Small saw recommendations?

[wyk]

The ms241 is a small mount bar. AKA the 3001, a074 or s174 mount. The 360, an excellent saw, uses the standard d025/3003 Stihl mount.

There is not a huge difference in weight between the 261 and 241, and often no cost difference, but the 261 has 25% more displacement and significantly more power. With a quick muffler mod, the 261 is rather potent.

I went with the Echo CS390ESX from RobD to replace my old MS241. It's a pound lighter still, and not much difference in power. I am rather fond of it after a few months use so far.

If it is for light usage the Echo CS361 is an impressive little saw.

Edited February 16, 2019 by wyk

[Deciduous Dan]

Thanks I will have a look at both stihls on the way in this morning, hopefully they will be reasonably priced.I don't know this local dealer very well if they are to expensive I will to online which give many more options.

[Paul in the woods]

On 16/02/2019 at 13:01, wyk said:

I went with the Echo CS390ESX from RobD to replace my old MS241. It's a pound lighter still, and not much difference in power.

I'm looking at these two saws myself and the online specs say they are the same dry weight at 4.5kg but the MS 241 C-M is more powerful at 2.3kW vs the CS-390ESX 1.9kW. Is that not the case, or was the old 241 heavier?

[wyk]

The old 241 is heavier than the new from what I have heard. Whether you get a new one right now or not, I dunno. The clutch cover looks different I am told. But I haven't seen a new one in person.

 

The power levels are similar, as in they will both cut about the same speed. The 241 will feel more zippy, tho. Assuming it doesn't have the stall off of idle mine always had(even after I ported it). But the ms241 is electronic carb, whereas the cs390 uses a Walbro WT series mechanical carb, which is a main reason of why I went with it instead. My 241 has had solenoid issues twice now(so take my advice on the 241 with a grain of salt). I am about to replace the solenoid with a newer version. We'll see if that fixes things. But my little saws live a much rougher life than most as I use them for firewood on a large estate. So lots of long cuts in hard woods, over and over for hours. If you use it for trimming, it should last longer. If you already have Stihl saws, the 241 should be a strong candidate. Except...

 

Another reason I went with the 390ESX instead is the freakin' size of the 241. It's huge for a 40cc saw.  Yeah, the 241 is a pound lighter than the 261. But the 261 has 25% more displacement(and itself not known for being a lightweight in the 50cc saw realm). It is drastically more powerful than the 241 for just one pound more weight. And if you remove the baffle on the 261 exhaust, it cuts another 30% or so faster. That's barely an hours work if you know what you're doing. Then there's this:

 

That's a 550XP on the right, and it is slightly smaller in stature than the 241cm on the left. It also doesn't weigh much more. And, again, has much more power. The Echo CS390ESX is tiny compared to a 241, and is much lighter than my old 241.

 

Normally, I wouldn't be comparing a 40cc saw to a 50cc saw, but in this case, the 241 is often priced the same as a 261(which makes sense, it probably cost nearly the same to produce either, and has lower demand than the 261). Regardless, this means it is competing with it's 50cc brethren. In which case, you have to ask yourself how much difference a pound makes, and how much difference another HP makes if you choose Stihl. And the 241 weighs nearly the same as a 550xp. So, it is in direct competition there as well.

 

If you don't want to stick with Stihl, there are saws that are lighter, smaller, and cut nearly as well or the same, for much less money - most of which are not electronic carb as well. The Zenoah/Redmax 43cc comes to mind(or, if you would like to pay more for one and use your local dealer, get the Husqvarna 543XP version of said saw), Echo/Shindaiwa 390 series, Dolmar 421, etc etc. You can get the Echo CS390ESX from RObD and the Dolmar 421 from Shavey for far less than a 241 would cost you.

 

My needs are specific. I have an Echo CS390ESX because it is powerful enough, tiny, robust and light. It fits easily in the tractor behind the seat(most 50cc saws are pushing it and the seat threatens to crush them), and I can carry it long distances without any strain as I often have to hike out to remote parts of the estate. My next size up saw is an 044. So it does a good job filling a big spot.

[Paul in the woods]

Thank you for the detailed reply wyk, very helpful. I currently have a small Echo 352 and would happily buy another but I don't have a decent Echo dealer nearby. If I did I might be tempted to go for a slightly larger saw and get the Echo 501SX.

[Deciduous Dan]

Well I went for the 261 from the local dealer in the way in to work this morning, and after a day on it I am happy after doing the same job with the huzqvarna 365 last week it felt light and it has plenty of go zipping through the willow and hazel we are cutting at the moment.

The reason for not going for the 241 is 

a) as wyk said it's not much more money or weight for the extra power

and b) the shop didn't have any 241s! 

but I feel that I have got a saw that fits my needs so thanks for th the help everyone.