Dolmar 5100s, ms260, or husky 353?

[davebell18]

Hi, i am looking to buy my first chainsaw. I plan on getting into the bussiness of making fire wood and selling it. This is what most of my wood will be. I will be getting it hauled into my location. I am wondering which saw you would recomend out of these 3.
The dolmar 5100 i can get for 400.00. This is a pro saw but the dealer will not do anything on price.
The ms260 is 460.00. The dealer will give me half off my case. He might do like 10% off everything else also.
The husqvarna 353 is 400 for the saw. My dealer will give me 50% off how many chains i want. He will most likely also drop the price of the oil, file kit, and anything else i might need. He also seemed the nicest.

I like the dolmar because it is a pro saw for only 400. The only thing is the dealer would not negotiate his price at all with me buying a saw, file kit, box, oil, and most likely like 5 chains.
The husky i like because it seems that im getting the best deal. The only thing that i don't like is the husky is not a pro saw.

Please pros respond and give me your suggestions. Thanks alot!

 

[excess650]

All of these saws are of pro construction. The Dolmar makes the most power, while the Husky and Stihl are similar. For the price of the MS260 you might be able to get the 346XP which would be my choice as the best in the 50cc class.

Depending upon how large of wood you're planning on cutting regularly, all of these might be on the low powered side.

 

[Chaz1]

Forget the 353. Dig down and get the ne346XP instead. Great saw. Adjustable oiler. Best filtration system of all three. And pro quality to boot. Spend a little money and it will make you money. My.02 cents. I'll be cutting around 100 cord this year. As you can see in my sig I canned my 260pro because of starting issues(2 years old) and bought into the 346/372 lineup on the recommendation of my very trustworthy friend and dealer. My hat again goes off to him.

 

[davebell18]

people i need more suggestions please!

 

[huskystihl]

people i need more suggestions please!

No on the 5100! Do you really need a case? Any dealer that wants your business should throw in an extra chain. 353 is relaible, good air injection unlike the 260 which regardless is a great saw. Personally I do think they are gonna be a bit underpowered, they are limbing and light firewood saws. Have you checked out the 359 from husky? It is a pro saw and can pull a 24" bar and if your getting into the firewood biz your gonna need at least a 24" unless the wood getting hauled in is all under 16". You can get it for about the same price as the 260 and it cuts like a 361.

 

[04ultra]

I know a dealer in WI. that sells 5100's for a better price than 400.00 with tax ...







.

 

[Millman]

How about a ms361? Running a 50cc saw for a firewood business means you will be sawing all day. Invest in a saw that will make quick work. If you like Dolmar, make sure the dealer can really service it if it needs it and look at the 7900. I ran one today and it is quite a saw. Also look at the 372XP from husky. Don't be afraid to look used either. There is enough experts on this site to help you. Personnally, I run a 361 and do about 10 to 12 full cords a year for me and my son. Have fun. Looking is 90% of the fun!!

Millman

 

[dingeryote]

Dave,

All you mention are good saws, but too light IMHO.

The 359 might be the way to go on a budget, and considering your implied lean towards the Husky dealer for potentially better support.

I deeply suspect that with nothing but LOTS of Med-heavy bucking going on, you'll be looking for a faster and easier cuttig saw in the 70cc+ class in short order and be losing on a trade up in the end.

If you're gonna make an error in selecting the perfect saw for processing, make it on the larger side of things.

The initial goodies coming from the dealers can be had(Check the prices some of our sponsors have ) for better $$$$ than any of the discounts offered, so select the dealer that you suspect will be the most supportive, and jump through hoops to get you back in the game the fastest when the saw has a case of the blahs.

All the saws you mention have a solid track record so the dealer is the tie breaker for your one saw operation.

My .02?
Move up at least one class, two would be better, and let the dealer issue hold sway.
372XP/576XP/MS460/7900.

Of these, i'd be happiest with the 372 or 460 because of the parts logistics and both are darn near Bullet proof.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[computeruser]

All four - MS260, 353, 346xp, and 5100s - are good saws. Whether they are what you would want for a serious firewood enterprise...depends what you're cutting. They are all 16-18" saws. The usual disclaimers apply with extra force if this is going to be your only saw for now - go with a quality product of a brand that has local dealer support. Even if that means going with the less powerful Stihl over the Dolmar, do it.

I just finished cutting and splitting three trailer loads of mixed hardwoods, 5-20" in diameter. The smaller stuff was handled by a Husqvarna 238se (38cc/13") and the larger stuff with a 5100s (18", 3/8" chain). The 5100s did the job just fine with this stuff, and if your firewood is going to primarily consist of the kind of stuff pictured below and up to the occasional 20" log, then you should be fine with a peppy 50cc saw.

Batch #1, free firewood, offloaded:

The results:

If you're going to be in the 15-25" range much of the time, aim for a 70cc+ saw. The increased time per cut adds up when you are cutting the log ever 16-18" inches! In the past, when I've received trailer loads of hardwood in this size range, the tool of choice was the 7900/20" and 066/20".

441, 7900 for 15"+ hickory:

This was cut with an 044/20" setup:

 

[Happyjack]

I would go try a 359 with a 20" bar. That's a good start. Saw has a two year warranty, and you said you liked the dealer the best. I'm not sure if they all come with the CAT muffler now.

Dinger's post was right on the money.

 

[KarlP]

The husqvarna 353 is 400 for the saw. My dealer will give me 50% off how many chains i want. He will most likely also drop the price of the oil, file kit, and anything else i might need. He also seemed the nicest.

The husky i like because it seems that im getting the best deal. The only thing that i don't like is the husky is not a pro saw.

Seems to me like you like your husky dealer so I'd go with the 353.

The 353 has enough of the important pro features. Its light, its got a magnesium crank case, and it can be converted to rim sprocket and non-cat muffler easily. Some years Husqvarna USA listed it as a pro saw, other years it didn't. Don't worry about the label.

After you process sell a bunch of cords with the 353 and find you are cutting lots of stuff > 10" in diameter, take the $$ and buy a 372, 576, or 390 from the husky dealer you like. You'll be able to write the expense off against the firewood business and be even more productive the following year. Two saws are better than one. Around here you might even get the idea that twenty saws are better than two. ;-)

 

[davebell18]

Any other suggestions?

 

[2000ssm6]

Go with a bigger saw, 60cc area. A Stihl 361 wood be my choice. The 359 is a great one also.

If you need the lower weight of a 50cc, I like the 260 the best but anything over 16" and you will be wanting the power of a 60cc. You won't find a better built or reliable saw than the 260. For bucking the 5100 has the most power out of all 3(260, 5100, 346).

 

[blsnelling]

Anything over 10-12" and I'm grabbing a bigger saw. Sure, it'll cut it. But that's 60-70cc territory IMHO.

 

[sbhooper]

One thing that I have learned the hard way is that you really need to consider which dealer will support you the best after the purchase. The best deal over-the-counter is not necessarily the best deal a little way down the road. Any one of those saws will do the job. If you can afford it, I would at least go up to the 60 cc range of saws, though.

I have been using the 60 cc range of saws partly because that is about as much weight as I want to pack around. I have not had any problem cutting trees up to about 26" (that is the biggest that I have needed to cut so far) with the 20" bars on my saws and so I really have no need for a bigger saw. That is not to say that I would not like to have one, though.

 

[mowoodchopper]

If I were going to go into the firewood buisness and had no saws I would buy a 60 cc saw. Buy 359 or something along those lines and get started! If it goes ok then buy a 50cc saw and maybe a 75-80 cc saw later!

 

[Brushwacker]

Depending upon how large of wood you're planning on cutting regularly, all of these might be on the low powered side.

I agree. If your physically up to it I would put most my saw $ on a 60ish to 70 + cc saw. Have a smaller saw availuble for tight spots, and to take some of the effort when you have a lot of limbing + a back up saw should you have a saw problem you still have something to finish the job. New Makitas 6401 sometimes go well under $500 on ebay. It may not have the best power to weight ratio but it will cut medium and large wood way faster then the saws mentioned and it has low vibes, starts well and IMO is very good at everything except for me it is a little heavy and awkward limbing up high. If used suits you an 034 on up feels significantly faster and stronger then any 50 and under cc saw I've run. For me an 044 feels ideal for all around firewood production.

 

[SawTroll]

All of these saws are of pro construction. The Dolmar makes the most power, while the Husky and Stihl are similar. For the price of the MS260 you might be able to get the 346XP which would be my choice as the best in the 50cc class.

Depending upon how large of wood you're planning on cutting regularly, all of these might be on the low powered side.

:agree2:

....but for just blocking logs he may as well get the 5100S.

Where the Husky really shines, is in the woods!


Like several others, I am thinking that a 50cc saw will be a bit small.

 

[Taxmantoo]

If you do your own saw repairs, or have a dealer you trust, I think the PS-7900 and PS-5100 are the best saws for the money. (if you are production cutting and can only afford one, start with the 7900 if you can pay that much for the first saw)

 

[peter399]

The 353 is just as much pro quality as a 346. It's no XP (Exclusive Performance) because there is another 50cc saw, the 346, with more power, so the 353 can't have the XP label. But it's pro quality, no doubt. It will last as long as a MS260, I can guarantee that after having both. Not yet one single issue had with the 353. The 026 I sold after cluthch problems, broken forehandle, difficult to get perfect carb tuning etc.. It also has very poor air filtration and excessive vibrations with old rubber mounts. Forget that one.
Especially if more expensive than the 353 and the 5100!
Get the money and buy the king of 50cc, the 346, otherwise the 5100 or the 353.