new to the site and not sure what saw I need

[sawinredneck]

LMAO Dan, what I was thinking

Sawinredneck what is your reason for not liking the two saws I listed? I guess I'm looking at them from all angles.

IMO the 260 is an overrated, overpriced, overhyped TURD! For that money there are a lot more powerful saws to be had that will run better and give you more options.

I have not run a new version of the 346xp yet, so I have no judgment I can give on it. The old version left more than less than impressed. It rapped up nice and tight and screamed like a demon, but seemed it got scared as soon as I got it close to wood! They required a "finesse" that I guess I lack! They want a light pressure, keep the revs up type of cutting action. I'm used to leaning on saws a bit, even after extensive modding I could never get it to run to my liking.
It's said the new modle has more tourqe and a more usable power band, I doubt I will ever find out.
I'm not a fan of hardly any of the 50cc class saws, they always left me wanting or wishing I had more saw. I do love my Husky 350's, but they have been dropped and many here don't like them because they have a plastic crankcase and a few had issues with mufflers falling off, both good reasons to dislike them, but I've never had an issue with one.

I think for the money spent on either of those saws, there are other, better and larger options available to you.

 

[Shagbark]

You need a minimum of a MS361 or a 357XP to feed that OWB. Anything smaller will take all the enjoyment out of not paying the utility company for heat. I would step it up to the 60-70cc range and seriously look at the used 362xp mentioned in an earlier post. I cut my first few times with an MS270 (50cc) and was working hard for the 8 cord I needed (mostly 16"-24" ash). I got a sweet deal on a new 385xp (85cc) and quickly realized that I could cut the same wood at least 4x faster.

 

[sawinredneck]

........... and quickly realized that I could cut the same wood at least 4x faster.

With less, or the same, amount of gas and be less tired when done!

 

[jeepm@n]

Ok so I need to step up to a 357XP or larger? How is Dolmar for quality as a saw? I was pm'd by someone to check them out also. I'd like to buy a new saw as that way I know what gas was used and how it was taken care of. As I was also told that I need to either use no-ethanol gas or use premium gas as the ethanol gas is not good for a 2 cycle motor. Is that true? As far as getting a larger saw I'm fine with doing that ,but other then the used one that was quoted what saw is better for close to the same amount of cash? I would eventually by a used saw as a second or third chain saw but for my first saw I'd like a new one. I really appreciatte all the advice.opcorn:

 

[headleyj]

If you can afford an OWB, you can can afford a good saw.

A.S.members talked me into getting a Stihl MS361 almost 3 years ago to replace a good older design Poulan 65 pro saw. It was more than I wanted to pay bit was a great decision.

Here's that thread.

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?p=624748#post624748

Since I bought it I have tripled my wood cutting and paid for it many times doing side jobs and selling fire wood. I have heated with wood for 30 years and my intent was just replace my old saw.


It is perfect with the Stihl RSC chain on the 18" bar I normally run. When I need to cut large wood, to 48" I use a 24" bar with full skip chain from Baileys. It screams through the occasional oak, maple or ash in the 40-48"range with sharp full skip.

One of it's best features is the high power to weight ratio.

I think that this is the perfect saw for the need you describe. If there is any way you can go the extra mile for a pro saw in this range. 59cc, 4.4 hp, 12.4lb. you won't regret it ... assuming cutting and heating with wood is what you want to do long term. It is a great 1-saw solution to lots of firewood.

One last point: learn how to keep your chains sharp. If you don't someone could give you a great saw and you won't be happy. If it's not sharp it's not worth using and can be more dangerous also.

Make those chips fly!

Knowing what I know now after my 1st year and cutting for my 2nd with my OWB, I'd get the 361 with a few bars and never look back. If you find yourself in alot of big stuff, then upgrade to the 2 saw camp. my 2 cents.

 

[treemandan]

no 26, its for more delicate surgery. Them 44's and such are getting big, 800? I forget but something in a 36 might fit better.
seems to me huskies are lighter and I think it was a 372 that kinda impressed me. One thing that all these saw have in common is that they will work for years and years

 

[treemandan]

not only that but you will get the homeowner warranty instead of what they give us. Anything but pro grade is like buying yourself a motorcycle from Pep Boys.

 

[matt9923]

.......yep, and it's not up to the task being asked about. It would be a good second saw though with a Stihl 460 for the big cutting.

I agree 100% but he said $350.... get a used 039 o something! I like mine a lot. Even tho its not a pro saw its held up to hard use.

 

[matt9923]

not only that but you will get the homeowner warranty instead of what they give us. Anything but pro grade is like buying yourself a motorcycle from Pep Boys.

i disagree. homeowner saws can hold up fine if they are taken care of.

 

[sawinredneck]

Dolmar makes a great saw, there are many that like the 510s, more that like the 5100 and 7900, that might be a bit big, and the 6400 which is the same as the Makita 6401 that was recomended earlier as the Home Depot off rental.
Nothing wrong with a 357xp (I want one BTW) and the 372xp is light years ahead for cutting.
You never have said how large the trees in your area are or what species they are. Those two factors can help us guide you a lot better towards what will work best for you.

 

[Maldeney]

Jeep,

Asking for an unbiased opinion here is like asking a Honda and Harley rider to give a unbiased opinion about which motorcycle is the best.....Harley sucks by the way:greenchainsaw:...... Oh sorry off topic. Everybody has their favorite saws and that is what they will always tell you to by regardless of what your budget is....... My thinking is stay with your original budget find yourself a good used saw and enjoy the learning that will come from it. Buying a used saw will give you time to learn about the saw and really how "not" to tear one up, or yourself.... Once you buy your first saw you will (in short order) be looking for your next purchase so don't blow your wad on the first one. Ease into your new addiction and learn a little more about chainsaws, felling, bucking, spliting, stacking, loading and your new addiction!


Welcome to the AS!

 

[jeepm@n]

The trees in my area are mostly 12-18" diameter. There are some in the area of 30" + but you have to look. The majority of the wood is popal, oak, and then maple. The large diameters are generally oak. There are pines but I'm going to stay away from those as I was told the pines create much more cresote. I plan on burning a mix of green and seasoned wood. I know most people would not burn popal but two friends I know only burn Popal 85% of the year and leave the oak and maple for January. They also do not cut their own. The salesman of my Central Boiler showed me his 12 year old unit and the wood pile of green and seasoned wood that he burns. His reasoning was we need a smoldering fire, and not a hot flash fire. The water only gets to 180 degrees and that is all. He also heats an old drafty house that is about 2700sq ft and I'll be heating 2000 sq ft of a well insulated sealed up house.

Thanks for the input.

I do understand that your reasoning Maldeney. I just like to know the ups and downs of the various saw manufacturers and like to know why people like or dislike the manufacturer.

 

[sawinredneck]

Ok, so an 18" bar does most of it, that's what I needed to know.
And yes, all manufactures make some kick ass products, and all make some junk and opinions are like #######s, eveybody has one and they all stink! IF you are lucky enough to have a Dolmar dealer near by, and IF you are lucky enough they don't suck, look at the Dolmar 5100. It's the hot rod of the 50cc class.
If your Dolmar dealer sucks, if you even haveone, then look at the Husky 346xpne (the one with the silver on it). If your Husky dealer sucks then look at a MS260, if your Stihl dealer sucks then look at an Echo model. (seeing a patern here yet?) You KNW know what you need/want,find a dealer THAT DOESN'T SUCK and can hold your hand/help you with problems you will incure as you progress on this journey of OWB ownership! It's nothing to do with the brand, it's the dealer that makes it!
We know now that a 50cc saw will work, go and and handle them, feel them act like an ass and pretend to cut with them. Do they feel bulky, large, heavy, light, nimble and or controlable?
At the end of the day you have to live with this saw, we don't, you have to run it to feed the beast you bought, not us! Then find a DAMN dealer that doesn't seem like he's jacking you around and buy a saw! I'd still like to see you in a 60cc saw, but a 50 will work. But I cannot stress the importance of a good dealer, no matter the brand, brand don't mean #### if the dealer sucks!

 

[racerxga]

IF you are lucky enough to have a Dolmar dealer near by, and IF you are lucky enough they don't suck, look at the Dolmar 5100. It's the hot rod of the 50cc class.

If your Dolmar dealer sucks, if you even haveone, then look at the Husky 346xpne (the one with the silver on it). If your Husky dealer sucks then look at a MS260, if your Stihl dealer sucks then look at an Echo model. (seeing a patern here yet?)

I'd still like to see you in a 60cc saw, but a 50 will work. But I cannot stress the importance of a good dealer, no matter the brand, brand don't mean #### if the dealer sucks!

Your post precisely outlines my decision tree (no pun intended) for buying my first saw. I wanted a Dolmar but none of the dealers I called stocked them.

Then, a weather-related situation occurred last night that forced me to buy a saw, the Husky 455 Rancher - it wasn't my first choice; from a dealer which was my last choice - Lowes.

But overall, I'm very happy with the impulsive decision I made to spend $100 extra dollars to get a 55cc Husqvarna Rancher with a 20" bar. I never thought I would consider one that big and heavy. I spent 20 minutes picking up the 46cc and comparing it to the 55cc (of course no one came to help). But in the end, after using it, I'm really happy I went larger and for this particular job with unusually large trunks to buck, I wished I had a much larger one. Beyond this project, my only use for this saw will likely be trail work with small trees and bucking deadfall.

It sounds like the OP is going to be doing a similar amount of work that I did today and likely not 24" trunks. I think the suggestion to go 60cc would be right on. The bigger engine, IMHO actually seems to makes the job safer as the saw seems more predictable (pros...please correct me if I'm wrong here).

 

[randyg]

Hi Rob and welcome to AS

The "Firewood, woodburning and heating equipment" forum, or the "chainsaw" forum might get you more input if that is what you are after.

It seems you are not ready to drop $6-700 on a pro grade 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 H.P. saw at this time, but that is what you will end up with if it is true happiness that you seek (cutting happiness that is). For a couple years you could get by with a 3 to 3 1/2 H.P. saw from the 'big box' store. That saw will come in handy for limbing and getting big saw out of a pinch, but make no mistake, the big saw will out cut the smaller one about 4 to 1. Yes, they are a bit heavy to carry but once you rest it on the wood, it is like getting out of a ford pinto and into a cadillac.

Keep your tip out of the dirt...

randy

 

[lsc86]

So if you walk into the Honda dealer to buy a Civic do they turn you around and send you down the street to get a Mercedes instead?

Sounds to me as if he's just getting started with some home owner usage, not opening a logging business. Nothing wrong with having a budget and trying to stay within it.

Yes there is upside to buying a quality tool, but doubling your initial budget doesn't guarantee making the 'right' decision either. You might just find out that a $300 saw works well enough to get you many years of use or you might find out that you really need a second saw to augment your first saw. Either way, no reason to not at least try to work within your budget.

If he were to buy a good saw now, use it for 2 years, decides he wants/needs something bigger, might be able to sell it for darn near what he paid for it to begin with.

For instance, you can get a good value with a new left over Husky 350 on eBay right now. Definitely not the best saw ever built, but you could easily do worse and spend more money doing it. Part of the allure of any new 'toy' is hunting for a good deal!

http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAQND-NEW-HUSQVARNA-350-Chainsaws-w-18-Bar-and-Chain_W0QQitemZ250505849357QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a534fea0d&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[sawinredneck]

While I respect your reply, and for the majority here your advice is very sound. But this isn't the average member, he has an OWB which he plans on feeding so, I can assume, he can heat the house entirely this year. This isn't a cord or two cutter, this isn't the "I want to romance the wife in front of a glowing fire then do it again in a few weeks" kind of person.
This is cords and cords and "Oh crap, I think I need to go buy a tractor so I can feed this thing easier!" kind of purchase.
Yes doubling his original amount seems exuberant, once he starts having to cut that much wood he will regret the smaller/less powerful saw purchase then will come back here asking about a larger saw needing it NOW so he can continue to feed the OWB.
So what cost more money? Listening to reasonable people trying to educate him that he wont be happy and will beat himself to death using a small underpowered saw and doubling his budget now? Or buying the small saw then finding out he really does need the larger saw then has to go buy it? Which in turn tripled his original price point?

I agree that most on this site could get away with a home owner Husky 350 or Stihl 290 they just WANT the extra power. This person has made a COMMITMENT to an OWB and will NEED a lot of wood to feed it, and will NEED a powerful enough saw to cut up what ever he may come across to be able to feed it.

I am a HUGE fan of the Husky 350, been running one for years, wish I had the money to have a couple of spares sitting around just in case, it's a fine saw and my pick as the the "best bang for the buck" saw ever made. So I am by no means badmouthing you or your pick. This is just going to be a serious user, I'm not sure he even understands how much of a user he's going to be!

 

[headleyj]

While I respect your reply, and for the majority here your advice is very sound. But this isn't the average member, he has an OWB which he plans on feeding so, I can assume, he can heat the house entirely this year. This isn't a cord or two cutter, this isn't the "I want to romance the wife in front of a glowing fire then do it again in a few weeks" kind of person.
This is cords and cords and "Oh crap, I think I need to go buy a tractor so I can feed this thing easier!" kind of purchase.
Yes doubling his original amount seems exuberant, once he starts having to cut that much wood he will regret the smaller/less powerful saw purchase then will come back here asking about a larger saw needing it NOW so he can continue to feed the OWB.
So what cost more money? Listening to reasonable people trying to educate him that he wont be happy and will beat himself to death using a small underpowered saw and doubling his budget now? Or buying the small saw then finding out he really does need the larger saw then has to go buy it? Which in turn tripled his original price point?

I agree that most on this site could get away with a home owner Husky 350 or Stihl 290 they just WANT the extra power. This person has made a COMMITMENT to an OWB and will NEED a lot of wood to feed it, and will NEED a powerful enough saw to cut up what ever he may come across to be able to feed it.

I am a HUGE fan of the Husky 350, been running one for years, wish I had the money to have a couple of spares sitting around just in case, it's a fine saw and my pick as the the "best bang for the buck" saw ever made. So I am by no means badmouthing you or your pick. This is just going to be a serious user, I'm not sure he even understands how much of a user he's going to be!

couldn't have said it better myself....it IS a big commitment and a few hundred $ to make this commitment easier, faster and more enjoyable is $ well spent IMO.

I'm selling my MS290 and MS210 and upgrading to 2 PRO saws after 1 years of feeding our OWB....10 cords last year - it's alot of work even if the wood is already down. It's a smart move to spend the extra $ IMO.

Upgrading the saw(s) becasue of the OWB is what brought me to this site - if I remember right it was a Google search with "OWB saw upgrade" or something like that.....and yes that's what my tractor is primarily used for

 

[bruce6670]

Why not try a Husqvarna 350 for one year and then move up to a 346xp or bigger next year after you gain some experience cutting wood?
The 350 can still be found for about $300.
Good luck.

 

[jeepm@n]

I think tomorrow AM I will be the proud owner of a 346XP. He is throwing in a spare chain, a case at cost and is charging me $475 for the saw. It's more then I wanted to pay for a saw but I figured do it right the first time. I did go and try the Stihl, Dolmar, and 455 husky rancher. I felt to much vibration with those saws and speed was fine to me with them. The weight of the Rancher and Dolmar seemed to be unbalanced to me. I have pretty serious carpal tunnel and have gone through 3 surgeries on one wrist.My joints don't like the vibration much. Thank you guys for all your input and for giving me a starting point.