saws.
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/

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Stihl are not near what they used to be They started trying to compete with junk and that’s just about what they are now Around 2005 they started making some with kind of plastic engine block and you had the choice to buy it for cheaper or spend the money and buy the real deal with the aluminum block Now you have no choice all that you can buy is the plastic They don’t even make the 440 anymore and that’s what all the loggers always used Now they are stuck with running those 361 and they can’t take it I know one fella that had one less than a year and it was on the saw shop more than his truck I’m not a longer but I have a 440 and everyone wants to buy it because all you can get now is junk Saw companies (all for that matter) don’t make money if they make something last anymore If you aren’t going to just wear one out it will probably be fine but they aren’t near what they used to be. ( ruined their name around here anyway)

My uncle has a stihl he bought over 25 years ago never fails to crank but sadly good new stuff just really isn’t for sale anymore

Just buy a good used one that you like (whatever make, year, model) off the internet (ebay or other). Just don't try to get it serviced by your local saw shop- they wont mess with them if you didn't buy them off of them, don't ask me how I know. That was in western Pa , cant speak for anywhere else but something to ponder. Lots of NOS parts out there if you are your own mechanic.

I love my 361...... The 362 that are carb are not so good. The 362 Mtronic are good saws.

Plastic are home owners saws. Magnesium are pro models
They haven't made the 440 in years. The 441 was junk. It was replaced with the new 462.

As far as the loggers having there saws in the shop.... it is because 99 percent of them dont clean or take care of their saws at all. Run it till it dies

Not so much around here. I took my 026 into a shop that sells Husqvarna saws and they worked on it.

I was quite pleasantly surprised how well that 388 cheap chinesium copy of a Stihl did these past few days cutting up a bunch of hickory and oak. 74cc and a 28 inch bar on it seems to be a good all round saw. I like longer bars as I can work in a more comfortable posture. My 661 with a 36 " bar is perfect for bucking logs for me. I don't like to work hunched over for long periods

We work on any saw at our shop. Sometimes we turn people away because of cost of repairs.

Same with my local saw shop. He's a Stihl dealer. i bought an old Husky weed eater for camp, it had carb problems. Took it to him and he got the beast running great.

I run a 390 with a 20 inch bar it's all I ever needed out here with mostly ash and elm for firewood. Mine has compression release for a easier start, sometimes the pullcord kicks back and guess where that rubber pull grip hits a guy, that get's you attention.

Thanks for the ideas and opinions. I looked at the 362 and 462 last night after work. I might be able to find a 361. All of them look better than my old 310. I cut hedge posts mostly. One tree last winter gave me 52 posts. I like the longer bar and skip chains but the 310 looks like it has some plastic fatigue issues going on. Do any of these saws grab you as better than the others for cutting petrified hedge posts?




I had a 310 that would quit on me right when it got hot. It was always when I needed to cut that last little bit to make a tree fall right....

My 362 with carb is in its 6th year of use, never been in the shop. Cuts 8 cords a year on average last year about double that. 362 is not a clamshell homeowner rancher model.

Several years ago i bought a 661 with the mtronic it was junk . Last year i bought another 661 mtronic it is an absolute beast i think if you set it down idling i think it would idle until it ran out of gas and it will out cut my 880 I am very fond of this saw ive had several 460s a couple 461s a 660 and working on my second661 and an 880 my saws are not babied they live in the back of my truck 365 days a year rain or shine . Its amazing how much neglect they can handle and keep on ticking