Stihl MS 500i

This is the 90cc benchmark — the saw West Coast fallers and Alaskan-mill users on ArboristSite treat as the default answer for big wood. The M-Tronic computer handles tuning at any altitude or on any fuel, and owners consistently report it pulls a 28-32 inch bar buried in fir or oak without complaint while weighing 16.4 lbs, genuinely good power-to-weight for the class. The recurring debate in owner threads is whether you actually need it: MS 462 owners argue their saw does 90% of the work at 3 lbs less, and most firewood cutters concede the 661 only earns its keep in timber over 30 inches or on a mill. Real gripes: the price has climbed to roughly $1,850, it drinks fuel fast in long cuts, and Stihl's gas-saw warranty is a stingy 1 year consumer / 3 months commercial. Dealer-only distribution means no retailer review aggregates exist, but forum consensus over a decade is about as unanimous as chainsaw opinions get.

The saw that made West Coast fallers trade in their 044s and 461s: 72.2cc and 4.4 kW in a 13.2-pound powerhead that Stihl bills as the lightest it has ever built in this class, and owners on ArboristSite describe with phrases like 'monster torque' and 'game changer'. The M-Tronic metering keeps it in perfect tune from sea level to mountain jobs, and users bucking hardwood with 25- and 28-inch bars report it never feels short of breath — several admit their 660-class saws now sit unused because the 462 does the work at two pounds less. Complaints are scarce and mostly economic: the price has marched steadily upward (Ace lists the 25-inch at $1,619.99), and weekend cutters frequently confess they love it but reach for it less than expected because it's simply more saw than most firewood requires. A few owners cross-shop the lighter MS 400 and wonder if 66cc would do. As a do-everything big saw for felling and heavy bucking, though, forum consensus is about as unanimous as chainsaw forums get: no buyer's remorse.

The entry point to Stihl's real pro saws, and the model forum veterans call the ideal all-day firewood saw: a magnesium-case, fully rebuildable 59cc engine making 3.5 kW from the same 12.3-pound powerhead weight as the plastic farm saws below it. The M-Tronic engine management is the quiet hero — it self-tunes for altitude, temperature, fuel, and a dirtying filter, so there's no carb screwdriver ritual, and owners consistently describe it as easy-starting and smooth. The honest knock from ArboristSite is that it's no longer the power-to-weight king: bury a 20-inch bar in big oak and it works for it, and the 462 makes vastly more power for barely half a pound more, which is why 'just save up for the 462' is a stock reply in every 362 thread. Pricing has also crept past $1,100, roughly double a Farm Boss. It remains the sweet spot for cutters who want pro durability and serviceability in a mid-size package — just know the pros above it cast a long shadow.