What do you guys think about the MS391?

flashover604

TreeHouser
Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Messages
443
Location
Lancaster Ohio
Hi all. I'm looking at getting a 20" Stihl to replace my 048. I don't think I need the 362, but I wanted your opinions on the 311 and 392. They're $499 and $589 respectively. For another $10 I can get a 24 or 25" bar and chain. The 362 is closer to $750. The 311 and 391 both weigh the same, but the 391 has more power. I'm leaning towards the 391 due to the higher horsepower.
 
I'm saying get the 362. Or better yet, get a husky 562XP. Those things balance so well, and tune themselves out perfectly.
 
I went from a farm saw to a pro saw. I noticed a big difference. I'm part time tree cutting, but I can save easily an hour firewooding a tree with a pro saw over the farm saw. My saws are second hand. I like stihls just for the reason they are a tad bit more easier to get parts for in my specific area.
 
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  • #7
I found a local used 362 for $300. I'm waiting to hear back on it. Sounds like a deal to me, but I can always resell it if it doesn't work out for me.
 
I'd look for a 036 360 361 for $300 used before the 362. Unless it is the latest NE type II 362 that is redesigned.

Like said above you can get a new echo 590 300-399.
 
I got a 361 from a farm dealer I do business back and forth with. $200 CAD. Lucked out on that one. They run $400-$600 CAD used around my parts. Nice saw.
 
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  • #12
I found an MS362-C that didn't look like it had been used much. At all. He said the last thing they cut was a pine tree and it had sap all over it. Looking at the bar and chain I thought there was something wrong with the oiler but I think it just got clogged up with pine gunk. I don't know if it is salvageable or not. The chain wobbles back and forth in the groove quite a bit and the side of the bar along the groove is blue from heat. Here are the pictures. Lemme know what you think. It started right up and ran good. I wonder if the bar from my 048 would fit?
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[URL=http://s374.photobucket.com/user/flashover604/media/7FA32CF1-3043-46BA-8F41-9CC89A03623C.jpg.html] [/URL]

[URL=http://s374.photobucket.com/user/flashover604/media/43BF0886-588B-44F1-9775-D1660895695B.jpg.html] [/URL]

[URL=http://s374.photobucket.com/user/flashover604/media/9DAACC80-6491-470A-8316-B0FAA938E1B2.jpg.html] [/URL]
[URL=http://s374.photobucket.com/user/flashover604/media/A200EC48-2792-41CE-9390-6F8BC4A0B3B4.jpg.html] [/URL]
 
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  • #15
I did that Raj. It pumped as soon as it started. I dug a ton of oily sawdust out of the groove and the oil holes.
 
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  • #17
Also, with the adjustable oiler on the 362, do you guys usually turn the supply down for shorter bars or just run it wide open and not worry about the extra oil use in exchange for maximum oiling? I usually fill the oil tank full and the gas tank 7/8ths or so so it runs out before the oil tank can.
 
You can fill your gas tank 100% full and no worry about the oil. The saws are designed to have more oil than needed to run throw a full gas tank, even with the oil pump set at max.

The blue color on the bar is from the thermal treatment during the making. If you remove the paint on a brand new Stihl bar, you can see exactly that (not sure about the other brands).
I don't say that your bar didn't run dry though. If the chain wobbles sideway quite a bit after a relative short use, you are probably right (or /and it could had eat some dirt, sand ...).
An other point to look at for an over heating evidence is the smooth white paint turning brownish and bubbled around the hot spot.
 
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  • #20
Ah, I didn't know that about the heat treating. I assumed that he ran it while it wasn't oiling. I may check out a new bar and chain and see if there is a noticeable difference between the two. It's good to know about the oil capacity as well. I've just always made it a habit to leave the gas a little less full than the oil and fill them both every time I filled the fuel tank.
 
Always top up your oil when you fill the gas tank, it should never run out before the gas, like Marc-A said, it's designed that way.
 
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