Barely made it out of the Stihl dealer today...

[stee6043]

..with my wallet intact.

I've been eyeing the MS362 and the MS441 the last several times I've stopped into the local dealer. Today I dropped $70 on my MS310 (bar, sprocket, fuel filter) and I really thought long and hard about putting that money towards a new saw instead! But I'd still want my 310 fully functional even if I get a new one so I spent the coin anyway.

I think I'm still leaning towards the 362 but man....that 441 is not nearly as "huge" as I thought it would be. With a 20" bar I think it would be very similar to running my 310 with an 18" bar in terms of size. Just a tad bigger with GOBS more power. And having the option to run a really radical bar for those really big trees is appealing.

So much thinking to do. I think I can hold off until next spring to make this purchase. I think I can...

 

[mayhem]

Stop fooling yourself and get back in the car.

 

[lukem]

I think I can hold off until next spring to make this purchase. I think I can...

Good luck with that...whatever you do, DO NOT test drive one.

 

[smokinj]

Couple seconds on the 441 and you would be throwing rocks at the 310.... ;-)

 

[Joey]

Everytime I walk into the Stihl dealer, seems like I wanna buy the store I actually need a new leaf blower, lawn trimmer and pole saw. Maybe they can put a package deal together for me ! I think they really do make a quality product, extremely reliable.

 

[TreePointer]

I shield my eyes as I walk past the saws. When the "461" and "661" arrive, I don't think even that will work.

 

[MasterMech]

My favorite dealer had an MS880 36" sitting on the shelf. Lucky for me it had .404" chain on it or I'd be poor and divorced right now!

 

[amateur cutter]

Couple seconds on the 441 and you would be throwing rocks at the 310.... ;-)

hehehehe good one Jay.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

..with my wallet intact.

I've been eyeing the MS362 and the MS441 the last several times I've stopped into the local dealer. Today I dropped $70 on my MS310 (bar, sprocket, fuel filter) and I really thought long and hard about putting that money towards a new saw instead! But I'd still want my 310 fully functional even if I get a new one so I spent the coin anyway.

I think I'm still leaning towards the 362 but man....that 441 is not nearly as "huge" as I thought it would be. With a 20" bar I think it would be very similar to running my 310 with an 18" bar in terms of size. Just a tad bigger with GOBS more power. And having the option to run a really radical bar for those really big trees is appealing.

So much thinking to do. I think I can hold off until next spring to make this purchase. I think I can...

IMO there's no point dropping a grand on a saw for an additional 2" of bar

Save your money

 

[MasterMech]

..with my wallet intact.

I've been eyeing the MS362 and the MS441 the last several times I've stopped into the local dealer. Today I dropped $70 on my MS310 (bar, sprocket, fuel filter) and I really thought long and hard about putting that money towards a new saw instead! But I'd still want my 310 fully functional even if I get a new one so I spent the coin anyway.

I think I'm still leaning towards the 362 but man....that 441 is not nearly as "huge" as I thought it would be. With a 20" bar I think it would be very similar to running my 310 with an 18" bar in terms of size. Just a tad bigger with GOBS more power. And having the option to run a really radical bar for those really big trees is appealing.

So much thinking to do. I think I can hold off until next spring to make this purchase. I think I can...

IMO there's no point dropping a grand on a saw for an additional 2" of bar

Save your money

There's so much more than 2" of bar in it for him...

 

[smokinj]

My favorite dealer had an MS880 36" sitting on the shelf. Lucky for me it had .404" chain on it or I'd be poor and divorced right now!

In my case the saw was the better choice! :lol: 3/8 or not! ;-)

 

[Flatbedford]

Why is .404 chain a bad thing?

 

[Thistle]

Everything costs more for one thing -the chain itself, grinding wheels for the chain,saw uses more gas,sprockets & bars are bigger/wider & they charge more accordingly.

 

[Thistle]

Stop fooling yourself and get back in the car.

:lol: I tell myself that quite often also....

 

[MasterMech]

Why is .404 chain a bad thing?

For a cross cut it's not. For milling it's a wide kerf. The more kerf, the more wood you're wastin'!

 

[smokinj]

Why is .404 chain a bad thing?

For a cross cut it's not. For milling it's a wide kerf. The more kerf, the more wood you're wastin'!

3/8 is a little faster because of the kerf. I run a cyclone wheel on my grinder as well (another 250.00 for one that fits 404) so easy choice 3/8. The dealer screw it up and I smoke the first clutch in less then 30 seconds of run time. It look like it was dip in blue paint. :lol:

 

[stee6043]

..with my wallet intact.

I've been eyeing the MS362 and the MS441 the last several times I've stopped into the local dealer. Today I dropped $70 on my MS310 (bar, sprocket, fuel filter) and I really thought long and hard about putting that money towards a new saw instead! But I'd still want my 310 fully functional even if I get a new one so I spent the coin anyway.

I think I'm still leaning towards the 362 but man....that 441 is not nearly as "huge" as I thought it would be. With a 20" bar I think it would be very similar to running my 310 with an 18" bar in terms of size. Just a tad bigger with GOBS more power. And having the option to run a really radical bar for those really big trees is appealing.

So much thinking to do. I think I can hold off until next spring to make this purchase. I think I can...

IMO there's no point dropping a grand on a saw for an additional 2" of bar

Save your money

Absolutely right. If I bought the 441 I would run a 20" as my standard every day rig. But I'd also have a 24" (at least) rig for those bigger trees I currently struggle with on my MS310. I would not buy a 441 to use the 20" bar exclusively. If I never had a need for something bigger than 20" I'd never consider the 441.

 

[SteveKG]

There are reasons to run a 441 other than using a 20"+ bar. Like, they are fuel misers [for the size of engine] and they are very pleasant on the hands and etc. while using. Very very smooth running and feeling, to me. I have only had mine for two yr., but it is a pleasure to use it.

Of course, slightly heavier and more money to buy it than a 362. If you rarely cut those larger trees, and money outlay is an issue, you would be far wiser [money-wise] to get the 362, which will very easily cut those occasional larger trees, just a bit more slowly.

I bought the 441 with the 25" bar and chain because I already had a couple of 20" bars I could use on it. That way, I got the longer bar for maybe $10, in a sense. I run the 20" on the 441 maybe 85% of the time, but I now have that almost-still-new 25" bar hanging there in case I need or want to use it.

The 362 is also a great saw. You can't go wrong with either; you'll keep a few bucks in your wallet if you get the smaller saw. But the 441 is a joy to use.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

..with my wallet intact.

I've been eyeing the MS362 and the MS441 the last several times I've stopped into the local dealer. Today I dropped $70 on my MS310 (bar, sprocket, fuel filter) and I really thought long and hard about putting that money towards a new saw instead! But I'd still want my 310 fully functional even if I get a new one so I spent the coin anyway.

I think I'm still leaning towards the 362 but man....that 441 is not nearly as "huge" as I thought it would be. With a 20" bar I think it would be very similar to running my 310 with an 18" bar in terms of size. Just a tad bigger with GOBS more power. And having the option to run a really radical bar for those really big trees is appealing.

So much thinking to do. I think I can hold off until next spring to make this purchase. I think I can...

IMO there's no point dropping a grand on a saw for an additional 2" of bar

Save your money

There's so much more than 2" of bar in it for him...

If you're gunna run a big-dog you might as well let it off the leash. I don't care how "hard" those eastern hardwoods are 20" is ridiculously under-barred for a 441.

 

[wendell]

If you're gunna run a big-dog you might as well let it off the leash. I don't care how "hard" those eastern hardwoods are 20" is ridiculously under-barred for a 441.

+1

Putting a 20" on a 441 is bordering on ridiculous. Save your money.