Stihl MS261 C-M or Husqv 562XM

Was wondering why u were comparing JD and mahindra. Thought u were talking jack Daniel’s for a quick second. Then realized and chuckled to myself. Guess I need a drink. Lol

 

Your grandfather and I would have gotten along famously

 

Oh man.. I think I'm leaning to the MS400cm..

The only drawbacks I see is the $1070 price tag compared to $672 for the 562xp, and the internal/external clutch.

Idk.. maybe I'll buy one soon and the other next year. You fellas would make good salesmen.

 

I prefer the internal clutch over my external versions. If you aren't slipping the clutch from binding up the saw, overheating shouldn't be an issue. I've never turned a clutch drum blue with any saw but I've seen it done on both styles from inexperienced operators.

 

Whatever you get should blow your mind compared to running that little MS180, and MS250 for that matter

 

Lol. Definitely.

 

The 400 has more power than the 562 & weighs less I believe. If you could go for the 400 I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

 

The internal/external clutch.. I only say that after experience milling a LOT of wood. My last paying job was a monster honey locust. That species is very hard, several planks were a full tank of gas pretty much at wide open throttle. Only off throttle was to move wedges as I went down the log. While milling, you can’t control chain speed quite as precisely as bucking a 6” or 36” log. That inconsistency sometimes stalls the chain, heating up the clutch in the process of getting going again, all the while producing more heat, lol. When you take the clutch cover off, that drum and clutch are sometimes pretty hot. Nature of the beast so to speak. Don’t let clutch location affect a decision, they both will do the job.

 

Let's say I go 400.

You can get the 20" bar in 0.063" or lightweight bar in 0.050".

Obviously lighter is better for me, but what about the machine, oiler, heat on the chain and bar?

 

I appreciate your wisdom. I won't be milling(don't plan on) all the time.

It is great to know it's a potential disaster, and I need to avoid stalling/slipping the clutch, whichever saw I choose and use.

 

I prefer .050. Lighter chain. Cuts faster. At least comparing Stihl .063 to Stihl .050 .325 full chisel.

 

Always had luck with.050 never ran .063 I’d prefer the lighter bar

 

The MS400 C-M is 12.8 lbs. and 5.4 horsepower. I went with it over the MS362 C-M and 562XP for that reason. Haven't been able to run it much, that should change soon.

Good luck, NYH1.

 

I have a 20” light bar on my 400 and it’s 3/8 .50. I can’t imagine why it would come with .325.

 

To be clear, I referenced .325 in my .050 vs .063 comment because thats the only pitch I've compared on the same saw, same wood. I imagine that probably translates to regular 3/8 as well.

 

I'm puzzled why they all aren't 050. I have yet to break a chain in all my travels. 050 & 043 is all I have. What is the benefit of 063 (on most normal saws)? Possibly takes longer to waller out a rail? But there's more mass/weight? I have a single loop of 3/8 in 058 I mistakenly bought that doesn't fit anything I have.

 

No idea. I predominantly use .050 and .043. My cousin gave me a bunch of 18" .325 x .063 loops otherwise I would have no reason to use them. The company he works for uses Stihl ms250 saws and thats what they used to come with. They throw away the chains once dull. No sharpening. He gave me 12 loops. Now Stihl saws are coming with 050. At least the ones with the light 004 bars. Not sure about the larger saws.

 

I really like my ms400. It’s a great saw! However, given what you’ve said you have currently for saws, and what you intend to use a chainsaw for, I would recommend you buy a lighter midsize saw now and a dedicated larger felling/milling saw sometime in the future. That could look something like getting the 261 you mentioned and a decent used 80/90cc saw when you’re ready to do some milling. You’re going to have a pretty good three saw plan with ms180, ms261, and the 80/90cc saw. Not much you wouldn’t be able to cut.

Even if you end up getting a 400 you’re probably going to want to keep your eyes peeled for a good deal on a used 80/90cc saw for milling. Most chainsaws were designed to be used as a crosscut saw. That’s intermittent full throttle cuts not one long full throttle cut. While they can be used to rip/mill it’s much harder on the machine. It takes a big chassis to stand up to full tank full throttle cuts. That larger chassis will help dissipate the heat generated from long full throttle cuts as well.

 

Seems like the straps would almost be wider than the tooth kerf on 325. lol Oh man...new idea...cutters on the straps!

 

The odd thing is the .063 in .325 but some full 3/8 stihl saws cs

Lol