My biggest saw is a 395. I mostly run a 28" bar on it (love that combo). I have a 36" and 42" for it too. it's a dog with the 42" though. I think a 3120 wouldn't get used enough to justify its purchase (for me).
I bought a 3120 as a spare head for my alpine magnum, I got a great deal on it used. Now that I have it I would never go without it. We have basically put the 660 away. We go straight from the 460 to the 3120. I love the manual oiler and having the ability to pull a big bar, though mostly the 36" stays on it. Sometimes I take that thing out even for small (30") stumps, it plows right through it no wedges needed. Also we use it for bucking anything over about 30". We usually have to cut pieces up small to get them out of backyards or fences. I can't even count the hours that saw has saved us since we got it.
I haven't used it in the tree yet.... and probably never will. A 460 or max a 660 is just fine for me up there. On the ground the extra weight of the saw is totally offset by the amount of time you save in the cut. I would rather buck a big log with the 3120 than a smaller saw any day of the week.
Another thing is that I process all my wood for firewood, including big stumps. That saw is great for ripping big cookies and stumps in half.
....and it probably won't impress all the ladies.... but it might impress a few.
My biggest saw is a 395. I mostly run a 28" bar on it (love that combo). I have a 36" and 42" for it too. it's a dog with the 42" though. I think a 3120 wouldn't get used enough to justify its purchase (for me).
Heck, I would port a 90cc saw but I like the thought of the manual oiler. We usually pour some bar oil directly onto the bar in those big cuts, would be nice to have the manual switch.
What if you slapped a 42" on it though MDS, then it would be the 395 without the dog aftertaste, no?
Probably would be pretty sweet. Unfortunately, there hasn't really been the need for anything that big around here lately. I would need a nice big $4500 tree (after a good year) to maybe get me thinking about a big dog. Almost bought one last year, but decided it would sit too much.
My bro has the 3120 with the 5' bar and it sits for weeks at a time, but when it's needed it is great. I just think I could get one and utilize it much more with a shorter bar, a 36" even.
I think its easier to just dump oil on the bar then keep pushing the oiler
Man, it sounds like you love doing things the hard way. Unless you have to carry that badboy through the woods all day, then I get what you are saying. For me the saw is in my truck until it gets within fifty feet of the tree I'm cutting.... so I will take the manual oiler and extra 30cc
Another good excuse to bust that badboy out of the garage! ...Or you could just run it dry everytime you use it.
That thing is a gas hog though.... that freaking tank takes like a half gallon.
You all must have mostly small trees in your area:msp_smile:. I keep a 4' bar on my 090 av (150 cc I believe) and have a 5 and 6' for it as well. I use it all the time with the 4' bar on a weekly basis for bucking and stumping. It stumps better than the 880 (40" bar) as it has much more torque. My 660 (36" bar) like Timber said is a toy compared to these. I was lucky enough to just get in Fri. some upper AV mounts (090) I ordered and as they break periodically I ordered half a dozen of em. I bought the saw in 79. Who says Stihl makes all saw parts obsolete eventually? Hard to believe many of you run treeco's with such small saws. I could hang a 395 on the key ring to my pickup lol.
Well they are between 2 and 3 feet on average at the very base so a 20 inch bar works most the time or a 28 when needed.It sure is easy to sharpen a 20 inch chain by hand and fast too.So what do you do when you keep hitting dirt in a stump resharpen the big gun every 5 minutes?I can sharpen a 20 inch chain in maybe 5 minutes or less depending on how hard its rocked.
Well they are between 2 and 3 feet on average at the very base so a 20 inch bar works most the time or a 28 when needed.It sure is easy to sharpen a 20 inch chain by hand and fast too.So what do you do when you keep hitting dirt in a stump resharpen the big gun every 5 minutes?I can sharpen a 20 inch chain in maybe 5 minutes or less depending on how hard its rocked.
wasn't just referring to you lone wolf. Anyway....if you are very fussy about cleaning around the stump for dirt and rocks and stuff at grade prior to making the stump cut (I sometimes rake or blow) and then make a very accurate cut with a very sharp and straight cutting saw....no chain damage should occur. If you don't do that stuff you waste mass time and who cares how fast you can sharpen a chain by hand.
Occassionally I have to sharpen my big saws and I have a Stihl chainsaw grinder for decades. This is a pro/experienced forum here...you gotta do stuff right and have the right tools.
We seem to find dirt in the middle of stumps that are bad a lot around here.Are you cutting near towns or in the woods?We find a lot of metal and concrete too inside.
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