Next Saw - 390XP or 562XP / 6100

[barton174]

So here's where I am... You can see my sig for saws. I basically just saw mine and my folks' fire wood (and some of my grandpa's, on the farm. Maybe 8 cords/year?). I live in Indiana, so we don't have 8ft diameter trees or anything. The biggest stuff I get into is 4ft yard tree trunks, on occasion. With good 50cc saw and ported 371, what would I use more? A 390XP or a modern/fast 60cc saw like a 562 or a 6100? (please don't turn this into a 562/6100 pissing contest. For the purposes of this post, I'm using them interchangeably as "modern 60cc saw")

I'm actually not sure how much faster a stock (possibly new, with warranty that I want to keep intact??) 390 would be than a ported 371/372, with a 28-32" bar?

I'm also not sure how much I would use a 562/6100, with the 550xp and the ported 371xp? Maybe a ported 562??

I'll eventually have both a hot 60cc saw and a 390 (or other 84-95cc saw), but it's just a question of which one would get used more, and how much faster (if any) a stock 390 is than a ported 371/372? I'm also not especially opposed to a used+porting 390xp, either, as I hear there's a ton of power left on the table on the 390?

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[blsnelling]

IMHO, a 60cc saw would have no point in your collection. Only the 390 would make sense to me.

 

[barton174]

IMHO, a 60cc saw would have no point in your collection. Only the 390 would make sense to me.

That's kind of my thought, as well... If you recall, the reason I got the 550XP a couple months ago was because a ported 371 with a light bar isn't appreciably heavier than a 60cc saw, and is faster.

Question for you, though... How does a stock 390 compare to a properly ported 371/372?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[blsnelling]

What's this stock thing you mentioned?!

 

[barton174]

What's this stock thing you mentioned?!

Yeah, that's really the question up in the air... If I buy new, not being commercial, I can get a 4 year warranty for the price of 3 quarts of fuel. If it's still more badass than my ported 371, that's great. If it's not, then I might as well get lightly used and spend the extra money on porting and just rebuild it if it grenades.

Mike

 

[Big_Wood]

it's about what you need. i realize this flies by the minds of near everyone on this site though lol. a 371/372 ported will get **** done. it will do anything a 390 can do just a little slower in bigger wood. if you find a used 390 for a good price that's great but to go buy a new one to make a couple cuts a year or fill a spot on the shelf is pretty silly. unless of course your rich in which case you should have one of every model in your man cave lol.

 

[barton174]

it's about what you need. i realize this flies by the minds of near everyone on this site though lol. a 371/372 ported will get **** done. it will do anything a 390 can do just a little slower in bigger wood. if you find a used 390 for a good price that's great but to go buy a new one to make a couple cuts a year or fill a spot on the shelf is pretty silly. unless of course your rich in which case you should have one of every model in your man cave lol.

It's a little of both. I have ended up doing several yard trees/year (ETA: and when there's logging on the farm, a lot of my firewood is butts and hips/crotches for the next couple years), which when the 371 was stock, I wished for more speed for cutting and noodling up the trailer loads of 4ft rounds. I don't NEED anything other than what I have, and I'm not rich, but I'm going to sell off a 6.8 SPC AR which I don't use*, after the election, and that money will be for my next saw. Once hobby money goes to something else, SWMBO forgets that it was ever hobby money, and if I use it once, it would get used more than yet another rifle in an odd caliber.

Mike

* I originally built this 6.8 AR for deer hunting, for my nephew. He's not big enough for my .458 SOCOM, and the hunting regs in Indiana were about to change so that we could use anything .243 and up. However, the bowhunting "stakeholders" got that kiboshed, so the legislature ended up passing a law about it. However, the wording of the law basically only lets us use .243 and .30 and nothing in between. So, this is a rifle without a use, in a safe that I have to hold stuff in, then shut the door real quick before stuff falls out.

 

[blsnelling]

I would expect a ported 372 to be stronger than a stock 390 in most cases. I would definitely go used and get it ported. Contact @spike60 for the price on a new one before buying used.

 

[barton174]

I would expect a ported 372 to be stronger than a stock 390 in most cases. I would definitely go used and get it ported. Contact @spike60 for the price on a new one before buying used.

OK, cool. Yeah, if I go used, I'll probably try and find a blown up 390 for pretty cheap (which I've already been keeping my eye out for), because people seem to want almost as much as you can get a new one from a site vendor for, for their used ones in good shape.

Mike

 

[Spring1898]

Another vote for the 390!
When you get tired of using the 390xp, the 371 will feel lighter by comparison and you will end up using that for the things you used to use the 50cc saw for Well maybe not. But the 60cc saw never made a lot of sense to me for the majority of people. It falls between the 70cc and 50cc, but weighs closer to the 70cc. For a 1 saw situation I could see it being helpful, but you already have multiple saws.
And by getting the larger saw you expand your capabilities not just making what you have more efficient in a few situations.
Keep an eye out, you might end up getting it a lot cheaper than you expect

 

[Full Chisel]

A strong 371 will tackle almost any wood with a 24" or 28" bar but if you are wanting to run a long bar (32"+) a 390 will really shine in this department and a ported one is just an animal.

I agree that a 60cc has no place in your lineup since you already have the 2 saw plan with the 50/70cc. It worked well for me until westcoaster tempted me with a ported 390. Now the stock 372 gets used less but it sure is nice to pick it up after running the 390 for a while!

 

[Big_Wood]

A strong 371 will tackle almost any wood with a 24" or 28" bar but if you are wanting to run a long bar (32"+) a 390 will really shine in this department and a ported one is just an animal.

I agree that a 60cc has no place in your lineup since you already have the 2 saw plan with the 50/70cc. It worked well for me until westcoaster tempted me with a ported 390. Now the stock 372 gets used less but it sure is nice to pick it up after running the 390 for a while!

wanna trade it back for a ported 660? lol

 

[Full Chisel]

wanna trade it back for a ported 660? lol

I think we both know the answer to that! 660s are built like tanks but I just can't handle the vibes they produce.

 

[Big_Wood]

Us both can't handle it for an all day cutting saw. Gonna just buy a new 390 and sell them.

 

[Khntr85]

It's a little of both. I have ended up doing several yard trees/year (ETA: and when there's logging on the farm, a lot of my firewood is butts and hips/crotches for the next couple years), which when the 371 was stock, I wished for more speed for cutting and noodling up the trailer loads of 4ft rounds. I don't NEED anything other than what I have, and I'm not rich, but I'm going to sell off a 6.8 SPC AR which I don't use*, after the election, and that money will be for my next saw. Once hobby money goes to something else, SWMBO forgets that it was ever hobby money, and if I use it once, it would get used more than yet another rifle in an odd caliber.

Mike

* I originally built this 6.8 AR for deer hunting, for my nephew. He's not big enough for my .458 SOCOM, and the hunting regs in Indiana were about to change so that we could use anything .243 and up. However, the bowhunting "stakeholders" got that kiboshed, so the legislature ended up passing a law about it. However, the wording of the law basically only lets us use .243 and .30 and nothing in between. So, this is a rifle without a use, in a safe that I have to hold stuff in, then shut the door real quick before stuff falls out.

I tell ya I used to hate noodling big and knarly pieces of wood with a saw that was to small....when I finally got a bigger saw I thought, damn I wish I would have bought one sooner...

 

[barton174]

I tell ya I used to hate noodling big and knarly pieces of wood with a saw that was to small....when I finally got a bigger saw I thought, damn I wish I would have bought one sooner...

Exactly! I had never noodled before I found this site. We just always cut wood at the farm (and with my dad's 440EVL), and if we couldn't get the splitter to the wood, we skidded the wood up somewhere with the tractor. I've only started noodling since I've been also getting yard trees and stuff, and load the pieces into my trailer and split them at home. The farm is an hour away from my house, so if I can get wood 10 minutes from my house, I do.

Mike

 

[Khntr85]

Exactly! I had never noodled before I found this site. We just always cut wood at the farm (and with my dad's 440EVL), and if we couldn't get the splitter to the wood, we skidded the wood up somewhere with the tractor. I've only started noodling since I've been also getting yard trees and stuff, and load the pieces into my trailer and split them at home. The farm is an hour away from my house, so if I can get wood 10 minutes from my house, I do.

Mike

Ya all I have is me, my saws, and a truck... I got a old splitter, but she is to old and decrepit to leave the house lol.... ya I got a ms461, and it was pricey, but I tell ya I use it SO MUCH more than I thought I would....if the wood is big enough to bury a 20" bar, out comes she comes.... it just makes cutting the bigger nasty stuff a breeze....easier on my other saws, and better yet easy on my back!!!!