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STIHL MS 461 or 661 CM?

Started by Dr. Cornwallis, April 12, 2017, 06:18:45 PM

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s grinder


s grinder

I have a MS660 with a 32"bar skip chain for my stump grinding business,also have a MS261 with a 16"bar for firewood very good combo,also run a 20" bar on the 660,it's a animal with the small bar. It's like running a late 60's Hemi Cuda, balls that won't quit!

khntr85

Quote from: Awesomesince72 on April 21, 2017, 10:09:09 AM
Good choice on the 661. I'm a strong athletic 5'11" 200 lb guy myself and have owned. 066 since 95'. I'm 45 now and I can tell you that the 66 feels heavy after a couple hours. I picked up a couple 461's in the last couple of years in hopes that a lighter saw would be easier on me.
My thoughts are that I didn't even notice that it was a pound or two lighter than my 66 but I did notice it didn't have near the torque of the big saw. I run 32" skip chisel on both saws and the 461 is a great saw. Maybe with a light weight shorter bar it would be a potent saw.
I really like my souped up 365 with a good sharp 24" chain for day to day use now.
Getting older I guess.

Try a 25--28" inch barnon the 461....I use a 25" mostly on mine, but I am always cutting hard wood....I love the 461, but I don't even think the standard oiler would enough to oil a 32"...

HolmenTree

Quote from: HolmenTree on April 17, 2017, 09:41:38 AM
Also run a 18"-20" b/c on that 661 when you don't need the 28". You'll thank me ;D
I just happened to see blsnelling's comment on Dr Cornwallis's 661 thread over on the other forum.
He says a 661 is way too heavy on a 20" b/c  :D

Another good example why he's better at wrenching then he is as an operator  ;D
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

sandsawmill14

a 261  is all you need for a 20" bar  ::) but my 441 with the 20" on it is alot more fun ;D i can only imagine a 661 with a 20" bar on it  :o  but really hope no one has tried it on a 880 because that would just be wrong  :-\ sorta like pulling your lawnmower trailer with a semi :o :D :D :D
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

HolmenTree

Quote from: sandsawmill14 on April 22, 2017, 05:31:01 PM
a 261  is all you need for a 20" bar  ::) but my 441 with the 20" on it is alot more fun ;D i can only imagine a 661 with a 20" bar on it  :o  but really hope no one has tried it on a 880 because that would just be wrong  :-\ sorta like pulling your lawnmower trailer with a semi :o :D :D :D
sandsawmil14, actually the 880 is the 090AV's little brother and the 090 is rated from the factory for a 21 inch bar.
Also look at my 066 owner manual's spec....16 inch
:)


  

 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

sandsawmill14

i bet it would be fun to run for a few minutes anyway but they are to heavy for me  :D  i put my little 441 down and get the old 029 out for topping an cutting up the tops for fire wood :D :D
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

HolmenTree

For years when I was hand logging I ran a 18" on all my saws including a Jonsereds 920, Stihl 064 . That was for felling, limbing and topping spruce and pine.
You got the power and the ergonomics for that kind of work, especially in frozen hard cutting wood.
That short b/c makes that big powerhesd alot lighter by the end of each day... 5 days a week.
Plus alot easier for handling limbing topping and brushing under growth.

Here's my 090 with a 17" .404, great for ripping posts.


  
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

sandsawmill14

we had a 18" ( i think ) on one of the old 1050 homelites and a 20" on the other one  big saws didnt bother me then but i picked one of them up the other day to move it  and i sure would hate to go to the woods with one of them now  :D  i complain abut the new stuff all the time but i guess i have to admit it has helped us over all :)

most people want to run at least 6" more bar than they need anyway IMO i can cut 50" oak with a 25" bar with no problems other than finding a 50"oak left standing :-\ all the big timber is gone in our area other than shade trees and pasture trees :(
  run a 25" most of the time and a 28 some but it is all splitting logs for the mill i like a 20" for felling or cutting fire wood  i dont have to bend over to far and its not to many teeth to file  :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

HolmenTree

I haven't logged for a living for years but I still run a 18" on my main tree service saw.
Anything longer is just clumsy for me but I do have multiple saws up to 36" in my company saw stable.

My 12 year old daughter and I put this very short video together over a year ago.
This is the only one of two videos I have ever made. Plus it has been about 20 years since I last used this competition cold start bucking technique.
Here's my 562XP-18" with over 1500 hours on it, completely stock with only a muffler mod on it.
Out fitted with a brand new Stihl .325 23RS chain with a light touch up with a 3/16" file.
Could have went a bit quicker on the start as my daughter didn't give me alot of time :D and slow on the up cut start as I had the snagging work dogs on .
You can't beat the ergonomics of a 18" b/c.

https://youtu.be/ROLWSJWyJwQ

Making a living with a saw since age 16.

sandsawmill14

looks like it done pretty good to me smiley_thumbsup    and i agree with you on the shorter bars i have 20 instead of 18 but its because its what came on the saw  ;) i do have a 18 on the 029 i think  but hand filing is another good reason to run the short bars :) i am good at it and fast as most but i hate it  ::) it makes my bad shoulder hurt >:( but i can file a 20" or less about as fast as i can change the chains so i just file  its easier to keep a file in your pocket than an extra chain  ;D and if you will keep it out of the dirt and touch it up every time you fuel up it only takes a minute ;D  and i will not run a dull saw >:( (maybe a little dull at the mill :-[ ) but not in the woods :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

khntr85

I cut a lot of tops for fitewood...as anyone knows the woods can look like someone dumped out spaghetti sticks when they are done....well I got a 461, been a year or so ago now....I got the saw with a 25" bar....that 25" bar is a perfect setup, when you have the room to run it...

  Now when I am cutting in the a extremely tight places we're there are multiple logs tangled together and the hardwood is 18-20", I like to run a 20" bar on the 461....at first I thought maybe it would be too small for the saw, but 18-20" dry oak, hickory, ash, and some walnut is hard stuf....the 20" bar shines in the tangled areas.....the bar doesn't stick threw the woodand cut into limbs/other logs....

I treat these tangled messes with the upmost respect...I cut firewood alone, and it only takes a second to get pinched/smashed in these areas!!!

nativewolf

Smart Khntr85, a pile of wood is an excuse to get hurt.  Safety first!

I've thought about a 461 with an 18" bar actually.  Keep a 25" on standby for the occasional big tree.  However, a 461 still seems a bit heavy to me but then I'm built like a half starved chicken.
Liking Walnut

ButchC

I have run a 20" on my 660 a few times and keep a 20 on my 461 unless conditions demand longer.  Loading a big power unit with a short bar is no more complicated than keeping the chains sharp and the depth gauges set so you can use the power. I run 025 on smaller saws but when running a 20 on the big saws  I run 030 and could run deeper when cutting cookies for fun but they would be pretty dangerous in the woods.  You must of course keep your 3/8x72 driver chains separated for peewee saws and big irons if your going to play the depth gauge game.  As stated earlier when using the correct techniques a person can cut one heck of a big tree down with a 20" bar, a person doesnt need a 32" bar to cut down a 32" tree ;D 
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

khntr85

Quote from: nativewolf on April 25, 2017, 07:24:29 AM
Smart Khntr85, a pile of wood is an excuse to get hurt.  Safety first!

I've thought about a 461 with an 18" bar actually.  Keep a 25" on standby for the occasional big tree.  However, a 461 still seems a bit heavy to me but then I'm built like a half starved chicken.

LOL, you got me laughing there lol....it does have a little wieght, and when you are in brush and trip hazards, the 20" bar really shines for me!!!

How long have you had your 461, and how do you like her??

khntr85

Quote from: ButchC on April 25, 2017, 09:38:50 AM
I have run a 20" on my 660 a few times and keep a 20 on my 461 unless conditions demand longer.  Loading a big power unit with a short bar is no more complicated than keeping the chains sharp and the depth gauges set so you can use the power. I run 025 on smaller saws but when running a 20 on the big saws  I run 030 and could run deeper when cutting cookies for fun but they would be pretty dangerous in the woods.  You must of course keep your 3/8x72 driver chains separated for peewee saws and big irons if your going to play the depth gauge game.  As stated earlier when using the correct techniques a person can cut one heck of a big tree down with a 20" bar, a person doesnt need a 32" bar to cut down a 32" tree ;D

How do you like your 461....I am sure glad I got mine, has saved me a lot of work...I know with the 20" and 25" bar my 461 cuts hardwood like butter, I love it!!!

ButchC

I am getting old enough that the 660 is becoming a load unless I am bucking. The 461 fast becoming a favorite. I dont know what people are cutting or what they expect when they say a 461 doesn't handle a 32" bar? I just hired a huge Maple tree taken down in the front yard that was too close to the house for comfort for me to take down. The arborist was running a 36 on his 461 and it pulled it just fine with skip chain.  Maybe some need to brush up on sharpening chains? Or expect the saw to fall through wood like race day? Maybe the arborist and  I got the best 461s ever made? LOL  Mine will pull a full compliment 32" chain with 025 rakers just fine. I dont carry a saw to the woods or often run a saw all day but the weight hasn't been a problem withthe 461 as it is with the 660.  I use it for a lot of 20" bar work that I used to due with my 036 because it does it with so much more authority. I guess you could say I like the 461?  8) In the woods it handles more like a 036 on steroids than the downsized 660.
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

happscrap

Hello all, New here.. first post. My fav saw is my 660 with a 20 incher on it. Its a beast for oak and its the perfect saw on the ground for getting larger wood cut for the loader ( My loader can only lift 1100 lbs ( to get thru a 40inch gate) That being said, the 440 is the perfect saw when climbing for larger wood. Anything from 10 to 18inchs I use the 261.

Someone mentioned putting a 20 inch on an 880. If they made that bar.. id be all over it just to try it. I cant express enough how much I love that 660 with a 20. Its my go to saw.

Nice to meet everyone. Off to work!  8)
Owner / Operator Of Happy's Tree Service, LLC Since "1989"
ISA Certified Arborist FL-6358-A
ISA Member
My Favorite Saws: 661 with a 20inch or 880 with a 30.
http://www.happystreeservice.com

Dr. Cornwallis

 I ordered up my saws today. MS 661 CM with 20" and  25" ES Light bars and I ended up getting a 193T for my in tree saw. My dealer cut me (phrasing) a pretty sweet deal on both. I paid $1108.99 for the 661 w/ 25" ES Light bar and $288.99 for the 193T.

Dr. Cornwallis

Quote from: happscrap on May 03, 2017, 07:51:47 AM
Hello all, New here.. first post. My fav saw is my 660 with a 20 incher on it. Its a beast for oak and its the perfect saw on the ground for getting larger wood cut for the loader ( My loader can only lift 1100 lbs ( to get thru a 40inch gate) That being said, the 440 is the perfect saw when climbing for larger wood. Anything from 10 to 18inchs I use the 261.

Someone mentioned putting a 20 inch on an 880. If they made that bar.. id be all over it just to try it. I cant express enough how much I love that 660 with a 20. Its my go to saw.

Nice to meet everyone. Off to work!  8)

Thanks for posting man. You're close to me too, I live over in St. Petersburg. Do you feel your 660 is too big for climbing?

happscrap

St. pete.. man.. we are neighbors :laugh: I have climbed with the 660  ... im a bigger guy so its not that bad. 460 is my saw of choice for larger cuts in the tree. 193 isn't a bad saw, but i only use them for small dead wooding and prunes and the beginning of removals. I also only run a pole saw 12 inch bar on them and that makes it way more powerful. I have around 10 of them and to me they are a disposal saw. Of course the old 200's are better but 2 saws to one is a no brainer to me. We srt rec climb all the time in clearwater... your welcome to join man.. loads of fun.
Owner / Operator Of Happy's Tree Service, LLC Since "1989"
ISA Certified Arborist FL-6358-A
ISA Member
My Favorite Saws: 661 with a 20inch or 880 with a 30.
http://www.happystreeservice.com

khntr85

I am in st. Pete right now for vacation lol!!

Dr. Cornwallis

Quote from: happscrap on May 03, 2017, 05:16:39 PM
St. pete.. man.. we are neighbors :laugh: I have climbed with the 660  ... im a bigger guy so its not that bad. 460 is my saw of choice for larger cuts in the tree. 193 isn't a bad saw, but i only use them for small dead wooding and prunes and the beginning of removals. I also only run a pole saw 12 inch bar on them and that makes it way more powerful. I have around 10 of them and to me they are a disposal saw. Of course the old 200's are better but 2 saws to one is a no brainer to me. We srt rec climb all the time in clearwater... your welcome to join man.. loads of fun.

Where do you guys rec climb at in Clearwater?

khntr85

Did you get yourbsaw in yet???

Dr. Cornwallis

I've got it, I've actually had it for a couple weeks now. Initial impressions are that it's a real monster. It seems to balance well with the 28" ES Light bar. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to put it in wood yet. I had a job lined up to remove a large oak tree and that was going to be the saws first time in wood, however, I was under bid so I haven't had the chance to usebitbyet. It's killing me too.

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