Not sure how anyone could be disappointed with this saw. Unless it's abused, or the maintenance is ignored, it should last the average wood cutter for a lifetime. This saw has the one of the best power to weight ratios of any saw ever built. Doesn't run well on regular fuel, use 89 octane and it'll scream.

love the 361, its a real workhorse, gets real heavy use in the summer and it needs relatively little maintenance. i run an 18" bar and is my favourite for all medium size stuff, for the size and weight it cuts medium/large timber very quickly and i only take out the 660(with 25" bar) if theres two guys cutting or its a large tree. balance with 18" is good but probably also good with 20" and should think that although a little slower it will still be powerful. change the air filter once a year and carry a chain catcher with you. file with 7/32 the first few sharpens and 3/16 towards the end of the chains life. i have had to replace a quick release filler cap once but in 3 years thats ok. one of the best saws ive ever used.

I bought my 361 five years ago. I have a ms260 also that I purchased in 2002. I purchased the 361 for larger wood and have a 20 inch and 25 inch bar for it. I use the 20 inch bar most frequently. This saw is awesome. I cut almost all hardwoods and large ones at that. You get what you pay for when it comes to chainsaws. I have had zero problems with either saw and cut on average 25-30 cords of wood a year. Maintenance is important on any piece of equipment. As long as you take care of this saw, it will take care of you! My buddy who routinely buys cheaper stuff has cut some firewood with me before. He came into the woods carrying one of those goofy looking poulan wild things...that thing is a piece of junk. After using my stuff we went at lunch time and he bought a ms290 farm boss!

ive had 3 ms361 saws now and there quality is top notch.i traded one saw for a ms441 but i can tell you that the extr weight isn;t worth the little extra power it puts out unless your line cutting only...

I run this saw with 16" & 20", I really, really rate it...... Bullet proof & NOT a problem starting it. 4 tugs max, then flick it to the run symbol tug again and there she goes.

great saw! will last a lifetime!

I bought this saw because i heard nothing but good things about them. I used a 270 once and was impressed with its abilities. I bought the 361 because i did want a whippy saw and this saw cranks aim very impressed with its abilities.

I have only had this Stihl MS 361 Chain Saw for 4 days and have run 5 tanks of gas through it!
This is my 6th chain saw and 4th in the 55 to 60cc range. This is Aug 9th temp. is warm and this saw is a SOB to start cold. With that said once you get the saw running you got your hand's full with probably one of best power house saw's in it's class. I dropped a 20" Elm with apprx. 20' to branch log and had it completely cut into fire wood length in around 40 min. and 1 tank of gas. I could have done this easily with my Dolmar 6800i if it had not seized on me last season witch I replaced with trip to the TSC store and bought a Husqavarna 455 rancher that is not even close to the Stihl ms 361 or the Dolmar 6800i. Personally,I would have bought an other Dolmar if my local service dealer had not gone out of business and the Stihl dealer was not but 4 miles from my house. All in all I feel that the Stihl ms 361 is a good saw for someone with saw experience and plans to cut a lot of wood. It is vary well made and feel it will be around here for a long time to come.

Best chainsaw I have ever owned or used. Outstanding power to weight ratio. Starts easily, cuts extremely well. It doesn't bog down, even in large logs that are just as long as or longer than the bar. The power is outstanding. The chain oil comes out steadily.

No parts on it have broken and I have used it very hard. The air filter is a simple design that is easy to clean, which is a big bonus for me. It doesn't get clogged with sawdust or chips like the filters on some other saws. Replacement parts are plentiful and easy to find and purchase, not that I have ever needed any.

I would definitely recommend this MS 361 chain saw or any Stihl product.

Professional user, using the Stihl MS361 for the past 2 years. The saw has plenty of power but seems happier with the 18" bar. Today we were clearing fallen trees out of the Rancocas Creek, when a 10-15 ton section of Beech (read 42" diameter) fell and took the saw completely underwater while performing a very precarious under cut. The saw was fully submerged for about 20 minutes, 4ft underwater (it went in running) After recovering the saw, we emptied the water out of the cylinder through the spark plug hole, and carb housing, cranked a little 10w-30 oil through it and gasoline mix, it was up and running in 5 minutes, no damage!!! This saw really takes some beatings and just keeps on running. Highly recommended.

The Stihl MS 361 Chain Saw overall, is a great saw

run Stihl MS 361 Chain Saw off and on all mmy life I am now 56
use around home and pro

This is my second Stihl. I have a 029 Farm Boss also. I've had the 029 for 6 years and started getting into larger trees and needed a more powerful saw. The MS 361 is outstanding. It handles better with a 25" bar than the 029 with a 18". I still have the 029, runs great, but I only use it for branches and light work now. Cutting 15 Plus cords per year.