What Chainsaw do you run?

The 261 is a great companion to that saw.

 

Have you ever run a 16'' bar on the ms271? If so how was it? I have a 20'' on my ms361 which I know will run a 24'' but was looking at ms261's for something a little bit lighter to run a 16'' bar. The ms361 gets heavier when just cutting smaller stuff.

 

That is what I'm thinking. I enjoy having the MS361 when needed to drop bigger trees. I had a wood stove in my previous house so the MS361 was ideal for the how much I was using but no longer have the wood stove. I think a MS261 would be more ideal for the occasional use.

 

I have a MS271 and my dad has a MS261, both with 20” bars.
If you don’t need every ounce of weight saving the 271 will work well, I do prefer the 261 with the 20” bar though, the weight and power make a difference.

 

I actually prefer the 261 with a shorter 16” bar. It really rips when it has less chain to pull.

 

I got my 359 ported last year and it runs like a banshee. 20” bar with a full skip chain ... looks like a blizzard when I’m cutting. Love that thing.

 

I can imagine, it runs awesome with a 20”

 

Of readily available chainsaws, the only ones worth considering are (IMO), and in no particular order:

Stihl, Husqvarna, and Echo.
I'm agnostic about brand, so long as it's one of the above.

I've cut at least 10 cords for firewood every year for over 40 years.

Currently my favorite is an Echo CS-590 with 20 inch bar.
I had a Home Depot gift card.

Tell you what though, it's been the best chainsaw I ever had.
Starts right up, I'm not constantly tensioning it, plenty of power, and it's rugged.

With enough practice, you can get pretty good at chain sharpening with just a file and no guide...
...if the chains you buy have an angle indicator engraved on each tooth.
Not as good as new or resharpened in a shop, but plenty good enough.
Five minutes or so and you're back in business.

 

Stays in the truck almost all the time. Always runs when I need it to run.

 

Better than nothin' I guess...

 

I've had a Husky 61 Rancher, 18" that I got used for over 20 years. Good saw. But recently I picked up a 40V cordless saw, 14" I think, just a Ryobi from Home Depot. It cuts pretty well, but the silence AND the fact that it's not running when you set it down, is kind of a game changer. And battery life is much longer than you might expect since you're only using it when you're actually cutting. I also got a cordless 40V 10" pole saw plus string trimmer and blade attachments for the power head, very handy.

 

Stihl ms271 with an 18 inch bar.. stays in the truck most of the time

 

I needed to clear some trails today before the next storm rolls through, so I busted out the 362. I like a longer bar when the wood is on the ground, even though the saw is a little heavier.

 

Super cool pictures.

 

Thanks!!

Caught some good light in the snow today.

 

I recently switched to lithium after my MS271 got stuck and was going to cost more to fix than it was worth. I picked up a MSA 200 C-BQ.

Gas saws still make the most sense for big jobs, but I'm very impressed with this so far. I've been thinking about putting a mount in the bed for it.

I went ahead and sold my Stihl polesaw as well and will pick up the HTA 85 next time I need to use it.

 

Bumber spikes or nah?

 

You must have one skinny stove!

 

Inherited this 1960's McCulloch 250. It was purchased by my wife's grandfather in PA, used for 20 years, then stored for 25. My wife's uncle saved it when her grandfather died in 2009 and had it completely rebuilt by a shop outside of Pittsburgh. Runs like a top!