Stihl MS 881 Magnum

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 first fuel-injected chainsaw ever sold, and the one saw that makes grown professionals gush: 79.2cc, 5.0 kW, and a 13.9-pound powerhead give it what Stihl claims is the best power-to-weight ratio on the market. The injection system replaces the carburetor entirely — it reads air pressure and temperature and meters fuel electronically, so it lights off in a couple of pulls hot or cold and owners report instant, hesitation-free throttle response that carbureted saws can't match. ArboristSite owner threads are full of people who sold their other big saws after buying one; more than one homeowner splurger calls it the best saw they've ever run. The gripes are specific and consistent: it drinks fuel hard, fine dust can sneak past where the plastic filter housing attaches, a handful of high-hour owners report warm-stall quirks, and the price has ballooned roughly $500 since launch to about $1,779.99 with a 25-inch bar. There's even a contrarian 'flagship saw disappointing' thread — but it's an island in a sea of five-star sentiment. If money were no object, this is the saw most of the forum says they'd grab.

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.