455 rancher or ms 290?

If you have equal dealer support for both brands, I suggest try them both out at the shop and see which one you like the feel of better.

All other things being equal, toss a coin.

jrendfrey said:

well the title says it all i cut about 10 cords a year pretty good size trees 10-20" i am in the market for a new saw i have used the rancher quite a bit my father in law has two. which would you guys recommend the 455 rancher or the stihl ms 290? any input is always greatly appreciated.

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They are pretty much the same flavor from two different brands. The differences are as follows:

If you get the 290 you'll have to get it from a Stihl dealer who can help you figure out the thousands of stupid questions you'll inevitably have - what bar, what chain, what file, what bar oil, what fuel, what premix, etc.

If you buy a 455 you can get it at HD or Lowes and be forced to ask all your stupid questions here and put your trust in our collective ignorance and intransigence because the 20 year old in a orange vest at the big store hasn't got even the slightest clue about chainsaws or wood cutting.

Hope this helps.

Why those two? Price?

A new 290, if taken care of, will outlast you more than likely. Its by far stihls best selling saw of all time. Its not their biggest or best, but I'd bet its cut more firewood than all other stihl saws combined.
$400 should get you a real clean and nice used ms361 if your willing to go the used route.

I have a Rancher that I got 'factory refurb' on E-Bay about 3 years ago. They ran around $275 then & there were plenty to choose from. Mine has run well for me. If I were paying full price for new & had to choose between the 2 I'd go with the 290. I get the distinct impression that the 290 is probably more reliable. Other than that I don't think you'd find much difference.

is the ms361 the best saw or somehting? is 500 for one used to much?

greythorn3 said:

is the ms361 the best saw or somehting? is 500 for one used to much?

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One of them in the 60cc class. And yes, $500 is to much for a used one imo

greythorn3 said:

is the ms361 the best saw or somehting? is 500 for one used to much?

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Just before they were replaced by the 362, a new 361 was selling for $609 w/20" bar. If I needed a good 60cc saw, I'd pay $500 for a "like new" model. (Emphasis on "like new.")

I'd stay away from the Husky, esp. the Lowes line. Husky XP's, now that's a different story. If yer have your mind set on a brand new saw in that 400 buck price range, go with a Stihl MS290, bought from a Stihl dealer. You'll be better of on the tech advise alone. Watch craigslist because I see the 038's, 361's, and 390's on there all the time and they usually can be had in very good used condition for under 300 bucks in our area. And they are a lot more saw than an MS290. Make sure you check the used saws over really good before shelling out 300 or more dollars on it........

is the 361 better then the 362?

greythorn3 said:

is the 361 better then the 362?

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I doubt it, but I did hear a recall on some of the saws wasn't sure if it was the 361 or 362. Pretty sure they are basically the same saw, more-or-less. I personally run all older Stihls, meaning all of my saws are magnesium cased. Yes they are old, yes they are heavier, yes they are lower-revving.....but they have never ever let me down and they sound sooo good.......love the ol' torquey saws!

While they're in the same displacement class (60cc), the 362 has the new, more environmentally friendly strato-charged engine. It's a tad heavier than the 361, but it's more fuel efficient and has more low end grunt.

??? Magnesium? I think both saws, as well as all Stihl pro saws, have a magnesium crankcase.

The only recall of which I'm aware on the 361/362 is for the C-Q models (special chain brake).
There is a recent recall on the 391: http://www.stihlusa.com/recalls/recall-MS391-powerhead/

In the 60cc class, either one will be a great performer. The 361 is still leaps and bounds above a Stihl 290 or Husqvarna 455.

TreePointer said:

??? Magnesium? I think both saws, as well as all Stihl pro saws, have a magnesium crankcase.

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They may have a mag crankcase but the rest of the saw is mostly plastic.......I'll stick to the old skool saws where almost the ENTIRE saw is magnesium..... ;-)

I've never been real impressed with the 455 Rancher. I will admit I have not run the newest version of it. When it came out I was dissapointed that the replacement for the 55 Rancher had fallen off the diet wagon as it was much bulkier and heavier than the 55 and offered only minor increases in power. The 455 certainly is not a poor choice in saws, just not that exciting I guess. :smirk:

i got a bead on a used ms361 but the guy wont budge off $550 firm he says. i offered 400 and he said hes FIRM.

"Excellent Condition Stihl MS361 25" Chain Saw with skip chain.

Includes Everything (Case, accessories, spare parts)"

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For what it's worth, when I was shopping saws my local husqvarna dealer said that the new 460 (which I think is only 50 or so bucks more than the 455) is a much better cutting saw than the 455. I haven't run either saw but that is just what they were saying. Hell they might have just wanted to push the more expensive saw, but who knows. Does anyone have any experience with the 460?

$550 is high, unless it comes with a bunch of good stuff to make up for it. Well, good stuff you need. Used chains, beat up bars, etc. would be no use to me, since I wouldn't know how they were used. Unless you need it now, I'd wait it out. Or give him your number and tell him to call when he comes to his senses (nicely!). That's not too far off from a new 362.

S

greythorn3 said:

is the 361 better then the 362?

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Yes

Bigg_Redd said:

greythorn3 said:

is the 361 better then the 362?

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Yes

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In the same way that a 60's Mopar Hemi is "Better" than the current 5.7L Hemi.

Huskys also have dealers, You don't have to buy one from a box store. I like both brands. I also cut around 10 cord a year
and I have a 455 rancher. I've hade the saw for 5 or 6 years and the only issue I've had is a couple of bolts vibrated loose.
I really wish I had a more powerfull saw. I think the 455 would be great for the guy who burns 3 or 4 cord a year but for 10 cord it's just to slow. It gets the job done but it could be done much faster and easier with a larger saw.
My 2 cents J.T.

greythorn3 said:

i got a bead on a used ms361 but the guy wont budge off $550 firm he says. i offered 400 and he said hes FIRM.

"Excellent Condition Stihl MS361 25" Chain Saw with skip chain.

Includes Everything (Case, accessories, spare parts)"

ad

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That's an ebay price...... he might get that there, but he'll have to pay fees and ship