Berad80
ArboristSite Member
Whats everyones opinion on the stihl 440? Its one of the few saws I have never ran...I cut about 50-100+ cords of firewood a year and occasionally drop a few large trees. Hows it compare to the 441? 460?
Thanks
Thanks
Stihl 440 whats your opinion?
- Thread starter Berad80
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Saw Dr.
Junk Collector
That is one of the most popular Stihl pro saws ever. Popular enough that they re-released it about 2 years ago for a limited run.
andydodgegeek
The stool maker
Its 1 less than a 441 and 20 less than a 460. Seriously though I have a 440 and a 460 and they are both real nice saws. If I could only have 1 I think I would choose the 460 it can pretty much do anything a guy needs. I run a 24" bar on both of mine and I wouldnt hesitate to put a 32 on the 460. Not a lot of weight difference between the two in my opinion just a bit more vavoom in the 460. Lately I have been using my 372xpw husky more than anything.
Canthook Coasty
ArboristSite Operative
More expensive than a 441, same weight as a 460, but less power. I’d do, and did, the 460 until someone needed it more than me last year. Now my 441 is my go to saw unless it really needs a 660.
wigglesworth
Booned
Quite possibly the finest Stihl chainsaw ever made....
wigglesworth
Booned
The 44 weighs quite a bit less than the 460. I forget exactly but IIRC, it's nearly a pound....
stihl for life
ArboristSite Guru
them saws hold there price very well if u dont find its enough power buy a 460 top end do a hair of grinding . bam 460/440 . but if i were u i would jump on them suckers man i justloved logging with a 440 in the smaller wood . such a great saw
Trx250r180
Saw polisher
An early 044 cylinder and flywheel on a 440, and you have a good running 440
Canthook Coasty
ArboristSite Operative
Stihl’s website seems to disagree. 14.6 pounds, just like the 460/461.
http://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/professional-saws/
F
fuzz1500
Guest
I like the older ones for some reason . Im a Husky guy.......but Id take an 044..if someone gave one to me 
Trx250r180
Saw polisher
i have a 460 a 461,and a couple 440 saws,the 440's are noticibly lighter
Canthook Coasty
ArboristSite Operative
Just quoting the info from the website and brochures I had. I already had a 441 when the 440 was re-released. I don’t modify my saws and the published info had it listed at almost a quarter hp less than the 441 and a lot more $$$. I opted for the 460 instead. Since I’m not racing or doing muffler mods, I could not justify the added expense of what for me, would have been a less capable saw than the 441 I already had.
greg986547
ArboristSite Operative
you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who has owned a 44/440 that doesn't think they're one of the best saws ever made. Lighter (do a search, I think someone did an actual weigh in on all the common Stihl pro saws ) and narrower than a 460. handles much better. If you can only have one saw and feel like you're missing a little power from what the 460 offers, do a basic muffler mod and woods port ....plenty o juice and a saw that doesn't handle like a mid seventies Buick!
272super
ArboristSite Operative
Specs are often wrong. As far as weight, the 044 should weight about a pound less than the 460, but I can't say on the 440. They might have gained a little weight when they went to the 440 but I doubt it was much. My 044 weighs 13lbs 10 ounces dry and I've weighed several others and they all come out the same. My 372xp is just under 14 lbs,so yes the 044 does weigh less and feels like a smaller saw in comparison. Very nimble, well balanced saw for the power it puts out. The early 044's with the 10mm wrist pin and better porting were the best of breed followed by the 12mm 044's that came after.The cylinders with the diagonal top fins were the runners and were used by the 10mm and into the early 12mm versions.The 440 is a great saw too but it seems most prefer the earlier 044. I have the 10mm 044 and it's the only Stihl I have,but it's a keeper. Really great saw.
Berad80
ArboristSite Member
Thanks everyone for the replys!! I pulled the trigger today on a brand new 440 to add to the fleet...I ran a 441 a good bit last year and felt that it was a little on the heavy side and just felt like a big saw I have read a few places that they don't hold up as good. I guess I will be pleased with this thing then fitted with a 18-20 and on occasion 25in bar for firewood. I felt as if my 046 and 460 were on the heavy side and just too much saw for most firewood duties. I run a 026 036 361 and 362 also the 61 being my favorite but wanted a little more punch at times when I get into the big logs. I think im going to get the 61 ported.
Canthook Coasty
ArboristSite Operative
Oh, I don’t doubt that at all. Before I was edimuacated in the fine arts of chain saws, I had a POS poulan wild thing. It worked great for what I bought it for, cutting camp fire wood in Washington State. Dry ponderosa pine branches are no match for that powerhouse of a saw. But I moved to Michigan in 2008, had some land with a lot of trees, and wood heat. That little purple and green saw blew the F up and melted at the same time cutting red maple, not an exceptionally hard wood (yes, I realize that it is a deciduous tree and therefore “hard wood”). I went to my local dealer and bought a 310. He had a used 044 for the same price, but I didn’t want no stinking used saw. I got home and started cutting. Oak, ash, maple, black cherry, but the words kept burning in my head “for the same price, you’ll get a much better saw”. The 310 cut like a dream, but what if I was wrong about the 044. Too late, too bad, so sad, it was gone. But I’m getting a damn pro saw now whatever it costs. $729 plus tax. It could have been $395 plus tax, but I was a retard. Now I have a 310 that I never use, if I’m cutting small stuff, 028 super. Monster oak gets the 660. 310 was last started in 2011 when my friend borrowed it and I’m thinking of just giving it to him as a late Christmas present.
rms61moparman
Addicted to ArboristSite
Do you realize what you just said?
You bought a homeowner saw and used it for "homeowner" duties and "It worked great for what I bought it for..."
Then you tried to use it for a purpose that it was never meant to do, and suddenly it became a "POS Poulan Wildthing".
That is somewhat akin to someone saying they bought a Ford ranger to drive back and forth to work and it worked great, but when they started pulling a trailer and hauling a farm tractor around it was a POS and wouldn't hold up!
Your 310 is a very good saw for the range you would be using it in. Don't get all caught up in the "pro saw or no saw" hype. It is bullcrap and will only end up costing you a lot of money.
If you want to give your friend a FANTASTIC present, that is fine and I respect you for that. But if you are thinking the 440 will miraculously put a lot more wood in the truck, you are going to be disappointed.
Remember this ......."The skill of the sawyer is vastly more important to the amount of wood cut than the design of an appropriate saw".
I will guarantee you that a 310 with a good sharp chain will outcut a 440 with a chain that is less than optimum.
Mike
Berad80
ArboristSite Member
I agree although the pro saw does make it easier (lighter) and saves you a little time if set up right. It does make a difference when cutting large amounts of wood. When I started out cutting wood 14 years ago i ran a 041 then in 07 i bought my very own 290 and thought it was a gem. Started running a bunch of other saws and caught the bug. Quit using the 290 in 2011 just sold it this year cant believe it held up through all that use. Now I have 9 Stihls all pro models (wont buy anything but a pro now) to me the weight is a big thing one of the reasons i sold the 460 and am selling the 46. With everyones good comments on the 440 (exactly what i was looking for) im super pumped to try it. THANKS!
longbowch
ArboristSite Guru
After I bought a 440 I liked it so much better I sold my 361. Not much more weight but a lot more power.
Canthook Coasty
ArboristSite Operative
I knew what the wild thing was and what it was capable of when I purchased it, but two things influenced that purchase, #1 $$. I was a younger E-4 with not a lot of cash to spend and #2 it sure beat pushing a bow saw, and not the cool bow saws on you tube, through the wood I was going to burn for campfires two to three times a year.
I liked my 310, and it did everything it was supposed to do, namely cut around 10 cords a year. That saw kept me warm in more ways than one my first winter. But I have trees on my woodlot that are too big for the 310’s 20 inch bar so I got a 441. I liked the extra power, loved the anti-vibration, and found my new go to saw, well, I only had two at the time. My duties in the Coast Guard eventually transferred me to New Jersey. In 2011 hurricane Irene happened. I was one of the hundreds of people doing cleanup after that storm and after all was said and done, I ended up with two more pro saws, a 460 and 660. I cut more than of 50 cords after that storm and more than 100 the next year from Sandy. I’ve done hurricane/tropical storm cleanup in Porto Rico, The Dominican Republic, and Belize. I’ve done volunteer projects in Panama helping clear land for a new school and hospital. And all those jobs needed more than the 310 could provide. I’ve also had the opportunity to learn to do new things, like cutting a tree that looks like this…
The flared out base makes for interesting felling. I agree with everything you’ve said. Just like in photography, it is the 12 inches behind the camera that matters most.
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