Bigger saw to compliment my MS260?

[hawk45]

Hi all,

Been helping a bunch of friends do a bunch of cutting of wind fallen Ash trees lately (and I'm sure more to come). Been using my MS260 with 18" bar and does a decent job but looking to get something a little bigger with 24" bar for those thicker trunks. I've not looked at saws since I picked up my 260 so not sure what would be a good bigger saw to compliment the nimble MS260. No brand loyalty here either, but the 260 has be a strong performer I must say.

Thanks,
Hawk

 

[nighthunter]

A 461 can run upto 30" and is a serious saw to cut,its light and well balanced so you won't feel tired at the end of the day

 

[holeycow]

and you can actually adjust the carby on it!

similarly a 372 Husky, or a 73/7900 Dolly.

don't stop at 60cc, go bigger. 24" bars on 60cc saws are kinda lame, imo

 

[TBS]

Ms460 and 440 are good options and can had for a good price used.

 

[d45]

Hi all,

Been helping a bunch of friends do a bunch of cutting of wind fallen Ash trees lately (and I'm sure more to come). Been using my MS260 with 18" bar and does a decent job but looking to get something a little bigger with 24" bar for those thicker trunks. I've not looked at saws since I picked up my 260 so not sure what would be a good bigger saw to compliment the nimble MS260. No brand loyalty here either, but the 260 has be a strong performer I must say.

Thanks,
Hawk

A 70cc saw would complement you 260 very well. Personally I'd go with the ms461.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[dsell]

I preferred the 575XP over the 272XP, you might keep that series in mind. Haven't ran the 372XP.

 

[holeycow]

the 372 is one of the "go to" saws of the modern era. Not to be denied.

there are lots of good old saws too. Condition is everything. This Chinese knock-off thing has me kinda concerned, as I might get fooled when I do get a 70-80cc saw some day. Used. Cause I'm just not gonna spend over a thousand bucks on a saw. But wait! There are these forums to check **** out with guys that know. Good for guys like me that could be fooled. And I also know some guys...

Anyway...blabberin'

 

[holeycow]

A 461 can run upto 30" and is a serious saw to cut,its light and well balanced so you won't feel tired at the end of the day

unless you are kinda old. Then you'll be ok with a nap from time to time...

 

[computeruser]

460 or 461 sound about perfect.

 

[porsche965]

Lots of loggers here use the 461 in hardwoods. Nice saw power to weight ratio and do just fine stock. Especially if you are used to a 260. Mileage has been improved from the previous model as well. And down the road if you aren't happy with it the resale value is strong too. They mod strong also.

 

[longbowch]

Don’t forget about a 441c, they are great saws.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I'm on a two saw plan right now involving a 261 and a 660. I do milling so that is why the 660 is in the stable and not a 70cc class saw.

 

[1Alpha1]

I'm sticking to a two-saw plan. I'm happy with my choice.

 

[54bogger]

My two saws are a 271 and a 661 with a 28in bar. I just added a ms440 magnum to the team. Good luck with your choice.

 

[Anthony_Va.]

441c is hard to beat imo

 

[Brushwacker]

Might want to consider bar mount pattern on the bigger Stihls interchange. If you are on a budget, the Dolmars would be more affordable new and are nice all around saws, the 6400 to the 79cc version. Buy a good used Stihl and they usually depreciate little if any. I don't know how good they are but I saw Efco 8200's for sale for $550. on ebay. I had a 60 ishcc Efco myself some years back that served me well.
If you are set on a 2 saw plan, not old, and healthy I'd go up to the 80ish-90ish cc range. Perhaps if your in difficult terrain or fatigue is prevalent in your physical work you might be better with smaller and lighter. Bucking up big wood on flat ground with a big saw goes much faster and physically isn't more demanding save for starting the saw . If you can easily lift 50lbs, a 15 to 20 lb saw isn't much strenuous moving between cuts with 10 second + intervals. For felling in difficult terrain I usually prefer 70ish cc or smaller. I prefer more like a 6 + saw plan for my cutting jobs, matching the saws to the jobs make it easier work.

 

[hawk45]

Great input, thanks everyone! This gives me a good place to start in looking. I'm a pretty big guy (6'4" 240lbs) so maybe going up to a big saw and with the 2 saw plan may be the way to go. I'll try to get to my local dealers and get them in my hand and see what feels best. Thanks again everyone, enjoy the holiday!

 

[svk]

Start by looking for a 461, 372, or 7900. I settled on a Jonsered 2186 (same saw as Husky 385) as it was priced to move and the used market for the aforementioned models was a bit thin at the time.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Drop the bar size on your 260 to 16", grab a 461 and put a 25" on it and you've got most bases covered.

ETA: In all fairness, I would really like to suggest the 441 over the 461. I love the M Tronic system and the 441 is a very nice, smooth saw. But when you compare the price, weight and output of the saws, the 461 makes more sense. The only reason I sold my 441 and bought a 461 is because I was carrying it in the woods everyday. If you can wait, the 462 will be here eventually....

 

[hawk45]

Drop the bar size on your 260 to 16", grab a 461 and put a 25" on it and you've got most bases covered.

Going to a 16" bar is the plan. I'm due for a new bar away, might as well get the RPM up too.