MS 261 vs MS 291 - Best STIHL chainsaw comparison

Comments · 583

• SG

  @SgtPUSMC · 1 year ago · pinned

  I was always skeptical of the Pro saws. I had an MS250 for years and was completely happy with it as a homeowner with a little bit of acreage. Then I got involved in hurricane cleanup efforts and had the chance to use an MS261. That was a revelation! The weight and power are great, but it was the vibration damping that really sold me. Now I have both a 261 and a 461 and when I&apos;m out for a whole weekend running a saw, it&apos;s a completely different experience with those pro saws than it was with the homeowner saws.<br><br>If all you ever do is run the saw for a couple of hours a few times a year, stick with the homeowner saws, they will last you a lifetime if you take care of them. But if you run a saw for a whole day, or multiple days, do yourself a favor and get the pro saw (and you can&apos;t get much better than the 261 for almost anything) if you have a few extra dollars to spend.

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• NI

  @nickpalazzi2121 · 11 months ago

  I&apos;ve had a 261 for 10 years now and a thing that gets either missed or glazed over in every review is the biggest reason i bought it, m-tronic. I can&apos;t overstate how great it is to have a perfectly jetted saw whether its 15° or 90° without constantly having to fiddle Having a saw that blips the idle up at the end of a long cut so it never stalls, starts 1st pull, every time when it&apos;s warm, &nbsp;and never more than 5 if you haven&apos;t used it in months. &nbsp;That is the best feature of it. With everything else, it makes for a smile every time i use it.

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• VI

  @vikingsquid · 1 year ago

  I bought the ms261 saw with 20 inch bar. &nbsp;I am happy with it and just learned more than I knew. &nbsp; Thank you.

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• TE

  @TerryWiltgen · 11 months ago

  That slight, $90 price differential makes choosing the 261 over the 291 easy peasy.

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• JI

  @JImMieczkowski · 9 months ago

  Bought my first MS260 Pro many years ago followed by a MS360 and MS261. I am 71 years old now and am still cutting my firewood in my woods because of these saws features. After two right shoulder surgeries and being on blood thinners I can cut in the cold of Northern Oneida County, N.Y. &nbsp;Without the decompressor I wouldn&apos;t be able to start the saws and thanks to the captive bar nuts no more fumbling in the snow with frozen fingers for dropped nuts. Not to mention the weight savings. The extra price for a pro saw is repaid many times over the years in reliability and longevity, as well as less strain on the body. Thank you STIHL.

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• DO

  @dougreid2351 · 1 year ago

  Delivery, content &amp; solid information. &nbsp;YouTube videos don&apos;t get any better. Thank you. <br>Subscribed tonight. <br>BTW, I have never regretted buying my MS261. <br>DOUG out

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• DW

  @dwalke26 · 1 year ago

  I bought a 261 when they first came out, and comparing it to the old 290, it was a huge difference, the weight and decompression valve sold me.

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• PE

  @peihong33 · 10 months ago

  Excellent review. Very clear, covered all the relevant issues fairly.

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• DO

  @DougKremer · 1 year ago

  This is exactly why I bought my MS261-CM five years ago. &nbsp;It is an absolute ripper in the oak, walnut, and Osage in my neighborhood. &nbsp;It is a pleasure to run and sounds so very angry.

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• JA

  @jasonpushy · 7 months ago (edited)

  i splurged on myself and bought a 462 &nbsp;professional. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>greatest saw i’ve ever used. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><br>light &nbsp; &nbsp;power. &nbsp; &nbsp;build quality. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;just love it.

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• SM

  @smalltownwood · 1 year ago

  Bought a 291 about 6 years ago. I&apos;ve got a couple hundred cords of firewood through it, always been impressed, its never let me down. That being said, when it does finally die it will like be a 261 that replaces it.

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• MB

  @MB_MN_19 · 11 months ago

  Got my 026 in 1992, and it&apos;s still going strong. I don&apos;t cut as much as I did 33 years ago, and I added a Stihl 362 to the arsenal ~5 years ago, so that one gets the bigger jobs. I&apos;m glad I went the &quot;Pro&quot; route on both of them, even though I&apos;m just a homeowner. &nbsp;Next door neighbor has trashed about 3 cheapo saws in the same time span. &nbsp;To me, a quality product is a worthwhile investment.

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