All Around? Stihl 362 Husky 365/357xp 6401

[proflyer]

Homeowner looking for "all round" STOCK saw from among the above saws for occasional felling and for home firewood production from up to occasional max 20/22 inch hardwoods. Looking for reliable lifetime investment, new or in very good to excellent condition; plenty of local dealers in all three makes, have borrowed/used Husky 55 and now looking for a pro model with a little more power. All above appear to have very similar specs (cc, hp, weight). May consider Makita/Dolmar 7900 (better lb/hp v. 6400) if at a good price and if recommended. Cash wise, Bailey's 6400 sale looks good, as is a 6400 on this site. There a several 365's on ebay now as well for $500? This is a great site... glad I found it. Thanks in advance for your time/advice/assistance!

 

[Gunther274]

Lots of people seem to like the makita 6401 for the price. Goes for 470$ on baileys.

I just bought a jonsered 2165, which is the same as the husky 365, I have ran the orange and red version of this saw, and they are both great, because they are the same I suppose. The 2165 and 365 have lots of power and are not too heavy. The one thing that kept me from buying one of those 365's on ebay is the warranty issue, I do not believe it is valid anymore, that saw is not available in the US anymore.

 

[WoodChuck'r]

The 365 can be turned into a 372, and the 6400 can be turned into a 7900 - both can be done very easily.

But for an "all around" stock saw, I recommend the MS360-Deuce with no questions asked!

 

[GeoffM]

I Have both the Dolmar PS7900 and a Husqvarna 357XPG, both great saws. Any of them will make a great firewood saw, but the Dolmar will do most things better.

Geoff.

 

[Diesel Pro]

Bang for the buck

A nice and economical step up from the 55 is the 359. Brad's $325 cream puff 359 was a heck of a deal...

 

[madman39]

For the money you cant beat the 6401! I love mine!

 

[tjbier]

Another vote for the 6401!

 

[DougNH]

The sharpness of your chain will make a much bigger difference than any difference between these saws.

 

[mowoodchopper]

For the money you cant beat the 6401! I love mine!

 

[trook]

I think you will get MANY recommendations for the MS361/MS362

 

[SawTroll]

Another "one post wonder"?

I will not post here, before he has made a few more - but the answer is 372xp! :greenchainsaw:

 

[mikefunaro]

Best for the money is the 6400 IMO. It's significant cheaper ~$200 than the rest.

The 357xp new is too expensive. $50 more beans (or less) and you get a 372. Or you did. Maybe still depending on your area.

Again 362 is purported to be great but it's got the inevitable strato price tag. That's a lot of money. 372's arent out of reach.

365 for the right price is a sweet saw. But again, either you get a good price (maybe $550) and you're still close to $100 beyond the makita, or you get a crappy price (try $650) and you're $50 away from a 372...

I'd also encourage you to get your hands on as many of the saws as possible. If you're looking at one saw and one saw only (at least for a while) you want to make sure you're comfortable doing everything you have to with it.

However, if you put the good air filter on the makita for peace of mind, you're out $70, which is pretty close to the price of the 365.

 

[mikefunaro]

This business of turning saws into other saws is great and everything but you have to do a lot of cutting to wear one of these saws out. More than any homeowner is going to do even if you cut 10 or 15 cords a year. When you look at the costs of upgrading, if you do it yourself, you generally maybe break even with what the bigger one would have cost to begin with, or a lot of the time you spend more money. Either you do it yourself and are liable if something goes wrong or you hire a pro to do it and shell out more duckets.

This business of "upgradable to" is great, but it's not realistic in the scheme of saw pricing. You don't really save money. The baileys upgrade thing is a good deal for someone who is going to beat the *(##$ out of the saw and then need to replace the topend. That's not something this guy is likely to do.

Expansion room is a good thing i guess but i cannot see how it should drive saw buying decisions. If you're not comfortable doing the work yourself there's no gain. Just get the saw you want the first time.

 

[jd548esco72]

the 6401 is a heck of a saw for not that much money. i would probably go with it or the 365 if i found a really good deal on one. either will cut firewood for years with no problem.


you would likely be better off bang for buck wise to get a used 70cc saw that is if you can find a deal on a good one.:greenchainsaw:

 

[Vibes]

I've got a 7900 and its great but I could get by cutting firewood with my 2065 forever. Get the 365 and be done with it. Get some extra chains and a file guide. Your good to go.

 

[SawTroll]

I've got a 7900 and its great but I could get by cutting firewood with my 2065 forever. Get the 365 and be done with it. Get some extra chains and a file guide. Your good to go.

Can you explain why you prefere the 2065?

 

[proflyer]

All Around? Stihl 362 Husky 365/357xp 6401 or ?

Wow, thanks for all the responses thus far... some good sage advice on a tough choice... I like the "sharp chain" comment...

Going to get a first hand look/check local pricing on these machines today/nest few days (as I continue to watch the ebay bidding on the 365s). As most/many warranties are for a year, and yes, there is value to having that coverage for a new off the shelf (factory run/tested ONLY?) machine, it seems that it is not an overriding value .... consider you have the ongoing factory upgrades to some models and the discontinuation/replacement of others (365s?)... much of a concern for a long term ownership? Based on the activity I see here and elsewhere, it would not seem so... and if that is the case, then I should continue to consider all sources (new, used, discontinued)?

 

[WACutter]

Mid Size Saws

Makita 6401 - Best Bang for the Buck
Husky 365 - Good saw if you can find a new one for $500
Husky 357 - Smaller and almost as powerful as the 365; great saw but pricy
Stihl 361 - I would vote for this one if you can find a new one locally for around $600
Stihl 362 - Nice saw, but a lot of money and heavy for 60cc's. You're probably within $50 or so of a Husky 372/Dolmar 7900

If I were on a tight budget, I'd go for a Makita. If I had a bit more money and wanted a 60cc saw a 361 would be my first choice.

 

[caotropheus]

Fellows, you have more chainsaw experience than me, so this question is for you. Isn't a Jonsered 2165 or 2171 within the class proflyer is looking for?

 

[Termite]

If I have to carry the weight of a 7900 I want it to have 79cc not 64cc.
A good Husky261 is a good 60cc saw that would do the job on the big end and still won't break your back limbing. It handles well with an outboard clutch and weights what a 62cc saw should.
A 262 flat top piston ups the compression 20psi. The piston costs about $30.