Stihl 441

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Oct 17, 2011
123
central Texas
I have read some of the reviews and comments about the Stihl 441 and they seem largely positive. Is that a fair assessment of the sentiments of this forum? My father had his big saw busted up when it hung in a tree and was crushed. We are partial to Stihl due to their reputation, the work they have performed for us, and the local dealer. If we go with the 441 what length of bar is a good happy medium for this saw? We have a lighter 16" saw already.

This is a working ranch and we have large trees fall on fence lines; we cut firewood; and we have to remove storm damage from time to time. I know this a pro saw, but it would earn its keep if it is a good model of saw to acquire.
 
441 is happy with a 24/25". 20" would be fun if you didn't have it in big wood all the time. It will pull a 28"+ bar but I'd recommend going up to the 460 if not 660 for regular use with 28"+ bars. Word on the street is the 441 is as solid as any other Stihl and is a gas-sipper to boot. No weight penalty going to the MS460, more power and it's a proven favorite. That's the way I'd go until they release a successor to the MS460 (MS461?) and then all bets are off.
 
441 would be my choice in this ecmomy.........Bad ss saw that keeps running when the 460 needs another tank of fuel. 460 is a running bad boy but gets cut short on the mileage. If you cut much the fuel savings alone will pay for that saw! 441 will run 16-32 inch bar. Match with a 24 would make it just about perfect. ;-)
 
I fit were me, I would run a 24/25" bar on it. I hear nothing bad about it except for being a little heavy compared to it's competitors. When I was in the market for a saw in this class the 372XP and the Stihl 440/441 were on my shopping list. I found a good used 372 first.
 
MarkinNC said:
I fit were me, I would run a 24/25" bar on it. I hear nothing bad about it except for being a little heavy compared to it's competitors. When I was in the market for a saw in this class the 372XP and the Stihl 440/441 were on my shopping list. I found a good used 372 first.

All the new saws that are stratocharged are coming out slightly heavier than their predecessors. Especially the Husky's. Lot's of extra material in the engines to make up those stratocharged intakes.
 
MasterMech said:
MarkinNC said:
I fit were me, I would run a 24/25" bar on it. I hear nothing bad about it except for being a little heavy compared to it's competitors. When I was in the market for a saw in this class the 372XP and the Stihl 440/441 were on my shopping list. I found a good used 372 first.

All the new saws that are stratocharged are coming out slightly heavier than their predecessors. Especially the Husky's. Lot's of extra material in the engines to make up those stratocharged intakes.

Thankfully I got the 440 reissue. No fancy stratocaster parts.
 
MasterMech said:
MarkinNC said:
I fit were me, I would run a 24/25" bar on it. I hear nothing bad about it except for being a little heavy compared to it's competitors. When I was in the market for a saw in this class the 372XP and the Stihl 440/441 were on my shopping list. I found a good used 372 first.

All the new saws that are stratocharged are coming out slightly heavier than their predecessors. Especially the Husky's. Lot's of extra material in the engines to make up those stratocharged intakes.

Don't see but maybe an extra part-ounce on my 455r- couple of screws on transfer covers, extra throttle body for air-only.
Sure doesn't look like "lots" IMO. There's aluminum absent below pin bosses on the piston. Where do you see the extras?
 
Bigg_Redd said:
MasterMech said:
MarkinNC said:
I fit were me, I would run a 24/25" bar on it. I hear nothing bad about it except for being a little heavy compared to it's competitors. When I was in the market for a saw in this class the 372XP and the Stihl 440/441 were on my shopping list. I found a good used 372 first.

All the new saws that are stratocharged are coming out slightly heavier than their predecessors. Especially the Husky's. Lot's of extra material in the engines to make up those stratocharged intakes.

Thankfully I got the 440 reissue. No fancy stratocaster parts.

No guitars involved. Stratified scavenging does good things for emissions and fuel consumption- keeps catalyst out of muffler.

Why is your comment not surprising? As you were. That is all.
 
CTYank said:
Bigg_Redd said:
MasterMech said:
MarkinNC said:
I fit were me, I would run a 24/25" bar on it. I hear nothing bad about it except for being a little heavy compared to it's competitors. When I was in the market for a saw in this class the 372XP and the Stihl 440/441 were on my shopping list. I found a good used 372 first.

All the new saws that are stratocharged are coming out slightly heavier than their predecessors. Especially the Husky's. Lot's of extra material in the engines to make up those stratocharged intakes.

Thankfully I got the 440 reissue. No fancy stratocaster parts.

No guitars involved. Stratified scavenging does good things for emissions and fuel consumption- keeps catalyst out of muffler.

Why is your comment not surprising? As you were. That is all.

Pardon me for not toeing the line. I'm not that interested in innovations that are emissions driven.
 
It's not just emmisions driven. It actually makes the saw run more efficiently which is why the 441 uses so much less fuel than a 440. Old-School 2-strokes always spit a bit of the incoming fuel/air charge out the exhaust in order to completely scavenge the exhaust gases from the cylinder. All stratocharging does is insert a fresh air charge ahead of the fuel/air mix.

Granted it doesn't necessarily boost the actual performance of the saw, but that's a lot like saying fuel injection did nothing for the automobile.
 
The 441 m-tronic is getting rave reviews. It'd be a tough call for me between the m-tronic, 372XT or the 576AT.
 
Thanks for the replies. I stopped by the Stihl dealer to pick up a chain and look at the 441 again, and it is a beaut. Anyhow, I have a 270, and the more I am thinking, this 441 may end up in my garage rather than my father's, the dealer noted that: one, I would leave the 270 on the shelf most of the time from now on because the 441 is so far superior. Two, the 441 has some real kickback issues due to strength and size. I trust the dealer, but how noticeable is it?
 
G6 at Snook said:
Thanks for the replies. I stopped by the Stihl dealer to pick up a chain and look at the 441 again, and it is a beaut. Anyhow, I have a 270, and the more I am thinking, this 441 may end up in my garage rather than my father's, the dealer noted that: one, I would leave the 270 on the shelf most of the time from now on because the 441 is so far superior. Two, the 441 has some real kickback issues due to strength and size. I trust the dealer, but how noticeable is it?

If you don't have trouble operating the 270 then the 441 will not give you a hard time either. Typically big saws have less kickback tendency than the lightweights.
 
G6 at Snook said:
Thanks for the replies. I stopped by the Stihl dealer to pick up a chain and look at the 441 again, and it is a beaut. Anyhow, I have a 270, and the more I am thinking, this 441 may end up in my garage rather than my father's, the dealer noted that: one, I would leave the 270 on the shelf most of the time from now on because the 441 is so far superior. Two, the 441 has some real kickback issues due to strength and size. I trust the dealer, but how noticeable is it?

Saws don't kickback at random....avoid kickback danger zones and as mechmatt said, the 441 will be no different. I imagine what your dealer means is if you put the 441 in a kickback situation it may come back with more force due to power and be harder to control (until you get a "feel" for the bigger saw) due to size. I think one of the best and easiest things to do when cutting is to keep your body parts out of an imaginary line coming up from the cut. Basically cut with your body offset, so that if there is a kickback, it will not hit you.
 
The 270 is easy to handle, but like with any new piece of equipment, I would be cautious the first few times around the block. He also noted that unlike the 270 where you can one hand the thing at times, the 441 is always a two handed machine, but there is not nearly the need for downward pressure due to its power. The dealers suggestion was to start out on smaller limbs to get a feel for the 441 before you move into the large trunks. I would probably get the 32 in. bar to balance against the smaller 270 I would probably keep.
 
I would stay with the 24" as suggested by jay. I have a 460 with a 28. I wouldn't go any bigger than that. You can cut a 48" tree from both sides.
 
HittinSteel said:
The 441 m-tronic is getting rave reviews. It'd be a tough call for me between the m-tronic, 372XT or the 576AT.

+1 I have not read any of them, just know better gas miliage on a 70cc saw can be a much larger factor than a split second on a port job. Gas prices go back to 2.00 a gallon I might go back the other way.
 
G6 at Snook said:
The 270 is easy to handle, but like with any new piece of equipment, I would be cautious the first few times around the block. He also noted that unlike the 270 where you can one hand the thing at times, the 441 is always a two handed machine, but there is not nearly the need for downward pressure due to its power. The dealers suggestion was to start out on smaller limbs to get a feel for the 441 before you move into the large trunks. I would probably get the 32 in. bar to balance against the smaller 270 I would probably keep.

I shudder to think there is a dealer out there that suggested you can operate a back-handle saw with one hand. If you have two hands, use both of them or risk losing them.

Using a 70cc+ saw on small limbs will not give you an honest "feel" for the saw any more than driving a Corvette @ 10MPH would give you a feel for that machine.

EDIT: I agree with having respect for the machine, kinda like guns tho, the same basic rules apply to all of them, big or small.
 
To be clear, he did not say that I can use a one hand operation of the 270, but that the kickback from a 270 was much less, and that two hands at all times was not as critical; the 441 was much more kickback prone in his opinion due to the power it produces and that you had to watch it more closely than the 270. He did not in any way suggest I be reckless or lazy. I guess I need to off set my self and be smart about operating the thing.

What I am cutting would be Oak, Hickory, Ash, Elm, Hackberry, and Pecan. It would depend on what I am up to: firewood, downed tree on fence, or storm clearing. Some of these trees are mammoth and some more like second grow and much smaller.
 
MasterMech said:
G6 at Snook said:
The 270 is easy to handle, but like with any new piece of equipment, I would be cautious the first few times around the block. He also noted that unlike the 270 where you can one hand the thing at times, the 441 is always a two handed machine, but there is not nearly the need for downward pressure due to its power. The dealers suggestion was to start out on smaller limbs to get a feel for the 441 before you move into the large trunks. I would probably get the 32 in. bar to balance against the smaller 270 I would probably keep.

I shudder to think there is a dealer out there that suggested you can operate a back-handle saw with one hand. If you have two hands, use both of them or risk losing them.

Using a 70cc+ saw on small limbs will not give you an honest "feel" for the saw any more than driving a Corvette @ 10MPH would give you a feel for that machine.

EDIT: I agree with having respect for the machine, kinda like guns tho, the same basic rules apply to all of them, big or small.

I have one handed the 880 a few times. Once those double big dogs are set its not going anywhere.... ;-)
 
I had 1 kickback from my ms440 ONCE and only once and it Da#n near broke my wrist.It was my fault all the way but I learned from it. The bigger the saw the more the force kind of like bullets bigger ones hit harder.
 
Fifelaker said:
I had 1 kickback from my ms440 ONCE and only once and it Da#n near broke my wrist.It was my fault all the way but I learned from it. The bigger the saw the more the force kind of like bullets bigger ones hit harder.

I see it just the oppsite my 192t 14 inch bar kicks more than the 880 with a 41 inch bar. Just the shear weight of a saw make it a lot easier to handl. just my .0002 cents.
 
smokinjay said:
I have one handed the 880 a few times. Once those double big dogs are set its not going anywhere.... ;-)

You know it. Did the same with my 288XP on 24" Red Oak snag last month.Once they dig in that really makes a difference.
 
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