sunfish
Fish Head
Right on, Brutha! :msp_biggrin:
Good saw for firewood business???
- Thread starter Mowingman
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Right on, Brutha! :msp_biggrin:
indiansprings
Firewood Purveyor
We're in the firewood business and do between 300 to 375 cord a year. You can see the work saws I have listed, we use everyone of them. If I had to just pick one saw I would prolly go with the 361 Stihl. Imho you need two saws at a minimum if you are serious about cutting wood.
I would go with a 441 or 460 Stihl for the 70 cc saw if you are going to buy Stihl.
For the 50cc saw in Stihl I would buy a 261. It is stronger, smoother and has better filtration than the 346xpne, I have both saws and the 261 is a better firewood saw imho.
If you are going to buy Husky it would be the 372 or 576 autotune for the 70cc saw and the 346xpne for the 50cc saw. The 346xp is about 3/4 of a pound lighter than the 261. With a 16" bar it is a very nimble saw, it handles a litter better than the 261 for limbing at the expense of a little less power. The 346 however is an excellent saw, until I bought the 261 it was the best 50cc saw I had ever owned.
Personally I like running a 25" bar on the 70cc saws for everyday use, I keep a 32" for the occasional big oak. On all my other saws I run 18" bars, with the exception of the 346 and it runs a 16".
It boils down to what dealer you have in town that will give you support and service the best. I've got a great Stihl dealer I've bought from for 35 years that treats me great, while the local Husky dealer is a turd.
If it was the other way around I'd prolly run Husky.
I'll spend two grand a year on supplies, mix, chains,bars, wedges,filters, bar oil, splitting maul handles, splitter gas etc. I can tell you it's cheaper to have it on hand than run after stuff all the time.
Don't scrimp on the quality of saws you buy, it will come back to haunt you.
Look at it this way, set them up on depreciation, write off all you can, fuel, delivery truck, saws, supplies, labor etc. Keep good records document every expense so you can run a true profit and loss statement every month to let you know if our making money. It sounds like you have a great oppurtunity with a well established business. The key is customer service, and giving them a good product. If the buy a cord deliver them a 15% more than a cord, by word of mouth your business will continue to grow. Be willing to sacrifice your time during the wood burning season. Customers call in the worst weather, at 8:00pm on Saturday night out of wood etc. It can be damn challenging on a personal level sometimes. I really cherish the friends I've made with the majority of my customers. I even sell a select few wood on the payment plan or deferred payment, mostly single moms and a couple of elderly. We always provide a couple needy families with free wood for the winter, it's a small way of giving back.
If you decide to get in the business go in 110% committed or you won't last long.
Now go on down and get you them Stihl's or Huskies and for goodness sakes run from them echo's/lol.
I would go with a 441 or 460 Stihl for the 70 cc saw if you are going to buy Stihl.
For the 50cc saw in Stihl I would buy a 261. It is stronger, smoother and has better filtration than the 346xpne, I have both saws and the 261 is a better firewood saw imho.
If you are going to buy Husky it would be the 372 or 576 autotune for the 70cc saw and the 346xpne for the 50cc saw. The 346xp is about 3/4 of a pound lighter than the 261. With a 16" bar it is a very nimble saw, it handles a litter better than the 261 for limbing at the expense of a little less power. The 346 however is an excellent saw, until I bought the 261 it was the best 50cc saw I had ever owned.
Personally I like running a 25" bar on the 70cc saws for everyday use, I keep a 32" for the occasional big oak. On all my other saws I run 18" bars, with the exception of the 346 and it runs a 16".
It boils down to what dealer you have in town that will give you support and service the best. I've got a great Stihl dealer I've bought from for 35 years that treats me great, while the local Husky dealer is a turd.
If it was the other way around I'd prolly run Husky.
I'll spend two grand a year on supplies, mix, chains,bars, wedges,filters, bar oil, splitting maul handles, splitter gas etc. I can tell you it's cheaper to have it on hand than run after stuff all the time.
Don't scrimp on the quality of saws you buy, it will come back to haunt you.
Look at it this way, set them up on depreciation, write off all you can, fuel, delivery truck, saws, supplies, labor etc. Keep good records document every expense so you can run a true profit and loss statement every month to let you know if our making money. It sounds like you have a great oppurtunity with a well established business. The key is customer service, and giving them a good product. If the buy a cord deliver them a 15% more than a cord, by word of mouth your business will continue to grow. Be willing to sacrifice your time during the wood burning season. Customers call in the worst weather, at 8:00pm on Saturday night out of wood etc. It can be damn challenging on a personal level sometimes. I really cherish the friends I've made with the majority of my customers. I even sell a select few wood on the payment plan or deferred payment, mostly single moms and a couple of elderly. We always provide a couple needy families with free wood for the winter, it's a small way of giving back.
If you decide to get in the business go in 110% committed or you won't last long.
Now go on down and get you them Stihl's or Huskies and for goodness sakes run from them echo's/lol.
hoosier daddy
ArboristSite Operative
600p
Mowingman,
I purchased a cs600p over roughly a year ago and have been well satisfied with that saw. I run a 20" bar and can say that I've never run out of power, it's a good saw. I purchased it based on local dealer support and the advice of a friend that's been a mechanic for over 40 years...he uses echo exclusively and advised me that if it was his money that's the direction he'd go.
I know that Echo's get talked down on quite a bit but it still comes down to how well you can get it serviced locally...if the Stihl or Husky dealers had the local guys that the Echo dealer did that's exactly where I'd be doing business.
Good luck with what ever you end up with. I would not be afraid to buy another 600p, it's a really well made saw that serve your needs well.
Mowingman,
I purchased a cs600p over roughly a year ago and have been well satisfied with that saw. I run a 20" bar and can say that I've never run out of power, it's a good saw. I purchased it based on local dealer support and the advice of a friend that's been a mechanic for over 40 years...he uses echo exclusively and advised me that if it was his money that's the direction he'd go.
I know that Echo's get talked down on quite a bit but it still comes down to how well you can get it serviced locally...if the Stihl or Husky dealers had the local guys that the Echo dealer did that's exactly where I'd be doing business.
Good luck with what ever you end up with. I would not be afraid to buy another 600p, it's a really well made saw that serve your needs well.
Mowingman
ArboristSite Guru
Wow, I did not realize I would get so much response to what seemed like a simple question. I really appreciate all the response.
I am still sticking with the Echo due to reasons stated previously. Have decided on the following saws.
I am going with 2 Echo saws.
1. I am going to refurbish a small 16 year old Echo CS3000 with a 14" bar. This is a little saw I gave to my father-in-law about 7 years ago years ago. He has not used it in 3 years, and told me to come get it if I want it. nice little lightweight saw that has always run great. A rebuilt/cleaned carb should get it going again.
2. I am buying a new CS500P or CS600P Echo. Have not decided which one yet. My dealer is out of both, but is getting an order of saws in late this week. Will look at both, then decide.
OK Stihl guys, I know you think I am making a mistake. But, I have run all Echo equipment for years, in my former lawn business, and am very happy with Echo overall, and especially with my Echo dealer.
Thanks to all though, I have learned a lot about saw selection and preferences.
Jeff
I am still sticking with the Echo due to reasons stated previously. Have decided on the following saws.
I am going with 2 Echo saws.
1. I am going to refurbish a small 16 year old Echo CS3000 with a 14" bar. This is a little saw I gave to my father-in-law about 7 years ago years ago. He has not used it in 3 years, and told me to come get it if I want it. nice little lightweight saw that has always run great. A rebuilt/cleaned carb should get it going again.
2. I am buying a new CS500P or CS600P Echo. Have not decided which one yet. My dealer is out of both, but is getting an order of saws in late this week. Will look at both, then decide.
OK Stihl guys, I know you think I am making a mistake. But, I have run all Echo equipment for years, in my former lawn business, and am very happy with Echo overall, and especially with my Echo dealer.
Thanks to all though, I have learned a lot about saw selection and preferences.
Jeff
You don't need my approval, but I say whatever works for you is good.
I'll run anything that does the job well and won't keep my hands tingling into the next morning. Can anyone compare the Echo CS600P anti-vibration tech to say any of the following: Stihl 290/361/362, Husqvarna 455/359/357XP ?
How's the low end grunt of the Echo CS600P?
I'll run anything that does the job well and won't keep my hands tingling into the next morning. Can anyone compare the Echo CS600P anti-vibration tech to say any of the following: Stihl 290/361/362, Husqvarna 455/359/357XP ?
How's the low end grunt of the Echo CS600P?
600p fer me
"My new echo cs-600p shud arrive sometime tommorow.
Here's a link with a tad of info on the 600p: ---> http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/outdoor-tools/chain-saw-comparison-field-test#fbIndex1
From most of what I read the echo 600p is comparable to the stihl 361/362. Slightly slower rpms then the stihl but with plenty of torque.
Remember too tho--- "5 yr. warranty" for the Echo. I think the EFCO is the only other brand that has a 5 yr. warranty. (which are supposed to be really tough dependable saws as well.) ((thats EFCO not Echo))
(((a logger friend of mine has about a 60cc EFCO one of his smaller saws he says. And he says that he can't hurt that thing. Says he'll toss it down and no matter how it lands it'll stay runnin just chuggin on fer as long as he leaves it there.)))
Anyway, an Echo 600p fer me, and a stihl ms 025...oh yea shhh a Poulan "Wild Thang" that always starts fer 'lil piddly stuff around the land.
"My new echo cs-600p shud arrive sometime tommorow.
Here's a link with a tad of info on the 600p: ---> http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/outdoor-tools/chain-saw-comparison-field-test#fbIndex1
From most of what I read the echo 600p is comparable to the stihl 361/362. Slightly slower rpms then the stihl but with plenty of torque.
Remember too tho--- "5 yr. warranty" for the Echo. I think the EFCO is the only other brand that has a 5 yr. warranty. (which are supposed to be really tough dependable saws as well.) ((thats EFCO not Echo))
(((a logger friend of mine has about a 60cc EFCO one of his smaller saws he says. And he says that he can't hurt that thing. Says he'll toss it down and no matter how it lands it'll stay runnin just chuggin on fer as long as he leaves it there.)))Anyway, an Echo 600p fer me, and a stihl ms 025...oh yea shhh a Poulan "Wild Thang" that always starts fer 'lil piddly stuff around the land.
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
Good deal Jeff, glad you made a decision.
I wouldn't worry about what people say about Stihl and Husky either. I look at saw's like I look at pickups. I don't care what it say's across the tailgate, as long as it dose the job at an acceptable rate of speed.
Echo's may be like Dodges in the future. Remember back in the 70's when everyone said "stay away from Dodges, they're junk". Hahaha. Now everybody want's one with a Cummins in it.
Andy
J.W Younger
ass kissing impaired
I'm makin do with theseView attachment 171732
TMFARM 2009
Addicted to ArboristSite
the reason we run echo's is the dealer base here... the stihl's are sold by john deere dealer here and service for saws runs $75.00 hr there... no brainer when it comes to that.... echo dealer i use charges 20 hr for major repairs.. the rest such as tuneup etc are set cost's..when you can look up a saw online then go to the john deere dealer and find its $75-100 higher thats a rip off.but they are used to selling $300,000.00 tractors so saws they dont care about...husky only has box stores no local service so there isn't much choice here.if you have a good dealer to deal with go with it, it could save dollars down the line for you....good luck with your business.
Jonsered
"What do ya think about that Jonsered?"
Lotta loggers here in mid-south Ky. use'em."
Schipp
...oh wait...thats a Dolmar right? What do u think of it?
I was researchin @ the Makita/Dolmar, B4 I bought my Echo 600p That Makita 6401 i believe it is looks very nice.
"What do ya think about that Jonsered?"
Lotta loggers here in mid-south Ky. use'em."
Schipp
...oh wait...thats a Dolmar right? What do u think of it?
I was researchin @ the Makita/Dolmar, B4 I bought my Echo 600p That Makita 6401 i believe it is looks very nice.
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J.W Younger
ass kissing impaired
The domar makes a real good all round firewood saw long as the wood is under 16".Not as nimble as the 026 it replaced but with more power.Also it was over a hundred bucks less than ms260.
hoosier daddy
ArboristSite Operative
Low end grunt...
From my experience...This spring I was cutting with a friend and will give you this comparison...He was running a stihl 460 with a 20" bar and I was running my 600p with the same. We were bucking large ash and were able to absolutely burry the bar...
The 460 seemed to have much more high end and as long as you weren't leaning on the saw hard it was faster...the 600p seemed to have more low end to it...you could lean on the saw more before you started to make her give up. This was my observation as well as his...
Make no mistake the 460 is MORE saw than the 600p...I don't know exactly how many CC's but it is bigger...seemed to run faster...mine is bone stock and i don't really know about his...I will say that the 600p has more than enough low end.
From my experience...This spring I was cutting with a friend and will give you this comparison...He was running a stihl 460 with a 20" bar and I was running my 600p with the same. We were bucking large ash and were able to absolutely burry the bar...
The 460 seemed to have much more high end and as long as you weren't leaning on the saw hard it was faster...the 600p seemed to have more low end to it...you could lean on the saw more before you started to make her give up. This was my observation as well as his...
Make no mistake the 460 is MORE saw than the 600p...I don't know exactly how many CC's but it is bigger...seemed to run faster...mine is bone stock and i don't really know about his...I will say that the 600p has more than enough low end.
indiansprings
Firewood Purveyor
That 460 must be sick or have the dullest chain in the world on it. We run saws almost daily for a living, there is no comparison between a 600 Echo and a 460 your talking approx a 2 hp difference. A 390 Stihl is a good saw to compare a 600 Echo too. Not that the Echo is a bad saw at all, there is just a world of difference between the capabilities and torque of a 460 compared to a 600.We have no issue pulling a 25" bar buried in seasoned oak with a 8 pin sprocket on the 460.
I'm sure the OP will be very happy with his 600, that class of saw makes an excellent firewood/all around saw. The five year warranty is a nice feature, although I've got an efco with a five yr warranty, three years in there has been no need for it.
It good to see Echo is bringing out some new saws. My Stihl dealer has been trying to get me to by a big twin cylinder echo for a couple of years. It's a cool saw, runs smooth, I just don't need anymore shelf queens.
I'm sure the OP will be very happy with his 600, that class of saw makes an excellent firewood/all around saw. The five year warranty is a nice feature, although I've got an efco with a five yr warranty, three years in there has been no need for it.
It good to see Echo is bringing out some new saws. My Stihl dealer has been trying to get me to by a big twin cylinder echo for a couple of years. It's a cool saw, runs smooth, I just don't need anymore shelf queens.
hoosier daddy
ArboristSite Operative
that was the first 460 I had ever had my hands on and was not impressed...From your comments I should have been blown away...??? That thing had a completely different sound and I was expecting it to really tear up the logs...not so...I would like to run a healthy one.
Chain was new so that wasn't the problem. With no load it sounded really responsive, almost turbo charged, but in the cut...600 could almost keep up...I will assume that it was sick but am not a mechanic...
after I typed my post i went and looked at the specs for the 460 and you are right, it should have handed me my lunch...??? Maybe some day I will get to run a healthy one and change my mind...
I have no issue with stihl, and would love to buy them to see what all the hub-bub is but the local dealer is an deal killer. it's bad enough that my buddy actually had to go to the echo dealer that day to buy a loop of chain because the stihl dealer did not stock them...enough said.
Chain was new so that wasn't the problem. With no load it sounded really responsive, almost turbo charged, but in the cut...600 could almost keep up...I will assume that it was sick but am not a mechanic...
after I typed my post i went and looked at the specs for the 460 and you are right, it should have handed me my lunch...??? Maybe some day I will get to run a healthy one and change my mind...
I have no issue with stihl, and would love to buy them to see what all the hub-bub is but the local dealer is an deal killer. it's bad enough that my buddy actually had to go to the echo dealer that day to buy a loop of chain because the stihl dealer did not stock them...enough said.
You sure that wasn't an Husqvarna 460? :hmm3grin2orange:
This a common problem if you run Echos for any length of time. You find out most other saws just have very limited amounts of torque. Their power is at the very top of the rpm scale. Which makes very good hp numbers. I wish chainsaws were rated on torque rather than hp like B&S does now.
I agree on the two saw setup! If I was going to have two saws for firewood, it would be a Stihl 026 with 3/8 16 inch bar and a Stihl 034 or 036 with a 3/8 25 inch bar with full skip chain. Love those two saws!
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