Best used med-large saw and price

[jra1100]

Hi all: I just joined yesterday, and find this a great forum and information site. I live in north central Iowa, and have been burning wood for about 30 years. I have always had used saws, and will continue to do so. I want to get a bigger saw and find much to my shame I really don't know all that much about them. I have had old Hommys, and a Craftsman or two and a couple of Poulans all less than 50cc. I cut all kinds of wood, but dead red elm and oak, both white and red, and some walnut is the majority of my cutting, and some of these trees are well over 100 years old and over 3ft in diameter, and power is a must. I am leaning toward a 820-920 Jonsered type of saw, but cost is very important to me. I burn wood to save money and also to get some exercise, my main jobs are sales agent and mayor, so working out is important, and I never could see spending 500-900 dollars on a saw to save money. From looking at the threads and responses I can easily tell the expertise that is here to ask about this issue. I am NOT trying to start a big mess, just want some guidance. Thanks

 

[computeruser]

Welcome to the site!

If you're looking to move up to something that is capable of handling 3'+ hardwood, I think you're looking in the right size range with the Jonsered saws you mention. I cannot comment on parts availability for those models, but I'm sure someone will chime in shortly on that point. If your goal is to be economical, you might be better off sticking with used saws of a more current vintage so easy access to new and used parts will continue to exist for years to come.

You might want to keep an eye out for a used Husqvarna 385. They seem to hold their value less successfully than other similar saws, would be capable of handling the work you have in mind quite easily, and should have parts easily available for many years. Ditto with the Stihl 064, the underloved cousin of the 066.

What kind of budget do you have in mind, and how complete/ready-to-run do you want this saw to be?

A used 066 would be a great choice since it would easily handle that wood and good used parts are dime a dozen. If you can score a good deal on one, it would be a great choice -

 

[pallis]

Welcome! A good way to go on a used saw would be to buy a Husky 365 and put a BB kit on it or pick up a used Makita 6400 cheap and put a 7900 top end on it. I haven't done either yet, but plan to. ...I did buy a new Makita 6400 for $350, and put a 7900 top end on it. It's a simple job for a good saw.

 

[RiverRat2]

+1

Welcome! A good way to go on a used saw would be to buy a Husky 365 and put a BB kit on it or pick up a used Makita 6400 cheap and put a 7900 top end on it. I haven't done either yet, but plan to. ...I did buy a new Makita 6400 for $350, and put a 7900 top end on it. It's a simple job for a good saw.

Home depot rental centers, you can get a used 6400 for around 200.00-225.00 I got one for 200, and it pulls a 20" bar really well,,,,, there are some decent saws on the trading post here as well,,, Welcome to AS,,, You are right,,, there is a wealth of knowledge here,, but a little BS too,, a good BS filter is required!!!!! Keep us posted,,,, If you have lots of big stuff with the 066 ya cant go wrong,,,, and you could expect A decent one for 450.00 - 550.00 or so. but you would be surprised what a good Stihl 440/460/ Husky 372/385 or Jred 2171/ Dolmar 7900 can do with sharp chain,,,,,

Welcome to AS!!!! Partner

 

[Four Paws]

Parts for those old Jreds might be hard to find. I would recommend a used Shindaiwa saw - they are tried and true, and their build quality is every bit as good, or better IMO than the major players. Cared for and maintained, they will run forever. This thread will no doubt turn into a brand loyalty thread, and the MS361 Stihl, 5100 Dolmar and a few other of the "must have" saws will no doubt get drug in.

The bottom line is, all major makers made good saws, and duds. Parts availability and dealer support are of huge importance. That said, I can easily obtain EVERY part for any Shindaiwa saw made in the last 20+ years.

You say you have been cutting for 30 years - so I would be willing to bet you don't want to pack around a monster saw all day. Something in the 70-80cc range will more than likely suit your needs, and budget well. I have listed a few saws below that you can pick up for around $400 (give or take) in very good condition.

Dolmar 120 Super (probably in the $300 range for a good one)
Husqvarna 272/372
Jonsered 2071/2171
Shindaiwa 757
Stihl 044/440
Stihl 046/460

Josh

 

[RiverRat2]

no war intended!!!!!

Parts for those old Jreds might be hard to find. I would recommend a used Shindaiwa saw - they are tried and true, and their build quality is every bit as good, or better IMO than the major players. Cared for and maintained, they will run forever. This thread will no doubt turn into a brand loyalty thread, and the MS361 Stihl, 5100 Dolmar and a few other of the "must have" saws will no doubt get drug in.
The bottom line is, all major makers made good saws, and duds. Parts availability and dealer support are of huge importance. That said, I can easily obtain EVERY part for any Shindaiwa saw made in the last 20+ years.

You say you have been cutting for 30 years - so I would be willing to bet you don't want to pack around a monster saw all day. Something in the 70-80cc range will more than likely suit your needs, and budget well. I have listed a few saws below that you can pick up for around $400 (give or take) in very good condition.

Dolmar 120 Super (probably in the $300 range for a good one)
Husqvarna 272/372
Jonsered 2071/2171
Shindaiwa 757
Stihl 044/440
Stihl 046/460

Josh

Sorry Josh I didn't mean to leave the Shinney's out,,,,,,

 

[bcorradi]

Parts for those old Jreds might be hard to find. I would recommend a used Shindaiwa saw - they are tried and true, and their build quality is every bit as good, or better IMO than the major players. Cared for and maintained, they will run forever. This thread will no doubt turn into a brand loyalty thread, and the MS361 Stihl, 5100 Dolmar and a few other of the "must have" saws will no doubt get drug in.

The bottom line is, all major makers made good saws, and duds. Parts availability and dealer support are of huge importance. That said, I can easily obtain EVERY part for any Shindaiwa saw made in the last 20+ years.

You say you have been cutting for 30 years - so I would be willing to bet you don't want to pack around a monster saw all day. Something in the 70-80cc range will more than likely suit your needs, and budget well. I have listed a few saws below that you can pick up for around $400 (give or take) in very good condition.

Dolmar 120 Super (probably in the $300 range for a good one)
Husqvarna 272/372
Jonsered 2071/2171
Shindaiwa 757
Stihl 044/440
Stihl 046/460

Josh

I have no doubt Shindaiwa makes a quality saw, but where do you suppose he finds a good used one of those? There isn't the quantity of shinnys around like there are stihl, husky, jonsered, or even dolmar. Haven't you been thinning your shinny herd yourself and buying a few of the major brands?

 

[clearance]

Med-big, used? Hands down Husky 288XP.

 

[Four Paws]

I have no doubt Shindaiwa makes a quality saw, but where do you suppose he finds a good used one of those? There isn't the quantity of shinnys around like there are stihl, husky, jonsered, or even dolmar. Haven't you been thinning your shinny herd yourself and buying a few of the major brands?

If he wanted a good used Shindaiwa saw, I could surely fix him up. Yeah, I have been thinning my herd simply because I don't need 2 or 3 or 4 of the same model saws, LOL. I like to try different machines, however I have yet to find one that runs, feels, looks or handles better than my 68cc Shinny.

 

[Brushwacker]

Hi all: I just joined yesterday, and find this a great forum and information site. I live in north central Iowa, and have been burning wood for about 30 years. I have always had used saws, and will continue to do so. I want to get a bigger saw and find much to my shame I really don't know all that much about them. I have had old Hommys, and a Craftsman or two and a couple of Poulans all less than 50cc. I cut all kinds of wood, but dead red elm and oak, both white and red, and some walnut is the majority of my cutting, and some of these trees are well over 100 years old and over 3ft in diameter, and power is a must. I am leaning toward a 820-920 Jonsered type of saw, but cost is very important to me. I burn wood to save money and also to get some exercise, my main jobs are sales agent and mayor, so working out is important, and I never could see spending 500-900 dollars on a saw to save money. From looking at the threads and responses I can easily tell the expertise that is here to ask about this issue. I am NOT trying to start a big mess, just want some guidance. Thanks

I take it you do not want to spend much more then $300 and you do not want to buy a saw to work on first thing. I have worked with , lots of Stihls , some Huskie, lots of old homies, and various other brands mostly from previous generations ,10-20-30 year old saws,Some of the Stihls and all the huskies have been newer. Some of the saws I think would work well for you that usually go for about $300 (give or take some considering all things)considering the size wood you mention. Stihl 045, 056, both good reliable performers in big wood.I think you can still find about any part you might need without great difficulty. I really like the 048 but they didn't make that model long and parts can be hard to find. An 044 is my favorite all round saw that I own but I like more umph in hardwood logs that go over 20 inches. 046,064,066 are top choices but it seems to me they are hard to touch much under $400 unless they have been run over by a skidder , had to much strait gas or something like that.
There is a lot of saws I haven't been around or run, These that I mention I have used out in the field quite a few hours and I am familiar with their track records.
With the smaller saws you mentioned you could probably up grade even with less displacement saws then I mentioned. An 036 or 041av get the job done significantly better then 50cc saws. If I were to buy an 041 to use much it would need to be the AV model.
The bigger the better in 30 inch hardwood. You get done significantly faster.

 

[rickyrooster]

med to big saws

Another saw that could be considered would be the 415,475 and the 505 poulan pro's. They are really a Jonsered saw that is yellow and black instead of red and black. Ive got a 475 myself that is the same saw as the Jonsered 2077. I can still get parts from the dealer and the price is more reasonable that alot of bigger selling brands. 77cc's and will pull a 32 in bar with a full chisel chain. Im sure a 36 in would be ok with a skip chain. Do a muffler mod and mabe a little porting and it could be made to run with a 385 husky or a 064 stihl. A friend of mine picked up the one Ive got at a auction for 15.00 as a non running parts saw. 150.00 latter Ive got a cheap saw that will cut some good size wood. Good luck!

 

[taplinhill]

Med-big, used? Hands down Husky 288XP.

+1:chainsawguy:
I've had a few 288/281's over the years. Great saws and you can get the parts you need. If you shop around you can get one for about $250-$300. I've used up to a 36" bar on them, and they seem to pull it fine.

 

[SawTroll]

Med-big, used? Hands down Husky 288XP.

I believe that would be a good choise for a used saw also.....

 

[Lou]

+1

Home depot rental centers, you can get a used 6400 for around 200.00-225.00 I got one for 200, and it pulls a 20" bar really well,,,,, there are some decent saws on the trading post here as well,,, Welcome to AS,,, You are right,,, there is a wealth of knowledge here,, but a little BS too,, a good BS filter is required!!!!! Keep us posted,,,, If you have lots of big stuff with the 066 ya cant go wrong,,,, and you could expect A decent one for 450.00 - 550.00 or so. but you would be surprised what a good Stihl 440/460/ Husky 372/385 or Jred 2171/ Dolmar 7900 can do with sharp chain,,,,,

Welcome to AS!!!! Partner

Call first. We've had readers drive 100 miles to find the local store doesn't rent tools or had no Makita's available. This is probably the most saw for lowest cost. I don't think these are sold in the store, only available through rental area and usually have been well maintained. Search threads for how and what to check BEFORE you purchase any used saw.
Any saw run without two cycle oil in the fuel is no bargain and one tank is all it takes.

 

[DGG]

I suggest looking at the Husky "359" for $400 +/-. It is a medium sized, 4hp saw with all the latest features. Here's a link with more info.

http://store.baileys-online.com/cgi-bin/baileys/991

I have two of them. Don't skimp too much. An extra $100 for a saw that has some guts and lasts you for 20 years is only $5 extra per year for a good running serious machine. When I buy stuff it is for the long-term use.

 

[jra1100]

Thanks for the information

Thanks to all of you for the information. I am of course more confused than before, but also more informed. As I mentioned in my post, I have cut a lot of wood, but with the 50cc and under saws, except for the old David Bradley gear saw that I had for a while. It would really cut, but you had to do like they did on safari and have a saw bearer. Anyway I will absorb all of the information and read other posts and decide what to get in the near furture. Whatever I do I'll post here and take my praise and lumps with the good humor that appears to be pretty much universal on this board. Oh yeah someone said something about doing a BB or something like that on the top end. Sorry to be so dumb, but what was that about? Thanks all. JR

 

[bcorradi]

BB = big bore kit. Bailey's, a site sponsor, offers big bore kits for the following models that I'm aware of: stihl 044, 046, 066, and husky 372. What the big bore kit does is give you an 2mm extra bore size in the above mentioned models. I have not installed enough big bore kits myself to be able to vouch for their durability.

 

[Four Paws]

The big bore kits aren't favored by many, if any at all, on the Stihl saws. The small base volume on these saws, combined with the larger bores = poor performance when compared to stock. BUT, they are much cheaper than OEM parts. I imagine they would work well on the Husky saws.

 

[RiverRat2]

However,,,,

If you buy a Makita 6401 from the Home Depot rental center,,,,, for lets say $220.00 you can pick up a OEM Dolmar 7900 P/C Kit 190.00 and it is a direct bolt on replacement with all the good factory Specs and porting,,,,,re-adjust your carb a bit, open the muffler just a SMIDGE,,,,, and you will have a factory quality Big Bore that does not have crank case volume fuel charge issues like some other saws do and one that will pull a 32" bar with a vengence !!!!!!!! and you dont have to do the P/C kit right away,,, you can run the 64cc saw with a 24 or 28" bar on it just like it is,, I have run a 24 on mine and it pulls it just fine,,,, I am doing my 7900 P/C (79CC) this fall on mine!!!!!

River

 

[deerefarmer23]

nice to see someone else for IA/MN area...

where abouts in iowa are you located...