Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Stihl MS-311 Chain Saw with 20 Inch Bar

I run an ms290 "farm boss" with 18" bar and full chisel chain and my brother has the ms310 with 20" bar. Both are good, dependable, long lasting firewood saws. That said they are heavy and tiresome to run for extended periods for the power output. A couple years ago I bought a Husqvarna 445 with 16" bar which is considerably smaller and lighter {10 lbs vs 13 lbs} and not only is it much more comfortable to run for long periods but it actually cuts faster too. Haven't used the farm boss much at all since I got the Husky.

I run a 24" bar on MS 310 with no problems. Nice for limbing and no hassle when bucking up the rounds on the ground.

I have a farm boss and a 362. The 362 has a compression release and that is a good enough reason to own it.
They both use the same 20 inch bar and I can use the same chains on either saw. Hopefully they will outlast me.

I have the MS311 and it has been a good saw but I have not extensively used it. I did have a problem with the oiler clogging but that seems to have resolved itself. It is on the heavy side but I have an older small Echo that I use for trimming smaller stuff so it is manageable using the combination. I have the 18 inch bar on mine.

With my stihl saws I've always been able to choose less than what seemingly is required. They have such great power and good chain configurations, I'm able to chew through a 20" red or white oak with just an MS 250 with a 16" bar.

I zip through 10-15" oak and hickory with a little MS 170 with a 14" bar.


My MS 290 with 20" bar hardly gets used anymore.


I also know how to properly hand file all my chains to near new sharpness. Surprising to me how many men have to carry their saws to a dealer to get them sharpened. Pathetic.

And my oiler never gets clogged. Run a dull saw and you'll generate a lot of fine powder and will paste things up. Least that's my hypothesis.

If anything, my saws are bleeding bar oil all over the workbench. Have rest them on old burlap to keep them going from 'mike brown' all over the place.

I bought this saw back when I needed to clear about 3/4 acre of land for my Pole Barn build. Agreed, replace the safety chain with full skip and 20" bar and go cut chit.....mine has never had an issue!

I've got an MS260. It's only about 10lb., decompression for easy starting, anti-vibration. Keep the chain sharp and you can work all day with it - let the saw do the work. You can cut just under twice the length of the bar no problems if you know what you are doing. I've been cutting firewood for close to 10 years with this one and it's been a workhorse. You pay more for the 'pro' models, but it can be worth it if you have the coin to spare. You can put longer bars on, but there's no real point. With a 16" or 18" bar, you can cut a 30" log and you get better torque with a smaller bar. Longer bars are easier to bog down. Nice to have a bar that's bigger than most of the logs you cut so it's done in one cut. I love Stihls, but Husqvarnas are good too. Buddy of mine used a husqvarna on his Alaska mill to mill spruce planks for his cabin. Worked it hard, but got some great lumber out of it.

311 sounds like their neophyte line. At 036 you get the full size chain.
Whatever shop you like best is the way to go. We have a Stihl dealer. They don't have a clue compared to the Husqvarna guy down the street.

Good saw. I have a 20" bar and a 16. Not that much for another bar and chains. The 16 inch is handy for smaller stuff.