bcbz71
Active OPE Member
Last year, I decided I wanted a new saw (Stihl only, that's what I grew up with). I have a 009, a MS180C and a MS290.
The 009 is a great little limbing top handle, but it's old, and as they tend to do, it runs rich and it's to the point it floods out while running. It's a non-adjustable carb and I was just gonna throw it away from aggravation, but my 82 y/o Dad just sent me a carb that supposed to fit it with adjustable jets. He had one put on his 009L and says it works. We'll see when it arrives.
The 180 was worn bad when I bought it, but I've put a lot of miles on it. I call it my dirt saw because I'm not careful with it. It's a nice light saw that gets the job done, but man, I work on it a lot. I've put so many new parts on it that it's not been a cost effective saw to keep anymore. I just broke the starter cord twice this weekend.....got an OEM Stihl cord on the way.
As most know the 290 is a heavy beast. It's not been used much except for taking down big pines in my yard and a lot of clean-up after Hurricane Michael. Great powerful saw with 18" bar, but too heavy for what I do. It will flat wear me out cutting up logs with my Granberg mill.
Decided on the 241, but then couldn't find one, so was going to pick up a 261 and miraculously found a 241 at my local Ace. 18' bar with 3/8 p "green" chain on it.
Finally, here's the review:
After all the hype I've read about these saws, I felt I was in for a let-down. I cranked it up, and put it into a 13" piece of seasoned cedar and let her rip. The throttle response was immediate and it had a nice sound to it. I was able to slow the chain down a little with too much pressure, so I wasn't as impressed as I felt I should have been. Didn't want to put it in the dirt and old fence wire, so picked up the 290 and did some brush clearing and some general cleanup until it just got too heavy. Grabbed the 241 again, and my whole outlook changed in an instant. With the weight and sluggishness of the 290 fresh in my mind, the 241 felt like a lightweight dynamo. Everything about it just seemed smoother, more powerful and easy to handle. I proceeded to hit fence wire with it and get it in the dirt, but I ended Day 1 with a good impression of the saw. Not over enthusiastic, but hopeful. No issues with warm or cold starting.
Day 2: Started the day with all 3 saws freshly sharpened. Had some 14" live pines hanging over the road that I needed to cut on my hunting lease. Grabbed the 241 and went to work. "hot knife through butter" comes to mind. Ripped a 4"x36" slab from the heart of the pine to make a bench and piled up high the long slivers of pine. Impressed. Went to a place I had three 24" stumps stored to make fat lighter from and decided this would be the test.....18 month old pine stump with crystallized sap. I made 6 lengthwise cuts with the grain of the stump and the 18" bar buried about as hard as I could push and she just sang as the rippings piled up to my knees. Maybe I could have stopped the chain, but it would have taken a considerable amount more effort. Moved on to a food plot and dropped a standing dead pine about 17" in diameter and 70' tall. Made about 16 cross cuts for medallions for my daughter's country wedding table settings and then cut twelve 45 degree cross sections for a more unique center piece. No problem with the bar buried all 18".
To wrap it up, once I put a new pull cord on the 180 and a carb on the 009, one or both of them will go on craigslist. The 241 is just too light to keep them. The 290 has been with me 17 years and barely looks worn, but it may go too.....there is nothing that 290 can do that the 241 can't. All in all, 100% satisfied with my new purchase and can't believe I waited so long to treat myself!
And no, I do not plan on modding that saw at all....that's just not me.
The 009 is a great little limbing top handle, but it's old, and as they tend to do, it runs rich and it's to the point it floods out while running. It's a non-adjustable carb and I was just gonna throw it away from aggravation, but my 82 y/o Dad just sent me a carb that supposed to fit it with adjustable jets. He had one put on his 009L and says it works. We'll see when it arrives.
The 180 was worn bad when I bought it, but I've put a lot of miles on it. I call it my dirt saw because I'm not careful with it. It's a nice light saw that gets the job done, but man, I work on it a lot. I've put so many new parts on it that it's not been a cost effective saw to keep anymore. I just broke the starter cord twice this weekend.....got an OEM Stihl cord on the way.
As most know the 290 is a heavy beast. It's not been used much except for taking down big pines in my yard and a lot of clean-up after Hurricane Michael. Great powerful saw with 18" bar, but too heavy for what I do. It will flat wear me out cutting up logs with my Granberg mill.
Decided on the 241, but then couldn't find one, so was going to pick up a 261 and miraculously found a 241 at my local Ace. 18' bar with 3/8 p "green" chain on it.
Finally, here's the review:
After all the hype I've read about these saws, I felt I was in for a let-down. I cranked it up, and put it into a 13" piece of seasoned cedar and let her rip. The throttle response was immediate and it had a nice sound to it. I was able to slow the chain down a little with too much pressure, so I wasn't as impressed as I felt I should have been. Didn't want to put it in the dirt and old fence wire, so picked up the 290 and did some brush clearing and some general cleanup until it just got too heavy. Grabbed the 241 again, and my whole outlook changed in an instant. With the weight and sluggishness of the 290 fresh in my mind, the 241 felt like a lightweight dynamo. Everything about it just seemed smoother, more powerful and easy to handle. I proceeded to hit fence wire with it and get it in the dirt, but I ended Day 1 with a good impression of the saw. Not over enthusiastic, but hopeful. No issues with warm or cold starting.
Day 2: Started the day with all 3 saws freshly sharpened. Had some 14" live pines hanging over the road that I needed to cut on my hunting lease. Grabbed the 241 and went to work. "hot knife through butter" comes to mind. Ripped a 4"x36" slab from the heart of the pine to make a bench and piled up high the long slivers of pine. Impressed. Went to a place I had three 24" stumps stored to make fat lighter from and decided this would be the test.....18 month old pine stump with crystallized sap. I made 6 lengthwise cuts with the grain of the stump and the 18" bar buried about as hard as I could push and she just sang as the rippings piled up to my knees. Maybe I could have stopped the chain, but it would have taken a considerable amount more effort. Moved on to a food plot and dropped a standing dead pine about 17" in diameter and 70' tall. Made about 16 cross cuts for medallions for my daughter's country wedding table settings and then cut twelve 45 degree cross sections for a more unique center piece. No problem with the bar buried all 18".
To wrap it up, once I put a new pull cord on the 180 and a carb on the 009, one or both of them will go on craigslist. The 241 is just too light to keep them. The 290 has been with me 17 years and barely looks worn, but it may go too.....there is nothing that 290 can do that the 241 can't. All in all, 100% satisfied with my new purchase and can't believe I waited so long to treat myself!
And no, I do not plan on modding that saw at all....that's just not me.
