Currently I only have one saw - it's a little ms251 that I bought when we bought the house. It's a nice saw and does the job but I know I want a bigger saw to go with it. I'm staying with stihl because it's a very good dealer. So the more I look at the prices a 261 and the 362 are out - the 251 does what I would want those two saws to do for half the price. I'm looking at the 441 and up. The more I look, I'm thinking the 461 or the 660 might be what I want. I need/want something that can pull a very large bar but generally run about a 25". With the small difference in price the 660 almost seems like the way to go over the 461 to me? Thoughts?
Personally, I would go 461. Little more money than a 441 and it doesn't have spring A/V or Autotune that the 441 has. But the power difference is pretty noticeable over a 441C-M. If it's staying in stock form and your only going to do 25" wood and under? Then I wouldn't even consider the 660. The 461 will outrun it in smaller wood. Over 25" the 660 would rule the Roost. But if you were even considering a 660, then I would wait for the 661C-M (Autotune). CAD at work here..
Define "very large bar". I would buy a 461 over a stock 660 anyday. Now, if you're not in a hurry, the 661 (replacing the 660) is coming this fall and would fulfill your desires to run 24" and a "very large bar" quite nicely.
New I'd go 461 or wait for the 661. If you're willing to go used there's a good deal on a nice ported 660 in the classifieds here.
If very large bar is 32-36" then the 660 is what you want. The one in the classifieds is a good running saw.
I'm trying really hard to fall in love with my 441. It's really smooth and air injected, but it's the same size as my 064, weighs about the same, but less powerful.
Some saws are just really hard to follow. The 064 is one of them for sure. I liked my 441CM when it was stock. And that's coming from a guy who sold his 460's to buy the 441. Then I got the 441 ported. I'm still amazed at what this saw will do and do well for 71cc.
Whats the largest bar your looking at running. From rereading it my take is, 25" will be used most of the time. But you'd like to probably go 32" or 36". Cause 28" would be a no go since its so close to the 25". Good advise has been given.
Bigger is not automatically better. The price tags on new saws reflect what they're worth to somebody, but not necessarily what they're worth to you. There's no joy in hauling around a couple more pounds than necessary to get the job done. If you expect to run 25" most of the time and a larger bar once in a while, then get a saw that handles the 25" bar comfortably but can handle the big one in a pinch. Or, just eschew the larger bar all together, and cut the big stuff from both sides.
Does Stihl plan on bringing autotune to the 461? They have the intellicarb now - just curious if the 661c-m is coming soon, why not the whole lineup?
I heard it wasn't from a guy. He said that fuel injection will be in that size first like the cut off saw. Not sure how true it all is but we'll see.
FI on a chainsaw - figured it would come along someday. I was thumbing through my Northern tool catalog the other day and saw that Solo direct oil injection concrete saw. Ilube technology. Wonder if @KilliansRedLeo can get one of these jugs on a chainsaw - it's the only saw they distribute stateside
Great stuff guys. Pretty much confirmed what I was thinking which is the 461 the more I thought about it. The 660 sounded great at first, but when looking at all the specs and what I'd be doing, the 461 makes more sense. I would be running a 25" bar on it which would handle 99% of what I do. Pictures to follow sometime around Christmas.
I think you'll be happy at that. I run a 25" bar on my 046 with no problem, it'll pull that all day and still be begging for more...Plus you can still cut up to a 48" tree if had to.
