Stihl MS660 vs Husqvarna 390xp (vid)

[AUSSIE1]

TS, great advertisement.
Hope you get plenty of work out of it.

Don't put a set of wheels on your car or you'll have a hidden agenda.

 

[blsnelling]

Modding saws is just part of my nature. There isn't hardly anything I own that I don't play around with. I've done it since I was a kid. When I was 17 I helped myself to a jigsaw, cut a hole in the roof of my nice car(that I paid for with my own money), and proceeded to install a sunroof. I can't imagine turning a kid loose to do something like that to his car unsupervised. I guess that's part of what made me what I am today, good or bad. Through the years it's been cars, Jeeps, trucks, motorcycles, quads, lawn equipment, water-cooled computers, cameras, and on and on and on. It's just something I enjoy doing. Do I post most of my videos for sales? Hardly, I just enjoy it. I honestly look forward to getting home with the camera and doing the editting on my over-clocked quad-core computer. And I don't say that to brag, I say it to make a point. I don't know how compulsive I am, but I'm very obsessive! Once I start something, I don't know where to quit. This is nothing more than a hobby to me. Any money I make usually goes right back into it. Yes, stock saws do bore me for the most part. I know that there's so much more in there and I have to let it out, lol. You see, I'm an extrovert. I like to share, I like to talk. You guys are my friends with a common interest so I want to share my experiences with you. Any of this make sense?

 

[Erick]

:chatter:

I built a fast car or two in my younger days and drove them around town for folks to see, does that make me a used car salesman??? :monkey:

 

[Tree Sling'r]

Tommy, your over there and I am over here - things are different everywhere. I don't know any fallers who run stock, that is why I choose to do what I do, it is definately not for the money. If I am lucky I might someday pay for what I have invested, I actually enjoy it.

As far as advertisment, I am a sponsor, in order for me to show videos of my work I had to be. I am not gonna lie I have gotten tons of work from this site and if it can keep me staying building saws every once in awhile, I will continue.

As far as an ego, I hope that I don't come off as to having a hug one.

I have runs 660s for a long time, and granted they are good saws, I have never said a bad thing about them, nor have I ever said a Husky was better, I choose to run a Husky, besides the plastic does not rattle off them, like a Stihl.

You gave us yours, I just gave mine, now go sing an Elvis song and I will build saws for money. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[Meadow Beaver]

Tommy, your over there and I am over here - things are different everywhere. I don't know any fallers who run stock, that is why I choose to do what I do, it is definately not for the money. If I am lucky I might someday pay for what I have invested, I actually enjoy it.

As far as advertisment, I am a sponsor, in order for me to show videos of my work I had to be. I am not gonna lie I have gotten tons of work from this site and if it can keep me staying building saws every once in awhile, I will continue.

As far as an ego, I hope that I don't come off as to having a hug one.

I have runs 660s for a long time, and granted they are good saws, I have never said a bad thing about them, nor have I ever said a Husky was better, I choose to run a Husky, besides the plastic does not rattle off them, like a Stihl.
You gave us yours, I just gave mine, now go sing an Elvis song and I will build saws for money. :biggrinbounce2:

Yeah that sucks when you look down and the only rhing holding the top cover on is the spark plug.

 

[THALL10326]

Well Tommy some of us don't have all the time you have so we want it to cut as fast as it can. Pro's that make their living running them want all the performance they can get.

Well Rope I'd expect you to feel that way 100% and you also say something else that sorta proves my point. You say those "Pro's that make their living running them want all the performance they can get". I can agree to that although there are many more pro's running pure stock throughtout the country, stating fact and nothing more. Also if you look around this site very few that want and own those hot rod saws actually make a living with them at all. Most are more into GTG's and such and thats great. Good for them I say but they aren't using those saws for a living, its more of a cad thing and thats cool. I got no problem with that at all. Promoting modding is fine but it is what it is, promoting. I mean hell Rope how long did you do tree work before you recently got that modded 372, many years I bet..

 

[Erick]

Tommy, your over there and I am over here - things are different everywhere. I don't know any fallers who run stock, that is why I choose to do what I do, it is definately not for the money........

I'm smack in the middle and most of the folks around here who make a dollar with a saw spend a few to make sure they are getting a little extra out of them.

 

[Meadow Beaver]

For some reason most guys around here run stockers.

 

[Hddnis]

This has been a deep thread and getting deeper. Then Tommy started talking about ego and I got into my diving suit real quick like.:hmm3grin2orange:

Mr. HE

 

[THALL10326]

Tommy, your over there and I am over here - things are different everywhere. I don't know any fallers who run stock, that is why I choose to do what I do, it is definately not for the money. If I am lucky I might someday pay for what I have invested, I actually enjoy it.

As far as advertisment, I am a sponsor, in order for me to show videos of my work I had to be. I am not gonna lie I have gotten tons of work from this site and if it can keep me staying building saws every once in awhile, I will continue.

As far as an ego, I hope that I don't come off as to having a hug one.

I have runs 660s for a long time, and granted they are good saws, I have never said a bad thing about them, nor have I ever said a Husky was better, I choose to run a Husky, besides the plastic does not rattle off them, like a Stihl.

You gave us yours, I just gave mine, now go sing an Elvis song and I will build saws for money. :biggrinbounce2:

Thats cool TS, like I say I got no issue with modded saws at all. I'm glad to see your upfront and honest. You've gotton tons of work from this site ya say, thats cool. Your gonna continue to build saws for money ya say, hell you just made my long post 100% correct. I didn't think I was seeing things now I know I wasn't and its ok, rake in man. Your not alone in the mod biz on this site by no means. I got no problem with it at all, I just pointed what is what, nothing more,

 

[THALL10326]

Tommie,

I'm going put this in terms you can understand:

/Virginia Redneck Speak On

'Tis 'bout 'portent stuff, like when MissDemi was stock. 'member? Then, ya had her ported. Ya see?

/Virginia Redneck Speak Off

Uh Joat when Miss Demi is being "ported" we want it to last all nite, not 15 seconds in the "cut".,

 

[joatmon]

Uh Joat when Miss Demi is being "ported" we want it to last all nite, not 15 seconds in the "cut".,

Uh Joat, tell that good for nothing Tommie that 15 seconds gives me no chance at the BigO and it just doesn't "cut" it. Psst: joat, whacha doin' later?

We've now heard from both sides.

 

[THALL10326]

We've now heard from both sides.

I saw that, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Since she is asking for you later the only thing I can do to stop it is kill ya,LOLOLOL

 

[Jacob J.]

Roland,

"Shames on you" as ole Tommie would say.

Ultimate performance depends on the purpose of the machine. For most saws, consider that they are designed for a certain type and size of wood. An 880 or 3120 can cut limbs better than a 346 if you keep making the limbs big enough, no?

The 390/660 is for a certain size and type wood. Get larger, and a bigger machine is pulled out.

I believe the video for Jasha was decent sized wood for his cutting situation. He has already stated that when the wood is larger, the 660 may have better relative performance.

Look at it this way. If saw A cuts 25" wood faster that saw B, but saw B cuts 35" wood faster that saw A, and 90%+ of the wood you cut is around 25", which saw has the so called ultimate performance for you?

I've worked with many timber falling contractors over the years and still have about 40 timber faller buddies working full time currently. In the many years I was a contractor, and for all of the guys I know in the woods now, there's rarely a need for a bar longer than 32". Why? No one is selling big wood anymore and no one is buying it. The mills on the west coast have all re-tooled for small wood and they don't want anything bigger than 22" on the big end. There's one exclusively old growth mill left on the west coast- Starfire Lumber.

Not even a typo, I just did not back up my thoughts, for some reason I had 94.7 in my head.
That is beside the point for me though, the weight and price difference are more than enough - then you throw in the smoothness factor.

Optimum testing would be me and all the pro fallers I build for running saws in heat, big wood, small wood day in and day out.

Some folks want big giant bars strapped on to little saws, that is not real world, 25" would is more than sufficient. Fallers and loggers don't just go and sink their bars into whatever they please size wise.

A 32" bar is more than sufficient for a 390/660. The biggest trees I have ever cut have been with a 32"

The 390 also limbs quicker, that is a plus in full manufacture. Both saws where modded the same despite being different. My work is basic, machine, widening the exhaust, transfer work onthe upper and lower and intake along with a muffler mod.

I use the same machining numbers, these saws are at the same RPM (within 100-200).

The bottom line, I switched over to Husky after running Stihl for 12 years, that should be enough of an explanation in itself. Good day, thanks for the comments - Jasha.

I know at least a dozen hardcore Stihl guys (including me) who've switched over to Husky. Old, tired hands appreciate the anti-vibe of the 372 and the 385/390. This argument goes all the way back to the days of the solid-mount Homelites and how so many log cutters jumped ship when the rubber-mounted McCullochs came out. It's the natural evolution of people seeking more comfortable operating conditions.

Well I think most pro fallers who run modded saws won't agree with ya Tommy on a couple of your points. But that's your opinion and your welcome to it. I do agree with allot of what you said though. I don't need modded saws, but I sure do like em'.

A modded saw for me on a straight falling job will put 40-45 more trees on the ground by the end of the day with the same bar and chain. This equates to $50-60 more everyday I'm out there. Doesn't take long for that to add up.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Oh no doult , I'm well aware of that. The pro fallers love their modded saws and hey good for them. I got nothing againist modded saws or the folks that use them. Hell if I had the ego need for speed I'd have all my saws modded. I guess I enjoy sawing, I'm not in that big a hurry,LOL

I'm not blind though. Its very easy to see what all the talk about modding is for this site. Its more about ego and $$$$$$ than anything else and hey thats cool. I just say lets be honest about it, nothing more..

All good points Thall, whether it's about ego or money, I'm not sure, but what I know is it's an addiction and a feeling of self satisfaction. I think my first mod was simply removing the spark arrestor, then I found out about the 066 dual port muffler, then Walkers, then Dennis Greffard, then Dozer Dan, then Ken Dunn, then Ed Heard, Cahoon, etc., till I was capable of building my own with all the information I got from these builders.
I agree though that most modded saws out there haven't even cut a cord of wood. Stock always resells for more because no one knows for sure who's been in there hacking and slashing.
In the final analysis though, it's all about the chain and hard won experience.
Gypo

 

[Gypo Logger]

Quote:A modded saw for me on a straight falling job will put 40-45 more trees on the ground by the end of the day with the same bar and chain. This equates to $50-60 more everyday I'm out there. Doesn't take long for that to add up.

Jacob, are you only getting 1.50 to dump a tree? I wouldn't get out of bed for that unless the trees were 2" dia and three feet apart! lol
Gypo

 

[ropensaddle]

Well Rope I'd expect you to feel that way 100% and you also say something else that sorta proves my point. You say those "Pro's that make their living running them want all the performance they can get". I can agree to that although there are many more pro's running pure stock throughtout the country, stating fact and nothing more. Also if you look around this site very few that want and own those hot rod saws actually make a living with them at all. Most are more into GTG's and such and thats great. Good for them I say but they aren't using those saws for a living, its more of a cad thing and thats cool. I got no problem with that at all. Promoting modding is fine but it is what it is, promoting. I mean hell Rope how long did you do tree work before you recently got that modded 372, many years I bet..

Well good point Thall, I agree but after seeing and especially feeling the difference I want all mine modded and it is not ego it is production. In this overly competitive business you need to make hay while the sun shines and why do it with a Massy when you can do it on a Deere?
I definitely used stock saws in pro applications but more from a tight budget than anything.

 

[SawTroll]

Quote:
Originally Posted by MissDemi
Uh Joat, tell that good for nothing Tommie that 15 seconds gives me no chance at the BigO and it just doesn't "cut" it. Psst: joat, whacha doin' later?

We've now heard from both sides.

I guess so - but where did the excess silicone go..........:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Cedarkerf]

Why I run a Jasha modded 372 XPW

Stihl 066 roughly 17# dry weight
Cannon super bar 32" around 6# = 23 pound combo

Husky 372 xpw roughly 14 pounds
Oregon reduced weight bar around 4# = 18 pound combo

Reduce weight 5 pounds same cutting speed lot easier to walk back up hillside After hours of droppin trees. That weight makes a big difference. I only do side jobs but one job last fall spent 6 hours on a hillside droppin Cedars up to 50" with the 066. Test drove TS 372 and thought about that job and bingo. Still mixed on the Husky Stihl deal the husky is smooth but I just about like everything else about Stihl 044/460/066.

 

[MR4WD]

I was gonna question the bar length issue. I didn't think there was much call for BIG powerheads and long bars these days. 33" and 385's are what the crews even on the wet coast seem to be using.

I'm just a firewood guy, but I've managed to use the heck out of my 372 I just got back on Monday, that thing is a wood weapon. Walkers does an amazing job on the muffler, that thing is art.

I should have my tired leaky 385 sold this weekend and hopefully onto a sling'r 390.