Please PM me if you can get deals on Stihl.

I thought you were offering! I'll take a deal as well ;)

i want a 261

Is this for juggling or route prep?

PS - I like husqvarna better

Man a Stihl with a titanium 24" blade is amazing! I too was hoping you had one for cheap.

Discounted stihls are tough to come by- they only do their sales through dealers and markup isn't very high. Sometimes old models will go on sale a little- like if a dealer still had a 260.

That said, Stihls can last forever, so if you can a used one that hasn't been abused, it's not a bad investment. I have a few 15 year old craigslist saws that are still running great.

Also, if you're interested in any more unsolicited advice-
I feel like my 260(never used a 261) is a little underpowerd for 20-24" bars. The 310 and 360 seem to do a lot better and are still on the lighter side.

Yes Ben, that is what I have heard on the discounted stihls. I need a lighter saw for clearing ski runs during the off season. I will take another look at the 310 and 360, thanks!

I picked up a small 14" or 16" Eager Beaver chainsaw for $30 off craigslist. It was practically new and the little thing is amazing for trail work. I was looking for a small hasq or the sthil used but i can't complain. The Eager beaver is so light and can be used one handed easily it's tough to have any regrets for $30 on this craigslist.

My farm is all Stihl! Love the products. Check out local tree cutting companies or large ones like Asplundh because sometimes they do sell their older ones for next to nothing. Doesn't hurt to ask.

professionally I think Stihl saws are better.

I have an ms250 and just bought an ms460. Hoping to pick up a few more this month. Love stihls. Get em while they're hot!

The Stihl 362 is about 1.5lbs heavier than the 261 and you gain 9cc

www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/professional-saws/

Get a real saw, lol

Not that either is better, but the 362 has a better performance/weight ratio than the 261:

0.53kW/kg for the 261
0.58kW/kg for the 362

With that said, if I were buying a new saw I would buy the 261

I realize I just told you to go bigger, but it could be worth looking at a top handled saw. They are really ergonomical and you can use one all day without it beating you up. The 200t is a little beast, but expensive. The 192t not as powerful, but it's around $350 or so and is crazy light for how powerful it is.
If you're gonna be humping up and down ski runs clearing pecker poles, one of those might be nice. I did some of that during the summer when I was a snowmaker a while back. We were only clearing little 2-4" diameter saplings and those little saws with a nice sharp chain worked great.
If you're gonna be bucking up anything bigger than 6 or 8" or want to use this for cutting firewood or something too, the saws i just mentioned don't really fit the bill.
Food for thought, good luck

Thanks Ben for the info and advice. I use a saw for clearing/thinning ski runs, wood for camping, wood for furniture building, etc. I currently don't cut wood and burn it at home for heat. With that said, I have noticed a big loss of power as you increase elevation, as you would expect. I have used a 210, 250, and 310. The 310 felt very heavy lugging it up and down steep hills. I will check out those saws you mention.

What chaps do you like? I have an older and cheaper pair currently. I have been researching them. I want a full wrap style. Thanks

Coop my "small" saw is a stihl ms361 pro and it's a great little saw, pulls a 24" loop no problem.

With a 20" b/c it really sings but i like the extra length just for the reach.

For limbing and bucking smaller logs I wouldn't want a less powerful saw than this.

It feels like it weighs nothing to me but to be fair my other saws are 90+ cc's so of course it does.

Plus with a ported muffler that 361 will really wake up.

Yeah, the elevation can be a bitch. I live at 8000, and do most of my work at 5-6000. My saws can bog down a little at home until they get warmed up. We do some work for Rocky Mountain NP up at around 10-11k. When we're working up there, we'll tune the carbs to compensate for the altitude(on our small saws at least, the big burly ones don't care as much).

As far as chaps go, I use these(far less often that I should):
www.sherrilltree.com/Professional-Gear/Chainsaw-Protected-Cl>>>
They have the calf wrap, which is nice. You might be able find something slightly cheaper at baileysonline.com.

I worked for a big client for a while that made us wear chainsaw protection even when we were up in a tree, which is really impractical with chaps, so I bought a pair of Husqvarna protective pants. They worked fine for that, but are not as practical as chaps and I haven't really used them since.

Regarding pants, I do volunteer work with a guy who uses summer weight chainsaw pants (I think they are Swedepro brand) and has no problem hiking around the woods in them all day. Chaps get hot in a hurry in the heat of the summer.