Stihl MS 261 C-M Gear Review and Real Test

[@BuickOutdoors]

Thank you so much for watching! I hope you enjoyed this video and it helps you pick out your next saw.

[@andrechevalier8055]

J’ai une 261 le seul reproche peut-être c’est la chaîne en 325 . A part ça c’est une super bécane 👍👍😂

[@joaolourenco2840]

Qeroveovaldmotocera

[@YaxisX]

Excellent INTRO Sheldon Marion. Yours is the only video that ever showed the removal of engine cover and the adjustment with the orange plastic tab for SUMMER versus WINTER operation. Really great video sir!. We need people like you!

[@BuickOutdoors]

Thanks for watching and I'm glad it helped you out.

[@robinverbridge4900]

Also the sound came to us, the running saw was muffled. Good job!

[@andrewcornford2306]

You can adjust the idle on the 261c/m, the idle adjuster is under the white box below the solenoid. I've repaired three of the 261c saws in the last week, all running rough.

[@BuickOutdoors]

Good to know. Thanks!

[@gasman6922]

Biggest advise I have for anyone with the m tronic. I was pissed when I had problems hot starting my Ms 261. Started looking around chat rooms and the simple fix was to let it idle for a minute or 2 before shutting it off. I was ready to chuck it in my pond but since I started letting it idle to cool down a bit it’s been flawless.

[@BuickOutdoors]

Also let it idle when you first fire it up as well to kind of let it calibrate itself.

[@gasman6922]

Yes and just to warm up the saw

[@gunterbecker8528]

Sometimes it really helps when one reads the manual 😮

[@alan-dr8uo]

Thanks

[@mikecude4167]

Nothing quite like cranking up a new saw! That 261 screams!

[@BuickOutdoors]

Absolutely! This saw with a sharp chain is very impressive. It cuts even faster now that I hand file my saw.

[@haydenshores9943]

Just tried mune today on a huge pine i was getting rid of for a customer 20 inch super chain man i love that thing uve never had a pro saw this cc in my opinion its about the same as a 64cc ranch saw lol its great

[@williamgrissom1995]

If you were cutting this size of tree regularly I'd recommend the Ms361 with a 25 inch bar with a full chisel skip chain. It's alot faster cutting. But with the smaller trees you said you normally cut, the ms261 is a pretty good choice. Great video. 😎👍

[@P3T3RXIII]

Great content as always Sheldon. Thanks for doing this review on this chainsaw. That was a big tree you cut down and made it look easy. The 20 inch bar is more ideal for me.

[@BuickOutdoors]

Thanks for watching Peter! I've always big a big fan of the 20 inch bar. I can cut down even our biggest trees out here and it's still manageable for limbing.

[@dwainetyncompany]

Phenomenal saw, really. I just picked one up myself back about 6 months ago. I broke my saw in with that Stihl pre-mix. The expensive stuff. A gallon of that juice and my saw seemed to take its seating quite nicely. 20” Bar here as well, I’ve ran nearly three gallons of fuel in this thing and I couldn’t be more impressed with a chainsaw. It’s not WAY too much, and it’s big enough to handle just about anything you can throw at it. Perfect for someone like me… One of my most favorite things to do with my saw is freehand milling.

[@BuickOutdoors]

Ya its been a great saw for me as well. I use the small jugs of stihl oil and toss it into 10L of gas. The good thing with the stihl oil is that it has fuel stabilizer in it already so if you don't run your saw for a few months for whatever reason, the gas should still be perfectly fine. I really don't think anyone would need a bigger saw unless you're getting into really big wood like cedars where you need a much bigger bar. For the everyday guy or even someone cutting firewood for a living, this saw is all the saw you would need.

[@davido6915]

These saws have the best weight to power, im a stihl guy and after buying a husky 550xp mark2 i then realized the 261 is lacking in power compared to the husky. Both are great saws though and you can’t go wrong either way.

[@llewmatthews4828]

To be honest it's pretty gutless. 3kw isn't enough. I've found 50cc to be a really pointless size too. Either grab a 40cc saw or a 60cc saw. 50cc is trying to be both big and small at the same time, doing neither well

[@zackeryeckenrod6549]

DUMB !

[@GoneAgain-Outdoors]

It’s not the saw. It’s the chain. Husky has the more aggressive chain from the factory.

[@georgedavall9449]

‘Dol-Kita’ 5000 50.2 cc saw, is where its at! Stihl MS261 a good saw, as well as 550XP Mark ii. Peace

[@John_D2]

Just got a new one...I'll have to see of mine is assembled in Germany.

[@robinverbridge4900]

$669 (American dollars) here in Wayne county New York State! My saws are running too good to justify a new saw! Darn-it!!!!!

[@ToreDL87]

Mine all instantly stopped running once I was aware the 261 C-M existed. Which is a funny coincidence, I assure you.

[@DanielAndonov-br5zd]

Is it worth buying ms 500i if I want to cut firewood or ms 261 is enough? I have 261 non-mtronic and it performs well.

[@BuickOutdoors]

The 261 is plenty for cutting firewood. You could even go smaller and still have an amazing saw. If youre cutting a couple cords per year, the 261 is more then capable. I heated my house strictly with wood in northern BC where the temps get to -40 and i would burn 4 cords, give or take, and this saw was plenty good enough for that. Plus I would cut firewood when we go camping and for other people from time to time. Its still going strong.

[@georgedavall9449]

Gotta be careful with those Spruce trees! Looks like you cut the side of your face? Invest in a Forestry Helmet, ear muffs bulit in, and mesh visor save your face from chips and stuff. I’ve had branches come down, bounce off the helmet. Pays for itself quickly! Great Video, and good sawmanship! 👍👍✌😉

[@BuickOutdoors]

Haha ya I've been wanting to buy one for a bit now. My birthday is coming up next month so I already told my woman that I want one for my present.

[@johnsweeney3060]

Great video, does the MS261 come with an adjustable carburettor option or is it only sold as Mtronic… I’m a bit weary of electronics longer term.

[@BuickOutdoors]

I'm actually not to sure. You would have to check out stihls website. There is a lot of their other professional series that have an adjustable carb. So far I haven't had any issues with my 261 and I've caught a few cords of wood now.

[@cschwab]

I was worried too, and I searched everywhere for the adjustable carb version but no luck...but I'm happy I couldn't find one It's been perfect for me for a couple of years now. I live in an area with rather large temp fluctuations, even day to day and this thing re-adjusts itself in 30 seconds and running perfect....and I mean perfect. I've tuned a bunch of carbs in my day and I'm truly impressed by the mtronic, at least the 3.0 version....I will never go back to manual adjustment.

[@BuickOutdoors]

@Billy Weir absolutely! Out here we were -40 a couple weeks ago and then two days ago it was +7 and today its -14. This thing just runs.

[@haydenshores9943]

I love this for my buisness mainly bevause i only need it i can do big small and middle eirh this

[@tikkaandfriends2969]

That's saw cuts so quick I can make you help me load wood in the truck now 😂

[@DanielAndonov-br5zd]

Only 261 non mtronik is supported in Bulgaria I bought ms 261 cm in the UK but I am afraid that there are not necessary parts in Bulgaria if I take 261 cm to Bulgaria. I want to ask what spare parts do I need to have for stihl ms 261 cm if I take it to Bulgaria. What different parts do stihl ms 261 non-mtronik and stihl ms 261 cm have?

[@garygreen1787]

Just out of warranty mine all but quit running. Took two Stihl shops and over $300 to determine it was the $45 solenoid. Recently it would quit as soon as it got warmed up. Dealer threw up his hands. I disassembled it, found nothing wrong and re-assembled it. Runs perfectly for now. Great saw when it runs! I'll never buy another M-Tronic.

[@gravityloose]

Hello, is MS 261c good enough for felling and bucking 25-30" hardwood? thanks

[@BuickOutdoors]

It would do it but you wouldn't be able to get the proper bar size. I would suggest a bigger saw.

[@pietdeboer5008]

Of course you can. You only need the correct technique. I fell trees with a diamter up to 30'' There are many different correct techniques to fell a tree !!!! The technique, shown in the video, ist not the safest one !!!! Wrong shoes.... no helmet .. no ear protection....no chainsaw trousers Greetings from Germany Piet

[@parkerk7018]

Can’t decide between this saw or a 362

[@CharlieNasty-cd5hu]

Get a 261

[@skycorrigan6511]

How's it holding up for you? I'm looking at this or the 462

[@BuickOutdoors]

It's been great. I've cut a few cords of wood with it now and it still runs like brand new and I haven't had any issues with it at all.

[@donodalas]

Nem hajlik a derekad báttya?

[@thomasgronek6469]

Thanks for the video. I have had it with Stihl M-Tronic saws. It starts with the fuel solenoid, which goes bad, since the type 1 isn't available any more, the 'upgrade' needs to be purchased, with a new style filter, then we find out that the new style solenoid doesn't work with the old style coil, so that also has to be purchased. So for a 10 dollar part, that Stihl charges 70 bucks for, an additional 100 dollars has to be spent to replace an otherwise fine coil. I can't say that is every model, but the idiosyncrasies and nuances are making it impossible to do our own work. we need manuals with constant updates, and notices, and I don't think anyone has the time for that nonsense. It's lunacy.

[@BuickOutdoors]

So far I haven't had any issues with mine. Sounds like you had a bit of a nightmare with yours.

[@thomasgronek6469]

@@BuickOutdoors terrible time, the dealer helped me out with a bit of magic and worked around a warranty with someone else's saw (the other customer didn't get screwed), but he got me a new coil, and fuel solenoid that matched, and did the work for 75 bucks total. If it wasn't for him, I would really be upset with Stihl. in short within 100 hours of operation, two coil failures, and two solenoid issues.

[@ToreDL87]

@@thomasgronek6469 ... How?? My dealer has sold hundreds of Stihl's with Mtronic for a decade now (my area has over 4000 cabins, and a lot of cabin owners buy Stihl saws) and never had a saw come back with Mtronic issue.

[@xrsuperduper7660]

Looks like it has some power, and with that long blade. I think the Husky is nice to but overpriced 😎👍

[@White_devil1980]

Would you have to hook it up to a computer to do any diagnostics for tuneups?

[@BuickOutdoors]

That I'm not to sure. You would have to ask the dealership

[@White_devil1980]

@@BuickOutdoors thanks I can ask them on Thursday when I’m buying it 🥳😎

[@marklawyer5221]

Did you calibrate saw 1st. Per manual?

[@BuickOutdoors]

I fired it up, ran some gas threw it and put it in the wood. Been running great.

[@benjaminleslie3155]

does the m-tronic have a battery to power it?

[@BuickOutdoors]

Nope. It runs off of the power generated by the flywheel.

[@benjaminleslie3155]

@@BuickOutdoors oh good.

[@alan-dr8uo]

Nice

[@MrBaptiste003]

Size of bar please?

[@BuickOutdoors]

20 inch

[@MrBaptiste003]

@@BuickOutdoors mtronic v2 or v3? White on the sticker chain brake at thé top right

[@adrianstefan23]

👍👍👍👍

[@bashdenny1768]

Wow

[@falfield]

The word is carburettor, not carburator.