Anyone use this saw? Looking at getting a new saw with a sale going on. Ms250: $450 Ms291: $500 I’m coming from a ms170 so both would be a huge upgrade. Someone suggested in the other forum to get the 261 but that is $760 which I def don’t want to spend. I cut 5ish cords/year. All softwood. Thanks!
Arrrgh! I hate to say it, but I'd look to a good used pro grade saw, or an Echo of equal size. 291 is not real good power to weight ratio. Nothing wrong with the saw otherwise.
The 291 is the perfect saw for a firewood junky if you ask me... i have several stihls and I use the 291 the most.
Yes, exactly. It's a durable saw, & will certainly do what you need, but compared to an MS 260 or similar it's a night & day difference. Echo makes a better quality saw in that price & size range also. Very well liked by many members here.
Both are good saws for what you are cutting and will give you many years of service with minimal upkeep. Ive owned a 290 (the 291 is more or less an upgraded version of the same saw but gets better "gas mileage") since 2010 and have cut MANY cords of hardwood with it AND only a 16" bar. I have upgraded to a 261 this year. Had my 290 not broke suddenly (simple fix) in January and the dealer shown me the 261 when i went to get a part and i joined the forum a month later id probably still be cutting with it. The 290 is my back up saw now. Ive never used a 250. Either will work fine for your needs IMO!
If you were down here cutting a lot of big fat oak logs but for the medium hardwoods and maybe you're not getting too many monster ash the ms 250 will probably do fine - just won't be the speediest saw in the world I would get the 291 though. I have a MS180 CBE and I would feel like a mean old slave driver if I was using it to do 5 cord a year of oak. Especially good sized ones. When it starts I use it for limbing eastern white pine and maybe cutting some rounds if I start at the small end of a limbed pine log. There's a guy down the road that cleared a one acre lot with a 180. He sure didn't win any races doing it, but he did it. What the hello is the tax in NL ? A 250 is on sale here for $299.99 USD. if I multiply that by 1.31 I get $393. Just wondering.
If it were me I would postpone until I could get a pro grade saw, or look at used. I look forward to picking up my 261C every time there’s a pile. It doesn’t feel like a chore.
Hey, given the choice I'd highly recommend the 261 as well. I bought a 026 PRO in 2000 and it is still my go-to saw. It has cut a lot of firewood, but usually not 5 cords a year.
