The 500i requires an operator who understands it. Dont hit max rpm before burrying the bar. The computer thinks you are limbing and then suddenly its got a huge load. With heavy hands you can stall the chain before the computer adjusts. With soft hands, it adjusts and really digs in its heels. Apply the throttle with the chain already touching the wood and you will see what i mean.

I have all three saws and I am with you fellers. Hump that 500 a quarter mile down in the woods and humbolt facecut a 25 incher over top a barbed wire fence. Then you will learn to appreciate that magnesium piston all the more. I agree with all your comments. Very well thought out. Honestly, the weight is a BIG factor. Also the Light bar should be mandatory. It improves the balance dramatically. I have the 25" on the 400c and 28" on the 462. The saws can handle them full wood even in oak and other hardwoods. Speed is important, but there are a 1000 vids comparing speed. You need to make a vid where you are climbing a hill and then handling the saw.

Had my 400 for over 2 years now, love it, it's my best saw so far & no issues or problems with it, including no leaking caps. For me I like to have 2 saws with me and my choice would be 462 and 400.

Thanks for the comparison, i have a 391 it does a great job for the 15ish cord per yer i do. Wanting to go with a pro saw in 24 this definitely helped.

Awsome video thanks. I’m looking at replacing my ms461 soon (as the crankcase is very thin after the chain brake snapped , snagged the clutch and blew the clutch apart). I need something for climbing with (for the bigger timber) so your test of drop cutting and dogging in is really important. there is a mix of cutting styles in the tree so the 462 seems a better choice than the 500. i think for a smaller saw, id go the 261 over the 400 for weight

Nice comparison. I think the 400 is the best overall value in this lineup. Does it all and lightweight with the least cost. The 462 is the max power/value, but your paying for that extra hp. The 500 is a hell of a saw just not great value. Personally, I think the 572 is the best overall value for power/cost if being lightweight is not a concern. This is if you ignore Echo options. The question is if the 462 is worth the extra cost over the 572? Depends on your brand preference. All great choices!!

Great video guys! Nothing like some real world testing and non-biased reviews. I hope to buy one of these 3 saws within the next bit so this really helps 👍🏻

When you dog its to help you use the saw to cut not to make it cut faster per say. If you have to power through a knot or make a felling cut where you have NO weight on the saw thats why you dog in. Felling dogs. So on your felling cut or back cut you can dog in. Bucking firewood its not as important unless you hit a knot and need some help to power through. This is why I have found anyways. AND yea the 3 point dogs gordy sells are AWESOME I have a 462 with the westcoast upgrades and its a BEAST. Like wow... The air filter is also awesome.

Great vid. I would make the same recommendations. I own all three and use the 400c more than the others. I humped the 500i down in the woods to fell a 28" white oak and it made it easy, but it was plenty heavy to carry around. The weight of the 400 makes it attractive and it will pull 25" of hardwood.

Great video! I agree it depends on what your main use for a chainsaw is gonna be! I love my 400 with no regrets but I believe the best of both worlds happy medium is definitely the 462!👍🏻👍🏻

My 400C is awesome for allround tasks. Felling, limbing and bucking. I usually run mine with 16-18'' bar which is more than enough for Finnish pine and birch (sometimes I use 25'' for fun). For basic tasks it is agile and very easy to run. Only con is that it doesn't feature heated handlebar for winter use. The American upgrades are pretty fancy and love how they enhance the saw itself (WCS bark fox, Egan felling dogs and WCS foam air filter). Also one last addition is full-wrap handlebar. Nice comparison video between these three great tools. Thank you guys for that!

G'day 765 Guys, you just need a 200T a 660 and a 881 and you will have the six best hardwood saws on Earth. I have the 400C maximum bar length in Oz is 20 inches market leading top end speed due to the Magnesium piston oil on demand oil pump so it's not wasting oil they've also redesigned the total relationship between the piston and drive to minimise negative centrifugal forces as you noticed . The closest thing the competition can come up with is the 572 XP which I'm sure will work fine in your medium density woods as they're designed for the Northern hemisphere. Stihl on the other hand make saws for Australian hardwoods and some of our wood is to hard for them especially in 100 degree temps. The 572 is 4cc bigger .4 hp more output and packing 2 pounds more dead weight than the 400C, like you said you just want to pick up the lighter unit 👍.

Great real world test! Looking forward to your upcoming 500 vs 661 video. As someone who owns a 261 and 462, the 500 really seems too close to the 462 but the 661 may be a big enough step up for pulling long bars in large diameter hardwood.

Nice one fellas. I like real comparisons and talk between two opinions.

Those are stihl top 3 saws if I were to guess and they are all very close and all great saws I don’t think you could go wrong with any of them I personally have the 400 and the 500 and the 500 is an animal but most people don’t need a saw like the 500! Most people could do anything they need with the 261 but these 3 are if you’re going to get serious about cutting!!

Nice video boys. For what we’re doing the 400 is tough to beat. However I will agree with Genin…side by side I think the 462 and 400 are really similar when you’re dropping it through firewood logs. KNL out.

Great review, very interesting results and discussion. Im a bit confused about the 28" on a MS400, i have more the idea that the 400 is great with 25" but thats a bit of a limit but i respect that we all have different oppinions. :)

Great video guys. I've had my 026 Pro w/ 18" bar for 24 years. I live on 10 acres in upstate NY. In the last five years or so, I now have hundreds of dead ash trees...thanks to the emerald ash borer. Rather than kill my terrific 026, I'm looking at a standard carbed 462 w/ 25" bar to work alongside the 21 ton excavator with its grapple. Good time to get another saw.

Shop around. Last week one dealer had a new 462C for $1299.99, other dealer 5 miles away had the 500i for $1309.99! I spent the extra 10 dollars.

You guys are great, fantastic no nonsense look at the three saws in action, l run MS400 with 20in light B&C, MS 462, with 25in light B&C, MS 661 with 36in rolomatic guidebar. the 500i is definitely a super saw, I would not purchase one, l believe l have all the bases covered, keep up the mighty work, I have just subscribed, greeting from Ireland !!!

Best comparison I've seen. Talking about what an everyday firewood guy is looking for. Very few of us are loggers, but want the same quality equipment.

Cool video on the comparison. I love my 500 buy do wish it was lighter when cutting smaller wood . None of my other saws are pro saws so maybe I need to stop & check out a 400 to add to the collection.

love my 462! I have it set up exactly like that one there. Great video! Thanks!

New sub, thought I already subbed. Watching @toddsoutsideagain I commented that watching him run his 400c that I was pretty sure it would be my next saw. Todd said you did a comparison that I should see. Seeing your comparisons I think I will still go with the 400c. Money savings, lighter saw and I'm not concerned with 2 or 3 seconds here and there. I love cutting firewood it is my peaceful place. lol !!!! Thanks again.

That 400 c probably be the choice for cutting firewood out the 3 for me. Less wait makes big difference at end the day. Now cutting in log pile. Give me a big dog. Great video keep up the good work.

Good comparison, my self I don’t like to force my saws it stretches the chain.

The reason the 400 feels like it's got huge power to weight, is because the power head is also physically smaller. It also fits perfectly in a Husqvarna Powerbox.

It’s all about the budget for me! Love my 400💪💪👍👍

Some good information fellas!! Appreciate it!

Great video guys love my 462

Out of all of these, overall, I still reach for my 462c first. 28" light bar, perfect balance. No mods needed.

Im coming from having used a ms441c m the last 12 years and im frustrated with the overengineeering and trying to work on it. Its been a great saw,but ive been trying to replace the throttle cable and its ridiculously hard to work on. Are the ms462 and ms400 eadier to work on than my 1st gen mtronic saw? Im thinkin about giving up on my 441 and just buying a new saw.

The 500i likes to be loaded down, it adjusts real time so on a dyno when ypu load down the bar its power curve doesnt like to drop off because its trying to adjust to the load on the saw. The 500i is a different animal. I see down the road stihl going to i models on all of their saws once they get the tech down and I could even see them offering ecm upgrades that make the adjusts real time even faster than it is currently. I love my carb saws but the 500i is something. I love the 400C saw in addition to the 462 and 500 models, I bought a 362 and wish that I had bought the 400 instead to be honest. Great video!

Hi Guys, thanks for running the test on these 3 saws. I’ve been thinking of a 400. I didn’t realize that the weights are really close all around. Different areas must have price differences. I just priced a 400 at 1019. Just thought about this it has a 20 inch bar, not 25. That must be the difference. Thanks you guys.

Great video- I have a 400 and 500i. I like the 400 the best, but as a logger where I live in Montana, I mainly cut Lodgepole Pine and Douglas Fir. I also run a 550XPG, 562XPG, and 572XPG which are great saws with the benefit of heated handles.

ms500i or ms462 is what I dream of but never have, wish you a lot of success thanks for sharing

Couple of things...in my experience....my 500i has the run for a bit then jt seems to "come alive" running that saw for 10 minutes it suddenly acts like it has a turbo, not sure why. Mine has a bark box and a max flow intake, however I live at 7,500' which is relevant because my 291 barely works for firewood even tuned, its been back to stihl 3x.

Love my 462cm!! Set up same as yours,at least for me she's a beast!!

Tasteful Test on those saws……I have yet to get a MS 400c…….chose the MS 462 about 6 months ago, over the 400C……but for different reasons, already having a MS 362c, that I really like, I think the 462c just felt better in my hands and can handle just about any wood, bar or purpose. Having the MS 500i…… which I think is Stihl the best saw that one can purchase……considering ALl the Facts…..I will always end up saying….”One must select a saw and bar combination based on the job at hand.” If one can have many saws…..then equip each for a purpose and enjoy. Thus is also why I picked up a MS 261c. So, I’m sure I grab either the 400c or a 661c next, but only to fill in the slots. Actually would grab a 044 or066 next if I can find either in decent condition. So, I keep a 18” on the 261c, a 20” on the 362c, a 25” on the 462Rc and a 28” on the 500i. These cover just about any situation that arises IMHO. I have a number of older saws just for the fun of collecting……just because I like saws. I look forward to the MS 500i and the MS 661c comparison Genin !! Excellent Video……Thanks 🪵⛓🪚👍👏🇺🇸 Rick

Great video fellas!

My purchase ended up being an 064 a few days ago. Would have loved a 500, 462, 400 but it cost too much. I happen to have a 25” light bar on it so now I’m curious how much it weighs fully fueled and oiled after seeing that 500 being weighed. Thanks for a real world weight!

My question is why did he not cut the same way with all 3 saws? The 1st and 3rd saws he cut with the bar horizontal the whole cut. The 2nd saw he cut with tipping the nose of the bar down. So if your going to do a comparison the make it as consistent as possible with all the saws.

All three are awesome saws.

I love my ms462, the best saw I own!

I just picked up a 500i, and it’s way overkill for what I need it for but I just had to have it. I’ve also got a couple Husqvarnas and Jonsered too. Next saw will probably be the 400 - again don’t need it but want it. 😂 Nice video, I just subscribed.

Hm question … is the 400c stock power only muffler mode ? What chain is on this saw ? Because the 462c-m is not fare away from the power cut

I think the 46x series is the best buildable saw you can throw around all day 👍😎

Great video! I like the 462

Wonder how the new 562 mk2 would stack up against the 400?

Ms 382, any idea where.does this stand between those?..tq

I lovey stihl saws, i just love chain saws period.

Hhmmm, wonder if im not tuning my 400 correctly? Cause i am unimpressed with my 400.

I love the comparison. As soon as you talked money I instantly wanted mumble covered mouth looking the other way coughing 372 lol.

70cc is best overall, Stihl makes a great saw. Can’t go wrong with a ms462

I know y'all said you didn't touch the chains at all but I'd be willing to bet that you're leaving a lot of the 500i's TQ on the table with the out of the box raker height. Take 2 or 3 swipes off the rakers and it'll eat better on the drop test....

I am not impressed with my 400! I think it sucks! Red Bread sounds like hes way backed up.... You guys ever do a 250?

Myself if I was going to buy a stihl I would find an older 461 or 440

It’s on the long bars you’ll notice the 500i take over the 462 pretty easily just because of the torque.

These saws all can do a days work . Humans are the weak link . Fun power saws .

I run 2 stihl ms 400C with 25 inch bars and I prefer light weight saw

Sorry I’m not into stihl . I’m into jonsered or husqvarna with my old stuff , like my 100cc and more for logging. The key 🔑 into chainsaw is how there chain is file to cut wood 🪵. I try the 500i it’s not that great off a saw , little bigger them a bread 🍞 saw in my review in big timber. My old 2195 jonsered twice the saw in timber 😊.

572xp for the win

592 is the answer!

500i is the king for me, absolute animal and a pleasure to use. I run a 28 light bar and i feel it could pull a 30 or 32 no prob. Thanks for the video and comparison,

Following

500i is like having four wheel drive for your truck. Sure the other saws will eventually get the job done, but come on man.

Cut logs, girl scouts do cookies

The 500 needs about 10 tanks of fuel ran through it, and then it just all of a sudden wakes up. That’s a kick ass saw

Awesome comparison guys I’m on the fence between 400 and 462 this is great help 👍👍🪵