I've been using my John Deere/Echo 51SV for the last 20 years, and have decided to get a new saw, as it seems parts are not so readily available from JD. At first I thought I would just get a Stihl, as they are the most popular and lots of dealers. But then I ran across this site and have been reading a lot of the posts, and because I do things for the long haul, decided to go with a pro saw. There clearly are a lot of good options. I like using the 20" bar, and it seems the 60 cc size is best for that, which would be an upgrade from my old 50cc saw with 20" bar. Here us what I'm seeing:
Biggest difference is the price, around $680 for the MS362 and $480 for a reconditioned but new Makita 6401.
Stihl is a bit lighter, Makita has a bit more power. Either would be lighter and have more power than my old saw. Makita could easily be upgraded for more displacement.
Makita holds more oil and fuel, which is a plus.
Makita has conventional fuel/oil caps, a plus over the flippy caps.
Makita has adjustable bar oiler.
Stihl has lower fuel consumption, probably lower emissions with strato setup. Makes me wonder how Makita meets req'ts. Any compromise there? I prefer to leave my saw stock, don't want to make it louder or stinkier with muffler mod or porting. Don't want to spend the extra $'s and complexity for the 6421 with catalyst.
Stihl appears to have a better air cleaner, but could get upgrade for Makita.
Stihl probably better parts availability through dealers. Dealer service not an issue for me as I do my own maintenance and repair.
My main questions relate to reliability and part availability for 20 yrs. I don't cut enough wood to wear it out, but I want something I can depend on. Any difference in reliability or ease of service? I see that you can get parts thru Baileys, does that work pretty well, and do they stock parts for old saws too?
Any other issues I haven't considered?
Biggest difference is the price, around $680 for the MS362 and $480 for a reconditioned but new Makita 6401.
Stihl is a bit lighter, Makita has a bit more power. Either would be lighter and have more power than my old saw. Makita could easily be upgraded for more displacement.
Makita holds more oil and fuel, which is a plus.
Makita has conventional fuel/oil caps, a plus over the flippy caps.
Makita has adjustable bar oiler.
Stihl has lower fuel consumption, probably lower emissions with strato setup. Makes me wonder how Makita meets req'ts. Any compromise there? I prefer to leave my saw stock, don't want to make it louder or stinkier with muffler mod or porting. Don't want to spend the extra $'s and complexity for the 6421 with catalyst.
Stihl appears to have a better air cleaner, but could get upgrade for Makita.
Stihl probably better parts availability through dealers. Dealer service not an issue for me as I do my own maintenance and repair.
My main questions relate to reliability and part availability for 20 yrs. I don't cut enough wood to wear it out, but I want something I can depend on. Any difference in reliability or ease of service? I see that you can get parts thru Baileys, does that work pretty well, and do they stock parts for old saws too?
Any other issues I haven't considered?