# 661?



## djg (Jul 16, 2015)

I was going throught the local Craig's Lists ads and I found one selling a MS 660. The ad continues saying that the 660 is no longer in production and that it's being replaced by the MS 661. They also said the 661 is basically junk compared to the 660 (his selling point). Any truth in either the 660 being discontinued or the 661 not being as good?

Thanks


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## Kevin (Jul 16, 2015)

Both the 660 and 661 have had more than their fair share of detractors. Of course they have fans too but they are the chest-thumping diehard Stihl fans that do not use logic at all - if it is a Stihl then it's the best.

Anywayyyyy the 660 can be a good saw but it has a very restrictive muffler from the factory ore so than most other saws -- it will really wake up with a MM. The 661 is an M-tronic saw and has been met with underwhelming applause even among the Stihl-only nuts.

Whether or not you get a good deal on the 660 depends on condition and price, and whether or not you can do your own muffler mod (if it hasn't already been done). It's not rocket science. How much is he asking for the saw and what kind of condition is he claiming it's in?

A stock 395XP will out-cut either one.


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## JR Custom Calls (Jul 16, 2015)

I came REAL close to buying one a few weeks back... guy was selling it for $300 IIRC. Don't have anything to compare, but my 394xp is a beast in the wood


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## djg (Jul 16, 2015)

Thanks for your replies. I'm more or less window shopping right now. It "looks" like it's in real good condition and he was asking $675 for it. It's a 2 hour drive, so I don't really think I'll go look at it. I was more concerned about not being able to find a new 660 if the time ever came. I'm so leary about buying a used, beat up piece of junk; I don't know saws like you guys do.
As far as Stihl vs Husky, I was only leaning toward the Stihl because I already have Stihl bars and chains that would fit. I've got a 038, but I've always wanted to get a bigger saw to be able to do some CSMing. Weekend warrior stuff, you know. So I wouldn't need a Husky even though it may beat the pants off of Stihl. But, now if I came across a good deal on a 394xp......?


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## HomeBody (Jul 17, 2015)

I don't know much about saws, I'm still learning. I bought a Stihl 660 Magnum new a few years ago for chainsaw milling. My brother has one and liked it so I got one too. It's worked great with my Logosol M7 for everything I've milled. It starts easy, which was a concern because I have messed up shoulders. I don't know anything about the muffler, but I'm going to try to find me a @woodtickgreg around here to see about letting the thing breathe better. It has plenty of power with a 28" bar, but more would be better. I'm thinking of going to a 36" bar so the extra power would be welcome. Gary


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## ripjack13 (Jul 17, 2015)

HomeBody said:


> I'm going to try to find me a @woodtickgreg around here .. Gary



Ooh! Sweet! I didn't know they made more than one! I need to start looking around for one.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Kevin (Jul 17, 2015)

djg said:


> As far as Stihl vs Husky, I was only leaning toward the Stihl because I already have Stihl bars and chains that would fit.



For this reason alone I would stick with Stihl if the bars you already have for your 038 will fit whatever you get. But likely they will be shorter than what you'll want to use on a 90+cc saw anyway, so keep an eye out for any pro grade 90+ cc saw such as stihl/husq/jonsered/Makita/dolmar

A few other saws to consider used keep an eye out for stihl's 288 husq's 390. The 288 & 390 are ^only^ 88 cc but the 390 is smooth as silk and has plenty of power for milling as does the stihl 288.

If you're buying new I would stay with whatever dealer support you have locally. Odds are it will be Stihl. They have by far the best dealer network overall and no one is even a close second.


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## JR Custom Calls (Jul 17, 2015)

I remember when I was looking for a big saw… Kevin actually made me think real hard about my loyalty to Stihl. I'd always used Stihl weed eaters and small saws, always had fantastic luck out of them, so didn't even want to look elsewhere. So glad I ended up getting my Husqvarna. I definitely think I prefer husqvarna over Stihl now, though both are definitely quality. I came very close to buying a 285cd xp the other day for $50, but figured I'd do better to spend that on something that I'd get more use out of.

Reactions: Like 1


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## djg (Jul 17, 2015)

Thanks everyone; it gives me a lot to think about. And not to beat this subject to death, I'll explain a little better. I only cut firewood for myself and occassionally I'll try and butcher a small log to get my wood fix. The 038 has a 20" and 24" bar but was in the shop last year for about 6 mos (another story). I was left last year cutting up 20-24" dia logs the tree guy left me with a 017 and a 14" bar. I did it, but it took a long time. Previously, I've seen several used/beat up 066/660s with 36" bars. I thought if the 038 went down (it's old), I could swap out the 36" bar with either of the others and use it as a backup for cutting my firewood. Not the lightest solution, I know.
I didn't know stihl (390) and husky (288) were in the same cc range as the 660/394xp. Something to consider.


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## Kevin (Jul 17, 2015)

djg said:


> I didn't know stihl (390) and husky (288) were in the same cc range as the 660/394xp.




The 390XP is a Husqvarna.


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## djg (Jul 17, 2015)

Huh. I thought you had gotten them backwards the first time. I did a quick search and found a stihl 390 and a husky 288. Guess I was the one that was wrong. Thanks for clearing that up.


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## Kevin (Jul 18, 2015)

Dan i reread what i wrote and i did refer to the 288 as a stihl, typing faster than brain was thinking. Also, stihl does make an MS390 but they aren't very popular so I rarely remember stihl even has a 390. To avoid confusion I should've used the XP designation. 

Sorry for the confusion.


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