Dedicated firewood saw:50 vs. 70cc?

[WadePatton]

both for two reasons

ain't got no 70.

and it depends on what i'm cutting. as it is right now at this moment, yeah, i'd go with my 7900 for a doall.

but i always take at least two saws to the woods.

hoping the 60cc will become the favorite. and even then i won't take it solo for the purpose of getting out firewood.

i like the workout...saves healthclub fees.

 

[Stihl-in-Ky]

Most days I go to the woods with a 026 16" bar and 8 pin sprocket and a 441 with 20 " bar and 8 pin sprocket.Cut the small stuff with the 026 and the large with 441. If to big I get out the 066.I can cut a lot longer when I use the 026 to trim and limb and bigger saw to cut wood.At 55 years old I have found it pays to work smarter not harder and I will be able to cut longer ach day and more days in a row.

 

[willsaw4beer]

Then you haven't cut a pin oak then?

I think there are rocks softer than dead dried oak...

 

[Sparky8370]

Well, I don't have a saw dedicated to firewood. I thought once I got the 345 running it would pretty much be just for limbing trees after I cut them down. I got the 372xp that I figured I would almost always use. But I got the 345 together and cut up the rest of the pile with it. Much lighter, I loved it.

 

[RTK]

Quick question, How does Almond wood compare in hardness to what you guys are cutting. It's one of the best burning woods in our area that can be had.

 

[heimannm]

For a lot of years my Jonsered 621 was the only saw I owned, it got the job done, but didn't pull the 24" bar with real authority. It is very capable with the 16" bar.

Next up was my 036 Stihl, and I don't think I could ever be happy with anything much smaller. Again the 16" bar is very nice, the 25" was a bit much in hard stuff like pin oak.

I then bought a Jonsered 2050, very handy as a limbing/trimming saw but I don't like waiting on anything over 10" or so. Again a 16" bar but fit with .325 chain in this case works nicely.

My current favorite firewood saw is the McCulloch 7-10, may not be quite as fast as the 036 but it is light weight and very powerful. I have an 18" (or is it 20"?) on this one and it goes through everything with ease.

I doubt I could ever be happy with a 50 cc saw again for anything more than just trimming and limbing.

As the logs get bigger, I just keep upping the cc and bar length; always looking for some big logs to tie in to.

Mark

 

[Tzed250]

.


50cc saws are toys.

16" wood? 70cc all the way...


.

 

[havenodog]

I dont doubt most of you guys running 70cc saws for firewood are younger and stronger and handle a saw alot more. But age and condition has to be a factor in which one you choose. Cutting firewood is usually an all day project for most and often a few days in a row if you are only cutting for yourself. Man them bigger saws sure do get heavy after a few hours, and besides whats the hurry, it's just as enjoyable with a smaller saw and you can stay out longer. After all if the biggest your cutting is 16" the smaller saw is a little more nimble anyway. Enjoy

 

[shake5]

i supposed if you like to make an 8 hour day out of cutting firewood then grab the 50cc saw for your 16" trees. otherwise, if you only want to spend half your day, and get the same amount of 16" trees cut, then go for the real deal....70cc+. it only takes me about a dozen trips to get enough wood to heat my house for the winter. so i'm gonna grab the meanest saw i can carry to get the job done. i like the feeling of power & to see the sh*t fly when i'm cutting, i aint worried about 1.5 more pounds for only the time i'm out there, and i like to get home at a decent time so i can do some other fun things that day. Blah blah blah my 50cc saw cuts 16" trees as well as a 70cc saw, yeah yeah yeah.

 

[billmartin]

I think it all comes down to what you cut. For me my 257 husky with a 20" bar 3/8 chisel gets thru anything I'm up against no problem. But I don't get into anything much harder than maple so it works fine.

Now a 70cc would make sure that you can cut fast

 

[Stihl here]

I run a stihl 026 3/8 16'' bar and chain. I sold my ms361 because I found I used my old 026 more for my firewood needs. I do not see the need for a big saw for home firewood, sorry. I like to run big saws too but 50cc is a nice size for firewood IMO. I cut 16'' to 3'' rounds because I can handle them best.
If I cut more than a few cords a year than maybe I would see it another way.
I enjoy cutting those 3 cords and do not need to cut it any faster!!!

 

[jbighump]

for bucking or falling trees of reasonable size the ms460 w/ 25" comes out, but right now i have access to lots of oak tops left over from a loggin job and the ms260 w/16" is just the ticket quick and light.

but if i only wanted one saw to cut firewood (that will never happen) i would prolly get a ms361 or the like with a 20" b/c and be done with it.

 

[bwalker]

Man,,what IS with you guys ???
a 70cc saw for 16 in wood ??


again,,16 in wood ??
i dont put down my modded ryobie untill i hit 16 inches !!
i have a 70cc saw and i AINT gonna pick that heavy thing up and down to cut 16 in firewood..
what is it with guys that think bigger is better ?? i can lift ten lbs more times than i can lift 20 lbs.. are you all built like Arnold ??
this big saw thing has gotten WAY out of hand..
go ahead and beat yourselves up and when you get old and grab that 50cc and see how nice it works in small wood you will wish you done it sooner..
now dont forget we are talking "firewood" here,, NOT comercial cutting..occasional use,heat the home,,live for another day and not kill yourself type of cutting in 16 in wood..
shoot,,why not just get one of those comercial big rigs that grab the whole tree and and whack it off at the bottom ?? then make a big pile next to the house and set it off ??
i waste not and want not,i cut and burn down to 3 in pieces,give me a small saw..
"my" opinion,,your milage may vary

Do you want to fart around or cut wood? The fact of the matter is I got over twice the amount of work done per tank of gas when running my 372 today vs. running my 346. This was back to back.
And its no stretch to figure out that the less time you have to run the saw the less tiring it is.

 

[Evan]

after bucking big rds with big saws and long bars its kinda fun to grab the 026 and buck up a few small trees to top off my trailer load of firewood.

i do have to say a 044 with 20" is pretty dang easy handleing and isnt to heavy

 

[bwalker]

If I just had to have one for firewood, it would be a 60cc class saw. Or a 70 if I got into big stuff often. That's it, simple.

I have tried 60cc saws and have owned both a 361 and a 360. IMO Neither was as handy as a 50 and neither had the jam of a 70. Kind of a bastad size IMO.

 

[havenodog]

Bwalker
Maybe some guys do like to fart around when they cut wood. Cut some take a break Cut some more, take a break. Man I aint out there to kill a wood pile in the shortest time possible. Sure there are other things to do, but not many that are as much fun. Well maybe one thing, and thats a little more fun.

 

[bwalker]

I should have prefaced my first post by stating I am cutting up 8' lengths of firewood, or tree length stems sans top skidded out.
I would most certainly pick a 50cc saw for slicing and dicing tops on a landing.

Most of the wood I am cutting is hard maple with a little red oak and yellow birch thrown in. Most of the time the wood is frozen.
My 50cc saw is setup with a 16" bar and 3/8 72 LGX and the 70cc is setup the same. I do have 20 and 24" bars for the 70cc saw but I rarely use them for firewood.

 

[bwalker]

Bwalker
Maybe some guys do like to fart around when they cut wood. Cut some take a break Cut some more, take a break. Man I aint out there to kill a wood pile in the shortest time possible. Sure there are other things to do, but not many that are as much fun. Well maybe one thing, and thats a little more fun.

I like to cut wood as much as the next guy. However, I have limited time and in general I want to cut as much as possible when I do have time.
It also much easier on the saw when using a bigger saw.

 

[roncoinc]

Do you want to fart around or cut wood? The fact of the matter is I got over twice the amount of work done per tank of gas when running my 372 today vs. running my 346. This was back to back.
And its no stretch to figure out that the less time you have to run the saw the less tiring it is.

wait,,you run BOTH saws today ??
AND biggest wood was 16 in ??
the 372 is THAT good on gas ??
AND your only cutting firewood for home use ?? NOT comercial ?
AND your limbing 3 in stuff ? LOL !!
WELL,i can SLEEP twice as long as YOU can work and be less tired too !!
more power to you my man if thats how you want to work it...
I'm with the others as to using the size saw for the job that takes less effort..
seems "some" of us DO like to fart around
or maybe we just "smart"

 

[mowoodchopper]

Do you want to fart around or cut wood? The fact of the matter is I got over twice the amount of work done per tank of gas when running my 372 today vs. running my 346. This was back to back.
And its no stretch to figure out that the less time you have to run the saw the less tiring it is.

Agreed, 1 tank in my big saws and I have a pickup load. Also I dont just cut 3to 16 inch wood like some. Why fart around with all small stuff you get alot more wood faster with big saws and big wood!