MS462C - 572XP Comparison

[MustangMike]

I don't know fellas that sounds like alot of responsibility, Lol

Just remember … Truth … Justice … and the Stihl way!!! (Plus, always make sure there is a phone booth close by)!

 

[Stump Shot]

Potential weak points of a 462 ?

Ran one at the MI GTG the other day and I must say I really like this saw, it performed well, was easy to handle and cut very smooth as well as fast. That said it should be a winner if it holds up out in the woods.
Being a light saw I can't help but wonder where did the weight savings come from and how much durability it has.
How easy is it to maintain? Can the clutch drum bearing be greased through the crankshaft for example? (I really don't know)
How easy is it to be repaired, time is money dot dot dot
How will it handle previous habits from a non M-tronic user.
Will better notices be put on the saw for this purpose as no one is reading an owners manual out in the woods and if at all.
Will dealers be left to do the training, how many will/won't?
Going to take some time I'd say for all this to play out, but on it's face...looks to be a great saw.

 

[MustangMike]

I would not have any concerns about the saws physical durability, but your concerns about operators knowing how to use M Tronic are definitely valid. Was a PITA to get my 261 back to normal after a Tree Guy messed it up (kept trying to run it low on fuel, insisting it had fuel). Once that saw goes into "protective mode" (to protect from an air leak), it stays rich for a while. Took about 7 tanks for mine to clear up. (FYI, he was up in a tree and did not want to lower it down for re fuel). He was raving about the saw till that occurred.

The light weight is the result of larger bore, shorter stroke (requires less crank counter balance) and a smaller lighter flywheel. None of this should reduce durability. If it is using the same bearings as a MS 460, they (IMO) have been well proven over the years. Almost all the tree guys around here rely on the 460/461 as their primary saw.

The biggest potential downside I see with the 462 may be the price.

 

[Willard]

Back in 2014 I had the first pics of the protoype 462 through a foreign friend. I waited a year and posted them in June 2015.
No model # but just a ID # on the fuel tank which I told my friend to photoshop off before I posted, just to be safe for his sake.

Everyone noticed the ugly weird sprocket cover which eventually hit the market on the latest MS261CM and MS362CM a few years ago.

I can safely say that since buying my early 2017 MS261CM the MS462CM would be the twin bigger brother.
My little 261 is pretty impressive and in the last year of use it has given me ZERO problems, I expect the same from the 462.

 

[Woodpecker]

I see a lot of guys who have not run the 462 say it will be a great saw with a 24" blade hung from it. Ive run it with a 24" b&c (in an tree and on the ground) and also a 28" tsumara L&T on it. It has been great either way. I actually really liked it with the 28.

 

[huskyboy]

I see a lot of guys who have not run the 462 say it will be a great saw with a 24" blade hung from it. Ive run it with a 24" b&c (in an tree and on the ground) and also a 28" tsumara L&T on it. It has been great either way. I actually really liked it with the 28.

How’s the oiler with the 28” bar buried? My 046 I had with the standard oiler (461 uses same oiler) was stingy with a 28” bar in maple. If I kept it any longer it was getting a ho oiler.

 

[Stump Shot]

I would not have any concerns about the saws physical durability, but your concerns about operators knowing how to use M Tronic are definitely valid. Was a PITA to get my 261 back to normal after a Tree Guy messed it up (kept trying to run it low on fuel, insisting it had fuel). Once that saw goes into "protective mode" (to protect from an air leak), it stays rich for a while. Took about 7 tanks for mine to clear up. (FYI, he was up in a tree and did not want to lower it down for re fuel). He was raving about the saw till that occurred.

The light weight is the result of larger bore, shorter stroke (requires less crank counter balance) and a smaller lighter flywheel. None of this should reduce durability. If it is using the same bearings as a MS 460, they (IMO) have been well proven over the years. Almost all the tree guys around here rely on the 460/461 as their primary saw.

The biggest potential downside I see with the 462 may be the price.

I haven't taken one apart yet to see all that, thanks for the clarification.

 

[Woodpecker]

How’s the oiler with the 28” bar buried? My 046 I had with the standard oiler (461 uses same oiler) was stingy with a 28” bar in maple. If I kept it any longer it was getting a ho oiler.

It was adequate. Still flinging a fair amount off the end. I don't have enough experience with the 046/461 oiler to say weather the 462 oils better or not.

 

[Willard]

I see a lot of guys who have not run the 462 say it will be a great saw with a 24" blade hung from it. Ive run it with a 24" b&c (in an tree and on the ground) and also a 28" tsumara L&T on it. It has been great either way. I actually really liked it with the 28.

These new low profile wide handle slung saws are the new generation of saws, first started by the 550/562 series years ago.

I take my 2012 562XP for example. For the first 4 years I ran a 18" Stihl 23RS .325 with the rebadged Jonsered small spline sprocket drum and a 7 pin rim.
My OE 372 and 395XP took over the 20" and over chores.
But since I recently sold the 372 and 395 I put a 24" with 3/8" 72LG on it and I love the 562's balance.

It will never see a brand new 72LG as it doesn't perform with it to my liking. It always will sport a 1/2 to 1/4 filed back 72LG or 33RS even with the 20" it now is permanently using, since I rebuilt my two 066s.

 

[Willard]

Back in 2014 I had the first pics of the protoype 462 through a foreign friend. I waited a year and posted them in June 2015.
No model # but just a ID # on the fuel tank which I told my friend to photoshop off before I posted, just to be safe for his sake.

Everyone noticed the ugly weird sprocket cover which eventually hit the market on the latest MS261CM and MS362CM a few years ago.

I can safely say that since buying my early 2017 MS261CM the MS462CM would be the twin bigger brother.
My little 261 is pretty impressive and in the last year of use it has given me ZERO problems, I expect the same from the 462.

I was just over at Chainsaw Repair index and see on the Stihl forum Kevin Cut4fun changed my June 2015 thread title to "MS462."
I originally called it "MS442 or MS462?"

 

[rocco490]

The dolmar 7900 had better have a touch more power. It's 7 cc bigger then the ms 462.

Now if you wanna compare the 7900 to the 500i that would be a much closer comparison of displacement vs power.

sounds good only problem is there are no 500i saws available yet in the usa to compare with...….

 

[mdavlee]

Potential weak points of a 462 ?

Spring mounts, AV limiter maybe. That’s my guesses from the pictures.

 

[mdavlee]

Unless there is someone in the "know" that can say how the 562 was "fattened up", it is possible they just corrected a previous error.

That said they may have "over compensated", as I believe the true weight (based on pics on scales from known sources) is about 13 lbs.

I distrust manufacturer's claims, and pics from unknown sources. All manufacturers have been caught fibbing, and the pic Mason posted does not show if that saw has a chain cover on it, a common trick to reduce the weight. There are also often rounding errors when going from lbs to kg.

FYI, 462s have been put on the scale and generally show the advertised weight.

Bottom line, the 462 s/b a great saw for someone looking to run a 20 or 24" bar. (No it is not really a 25" bar, just compare it to a 20" bar and that will be obvious. The reason Stihl re named it 25" (same specs as the old 24") is because the 28" bar is really a 27" bar, and they don't want you to realize that.

They changed the cases to add one more bolt so they had to gain weight there.

 

[Redfin]

How’s the oiler with the 28” bar buried? My 046 I had with the standard oiler (461 uses same oiler) was stingy with a 28” bar in maple. If I kept it any longer it was getting a ho oiler.

24" buried noodling had plenty.

 

[maulhead]

Angled starter handle is easier starting the saw on its side in a cut or on a mill.

Good to know, I was not aware of that.

Potential weak points of a 462 ?

For starters it's a still....so anything really.

 

[MustangMike]

They changed the cases to add one more bolt so they had to gain weight there.

I did not know that, thanks. Were their strength problems with the early cases? Hard to imagine they would go through that if there were not some failures.

 

[RI Chevy]

Saw isn't even out yet and we are coming up with POTENTIAL downfalls? Jeeesh. WTF

 

[Onan18]

I would not have any concerns about the saws physical durability, but your concerns about operators knowing how to use M Tronic are definitely valid. Was a PITA to get my 261 back to normal after a Tree Guy messed it up (kept trying to run it low on fuel, insisting it had fuel). Once that saw goes into "protective mode" (to protect from an air leak), it stays rich for a while. Took about 7 tanks for mine to clear up. (FYI, he was up in a tree and did not want to lower it down for re fuel). He was raving about the saw till that occurred.

The light weight is the result of larger bore, shorter stroke (requires less crank counter balance) and a smaller lighter flywheel. None of this should reduce durability. If it is using the same bearings as a MS 460, they (IMO) have been well proven over the years. Almost all the tree guys around here rely on the 460/461 as their primary saw.

The biggest potential downside I see with the 462 will be the price of parts.

Fixed for accuracy.

 

[MustangMike]

Point Taken!!!

 

[Onan18]

I did not know that, thanks. Were their strength problems with the early cases? Hard to imagine they would go through that if there were not some failures.

SOME (not all, very few actually) were known to leak bar oil under the muffler on very hot days in heavy use, so Husqvarna added a sixth case bolt there to keep that from happening. It in no way affected the way the saw runs.