should I sell/trade my year old 461 for a 660?

[User Name Here]

Gents, its been a while since I have been on here and when I was I got some great help on a few things. Looking for some honest advice now. Last year I bought a new 461 and used it a little (probably 2 truck loads of firewood overall use time) and I have to say I do like it, but I have an itch for a 660. Y'all know how it goes.... Anyway, should I trade or sell my 461 to get one or should I just stick with what I got? I have a 440 that I got new in 04 I think it was and I love it for the power to weight and use it most, and I also have an older metal tank 028wb that I bought on ebay and fixed which runs great and is in good shape. I had thought of maybe trading/selling the 028 with the 461 to get a 660. I guess what I'm asking is would it be worth it to do this to get a 660 or should I just stick with what I've got? The 461 will do what I NEED it to do, but a 660 would also and also have a little more OOOH factor to it. Thanks guys!

 

[Jimmy in NC]

I have to ask what size bar are you going to run and will it be buried? If you don't run over a 32" bar, I'd stay with what you've got. I've run a stock 660 with pretty low hours on it and to say I was disappointed would be a severe under statement. If you are running a 24" B&C on fire wood duty it's hard to be a 70cc machine and the 460 is a damn fine one.

I even have a 288 that Mastermind has worked over. I had a 24" bar on it and I never grab for it, I go for a 372. Big saws are heavy and not that impressive with a short bar as you just can't make use of the power on hand. Now it has a 32" that lives on it. That's the bar for that saw and anything less it's 70cc time.

Just my $.02

 

[User Name Here]

Currently I'm running a 28" on the 461 and a 20" on the 440. I have a 32" for it if the need arises but haven't yet used it. I occasionally cut fairly large trees and have used my dad's 044 with his 32"er in the past before I got my 32" bar. I agree for most of the time, the 440 with a 20" is what I grab. I do however need the larger bar every so often so that's why I am considering the 660.

 

[nmurph]

Here's an idea-

port the 461, sell the 440, get a used modern 50cc.

 

[stihl for life]

Currently I'm running a 28" on the 461 and a 20" on the 440. I have a 32" for it if the need arises but haven't yet used it. I occasionally cut fairly large trees and have used my dad's 044 with his 32"er in the past before I got my 32" bar. I agree for most of the time, the 440 with a 20" is what I grab. I do however need the larger bar every so often so that's why I am considering the 660.

get the 440 or 461 ported or even both . solves that problem lol

 

[DonnerParty]

The 440 and 460 are my two favorite saws. The 660 is fun for a few minutes, if you've got some really big stuff to cut, but starts feeling heavy pretty quick.

I agree on porting the 461. That would be my first choice!

 

[z71mike]

I prefer older stuff. I would sell the 461. 028/440/660 is an excellent 3-saw plan. Just my outlook.....

 

[User Name Here]

I had thought about porting the 440 before I got the 461 but I dismissed that idea because I would've been without a large saw for a while. I hadn't thought about it since though. I'm not very educated on the whole porting thing though, so I'm not sure I want to go that route. What kind of performance gain are we talking about if I ported the 461? If we are talking about near 660 levels of power in a lighter package sounds like a hell of an idea.... But then the cost also comes into the equation.

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

A ported 461 will impress you

 

[nmurph]

NO, a ported 461 is not near a stock 660; it surpasses it (unless you are pulling a 32" + bar).

 

[Naked Arborist]

If your worried about cost of porting, you don't use it very much and don't need it. If you cut a lot of wood you would understand my point.

 

[User Name Here]

Well I admit I'm not an arborist or do not cut timber for a living. I am a wildland firefighter and use saws on fires occasionally - usually an agency saw (362), but sometimes my personal saw for larger trees. And I cut firewood and sometimes but trees for my dad to mill with his portable sawmill. I am certainly not doing this for a need - if I only had a saw for what I NEEDED I could get by with a single 362 or similar. This is a WANT to

 

[Ironworker]

Well if'n it's a want then get yourself a ported 90 something cc saw of any brand. Go big or go home. I ran a ported 460 and was very impressed with it, smoked my ported 372.

 

[redfin]

If I had the saws you do I would definately port the 461. I use a 660, 044 and an 026 for firewood duty. The 44 wears a 20 and the 660 a 25". I have a 36" bar that I have used on the 660 but not very often.

I have been kicking the idea around of selling the 660 and buying a 461 to port.

 

[User Name Here]

I would love to drop 1500-1700 on a new 90cc and a port job but that's not going to happen unfortunately. The wife had a hard enough time understanding why I needed to spend 900-1000 for the 461... I may have to research porting one though - that sounds pretty interesting

 

[old-cat]

I rebuilt an 066 for a customer and test ran it with a 24" full comp chain buried in a Fir log with lots of push applied. It RIPPED!
Now I have a brand new MS461 that I did some very moderate MM and porting. I put the same bar and chain on and buried it in the same log and the 461 performance was VERY near the 066.
HEAVY vs LIGHT your call.

 

[blsnelling]

A ported 461 will blow away a stock 660, all while being lighter.

 

[Naked Arborist]

Well by all means then port the 461 and never look back except to laugh at the dude you buried in chip.

 

[blsnelling]

A ported 461 has no trouble pulling even an 8-pin with a full comp 28" B&C buried in hardwood.

 

[stihl for life]

A ported 462 has no trouble pulling even an 8-pin with a full comp 28" B&C buried in hardwood.

he means 461