In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

★★★★★ stihl ms361 and ryobi 4620

Discussion in 'Chain Saws' started by Wes, Sep 30, 2014.

  1. Wes

    Wes

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    it's empty in here, so i figure i'll throw up some reviews.
    every chainsaw guy recognizes the greatness that is the stihl ms361... even you husqvarna guys, lol. no hate, i like husqvarna stuff, i just like stihl better. anyway, this will be for those guys who are in the market and looking for ideas.
    i got mine for $300ish off craigslist a few years ago, and it has done me well. it's in stihl's line of professional/commercial grade saws, and a beast in it's class. for a homeowner and not a pro, there's probably nothing you would come across to cause it trouble, and probably will never wear it out. really not even sure a pro would ever wear it out with proper maintenance.
    pros:
    easy to work on/maintain
    starts fine without using the decompression valve (i've never bothered using)
    cuts anything
    handles long bars fine
    comfortable to use

    cons:
    floods easily. if you pull again after the pop on choke, it's done, lol. it's easily avoided by listening for it though.
    for light use it could be considered a little heavy, but i really don't think it's bad.
    here's a picture from when i first bought it...

    [​IMG]

    now, for the underdog, the ryobi 4620. i see a lot of internet hate for this saw, but in my experience, isn't justified and it seems like most of the people that don't like it haven't owned one. i think it's a great value for what it is. you get more saw for more money with something like an ms250, but for what i use the ryobi for, it's great... limbing and smaller stuff. i think a lot of the people that buy these kinds of saws probably may not maintain their equipment as well as someone that's more of an enthusiast, and more inclined to buy something like husqvarna, jonsered, or stihl. of course owners of all types can buy any saw. also, maybe i got lucky and ended up with a cherry, but it's done well for me.

    pros:
    light
    cuts well for what it is
    starts very easily. prime it a few times, pull the choke lever out, and mine starts on the third pull consistently. if you're quick enough you can push the choke lever down in time to keep it running.
    fairly user friendly in general

    cons:
    should not come with a 20" bar, this is a 16" bar saw
    bar tip guard just gets in my way, but it's easily removable.

    don't have any of my own pictures, but here it is...

    [​IMG]
     
  2. firecracker_77

    firecracker_77

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    Good reviews. I know the MS 361 is a great firewood saw. Has more grunt than a 290 if you can pick one up for the right price like you did.
     
  3. Oakman69

    Oakman69

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    Ryobi is junk.
    I'm sorry I dont mean to say a bad thing about, well a chainsaw but every Ryobi product I have owned didn't last a lick and they are really relagated to people who just aren't aware of a quality saw and what to look for. And can't read reviews.
    it's a good saw to see in your neighbors yard, just not mine.
     
  4. Oakman69

    Oakman69

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    love the stihl tho. Lol.
    I'm stI'll in love w my Ole' 038.. I think my wife thinks stihl is my girlfriends last name..
     
    Stlshrk and NH mountain man like this.
  5. Wes

    Wes

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    this is the only ryobi product i have ever owned, but it's done well for me. i wouldn't buy it at full price, i got this one for $120 new. it does not like the 20" bar it comes with, so i put a 16" oregon bar on it. the only real complaint i have in quality (considering the low price) is the chain adjuster. it's just a threaded pin with a nut/stud on it, embedded into the plastic, and comes off track (i guess best way to describe it) a lot of times when adjusting it. i consider it closer to a throw away saw, as i've never expected to have it for ages like i plan with my stihl products, and replace parts as needed. the clutch is starting to slip (i believe) so its time may be coming soon. i've used it for 4 cutting seasons with no money spent on it (outside of a bar, and some chains, which i buy for any saw) and no down time, so i don't regret getting it. at the time i was in a bad spot financially, and needed a second saw, which is why i got it. it's replacement may be an ms241. i may look into dolmar, as i pretty much only hear good things about them, and would like to try one out of curiosity.

    i thought about checking out the farm and ranch line, and saw they don't have too much in the middle ground... going from a 35cc ms201, to a 50cc ms271. something i don't understand, is, why a 35cc saw, that is middle of the line (farm and ranch) is more expensive than higher cc professional grade saws. it's within 50 bucks of the ms362. it's more expensive than the ms241 by a wide margin, and in the same price range as the ms261 (and even more expensive than the ms261 c-m) which has 2/3 more power, and in the professional line. on top of the price, it seems to have bad reviews relative to just about all of the other stihl saws.

    :edit: curious what i did to get put into the moderation queue. don't even have any links or images in my post.
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2015
  6. Timberdog

    Timberdog

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    I’ve had my ryobi drill, circular saw and saber saw set 20 years. Don’t know about their chainsaws. My drill finally gave out after heavy use over the years so I’m pretty happy with Ryobi. The drill bits however are cheap Chinese crap.
     
    T.Jeff Veal likes this.