Seeking Opinions For Best Small Saw

[Swamp Yankee]

Jungle Jim,,,,,I am saying this one more time. If you are not concerned with price and you want the best 35 cc type saw,,,,,it will be the MS200. Nothing else will compare,,,,,,and nothing else will be as expensive. I wish I had one.

Bob

Man speaks the truth.

You have to run a MS200, or in my case MS200T, to really appreciate what they can do. Mount a 14 inch E-Light bar for balance and weight and grin all the way to the woodpile.

Take Care

 

[Carl Anderson]

Hi, I Just picked up a new 346xp and cut for the first time with it today. I was amazed at how light and easy it is to handle. I was just cutting some downed stuff today and it was fine for limbing, etc. If you think you might want to replace your 50cc saw then I hightly recomend it as a great all-around saw.

 

[MacLaren]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HO7Cwr1Qj0





Its a good little saw to have.

 

[homelitejim]

Hey Homelite Jim,

I had a Super EZ Automatic a long time ago. It worked hard but had way too much vibration to suit me. That was the main reason I got rid of it. But it was light weight and easy to fling around all day!

I'm much older now - it's like the saws aged less than I did. Now I want comfort :hmm3grin2orange: I have to wonder if comfort and weight go hand in hand OR if there really is light weight without vibration available these days?

Thanks! -Jim

then I would also have to recommend the ms211, I got the chance to run one and was impressed even though it is a plastic case saw. It ran real strong and was smooth as silk, I don't usually recommend home owner saws to people who are enthusiasts but the anti vibe on the 211 is superb. Go to your local dealer and ask to test drive one.

 

[Stihl-Pioneer]

Another vote for the MS211

 

[alderman]

Shindaiwa 377

 

[PLMCRZY]

Echo cs 370 i loved it after a muffler mod it would cut pretty good! You can find them for about $150 on ebay and craigslist nib.

 

[Jungle Jim]

High RPM vs Lower RPM Saw

First I want to thank everyone for their suggestions - lots of good ideas here and I'll be off to see some hardware after a little more online reading.

Second, I may be wrong here but it occurs to me that these new saws that cut fast & run at very high revs might wear out faster, eat chains, bars, sprockets faster, etc simply due to the greater speed of the moving parts. This is versus my older Stihl which just plods and grunts along at lower rpm ... it's a workhorse; just not the fastest one.

Referencing my experience in the wood shop, the tools most likely to break down first are the routers (bearings) which run at 20 - 30,000 rpm (even industrial grade) - compared to equipment which runs at a fraction of those revs and almost never needs bearing replacement.

Perhaps a consideration over the long run? Or is this a non-issue?

Thanks -Jim

 

[homelitejim]

OK now I am back to the Super EZ Auto.:msp_w00t:

 

[Anthony_Va.]

New saws are built to turn high RPM. They are built to reduce vibration also.

A 346 or MS261 will weigh at least 3-4 lbs less than your 032 and will have more power to boot. Durability is a non issue. These saws are built to last. I would run a 261 also, beofre you make up your mind. I hear it's a heck of a runner. The 346 is a good cutting saw.

 

[KindlingKing]

Like the man said: MS200 or MS200T (especially if you ever think you will be in a tree). Nothing compares and they are built to last. I run mine with a 16" bar because I do a lot of takedown work. That or a 14" will be right in the sweet spot for everything you would want to do. Once you've handled one (they are fly weights), it will be your go to saw for everything small.

 

[Jungle Jim]

Re STIHL Rollomatic Bars

A few different options for the hell of it;

1. Take the lightest/most comfortable saw you have now, grab yourself a lightweight but hard-wearing bar (sugihara, tsumura or the like) and see what that feels like. You might find that's a good combo for limbing.

This brings up the bar issue:

I've always used the Stihl Rollomatic 18" sprocket nose bar with my O32. A few years ago they stopped putting a grease hole in the bar for re-lubricating the sprocket. Since then I have not gotten very good service life from these bars and they're too expensive to replace often. I try to jam some extra grease in there but it probably doesn't get into the bearing. A little oil helps once the sprocket starts to go, but overall I've about had it with these bars. Drilling a hole is not a good option either; they're hard and particles get into the works.

I don't see this hole on any of Stihl's bars anymore and find that pretty irritating. Good for their business but bad for mine. (I do see it on Huskys though.)

What's a good substitute bar with a roller nose that you can still re-grease?

Thanks -Jim

 

[Jungle Jim]

A few different options for the hell of it;

2. A cut-off saw for the smaller firewood, rather than a smaller chainsaw. Fast, cheap, very effective, easier on the body.

I like 'easier' - by "cut-off" saw do you mean a large circular saw powered by a PTO unit with some sort of moving table? I've used one before; really needs two people.

Or is there something else?

Sometimes I'll haul the smaller firewood in to a big bandsaw which is a very nice solution except for 1 - the extra handling and 2 - longer lengths. Now if I could just take that bandsaw to the woods ... !

Thanks -Jim

 

[Jungle Jim]

Summary of Opinions To Date

Big thanks to everyone!

Here's how it stacks up so far:

Husky 346 xp = 10
Stihl ms200 = 5
Stihl ms261 = 4
Sthil ms211 = 3

Those with 1 or 2 votes omitted.

Not exactly all in the same CC class but I'll consider anything around 11 lbs or under.

It would appear to be between the 261 & the 346.
Or the 200 & the 211 but I don't see them in the same league at all.

Anyone else? I want to get it right the first time and plan on keeping the saw forever. -Jim

 

[sunfish]

As for the Stihl bar, I believe you can get an Oregon or other brand to replace it.

The 346xp with put a smile on your face, they are fun to run.
I've been cutting wood (10-15 cords per year) with my old one
for over 10 years now. Liked it so much I bought a new one for
back up.

 

[morgaj1]

Definitely the 346XP. IMO, it is the best handling saw ever built.

 

[Jack_Shaft]

Big thanks to everyone!

Here's how it stacks up so far:

Husky 346 xp = 10
Stihl ms200 = 5
Stihl ms261 = 4
Sthil ms211 = 3

Those with 1 or 2 votes omitted.

Not exactly all in the same CC class but I'll consider anything around 11 lbs or under.

It would appear to be between the 261 & the 346.
Or the 200 & the 211 but I don't see them in the same league at all.

Anyone else? I want to get it right the first time and plan on keeping the saw forever. -Jim

The 346XP and MS261 are excellent mid-size saws, but they are not "small saws" by the standards of most. The MS200 and 211, yes, they are small saws.

 

[Carl Anderson]

The 346XP and MS261 are excellent mid-size saws, but they are not "small saws" by the standards of most. The MS200 and 211, yes, they are small saws.

I agree the 346xp is not small, it's mid-sized but for me it's the perfect saw. I don't cut any really big trees so I don't need a big saw. When I drop a tree I limb it and buck it right away and I don't want to stop to switch to a smaller saw for limbing. My old J-red 2050 was great for that and the xp is even better. Owning several saws is a wonderful thing but right now I only have one runner, the 346xp and it can do anything I need for the type of cutting I do.

I was limbing a cherry tree I dropped the other day and the branches were a mess with dead vines and I found the xp easy to hold by the top handle with one hand while I tugged at vines with the other hand between cuts. I know that is probably a safety no-no but my point is I didn't feel like I was dragging an anchor around while I dealt with the vines.

If you are going to use one of your older saws for bigger wood and you don't want another one in the 50cc range then yeah, you probably want one of the smaller ones that the guys more knowledgable than I am have recommended. If you want one saw that can do 99% of what the average Joe does then IMHO the 346xp is hard to beat. The MS261 and Dolmar 5105 sound like great choices too but I haven't run those so I can't speak from experience with those.