best all around chainsaw

[balaban9331]

advice from the pros please.looking for a saw that i can use for felling and milling.would like to only have to change bars if possible.what would you recommend?i'm looking at weight,power,ability to improve it's performance,etc.what would be my best choice?thanks.

 

[a_lopa]

mc culloch eager beaver,lol how much $$$''speed is a question of money''mad max 1

 

[NeTree]

Plenty of previous threads on this topic.

 

[tony marks]

cant really give anything but opinion on the ones ive owned.. also this really varies according to what kinda work its to do..i would rate them like this..028 and 026 and partner 500 in that class of saw....the heavier saw for bucking, the liter for general tree work..
the 372 for the biggest work i do..
the best 40 cc saw ive owned is the partner 400.. turns what the modern saws[rpm] do and very dependable for me..
oh i frgot the 036 and the olympic 962 in that size saw..just no trouble,, and works better than their owner..even when i was at my best .. which i aint now.. in short what makes a saw for me ,is easy simple, no trouble, operation,,along with real,, raise hell performance,with sharp chain....

 

[NeTree]

Notice he said milling...

 

[user 2993]

The smallest I would want to mill with would be a 90cc saw such as husky 394, stihl066, dolmar/makita 9010. What size logs are we talking about?

 

[TimberMcPherson]

My red eye 066 has seen milling time, felling time and even been used to remove hedges (40 inch bar cuts out good blocks). It was declared tapu (sacred) my the family of the last guy who owned it and died using it, luckily since I am not from there tribe they didnt mind me getting it.

Cant kill it although it doesnt rev anything like it should, but thats kinda comforting in a strange way.

Go the 666 opps that should be 066.....

 

[balaban9331]

milling

i'm looking at milling approx.30".

 

[NeTree]

I don't think you're going to find one single saw that would excel at milling, and be comfortable to carry around the woods the rest of the time. I suppose it would really depend on what you plan on felling most of the time; you're going to want to limb, as well. A 394 even with a short bar is WAY overkill for limbing.

I know... I tried it.

 

[balaban9331]

milling

netree,i got a 610(mac),which actually does a good job limbing.as long as the chain is sharp.what about for milling?i'm not doing it that often but i wouldn't want to go smaller then be angry that i did.anyone got anything like this for sale?

 

[NeTree]

394, 3120 is you can swing the $. You won't be sorry.

 

[hlw49]

You need two saws for what you are talking about. Althought I know a guy who used a 3120 for limbing. He burnt one up like that and bought a 55 Rancher to limb with while I fixed the 3120. I would opt for the 384 or 395 for milling and a 357 for limbing. Later Butch

 

[balaban9331]

394 395

butch and erik.new or used?how do i know if i buy used if someone didn't kick the crap out of the saw?anyone on this site that can sell me something decent?

 

[balaban9331]

other saws

got a 090,a 3120,and a 088 for sale on this forum.what do you think?

 

[NeTree]

If you're buying used, either get one from a reputable dealer, or if you're Ebaying CHECK THE FEEDBACK.

I bought my 394 from "saw-king" on Ebay, and it was exactly as described, to the "T".

If you're looking in "want ads", look at the saw for the usual signs of abuse: metal discoloration on the bar form over-heating. The chain should be sharp, whether he stuck a new one on or sharpened the one that was on it. Check out the air filter: does it look like it's never been serviced? Ask if they have reciepts for any maintainance that's been done. Ideally, bring a compression tester; if he's being honest, he won't mind. Barring that, remove the plug and see if the cylinder is junkola or not; it won't be easy, so bring a penlight- if he'll let you pull the muffler, that's even better. Does it start easily and run smooth?

I'm sure I'm missing something, but that's all I can think of right now.

 

[NeTree]

As for the brand, I'm a Husky fan myself, but Stihl is a good saw; just pricey on purchase and parts. The 3120 would mill well, especially modified to withstand the stress.

 

[balaban9331]

erik

erik,what do you mean modified to withstand the stress?

 

[Stumper]

He means ;
1. Adding a second outlet or enlarging the existing one in the muffler so that the saw has less backpressure and runs cooler.
2. Having a capable saw man change the port timing so that the saw has increased torque/can maintain a higher RPM under load.

The first step makes a significant difference in performance and heat build up on those long sustained cuts. The second makes a smaller difference per dollar spent but many beleive it worthwhile.

 

[balaban9331]

stumper

thanks for the info.learning quite a bit on this forum.

 

[Tony Snyder]

I don't think you are going to be satisfied with just one saw. By the time you get something big enough for milling (thats a hard application), it is going to be way to big for the rest of your needs.

I'll take a stab: Solo 694 and a Jonsered 2152/ Husky 353.