Fun question. What saw should I get next?

[Mustang71]

I'm itching for a new saw but I'll get shot if I buy one. I have a week old second child so money is tight. I'm thinking this fall if I can wait I'll buy one. So which one? I refuse to buy a stihl ms 360 or anything of that style. I'm thinking an 026 or 028 super on the cheap end or save and buy an 046 or husky 61. I'd like something a bit older and from the country they were originally made in.

 

[anysawpat]

262xp

 

[dave_dj1]

Congrats on the little one. I can't recommend a saw, I've never had any problems with my MS310.

 

[Mustang71]

I have the ms290 with the 390 kit in it. So I sort of have a ms310 family saw already. All my saws have the clamshell engines in them and if like to get a non clamshell saw.

 

[Mad Professor]

What is your problem with a ms360?

I have several 036 pros and unless the wood is all > 20" they are my favorite firewood saws, and I have 026 and 028 super. The balance with a 20" bar is perfect, and as light as my 028 super but more power. I love my little tank 028 super it's as reliable as the sun, will never sell it. The 026 is a bit lighter and balances nice with a 0.325 16" bar, but lacks the power of the 036. For > 20" wood I break out the 038M or 056M/066

BTW, I feel your $$$ pain. Most of my saws were DOAs that I repaired and rebuilt. This place has been a great resource for advice and guidance.

Keep your eye on CL, I got a: 1) nice running 056M that just needed an oil pump, NOS 20" stihl E bar, and a nice complete 026 w/scored piston for $50. Add just said chainsaw for sale. , 2) filthy but nice running 026 w/6 chains for $95.

Free saws I've got include: 1) 2 038 supers w/scored pistons, these are now 038M conversions, 2) 038M from a logger friend, needed cleaning out carb and recoil, came with 038 parts carcass. 056M that had a bad bosch coil and 3 parts carcasses. 3) 036 pro w/scored piston. I did a thread on the rebuild of this before the site hack.

P.S. there is a local 026 on CL w/extra chain for $125 on CL, but it's about a 4 hour drive for you.

 

[Mustang71]

I don't have a problem with the ms360. If I knew what I was buying when I bought the 290 i would have bought a 360. I'm looking for either a larger saw or another good every day fire wood saw.... Which describes the ms360 I know lol. I'm looking for a 45 to 50cc saw or a big saw that I'll probably never use.

I check Craigslist every now and again but I haven't seen that great of deals. I have a few saws I got for free but they are all poulans which are fine and fun to mess with.

 

[wv311]

My go to firewood saw is an 046 with a 20 inch bar. Last year someone stole all 5 of my saws from my garage along with all of my climbing and rigging gear. While I was waiting on the insurance money to buy some new saws a friend gave me that old beat up 046. It's still my go to firewood saw, it gets the nod over all the new shiny ones I've bought since.

 

[Mustang71]

My go to firewood saw is an 046 with a 20 inch bar. Last year someone stole all 5 of my saws from my garage along with all of my climbing and rigging gear. While I was waiting on the insurance money to buy some new saws a friend gave me that old beat up 046. It's still my go to firewood saw, it gets the nod over all the new shiny ones I've bought since.

So you use that big of a saw for cutting an entire tree? Limbing too? I'm not looking for a new saw at all. I'd prefer a used saw even one that needs a new piston and cylinder for a good price.

 

[wv311]

I rarely limb trees for firewood. There's so much dead Ash and Red oak on my property that I normally cut them off where most of the limbs start and leave the tops in the woods.

 

[Mustang71]

Got ya. I usually limb them out because I split wood by hand so those limbs are wood i don't need to split. I found that my husky 450 is the perfect size saw for pretty much any hard wood tree on my property. For bucking logs it lacks power but with a good sharp chain it will do it. I've yet to put this fresh 390 into a tree but tuning it it had no limitations in oak.

That's the reason I'm not sure what I'm looking for. Big mean saw or all around good for everything saw.

 

[LoveStihlQuality]

My go to firewood saw is an 046 with a 20 inch bar. Last year someone stole all 5 of my saws from my garage along with all of my climbing and rigging gear. While I was waiting on the insurance money to buy some new saws a friend gave me that old beat up 046. It's still my go to firewood saw, it gets the nod over all the new shiny ones I've bought since.

Not a Hell hot enough for saw thieves.

Sent from my SM-T377P using Tapatalk

 

[VW Splitter]

My go to saws are the 346xp NE (50cc) for the small wood, and the 372xp (ported) when it gets a little bigger. If you want a used saw, take your time and shop around. I just bought a 346xp OE (45cc) on craigslist for $150. I thought it was a good deal, it had 160psi on a compression test but was dirty. When I got to cleaning it up, it was either barley used or had been recently rebuilt. It looked almost new. The ported 372 will make you grin from ear to ear, and I find myself using for small stuff, so I bought the 346 with the plan of having it ported. That would be my suggestion , either a 346xp or a 372xp.

 

[Gordon Reed]

My 20 year old 026 is stihl going strong and I make it wear a 20 inch bar.

 

[NSMaple1]

I'm on constant casual lookout for a decent 024/026/240/260. I like my 250 16" but one of these days I will reach my breaking point for its bad warm/hot (non) starting habit and it will go down the road. Either way I will always have a saw that size - a pretty decent power/weight balance for what I mostly cut.

I really like my 360 with 20" for the bigger stuff. There is the very odd time when I would like something bigger but that doesn't happen often enough to justify it, yet at least. I also have an 044 basket case to try to reconstruct sometime - just haven't found the time to do it yet.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

My go to firewood saw is an 046 with a 20 inch bar. Last year someone stole all 5 of my saws from my garage along with all of my climbing and rigging gear. While I was waiting on the insurance money to buy some new saws a friend gave me that old beat up 046. It's still my go to firewood saw, it gets the nod over all the new shiny ones I've bought since.

I used a 460 and 20" bar for firewood duty for a couple of years also. Great combo. I had a couple of lighter saws also for limbing, but once I was into wood over 12", the 460 was fast, easy, and fun. With a short bar like that they aren't heavy or awkward.

 

[svk]

For older iron that has good parts availability for reasonable prices I would do Husky 262 or 272 families. 044 or 046 are awesome saws but the Stihl name will command a premium. If you want more displacement the 181/281/288 Huskys will do that and are usually available for reasonable.

261 can be turned into 262 and 61/266/268 can be turned into a 272 for very reasonable.

 

[NSMaple1]

I just re-read the OP.

Getting shot is a high price to pay - I think I would re-think this whole idea.....

 

[Mustang71]

I just re-read the OP.

Getting shot is a high price to pay - I think I would re-think this whole idea.....

Women don't understand y you need more than one saw especially at a time like this when I'm doing all splitting and stacking and pretty much no cutting.

I used a 460 and 20" bar for firewood duty for a couple of years also. Great combo. I had a couple of lighter saws also for limbing, but once I was into wood over 12", the 460 was fast, easy, and fun. With a short bar like that they aren't heavy or awkward.

Isn't a 20 inch bar on a 460 not really using the saw to it's potential?

I like the big saw idea because it would make me feel extra manly but the 50 cc class would work for anything I'm cutting around here. I do like the sound of huskys 260/270s possibilities though.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Isn't a 20 inch bar on a 460 not really using the saw to it's potential?

I know what you mean, but I don't think so. A 77cc saw with a 20" bar sporting full chisel chain with the rakers on the low side is a delightful way to cut firewood. Could you throw a 28" bar on it and go fell trees, absolutely, but in the log pile a 20" is usually plenty. Any extra length just gets in the way and adds weight. The extra power makes the job faster and easier, plus it puts a smile on your face.

I ran a 20" bar with an aggressive chain on my ported 660 and a8 tooth sprocket. Necessary? No way. It was fun for a while, though.

 

[Mustang71]

I'd think the 8 tooth would speed up cutting time with the smaller bar.

After looking at some of these saws quick on eBay I'm pretty sure the 046 is out of my price range. The huskys are in it and so are the smaller stihl. I know the prices go high and low and are high right now but 4 to 500 dollars is a bit more than I want to spend on a used saw.