Reliability Stihl Ms261 Husky 346xp NE

[jnoon]

Hi mate,

ive got and use a 261 love it!! only thing that you need to do is replace the needle bearing for a higher grade part, (ive done mine under warranty). engine wise etc its absoutly spot on. bags of power, very good on juice compared to the 346xp and well balanced. i should also say the AV's are awsome, so are the emissions due to the new exhaust. 261 also has some new good features, new air filter, captive nuts .....

 

346xp is a good saw, it screams, the noise to me gets a bit loud and annoying but thats probably the stihl man in me . both good saws, cutting wise not much between them, chainbrake is bigger on the 346 so is throttle.. personal choice really..

[Ian C]

I would avoid the 261 for the time being, there is a problem with clutch bearing thats not yet be resolved fully.

 

i would agree, i got one of the first 261's and have trouble with it, good saw but the clutch drum problem wont go away.

 

I will be going for a 550/560 next.

 

i also have a 346 and thats a belting saw, better IMO than a 260/261 and im a sthil man!!!!

Edited May 14, 2012 by Ian C

[Marsh Monkey]

would you like the list of issues i've had with my 261? or should i leave it at that i'm getting a husky for my next saw....

[Kay 9]

The Stihl you mentioned is having problems as stated . The 346 is tried and tested . The 550 is the 346 replacement and not been out long . Having said that it does not seem to be having a bad time so far ! I would go for a 346 if you can still get one 550 if you cant . This is based on me having a 346 . I also have a 560 which had some issues to begin with but all sorted now .the 550 is a smaller looking 560 and a cracking saw by all accounts so either Husqvarna bud . Welcome by the way .

Yeah think I'm going to go with the 346 as it's been around longer than the new variations. Thanks for the welcome:) I don't want something giving niggly little problems like most new things do for the first year or 2!

[Kay 9]

I can't comment on the 261 as I've never used one, but all I can hope is it's better than any of the other small stihls I've used in the past.

 

Out of the two I'd sway towards the 346.

 

However, the 550 is the same money as the 346 (or should be if you know your dealer well) and will blow the socks off the other two. I've had my 550 a couple or 3 months now and it's doing well still. Out of the box they have loads of zip, but once the auto tune beds in properly it just gets better and better.

 

Geometry wise it reminds me of the old 242 and it's lighter than a 346 as well.

Sounds interesting but what if that autoune jazz goes tits up and it can't be fixed by owner and needs to be brought back to shop, could be a costly to repair. I do like the sound of it, but not persuaded fully yet.

[Kay 9]

Thanks for all the replies folks. Really appreciate and think I'm going to go with the husky. Change is good anyway. More replies, experiences and reviews welcome:)

[Chris Sheppard]

Sounds interesting but what if that autoune jazz goes tits up and it can't be fixed by owner and needs to be brought back to shop, could be a costly to repair. I do like the sound of it, but not persuaded fully yet.

 

I completely understand where you're coming from - when they were first talked about I was absolutely convinced I wasn't going to have one due to the autotune. Took a 560 on demo for a week and within the first 5 minutes I was pretty much convinced I was going to buy a 550 off the back of using the 560. I almost didn't want to like it but really impressed me.

 

So far, mine has been fine, but if it does go wrong I'll finish the day off with whatever spare saw I've got with me and drop it in the dealer on the way home. I know they'll get it sorted as quick as they can. If it turns out to be problematci it can go on ebay once the warranty's out - by then it should have earnt it's keep anyway.

 

My understanding is that all the auto tune is doing is twiddling the high and low screws as such anyway.

 

the 346 isn't bad - but the 550 is a whole new level

 

You should be able t o pick up a 550 for £500 all in without too much haggling - that's 346 money isn't it?

[Stubby]

If you get a 346 and want to make it perform like , or better than , a 550 p.m. spud to give you a price for a tune . he will port the saw and get it running faster and stronger than standard safely . He did mine and it screams pulling a full chisel chain on a 15" bar being driven with a 8 pin powermate rim . Worth every penny in my book !

[WoodED]

id say 346xp,, ive had mine over 2 years now and its been hammered in that time, i havnt had to replace anything on it apart. its reliable and tried and tested,, however i have herd good things about the 550xp

[born2trot]

I've got the 550 and its a ripper . The pick up is scary fast combined with its ultra lightness i cant see it being beat in its class ( spud tune aside ) .

A word of caution though if you intend to cut biggish timber regularly then i wouldnt recommend it , the saw is just too physically small .