Pretty much like this?
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That's about what I expected.
I got tired of waiting so I ordered a new 462 with a 3/4 wrap handle. It took a month to get here. I think I'm going to send it out for port work, and keep the 500 stock.

How much time do you have?
Rabbit hole #261
Rabbit hole #462

Other Utube searches to consider for porting lessons
hotsaws101
Donny Walker
Tinman's saws
Redbull661

Excellent tree cutting channels.
Buckin' Billy Ray Smith
Reg Coates
August Hunicke
Guilty of Treeson

Firewood channels
Back 40 Firewood
In The Woodyard
Outside with Scheib

If you like some of the above channels, you'll probably like.
Steve's Small Engine Saloon

Awesome thread bump...port all the things

I have two 038 Magnums with 24-inch bars. The older I get the more they bust my balls.

No need for a 500i if you have a 461, unless of course that 461 gets dirty.

Cleanest damn saws outside the store display I have ever seen.

I hate you guys

Alright.
So if I wanted to run a 24in lightweight bar, what's a good chainsaw to run?

How do I do it RIGHT not cheap
If forced to choose between the 2, I pick RIGHT.

MS 170 here: be all you can be...

Chris

I have a MS-271,it has served me well and gonna put it to some more work this fall, it should last me quite a long time.

Where are you?  More specifically, what wood will you be cutting?
Here in the PNW where everything is fir and pine shops sell 60cc pro saws with 24 and 28" bars.  Back east where everything is oak they'll say 20" is the max for little saws like that and you need a MS461 or 372xp for 24"

A muff modded Stihl ms200, 261 and a MMWS 461.

A 261 would serve 90% of people well but is a pro saw with a pro price. We use the ms291 on the fd for storm cleanup, cheaper and they work good but not a hot rod like the 261.

Well you assholes cost me more money.

Have been looking at upgrading my 20yr old craftsman my grandad gave me. Seeing all the praise for the ms261 pushed me over the edge.

Now I've got a MS261 with 16 (what it came with) or 20" bars, and a MS170 with a 14" 0.05 bar/chain.

Absolutely loving this combination.

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East coast, North east.
I have a 16in ECHO electric that's decent. But being honest, when it gets hot from being used, the saw will slow down a bit. If the saw slows down a bit it stops the chain.
TLDR: The saw has anxiety and will ragequit under prolonged or serious use.  

While it's pretty good for small jobs/convenience, I'd like to pick up a "serious saw".

I'm wondering if a strong 20in is significant enough a job and suitable for big trees - I've got a few with 2ft diameters around here.
Lot of oak and maple by me.

I have  nothing to add to the discussion except old Stihl pics. Helped the old man drop an old tree on the family property. Probably not impressive to some but it made me do a double take.

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Made in West Germany

If you want to run a 24" bar in big oak a lot, I'd go with a 462cm or 500i.  If it's mainly smaller trees with a few bigger ones, I'd go with a 362cm with the 24" bar.

You can for sure cut bigger trees with a smaller bar, you just have to be able to cut from both sides of the tree when making notches / bore cuts...etc.  It does make a little more complicated if your not used to it.  I dropped some pretty good sized trees with a 20" bar in the past, when it's all you have, you make it work.  Then you start bucking those trees up and it takes forever because you have to cut from both sides on every cut you make....it gets annoying fast....fast enough to start justifying a bigger saw

Good combination for what most people do.....congrats.

I bought my wife a 181 with the easy start, I use it all the time for limbing and small jobs....it's hard to beat a small lightweight saw for that stuff.

I'm all about lightweight.

When I do use my saws I use them alot. I'll go 8 months without using them and then use them everyday for a month.

Loading a heavy ass saw every single day will really wear you out. The 10lb MS261 with a small bar/chain is really comfortable to saw with. I haven't regretted dropping the $600 for one second!

OP, it's really a personal choice based on the jobs you face.  

For me, MS170.  Small and light enough not to kick your ass working in the canopy, powerful enough to take 32" wood.  Mine has a lot of hours on it, and just keeps running strong.  Zero issues.  Only real cons are that the oiler and carb aren't adjustable.  I've got an adjustable replacement carb that I have been meaning to swap in for about four years now, along with the rest of the hop-ups that guys tend to do to saws (porting, timing, opening up the muffler).  But the saw continues to laugh at wood in its bone stock condition, so I just keep running it.  If it ain't broke, something something.  

IMO, quality fuel, oil, and chain, along with proper maintenance, knowing how to keep your chain sharp, and having a good oiler are more important than how big the powerhead is.  

An anecdote: Buddy of mine just got a brand new MS391.  I had him meet me on a job a couple of weeks ago so that I could play with it.  I was not very impressed with the saw.  I would describe performance as lackluster.  And even maxed out, the oiler was anemic.  Everything that I tried the 391 at, my 170 did better.  It was kind of frustrating for us both.  Him because of the performance issues, and me because I really wanted to love the saw.  

What type of 32" wood are you cutting with a 170?

The 391 is an overweight / underpowered saw....there are a lot of better options in the Stihl lineup.  

At the same time I had a buddy bring a saw over and complained it was garbage, it wasn't the saw that was the problem, it was his inability to sharpen a chain.  He thought it was magic that the "saw" did so much better after I sharpened the chain for him.  Knowing how to sharpen a chain can make an average saw look good and a great saw look average.  Not saying this was the problem with your buddies saw, your story just reminded me of it.

This.

Popping tops!

This is the way. My 170 is 16 inch green chain and the 261 is 20 inch yellow chain.

You should look into converting the MS170 to the 14" 0.05 chain. It makes a world of difference.



I can send the part numbers if you need them, but he gives them in the video.

Not to sound like one of the poors, but, I'm thinking I might get myself an Echo-CS620 or CS680
Note I would just be doing bucking work, and heavy storm cleanup - no felling!

Supposedly when compared to one of the modern saws the 680 is a heavy dog, but torquey, simple, and reliable.
I'm attracted to that

The 16in electric I have doesn't like prolonged cutting on the big trees here that fall

I would get the 590 Timberwolf, same saw minus aluminum handle, magnesium cover, metal rear handle, and something I'm forgetting for $180 more.  After the initial first start, this thing just goes like hell. I bought a 24" bar this week to do a few cuts and see how it likes it but the 20" will be my main bar.

Or you could get a much better saw such as a Stihl or Husky.  

The Stihl or Husky comparable to the Timberwolf is $300-400 more, and from what I've seen, not worth the
extra money.  The ones in the same price range as the Timberwolf are outclassed by it.

I picked up an interesting one yesterday to start playing with, a Stihl MS362C...

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I suppose you're still ripping a carb'd snow machine? You should check out one of them new turbo/FI jobbies.

I have that same saw. I grab it more than anything else. I ran 4 tanks through it on Sunday. Dolmar makes a nice saw.

My "big" saw is a ported Husky 261 with a 24" semi skip. I like that saw. Reasonably light and powerful.

My baby saw is a Echo CS310. I love how light it is. It's my camping saw, too.

The 500i has my attention, for sure. I'd drop all of my bar sizes. 16" on the Dolmar and 20" on the 261. 24" and 28" for the 500i. It would be a perfect lineup.

Most recently?  A pair of black locust.  One of which had a section of chain embedded in it.  That's always a delightful surprise.  

If there's a hardwood species native to here, this saw has eaten it.  

One of my favorite saws has always been a Husqvarna 61, and have owned several over the years...all with 20" bars.  Never messed with a 261, but do have a 268 and a 266XP.  I thought about sending the 266XP off to be ported, it would be impressive with a 20" bar.

I always wonder that in these saw threads. Then again, all I cut is pine and fir. Sap litterally flying as you cut. My saws all look like a major league baseball bat.

That's a sweet saw !
I like my 361 alot.

The 362 will run great.

This thread is so much better than all the doom and gloom threads.

I have that saw and love it.
During the Texas ice issue it stayed in the back seat of the truck to cut trees (small ones) and limbs off the road to get into town.
It definitely has its limits but I don't use it for big work, I left the MS361 at home.

If you cut two 32" black locust's with a 170....you have more patience than I do

Joking aside, you use the tools you have to get the job done....been there done that many times.

Some people like myself will take a pic of something when it is new and never think about it again, here is my Stihl.
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Quick detailer makes em look good for a photo shoot!!

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Well, the one with the chain embedded in it was a pain in the ass for obvious reasons (That tree was also home to a colony of carpenter ants.  Ugh.).  Otherwise, it really wasn't bad.  I just keep my chains sharp and let the saw do all the work.  I think the only real sorcery here is sharp chain and an oiler that actually works.  Normally I keep a couple of freshly sharpened chains with me so I can just swap them out in the field.  And then I just touch up the chains that I used that day once I'm back at the house and cleaning up the saw.  If I'm doing a lot of cutting or I notice that the saw is getting gummed up or not oiling like it should, I'll take a ten minute break, yank the bar and chain, and clean out the saw and bar with a brush, a pick, and a putty knife.  

Sharpening is super fast if you don't run your chains to where they're making sawdust instead of chips. Maybe 3-8 passes per tooth with the file, touch up the rakers as necessary, and you're done.  Sharp chain is where it's at!    I use one of those stamped depth gauges if I'm filing rakers, otherwise it's all freehand.  I think the all-in-one sharpeners with the guides are bullshit.  I'm way faster going freehand, and IMO, I end up with a sharper chain.  Files are Vallorbe rounds, they're Swiss and excellent.  Nicholsons are good too.  Just pop 'em in the handle of your choice.  

Believe me, nobody has probably been more surprised with how good this little 170 is than me.  It's just a bone stock Sthil 170 with a 16" Rollomatic E bar and Stihl chain.  It's been such a delight to use that I have been putting off purchasing more saws, but I think after I knock out a couple of jobs this coming week, I'm going to finally bite the bullet and upgrade.  I need a top handle for more maneuverability up in the canopy.  The 170 is really good up there, but less weight and having a saw that's actually designed for one handed use would be even better.  And then because I want to start taking on bigger jobs, I need a big ol fatdaddy saw.  Decided on the Echo 2511T for the top handle, and big daddy gunboats will be one of the MS660 clone kits.  

@rtlm
If you went out and bought a new chainsaw or used you currertlm nt one it would be even more enjoyable for you.

No doubt that it can be done....and people leave the chain out of the equation way too often.  A sharp chain makes all the difference.  That being said, if I'm cutting up a 32" tree, I'm grabbing one of my big saws (with a sharp chain) not a small one.  

I don't sharpen in the field, I keep plenty of chains on hand and sharpen later.  I bought the Oregon grinding setup and will never go back to hand filing again

I’ve always loved the 461. I’ve had 5, and I’m getting my first professionally built saw back from a builder tomorrow. I can’t wait!!

Yes.  Yes they do.  "Why won't my saw cut!?" And then you take a look at their chips, and it's all sawdust.  I think a lot of people really don't have a grasp on how saws work, and how to set them up.  They might pull it out once or twice a year to buck firewood, prune, or clear storm damage, so they ride it hard and then put it up wet.  

I feel like I've learned more making due with the smaller saw, and I like challenges, but yeah, I think it's high time for a bigger saw.

I have considered one of those Oregon grinders, but I know that the second I do that, I'll probably never hand sharpen again...  And then there go my hand sharpening skills out the window.  

What model and how much.

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Thanks for the memories! 4 generations of us now have all been loggers, my Dad passed away 2 years ago and my grandfather passed away 40 years ago, I consider myself lucky to have worked in the log woods with both of them. Now its my 2 sons and myself left carrying on the tradition.
 As to the OP and his thread: my saw I use to stump with every day is a 372XP that Ive rebuilt into a 75cc. I did however spend most of the day today running a 390XP with a 32" Tsumara bar on it since Im in timber that a smaller saw with a shorter bar cant handle. I also cut the 2nd largest tree Ive ever cut today, a tulip poplar with 2740 bdft in it.
Yeah, I know just a little about using a chainsaw lol.

Go outside and do something

I’ve got the Oregon 520….I think it was around $275. We have 2-4 saws cutting firewood every weekend fall/winter…which equals a lot of chains to sharpen. I’d rather spend time with the family than sharpen chain…so the saved time made it worth every penny.