Mid-Range Stihl Chainsaws: **Got one** But I have more questions.....

[jay.sharkbait]

If you get an 056 you are going to have seal and ignition issues somewhere in the near future. 290 wont be around much longer, and it has always been a great saw. The 291 is only upgraded due to emissions and is an ok saw, but not something worth spending the extra cash. The 391 is also a good saw, but you wont want to cut all day with it. All around, there is a reason that the 290 is the best selling homeowner saw Stihl has ever made. I am a certified Stihl Master Tech, I see over 350 units a year that I work on. My  is, get a 290, while you still can, and enjoy it. Use non-ethanol fuel for the life of the saw if you can. Keep it stock, if you dont and have an issue later, it will void the warranty.

Why are they dropping the 290? Are they replacing it with another saw or redesigned saw?
BTW my 032 is still running great...

I don't think the 290 will pass emissions.

I used to work for one of the largest Stihl dealers in the country and would recommend the 290. Do not mod the saw.

Stay away from the 056. They had several different ignitions and I don't know if any are still available. I saw a couple 056's that would run for a couple minutes and then the ign would crap out.

If you could find a really good 034 or 036 I'd grab that. The carbs are fully adjustable and parts are still around.

I have a shaved and ported 034 with a 16 bar that cuts the small stuff pretty good, but you need to be careful how you start it.

[jackmaster]

STIHL OR HUSKY YA CANT GO WRONG, if your cuttin firewood i would go for around a 36 its just enough power and you can run a 28 in bar with a semi skip and not bog down to bad, or even a 24 with a full comp. and they are small and light enough to not completly kick your butt, good luck

[andersonjk4]

STIHL OR HUSKY YA CANT GO WRONG, if your cuttin firewood i would go for around a 36 its just enough power and you can run a 28 in bar with a semi skip and not bog down to bad, or even a 24 with a full comp. and they are small and light enough to not completly kick your butt, good luck

This brings me to my next question.  What is the best bar size for a saw in this size range? 

[jay.sharkbait]

STIHL OR HUSKY YA CANT GO WRONG, if your cuttin firewood i would go for around a 36 its just enough power and you can run a 28 in bar with a semi skip and not bog down to bad, or even a 24 with a full comp. and they are small and light enough to not completly kick your butt, good luck

This brings me to my next question.  What is the best bar size for a saw in this size range?

Short as possible. Longer bars are additional drag and inexperienced operators can get some pretty bad habits

[hntrspud]

  Basic bar on a 290 is 20" for a reason. They perform better, and you can still get a 40" cut out of it. Longer bars can lead to some serious damage. BTW DONT LEAVE THE STORE WITHOUT PROPER SAFETY EQUIPMENT! Cannot be overstated. You may think chaps are expensive, or whatever, but how much is the ER bill? Or the loss of a limb? etc

[WSU]

STIHL OR HUSKY YA CANT GO WRONG, if your cuttin firewood i would go for around a 36 its just enough power and you can run a 28 in bar with a semi skip and not bog down to bad, or even a 24 with a full comp. and they are small and light enough to not completly kick your butt, good luck

This brings me to my next question.  What is the best bar size for a saw in this size range?

Short as possible. Longer bars are additional drag and inexperienced operators can get some pretty bad habits

What kind of bad habits?  I run a saw for wood cutting and around the house, but am by no means a pro.

[raydog]

Thanks for the update buckmark! Namely because of the emissions curve, they had to redesign the 290,310,390 line to meet emissions standards. That is also the main reason they had to get rid of the 044. the 291 is the new 290. Still to soon on this saw to be able to know enough about it.

They got rid of the 044 that was one of my favorites

[NRA4LIFE]

Make sure you can put a longer bar on the 291, at least a 24".  The 24" make a huge difference vs the 20", IMO.  If the 291 can't handle it, bump up to the 311 (or whatever it's called now).

[boneaddict]

Man, I am old school.   I still operate a 038Super with a wrap on it.   It might be heavy, but so am I.    Imagine the emmisions. LOL!!!!

[kglacken]

orrrrr you could spend some money and get The Stihl Magnum 660 with a 36 in Oregon bar like i run at work....Talk about a saw that will rip through a log 
  In all seriousness, The farmboss is nice if you will only use it a few times a year. I Also run a MS 362 at work a lot and I love that saw. I never feel like I cant cut through something, yet it isnt too bad to pack around. If i were to buy one, id go with the 362 but whatever saw you decide on, learn how to REALLY take care of it. (Keeping it cleaned, greasing the tip, filing the riders and how to sharpen it right) That will make the biggest difference in how it performs 

[Humptulips]

orrrrr you could spend some money and get The Stihl Magnum 660 with a 36 in Oregon bar like i run at work....Talk about a saw that will rip through a log 
  In all seriousness, The farmboss is nice if you will only use it a few times a year. I Also run a MS 362 at work a lot and I love that saw. I never feel like I cant cut through something, yet it isnt too bad to pack around. If i were to buy one, id go with the 362 but whatever saw you decide on, learn how to REALLY take care of it. (Keeping it cleaned, greasing the tip, filing the riders and how to sharpen it right) That will make the biggest difference in how it performs 

I personally am a Husky fan but the 362 would be a good saw.  How the heck is a 290 a mid-size saw. That is a small saw. 660 is a bit over kill for wood cutting so something between that and the 290 is mid-size.
I wouldn't have a saw with less than a 28" bar, 30" better unless you're into back pain.
I'll throw in with the crowd and say stay away from the 056. I used to have one and never liked it. They were too heavy when new. They don't get lighter as you get older. Obsolete and the ignition will go eventually and then all you have is an anchor. Can't get parts.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

Is stihl even made in the usa anymore? ; ) They arent the saws of old. Give husky a good hard look, more bang for your buck and you wont know the difference. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[boneaddict]

I leveled a couple big sticks back in the day with a 660 and a 72 inch bar.  Overkill yes, but priceless.

[headshot5]

I can recommend a 036, 361, or 362 (for standard wood cutting).  If you can find an 034 in good shape they work just fine too.  As far as the 290,  they are on the smaller end (20" bar is about the longest they will handle without bogging down).  I would bump up to an MS 311 if you want to stay in that size range.

Overall you can't really go wrong with a STIHL.  Just keep your chain sharp and they won't let you down.   

   

[jackmaster]

STIHL OR HUSKY YA CANT GO WRONG, if your cuttin firewood i would go for around a 36 its just enough power and you can run a 28 in bar with a semi skip and not bog down to bad, or even a 24 with a full comp. and they are small and light enough to not completly kick your butt, good luck

This brings me to my next question.  What is the best bar size for a saw in this size range?

Short as possible. Longer bars are additional drag and inexperienced operators can get some pretty bad habits

What kind of bad habits?  I run a saw for wood cutting and around the house, but am by no means a pro.

the kind of bad habits, people use the dogs to cut limbs instead of using the tip, or when they dog into a log and roll over the top the dog the tip right into the dirt or aspault and then they get pissed because it aint cuttin good  oh i have seen that so many times and it always make me laugh, its good humor watchn those types  or watchn guys undercut when the should be comin from the top, you get to watch them get all bound up, well thats priceless to  . but seriously if your not gonna where chaps atleast wear safety glasses and ear protection, it sucks but man it can save you in the long run. i remember the day of climbing trees and all i wore was my baseball cap... pretty dumb to say the least.... hind sight is always 20/20