Noob looking for advice! Stihl 362, Dolmar 7900, Makita 6401, Husky 560 or 346

[Fugowwee]

So I am new to the site and it has been YEARS since I spent any real time in the woods with a saw. Growing up our house (log we built) was heated with wood almost exclusively so a weekend outing consisted of cutting down 24"+ dia trees. My dad did all the felling only letting me and my little bro drop small stuff 8"-12" occasionally for practice. I also ran chainsaws and demolition saws on occasion working construction. Recently I lost my mind and bought the old family house and have two issues 1.fire wood and 2.Pine Beetle kill on my land. If it all goes right a boiler and hydronic registers will limit my fire wood needs. I am a firm believer in a good tool lasts a lifetime and makes the work easier. I loves me good tools! My dad is a Stihl fan but I like to educate myself on the newest stuff out there. The saws I listed are probably a bit of over kill but I HATE wishing that I had bought a little bigger the first time. I find myself looking at horsepower to weight ratios a lot and the saws I listed seem to fit the bill when looking at that ratio. Ergonomics are also important, it needs to feel at home in your hands. For some reason most of the Huskys feel more comfortable and better balanced than the Stihls. I like the idea of the 346xp but am afraid it will be to pipey and I feel a few more cc's and a longer torque curve may be beneficial. Which lead me to the 357xp that seems to be a VERY hard to find item as no one around here has or can get? So we may have to wait for the 560xp. As hard as I try there is no one near by (400 miles) selling the Dolmar/Makita 7900 which has my curiosity at an all time high! I really want to see how they feel and service is a concern as well. Any thought Do I go 362 Stihl or 346xp locally now? Risk mail order and do A Dolmar/Makita 7900? or wait for the 560xp? I'm in no real hurry yet but. . . . Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[TreePointer]

Tell us about the species and size (most common diameter) of wood you likely will be cutting and then we can recommend saw displacement, bar length, chain type, etc.

Also, what dealers do you have nearby?

 

[Fugowwee]

Thanks for chiming in. Most of the trees are pine, lodgepole, ponderosa, douglas-fir and then some occasional larch, spruce, birch, aspens and western red cedar. More often than not I will be cutting smaller stuff 8"-16" for myself but with the beetle kill so prevalent I will be helping friends and then it can be a free for all as to what we will encounter. 24" plus trees are not uncommon but I am not sure I need to tangle with those for some time. I used to like using my dads 026 with 20" bar but my only other references were his limbing saw a small Stihl and his Big old Stihl with a 36" bar with no brake, SCARY. As for local dealers Stihl and Husqvarna both have some very good distribution. The Stihl dealer is closest, smaller, a bit standoffish but knowledgeable. We have close by Husqvarna distribution, nice people, but the saws are kind of a sideline it would seem. There is a BIG Husqvarna dealer about 130 miles away that is very open, knowledgeable and will let me play with the saws if I wish. Since I was looking at a 460 rancher but really wanting to see a 357xp he suggested I wait to see one of the upcoming 500 series saws but also encouraged trying what was available now including some Echos that he has. Price is not my concern as quality is appreciated long after price is forgotten.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[webie]

I am thinking stihl 362 w/20" bar should handle everything you throw at it . Later if the need comes by you can get your self a 25" bar for it . Sounds like most your cutting is pretty easy and the 362 being a new strato I would think it will be around for a long time . Then later on if you feel the need for a lighter limbing saw you can get your self something smaller like a 260 and a 16" bar .

 

[DarkTimber]

I know that it is not on your list but the Husky 372xp is a great saw and well built and will give you enough grunt to run a 32" bar but the stihl 362 should be up to the challenge if it is anything like the 036.

 

[7point62fmj]

Also dont forget the SOLO 681. Check on there website to see if you have a shop near buy.

 

[taylor6400]

No expert by any means...just a firewood cutter here...and own a home on some acerage, and do some maint. on about 500 acres of hunting ground. So, the homeowner/property maint use mostly sees downed trees that i need to cut off trails/roads and clearing out some small areas for deer cover...etc

As a firewood cutter, i get a lot of wood those ways, but i have 20 acres at home mostly wooded so i do some culling as needed to top off my firewood supply. I also manage it for deer as well.

For 1 saw plan i love my Stihl MS361. Power to weight is good. Its light enough to use for long periods, and it cuts as good as i need it to with a 20" bar. Now occasionally i get into some big blowdowns...20"+ hardwoods and i work her pretty good with the bar burried in an oak, but i have never had any issues with the saw. Though some day i do plan to move to 2 saws and would move up to a MS440 or 460 and maybe something like a 260 for a light saw. My dad has a 260 and i "borrow" it regularly (pretty much lives at my house over the winter when im cutting alot of firewood) for cleaning trails and light weight stuff and limbing and brushing, and its a fun little saw to run for that stuff.

 

[ECRUPPRECHT]

362 is a great saw you wont be dissapointed it will easily run a 25" es bar with full comp chain

 

[Doingitwell]

Here is my $0.02 cents worth Fugowwee. I bought a MS362 a little while back and after getting it through the break-in period...about 4 tanks full, this saw rocks like there is not tomorrow. I've ran saws nearly half my life, (I just turned 41 for those that want to do the math), and IMO this saw cannot be beat...at least for MY cutting needs. I typically cut bark beetle pine up to around 30" diameter. I would go a little bigger on diameter but it's not available where I cut.

I run a 18" bar with full chisel chain, and this saw just flat gets it done. I will say with the 362 being a Strato saw it does use a bit less gas, which is nice.

Again, the above comments would be my own personal experience.

My closing comments to you would be, do 100 push-ups in the store, then grab the saw of your choice and hold it chest high for 2 minutes while doing squats.....repeat as necessary until you ALMOST make the 2 minute mark. That my friend will be the saw you can grow into and most likely last you a lifetime.

 

[dingeryote]

Hello!! And congrats on buying the old place!!

If you're gonna only have one saw, you'll need a GP saw that wont wear ya out limbing and cutting up small stuff and still have some grunt for the bigger stuff.

That's 60cc ground. 361/362, 357 etc.
My .02? Find a new or lightly used 361. The 357 is dead and never was worth it's price tag.

If ya think you'll be afflicted with CAD(You will be) and end up with more than one saw, which would make sense, you'll do no better than the 346xp, and a good used 70cc saw like a 372, 440, 460, or 7900.

Check out the trading post.
Lotsa good saws over there.

Whatever ya do, lean towards dealer support.
It sucks when ya need parts or a tweak and can't get there from here.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote