Replacement for 80EV for 84yo?

[barton174]

OK, so here's the deal. My Grandpa owns and lives on the family tree farm, where he retired to, about the time I was born (1980). He is currently 84 years old, and while he could work me into the ground 5 years ago, that's not the case, now. He's not leaving this farm any way but in a box, and he's going to do "farm work" until he does. Most of his cutting is done with the little echo top-handle saws on the 3 and 4-wheelers, and the Husky 351 on the tractor or whatever he throws it in. However, when there's something that needs cut, that's bigger than the 351 wants, he gets out the old Deere 80EV, sans the optional chain brake. He's also not nearly as strong as he was, or has the reflexes that he had, or quite the coordination, awareness, and cognitive ability.

We can't and won't take the saws away from him, but the 80EV in particular is somewhat concerning, all around. He's also notoriously cheap, especially on low-use kind of stuff like this, so the plan is that I just get another comparable saw and sort of "trade" him for the old Deere (i.e. put it in my barn, so he doesn't use the 19lb saw with no chain brake instead of the newer saw). I ran this saw last weekend during youth deer season, and it runs pretty well, but while it's 78cc, it's obviously a slow, torquey kind of power. Even before the muffler mod, my 371xp cuts quite a bit faster.

So TL;DR, what's a saw that will pull a 24" bar, that's kind of similar in power/speed to the old 80EV, but that's lighter and has a chain brake, and is reliable? Also, since I'm funding this, I'd like it to be reasonably low buck! Because of the cognitive stuff, working similar to a Husky is preferable.
365XP? 262XP? 6400? 272XP? 371/372?

Is a 357 / 359 in the same league, power and bar length-wise?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Cease232]

Sounds like my grandpa. 81 and manages 40 acres alone. He's also cheap and bought a Chinese tractor and now he's to weak to operate the clutch. Buys all his tools at harbor freight which is interesting to me considering he made a living with tools as an auto body man. I don't know enough about huskys to answer your question but enjoyed the story. I hope I'm that tough when I'm in my 80's!


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[barton174]

Yeah, he's not cheap on some things (Deere 5320 4x4 with front end loader, Honda Rancher ES 4x4, Scag mower, etc.), but there's a reason he's still got the same big saw he bought around the time I was born... He doesn't use it but 4-5x/year, and it "works fine." Also, this is several hundred acres, so the probability of having to use the big saw goes up quite a bit.

 

[old guy]

357- 359 will come up a little short with a 24" bar, 365- 372 should do it.
try to find the older one without autotune.

 

[barton174]

Yeah, I kind of figured the 60cc would be a little small, and I don't want a high-revving ported one for him, that actually will pull a 24.

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[rd35]

You might consider a 50cc range saw that is lighter. Put the 24" bar on it with a skip chain so the engine can pull it. May be a bit slower but not enough to be noticeable. Your Grandpa would probably love it because it's lighter, easier to pull start, and gets the job done!

 

[HuskStihl]

A triple nickel would be absolutely fine for 4-5 times a year with a 24" bar (sharp chain). I'd bet 20 bucks it would be faster than the EV

 

[barton174]

You might consider a 50cc range saw that is lighter. Put the 24" bar on it with a skip chain so the engine can pull it. May be a bit slower but not enough to be noticeable. Your Grandpa would probably love it because it's lighter, easier to pull start, and gets the job done!

His daily saw is a 351, but I think a 50cc may be a bit small, even with a skip?

A triple nickel would be absolutely fine for 4-5 times a year with a 24" bar (sharp chain). I'd bet 20 bucks it would be faster than the EV

Yeah, that's kind of what I wonder about... A 555 is more money than I want to supply for a saw to sit around, though. Looking used/older, and more torquey.

Mike

 

[blsnelling]

I'm going to guess that he's not going to like a high revving modern saw. They operate so much different than the slow torque monsters he's used to. I would focus on finding something that has all the safety characteristics you're looking for, but has a powerband most similar to what he's used to.

Trying to find a saw that meets all the requirements is not easy, especially the cheap part. What about a 038 Magnum? They're not light, but do have a chain brake. The Dolmar 6400 is possibly the most similar in powerband of those that you mentioned. They're very torquey for their size.

I just have a hunch that putting him in a modern high revving 60cc Saw with a 24" bar is going to frustrate him.

 

[barton174]

He does have and like his 351, which is a pretty high-revving saw, and his daily saw for years before that was a Jred 490 that I currently have. My only concern with a high revving saw in larger size is chain speed and kickback, though that's mitigated by the inertia function on the chain brakes, or at least has been on my 371. I think he wouldn't be happy with like a 562 or something, but he's run my 371 before, and liked it.

 

[blsnelling]

Sounds like he's not do stuck in his ways that he isn't willing to adapt to how modern saws run. That definitely makes your task easier.

 

[barton174]

Sounds like he's not do stuck in his ways that he isn't willing to adapt to how modern saws run. That definitely makes your task easier.

Yeah, it's more important that it operates similar to his huskies than that the power characteristics are exactly the same.

 

[blsnelling]

The Dolmar kill switch is backwards to the husky, but you can easily pop it out and flip it.

 

[barton174]

The Dolmar kill switch is backwards to the husky, but you can easily pop it out and flip it.

Good information, thank you! The 64xx is actually pretty likely, if I can find one for cheap off rental or something.

Mike

 

[blsnelling]

If you get REAL lucky, some guys have gotten mint saws for $200!

 

[blsnelling]

Hey Mike, what do you think about a 6400 for this application? @rms61moparman

 

[BroncoRN]

A triple nickel would be absolutely fine for 4-5 times a year with a 24" bar (sharp chain). I'd bet 20 bucks it would be faster than the EV

Look into that Husqvarna 555, its light has some good power, and he may enjoy it.

 

[barton174]

Really, as much as the power is different and maybe a bit irritating, the 555/562 may actually be a good route, due to having the exact same controls as his 351 (though it looks like the newer 365 and 372 models do, as well). Price-wise, I'd have to find them in the $150 "needs a piston or bearings or both" range, though. The newer 365/372XT with the same controls as the 351 is probably where I'll end up looking...

Mike

 

[Tenderfoot]

I just got a Dolmar 6100 and it has a very broad power band, or at least I think so. I think it can pull a 24 inch chain if it is sharp and you don't have huge expectations. it seems to give plenty of oil. If it holds up and is reliable I will look into getting another Dolmar saw when the need arises.

 

[BroncoRN]

That $150 is gonna be a big road block....