Howdy arbor-folk! This is my first post on this fine forum, but I've been searching and reading on it for a couple of months now. Great site, friendly and helpful folks, and a wealth of knowledge about wood and saws!
I realize that the "x saw -vs- y saw" has been hashed out a lot on this site and maybe some folks are tired of it, but I thought I'd post this just to get some more experienced opinions. A little background first...I'm a lightweight (so far) compared to most of you guys...
I've never owned my own chainsaw. Always used my dad's, borrowed from friends, or used the "house saw" if I was doing some work clean-up/tree work for someone. I've used plenty of saws, but never with any real sense of how to properly maintain them. Now I've got a family and live in a house with two hungry wood stoves and am trying my best to be prepared for the winters to come. Not my first rodeo with maintaining stoves throughout the winter, but relatively new to doing alone as the head of household. I'm totally prepared and excited about maintaining a saw, whatever I end up getting. I'm confident that I can fix issues that come up with the help of a forum like this, but I'm not really a mechanic by nature.
Location: Mountains of Western NC. Normally gets pretty cold, windy and somewhat snowy here, although last winter was a fluke. We moved in mid-winter and went through about 2 cords (conservatively) in mild weather for about 3 months. I estimate more like 6+ for next winter from late fall through spring, and will also be helping some friends out with cutting wood for their stove. I don't own property (around here) to harvest wood from, but am already making plans to get out on friends' properties and harvest wood in exchange for whatever they want/need and ads come up on CL frequently for free access to harvest firewood.
I really like burning black locust because it's hotter, burns longer (oak is good here too), and makes better coals than anything else I've used, which isn't really a whole lot. There's also a good bit of locust that's already dead (already down and still standing) around this area that died 5+ years ago that people are still harvesting and burning. I like oak too, but it seems to take longer to season than the locust that almost seems seasoned right after you cut it. People say that locust is hard on chains for various reasons, but this is my firewood of choice, if I can get it. Oak #2. Anything else worthy that I should look out for. I don't bother messing with softwoods for heating..waste of time and energy around here, when it's really cold.
Anyway, enough about me and wood. I've read enough about the MS261 to make me really drool over this saw. Strong preference for this one (for all the reasons that people have beat to death on this site) light weight, good power to weight ratio, well-designed air filter. I would plan to run this with an 18" probably.
There is a 034 AV Super that came up a little while back on the local Craigslist that had me considering it. New bar and chain (not sure what size), looks quite clean, and is advertised to be in "like new condition for it's age" which, I'm guessing is 15-20 years old? A couple hundred less than a new 261. Looks like a 034 super is very similar to an 036, which looks to be a very well regarded saw.
A used 261 is also a very viable option for me, but its' a matter of finding one in a timely manner.
I guess my question real question is this...If you were using this saw mostly for firewood harvesting (limbing, bucking, felling-but not yet, need more practice and confidence) the wood i mentioned earlier of unknown/various sizes...what would you choose and why? Lets just say that this is going to be my only saw for the season, even though that may be untrue, but that's what I'm aiming for. Price is certainly a factor, but I'm not afraid to spend more for an all-around better saw, up to a certain point.
Pros and cons of each saw and comparisons from people that have actually used both for firewood harvesting is a huge plus. These aren't the only saws I would consider, they just are available to me immediately and seems like great options. Considered a spuced-up 346xp, but for some reason I feel like it would leave me wanting more if it was buried in a big oak log. I bet it's a killer limbing saw though. My good friend has a MS290 (that I've used) but it just seems like a pig compared to what I could get for similar $.
Apologies for the long-winded post. Really enjoying this site and all that it has to offer!
-Philbo
I realize that the "x saw -vs- y saw" has been hashed out a lot on this site and maybe some folks are tired of it, but I thought I'd post this just to get some more experienced opinions. A little background first...I'm a lightweight (so far) compared to most of you guys...
I've never owned my own chainsaw. Always used my dad's, borrowed from friends, or used the "house saw" if I was doing some work clean-up/tree work for someone. I've used plenty of saws, but never with any real sense of how to properly maintain them. Now I've got a family and live in a house with two hungry wood stoves and am trying my best to be prepared for the winters to come. Not my first rodeo with maintaining stoves throughout the winter, but relatively new to doing alone as the head of household. I'm totally prepared and excited about maintaining a saw, whatever I end up getting. I'm confident that I can fix issues that come up with the help of a forum like this, but I'm not really a mechanic by nature.
Location: Mountains of Western NC. Normally gets pretty cold, windy and somewhat snowy here, although last winter was a fluke. We moved in mid-winter and went through about 2 cords (conservatively) in mild weather for about 3 months. I estimate more like 6+ for next winter from late fall through spring, and will also be helping some friends out with cutting wood for their stove. I don't own property (around here) to harvest wood from, but am already making plans to get out on friends' properties and harvest wood in exchange for whatever they want/need and ads come up on CL frequently for free access to harvest firewood.
I really like burning black locust because it's hotter, burns longer (oak is good here too), and makes better coals than anything else I've used, which isn't really a whole lot. There's also a good bit of locust that's already dead (already down and still standing) around this area that died 5+ years ago that people are still harvesting and burning. I like oak too, but it seems to take longer to season than the locust that almost seems seasoned right after you cut it. People say that locust is hard on chains for various reasons, but this is my firewood of choice, if I can get it. Oak #2. Anything else worthy that I should look out for. I don't bother messing with softwoods for heating..waste of time and energy around here, when it's really cold.
Anyway, enough about me and wood. I've read enough about the MS261 to make me really drool over this saw. Strong preference for this one (for all the reasons that people have beat to death on this site) light weight, good power to weight ratio, well-designed air filter. I would plan to run this with an 18" probably.
There is a 034 AV Super that came up a little while back on the local Craigslist that had me considering it. New bar and chain (not sure what size), looks quite clean, and is advertised to be in "like new condition for it's age" which, I'm guessing is 15-20 years old? A couple hundred less than a new 261. Looks like a 034 super is very similar to an 036, which looks to be a very well regarded saw.
A used 261 is also a very viable option for me, but its' a matter of finding one in a timely manner.
I guess my question real question is this...If you were using this saw mostly for firewood harvesting (limbing, bucking, felling-but not yet, need more practice and confidence) the wood i mentioned earlier of unknown/various sizes...what would you choose and why? Lets just say that this is going to be my only saw for the season, even though that may be untrue, but that's what I'm aiming for. Price is certainly a factor, but I'm not afraid to spend more for an all-around better saw, up to a certain point.
Pros and cons of each saw and comparisons from people that have actually used both for firewood harvesting is a huge plus. These aren't the only saws I would consider, they just are available to me immediately and seems like great options. Considered a spuced-up 346xp, but for some reason I feel like it would leave me wanting more if it was buried in a big oak log. I bet it's a killer limbing saw though. My good friend has a MS290 (that I've used) but it just seems like a pig compared to what I could get for similar $.
Apologies for the long-winded post. Really enjoying this site and all that it has to offer!
-Philbo
