I’ve had my 261 for several years now. I’m not a professional, but I do heat with wood as do my parents. So I cut a large volume of firewood every year. (8000 feet high in the Colorado mountains) The saw has worked flawlessly every time. Phenomenal saw!

I have had mine for a few months now, it's an incredible saw for all around use, I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

Whenever I look up chainsaw reviews I always look to see if you reviewed them. I love your videos and I will continue watching them for as long as possible

Regarding the decompression valve... using it takes stress off the recoil starter and pull cord and will prolong the life of those components. On some of the arborist and logging web sites guys reported breaking pull cords often until they started using the decompression every time. As such I use it on my saws even when they are warm... That is better than breaking a pull cord in the middle of a job and it costs you nothing to use it!

Love your videos mate, my old 261 going on a few years now and flogged within an inch of its life but still keeps crackin along. Thanks for the top videos and cheers from Australia!!!

I’ve had mine 4 years now. I cut 15-20 cords a year with it. Best saw I’ve ever owned. Power to weight ratio is unmatched suckers a beast for cutting firewood

Thank you for your review of the MS261CM. I was in the market for a new saw and decided to purchase the MS261. I love it, it is a fantastic saw.

Gotta come back to this type of stuff brother.. you deserve happiness and peace of mind. Much love man.

i Just bought one about a month ago using it mainly for firewood! This saw is amazing and cuts though wood like butter!

Just grabbed this saw (manual carb ). This video pushed me over the edge for getting it. SO, much more information than the local dealer who I bought from..I wasn't going to buy another stihl! I've had a huskavarna 350 for 22 years, and the muffler got loose and distroied the thread in the cylinder. I'm gonna order a rebuild kit. Rebuild it with my son (20), and give it to him. I also bought a stihl ms251 and it stopped oiling. Saw is just 2 years old. "Couldve" been my falt? Not sure. BUT, there WAS, still oil in the tank. Was pissed, STIHL PISSED. Lol.. I will admit, I do, love this 261! Most powerful saw that I have owned. Pulls a 20" bar like a champ. I WILL LEAVE THE OILIER WIDE OPEN.

Just got one - it's soooo great, loads better than my MS211 - Your review is the thing that made me decide, Many thanks !

You do the best overview videos that I've found.

Had a couple Stihls over time and each time wanted to upgrade. I hummed and hawed over which one to get and finally decided to shell out the extra cash for this one. It’s a phenomenal piece of equipment and I love the M-Tronic. Some may scoff at the M-Tronic and I get that, but the biggest advantage of it to me is the ease of starting it provides. Stihls can be notoriously hard to start, I had a little MS-170 that drove me nuts, but no more with the M-Tronic. If you buy one I also recommend getting it with a full chisel chain. I switched to one on my old 170 but I found it wasn’t powerful enough to push through logs and would bog down a lot, not so with the 261. Sure you gotta sharpen them more often but a far better chain, just be sure to bring up the revs a little before you lower the saw onto the wood or it’ll kick on you as the teeth dig deep.

yer i love em" used them alot of years back, had stupid chain tensioner on em, and just not enough power, have been gravitating to the new ones at work, cos do fair bit of log, n light, n i aint gettin younger"

Idle The saw for 5-10 seconds before turning it off! I recently took my m-tronic (ms 362-cm) in to the dealer because once the saw warmed up (after 15 minutes or so) it would die and wouldn't restart. luckily they replaced the carb under warranty and told me the saw saves an idle setting when it is turned off. so just let the saw idle for 5-10 seconds so it saves the proper idle and you can avoid this inconvenience! Update/further info. They replaced the carb, because the air-filter was letting small amounts of dust into the intake, clogging the fuel modulator valve. I cleaned the air filter everytime, and that wore down the seal enough to let the dust in. Very finicky tech to get clogged like that, but if that is the main issue, m-tronic could still be worth it. If I ever needed another saw, I'd probably get a conventional carb though. I'm glad Ace hardwarecould find the problem, but this is an issue they need to inform customers of. TLDR don't clean air filter until visibly dirty. Otherwise seal breaks down quickly.

For some reason the 261 just rips! It’s gotta be their best saw pound for pound.

Got mine when I as tossing up between this and a husky 550xp. Actually wanted the husky but the local dealer was not as good as the stihl guy. So I totally love my 261 and don't regret buying it at all. It has more than enough power for my needs and definitely feels well made. Starts easy, runs hard, easy to manage.

Bought one last week to replace my ancient 026. It was more of an upgrade and had many more improvements than I expected. I have about 10 tanks of gas through it now and it works very well. The anti vibe is much improved, the air filtration is miles ahead, it has more power, captured side cover nuts and I personally like the toolless caps. I would buy one again tomorrow if I needed to!

I've used the 261 and am now using the 261c love the saw. We mostly use the 361/362 or 362c saws but I prefer the 261. We also use the Husky 365, but it's a heavier saw, more power but heavier. When your having to saw for 7-16 hours a day the weight difference matters. My only complaint is when it warms up after a hour of continuos use it tends to take three or more pulls to get it started. I mostly hotstart it with one pull.

Bought this saw based on your recommendation, and yes, it's better than I expected it to be. I've had larger/heavier, but my experience tells me the 50cc range is where 99% of my jobs sit. The "Q" model with the extra brake on the handle cost an extra $140, and I couldn't figure out why. It's in the low teens here in temperature today and it started right up. Hell yea!

Just picked one up to replace an old 210C. Thanks for the review.

Great presentation (I like the vid comparing this chainsaw to the MS271 Farm Boss too). Just traded in my MS290 Farm Boss for the 261 Pro. More and more happy I made the switch.

I'm a bit late to the party but really enjoyed your video. It was very informative and I learned a bit about my new saw! Thanks Human!

Ive had mine since 2011 i have a 24 bar my only saw and a 16 bar live in Oregon north idaho and have cut wood in Vermont and new Hampshire love this saw.

Decomp is also helpful after driving up into the mountains to cut. The altitude gained can put additional pressure on cylinder if piston is in sealing position, then you go to yank the cord and further compress that pressurized air.

I was seriously looking at the farm boss for over over a month and walked in to buy just that and then I saw this one next to it for $200 more and I went back and forth and the guys at my shop are good to me and he was telling me how this is his go to saw on his farm....soooo I just bought this saw this afternoon and raced home to try it out (in the friggin rain, just my luck) and I gotta tell the world (I may be a bit sheltered when it comes to higher cost equipment) but THIS IS BY FAR AND AWAY THE BEST.... THE. BEST! SAW! I HAVE EVER PUT MY PAWS ON! IMO, worth every penny of the $620 + tax + extra chain and 2 new felling wedges (total was like 702). This saw just made a mockery of the wood I just threw at it and it made a laughing stock of all the other chain gear I'm running. If your looking for a great saw I would just say bite the bullet and buy it! In 7-10 years when I go out and grab it off the shelf and it starts and cuts without fighting me then every penny will be justified. I'll make back the cost on my first down tree clean up job. Sooo friggin worth it. I never thought I'd get excited over a flipping chainsaw but the performance and ability of this saw I have never experienced in my hands before today. I'm awestruck over it. Man was I butt hurt when I swiped my card, but it was a "buy once cry once" type of purchase. I figured go big or go home and I don't ever in my life want to buy another saw for the intended role this saw was purchased for. ....and with the great luck I've had with other stihl gear I've collected through the years I fear not. If it doesn't grow legs and walk away on me I bet this saw will still be running when I'm on my death bed.

I collect and use 11 pro saws and 8 non pro saws.I have a carb ms261 and it finds its way to the truck 90%of the time.My favorite saw.The 362 I really like but is heavy after the job.sir I like all your videos.

Does the job efficiently, feels sturdy. The best I have found for the price.

Thanks for the heads up, in the market for a saw and was checking out all of them, you have sold me on the MS261 C-M.

Hello Corey, I picked mine up about an hour ago and my god that thing is awesome😍

I need the decompression function. I tore up my shoulder(rugby) but too young to give up a saw although I am over 50. Glad they have a decompression function in a smaller saw. I have a friend with an old 290 farmboss and I find it very difficult to start without decompression.

If I could afford to hire a person to do my wood cutting maybe I would but until then I'm glad the saw has a decompression switch.... Every pound lost helps, and anything making it easier means I can work longer.

I was drooling over one at the new Runnings store a couple hours ago. I thought they were more expensive $599 isn't bad and they have 10% off senior discount so could have my dad buy it and get $60 off. Don't really need it but I have been wanting one.

Sounds like a saw i would like. The idea of the decomp.valve caught my interest.Because of working hard all my life, i don't have all the dexterity as a much younger man would. My left rotator cuff is giving me a fit now after my right rotator cuff (that's my pull the rope arm) went south about 5 years ago. I've still got enough life in my arms,shoulders to still do some lighter lumberjack work. With that valve, perhaps i can still pull start that saw 6 or 8 years or more. Maybe by then you will be using it! Or hiring the work ouch!

Hello excellent tutorial. I was going to purchase the Farm Boss but have a chance to pickup a prior model MS 261 without electronics. Is there any upgrades other than the electronics to newer version.

I just bought one today at ace hardware. Been looking to get a saw for a while and now that I have a big fire pit I need to feed it lots and lots of wood. Looked at just about every brand of saw. I'm hoping the $$$$ I paid for the MS261CM is worth it!!

Do you ever take the plugs out of the muffler. Will it hurt the saw

I run a Husky 562XP and a MS261 CM. The 261 is almost always the first saw I grab. The weight to power is pretty damn good. There is no contest when is comes to bucking big beech and maple, though. The 562XP is the go too for that. I love them both each in their own way, though I lean towards Sthils in general.

I love this saw!!!great power to weight...wanted a saw that was lightweight but powerful and this is the saw I needed...cant say enough about it...plus American made

great videos thanks dude im buying a 261 stihl would u advise the latest model please

very good review !! ive been looking at the 391 and 361 and i think ill just step up to this pro saw

I love my 261 C-M .... keep the chain sharp and love it , love it , love it !! :)

Another awesome review! Can anyone tell me if this could be used as a good mid climbing saw? Weight to power seems really good. Decompression valve sounds nice while up in the tree. Accepts a good size bar.

Great video the only thing you left out was the summer, winter air flow port which is in front of the air cleaner.

Excellent review, one small safety tip. Try to keep your left thumb locked under the front handle rather than sitting on top. Keep the videos coming.

Great review! Thanks

You should do a review on the ms241c-m or a 026 pro . I learn a lot from your videos.

Thanks for the review; looks like a great light firewood saw for an old bloke like me.

I was gonna get a farm/ranch saw but now convinced to a smaller pro saw like this one.

I’ve been considering one of these. Thanks for the information.

The decompression switch is helpful when your freeclimbing a tree out on a branch and using both your legs to hold on for dear life, it's difficult to give a strong pull in that situation.

best saw besides the ms260

Just picked up a ms261cm. Haven’t used it yet. Wondering if I should just get rid of the spark arrestor right from the start?

Got the new ones in Canada. They haul ass! The cylinder is also different.

Here in Ontario, I also picked up a MS261 (I was lucky, my dealer still had a non-electronic model, made in Germany). I had to learn how NOT to flood it. Great first couple of hours of operation on hardwood.

I wish you had gone over more how to properly start it when cold and how to properly start it when warm. I read some people talking about resetting this M- Tronic saw. Please explain this for us. Is it just another extra stress pain in the butt we have to worry about constantly or what? Thanks

Did you make a magnetic vise for sharpening saws in the field on truck bed if so can you post a video or picture on it

Decompression valve - I need it on occasion to start the saw. Slightly miffed at your comment that because of this I shouldn't be using the saw. I have arthritis everywhere in my body, I'm not built like a man (being female!), and I don't have the snap in me all the time to get it going. The valve helps. Not everyone is built like you.

The one I just bought does not have the fancy electronic stuff on it. I wanted the one without it because I can fix it in the woods if I need too!

thanks, great info.

Looking to get one of these (MS261 C-M) myself or a MS362 C-M for bucking harder trees that seem to bog my MS251. Nothing huge and absurd but I would like it to help with bigger stuff so I'm not killing my MS251.

Have you used anf is so what do you think of the 550xp?

Do you what the total length including motor and bar ? Cheers

Stihl ms261 or the Echo cs590 timberwolf? Im stuck between those two. What would you recommend? I have a ms310 and im looking to get a new saw to give the 310 a lil break and some TLC.

I recently got one used. Non-m-tronic. It came with a 16” bar and I wanted to put a 20” bar on it. What chain do you recommend? A buddy of mine recommended the stihl duro carbide but wasn’t sure of your opinion.

Very nice review, I appreciate it. I think it's hilarious though when dudes think decompression valves are to make it easier for the user to start the saw. It may be marketed like that but any experienced mechanic knows why it's really there and it ain't cuz you're special lol

are you still happy with the 261 cm? are you still running the stock spec chain? I'm looking to pick one up in the next week or two after watching this video if you are still happy with the saw. hope you recover quickly for you injury!

Are there different versions of the 261c like "cm" etc can or are they all advertised differently .

I been thinking about replacing my Dolmar 5105 with one of these. I have the ms362 and so far I love it other than I feel my old Dolmar had a better chain speed but the Stihl doesn't chip up like the 6100 i had.

What brand of chain do you recommend. Mine tends to dull after cutting a couple trees. Beech nut, 16 inch on stump.

I’m about to order the ms 261 c-m, what oil and what ratio do you run? I’ve read tons of different options and I’m a best lost on what’s best for the saw, thanks for the great vids sir.

Thanks for your review. I just picked up my new 261cm really liking it so far. I do have a question for you. I am wanting to get a set of good chainsaw gloves that don’t restrict hands much do you have any suggestions? Or work supplies cheap unlined or lined leather gloves and that’s it. So wanting to buy a good pair to use for myself. Any suggestions be greatly appreciated thanks.

Oh look it's Corey

Great review...still torn between this model and the MS 362 C-M for acreage use. I know I probably wont be able to get by with just one saw, but I'd like to try. Your thoughts between the two? Was thinking an 18" bar on the MS 261 and a 20" bar on the MS 362.

Wow! Didn't even hiccup with the bar buried.

Thanks for the great review. I have 2 ms 271's, think I might sell one and get the ms 261 cm. Wish I would of put out the extra money and got them instead, no problems with the 271's, just sseem like alot better saw.

When my 026 finally dies I'll probably get one of these. However my 026 will never die because it's the best saw stihl has ever made. I think it's 15-20 years old now. 9-10 cord a year.

Human, I need some insight. I currently have a Stihl MS310, I want to buy a new saw and the 261 looks tempting but it’s 50 cc compared to the 310 being 59 (?) I like the power of the 310 and cutting almost all PA hardwood would I be happy with a 261? I definitely want to go pro grade. Thanks.

If you can only get one saw and seeing as this saw and the 500i weight is the same. Which one would you get?

Could you possibly make a video explaining chainsaw chain care. I mean by that is when is it to tight, and or to loose and if there's any "pro" tips on keeping the chain last longer.

Human! Question for you. Did or does that saw come stock with a green or yellow bar ? Reason I ask is because the hole “Professional Saw” May come with the yellow bar. Mine came with the green an want to make sure the dealer didn’t do a swap on me... Much Thanks!

Would this be a good saw for climbing when the 16" bar isn't big enough?

Thank you for your review. I always enjoy watching. I've been running a 028 Super for several years now. It still runs strong, although it is a pain to get started. It was my grandfathers though, so I am wanting to ease up on its use which requires a new chainsaw. I don't cut a tremendous amount; firewood and property maintenance, help in some storm cleanup, clearing spots for hunting, things of that nature. The 028 does 85-90% of everything I need and I just borrow my dads 372 when i need something larger (its crazy though, when the 028 and the 372 are both laying on the ground, i pick up the 372 almost every time no matter the situation). My question is this, will I be satisfied with the 261cm or should I step up to the 362cm? I have held both (not cut with either) and their is a definite weight difference. I like the light more nimble feeling of the 261, but its not like the 362 is crazy heavy or anything (heck, i think it weighs less than my 028). Is it an appreciable step up in power? Is it an appreciable step up in power from the 028 to the 261? I guess my two options are this really; buy a 261 with the option of buying a 70cc down the road, or just buy the 362 and be done. Heck, for what its worth one of the local dealers has a 462 (only 13 lbs) for 1000 bucks right now, but I don't really NEED one that big currently as my main saw.. What would you suggest?

Can the decompression reduce the pull starters load so that its light to start but can make the system last longer too?

Aren't all pro saws split case with adjustable oiler?

Hi Human,,,Thank you for another fantastic video. I hope your hip is healing without any complications. Quick question: I really wanted a 361, but they were discontinued by the time I was ready to buy ( I bought the MS 362) Do you have any preferences between them? Also, I would like to do a muffler mod on the 362, and you answered another post, indicating the M-tronic carb / system would compensate for the modification. Should I enrich the Fuel mixture anyway (to help the carburetor adjust itself?) Thanks Human.

Do you suggest any kool upgrades for this saw?

How well do you think it will pull a 20” bar in exclusively soft wood -pine, spruce, cedar? I’m going to go to the shop and see how well it balances, if no good I’ll go 18”

First off let me start out by saying I wish you a speedy recovery, your channel is very informative and I hope to see you back on your feet soon. I have a question regarding the ms 261 cm, my chains song recently died and I’m left with a bunch of 20 inch 3/8 pitch chains and was wondering if the saw has the capability to handle them? Also wondering what your thoughts on .325 vs 3/8 pitch chains? Your friend from Pa.

what do you think about the MS 251 with a 18 inch bar im looking at that saw and the ms 261 i am a beginner at at chain saws just cutting wood around my land that has fallen down do some storms we have had this summer. north western pa area cutting maple black walnut oak and sasafras and a little pine got about 30 trees down

I have the ms 170 for clearing trails, collecting firewood and general use around the yard. It's a great little saw but definitely being pushed harder than I probably should so I'm looking to pick up something bigger. Have my eye on the ms 291 with a 20" bar which is on sale for $509 CAD but I've been trying to decide if it would be smarter to just go straight to a ms 261 at $790. Anyone with experience on both have an opinion one way or the other?

Human, I need a chainsaw for a relatively heavily wooded property. Mostly cutting the occasional (tree small to mid). Also for firewood. What d you recommend. Thinking about a Farm boss 271 or wood boss 251 Thanks

should i buy one to go along with my echo 501p? i was looking for a 50cc saw, contemplating between the 550xp and dolmar ps5105s until i saw the new 261 c-m!

Do they have the sidecover dog set for this model? Very tempted to pull the trigger on one after fondling at my local real saw shop. From little I know it seems like a lot of great saw for the money. Quick question on the electronic carb does it tune it's self up for things like a muffler mod? I'm sure it's not going to have enough adjustment for a port & polish.

Does this saw handle a 20” bar without issue? I’m torn between this and the 362. Any thoughts from the comments section?

Thanks for the detailed video. I just picked up this saw. Fyi: this human thinks the audio was great. Good job !

CM 261 ekstra 👍

Haha I like that comment about the deco valve, very true!

Great videos man I have watched them all! Question... If you were to buy 2 saws in addition to a ms 180c what would they be? and If you could just buy one saw to do everything from felling to bucking which size would you choose? Thx again!

I'm picking up this model in a couple of days. In some of your videos you've mention a small portion of your break in procedure. Is there someplace online showing the proper break in before I start cutting. This will be my first professional saw and want to keep it going for the long haul