Which 60cc saw
- Thread starter nkila220
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Hello Mike! 
caffeine1fg
ArboristSite Operative
Most of the cutting I do, handling the saw is almost a break from lugging the rounds or brush. The weight of a 60cc saw is a non issue, if you are in decent shape, or it's not in your hands hours at a time. what do I know though I'm only a firewood hack.
atv1965
Chainsaw Novice
The 2260 with an 18" bar is unbeatable!!
longbowch
ArboristSite Guru
If weight is an issue why not get a 550? It will do almost anything a 60cc saw will do and it's a lot lighter. Jmo
The 084 is a monster of a saw, a good 70cc model will only be marginally heavier than a 60cc, yet will be much more versatile. This is why most skip the 60cc saws altogether. 50cc and 70cc is the perfect firewood setup.
weedkilla
Ain't no guru of nuthin'
While all this is true - a good 60cc saw pulls a 20" bar well enough that the extra weight of a 70cc is pointless. It's only with longer bars that I see the 70cc coming into its own. A 20" bar cuts as big a piece of firewood as most want to lift!
I'd be all over the 361 if I was the OP, but that's cad talking. I've had the husky 359 and 562 and I'd like to try a 361!
windthrown
361 Junkie
A few ounces difference? Nope. MS361 = 12.3 lb. MS362 = 13.0 lb. Double digit ounce difference there bub.
windthrown
361 Junkie
The inboard clutch is a feature, not a drawback. Whatayahgonnado when your outboard clutch saw gets stuck in a cut? Got a chain-breaker or another saw handy?
weedkilla
Ain't no guru of nuthin'
With a scrench and a hammer/axe I can have a modern husky clutch off nearly as quick as a stihl. The biggest difference is not dropping the e clip in the leaf litter!The inboard clutch is a feature, not a drawback. Whatayahgonnado when your outboard clutch saw gets stuck in a cut? Got a chain-breaker or another saw handy?
I mostly agree, but all you need is a scrwench and a blunt object to knock the clutch off.
In 20" wood 70cc saws are a blast.[emoji1]
Main reason in times past a 60cc saws got skipped and people bought 50/70cc saws is more to do with the fact many 60cc class saws sat in the same chassis as their bigger 70/80cc brothers. This made 60cc saws not a good pro choice as power to weight was poor. Now days with dedicated chassis saws like the 562xp, that whole line of thought is wrong/out dated and the 60cc saw is now at the forefront of the pro market. Saws have changed, some people attitudes toward them have not.
windthrown
361 Junkie
As for where this thread is going, it is typical. Guy wants to know what 60cc saw to buy, and the responses are always go with a large 70cc saw, a smaller 50cc saw, get it modified, or get some other a Dolmar, Husky, or Stihl saw. Which is the dilemma on this site. Ask what saw to buy and you get a million answers, most of which are way out of range or off topic from the OP. So I will re-iterate my "I am an expert and know everything" opinion. I have owned a shyteload of saws from 30cc up to 90cc. I have run all my saws in comparisons every year. Every year the 361 has won since I bought my first one. I do not know what there is not to like about these saws. They run pretty flawlessly, they cut endlessly. A new 361 will fetch $800 easy here (and has done so on CL). I could easily get $500-$800 for my 361 saws. Seems odd that such a "crappy saw" opinion-wise gets so much dollar respect.
As for 70cc saws being the best? I have owned 044, 440, 441, 372 I, 372 II, 371, and 460 saws. I do not own any of those any more. Mainly because I do not manage or cut large timber tracts any more. In my days in the woods, the 440 was king in these parts. The 026/360 was the most common second saw out there. They went extinct though. The 460 and the 372 replaced it in fallers hands. The 372 became x-torqued and the vibration went up, so they pale now. The 441 was a dud, and the 460 is now extinct. The 461 has replaced it, but that is more saw than this guy will need. My fully ported 361 will take on a stock 70cc saw any day (actually it is 70cc saw with the porting). I have the oiler swapped out in that saw with a 460 oiler so it will keep a 32 inch bar wet. The OP does not need a ported saw though. No one does, really. I cut 8-10 cords of wood a year and drop a number of 60-120 foot trees every year. I usually use a stock 361 which does a fine job. If I need to, I haul out the ported 361 or the 660 for bugger stuff. But more recently, I use my 026 more with the Picco B&C setup. Smaller saws are easier to run, and lighter weight saws are better on you over time. Run a saw that weighs a pound more or less all day and you will notice the difference. I have.
Meh... things never change here. Same old stale arguments.
As for 70cc saws being the best? I have owned 044, 440, 441, 372 I, 372 II, 371, and 460 saws. I do not own any of those any more. Mainly because I do not manage or cut large timber tracts any more. In my days in the woods, the 440 was king in these parts. The 026/360 was the most common second saw out there. They went extinct though. The 460 and the 372 replaced it in fallers hands. The 372 became x-torqued and the vibration went up, so they pale now. The 441 was a dud, and the 460 is now extinct. The 461 has replaced it, but that is more saw than this guy will need. My fully ported 361 will take on a stock 70cc saw any day (actually it is 70cc saw with the porting). I have the oiler swapped out in that saw with a 460 oiler so it will keep a 32 inch bar wet. The OP does not need a ported saw though. No one does, really. I cut 8-10 cords of wood a year and drop a number of 60-120 foot trees every year. I usually use a stock 361 which does a fine job. If I need to, I haul out the ported 361 or the 660 for bugger stuff. But more recently, I use my 026 more with the Picco B&C setup. Smaller saws are easier to run, and lighter weight saws are better on you over time. Run a saw that weighs a pound more or less all day and you will notice the difference. I have.
Meh... things never change here. Same old stale arguments.
The free market knows a good product as the price and demand reflects it. Look what a ms200t brings in good condition, an OE346xp, an 090 ect. Not surprised one bit MS361's bring the money they do. Heck 9 times outta 10 an old half beaten 066 brings more $$ than a tidy MS660. The market knows whats good, at the end of the day a saw is worth what ones prepared to pay for it.
Windthrown, I believe I saw actual weight posted that was higher than that, but I can't find it now. However, if we are going by Stihl official weight, the 362 is currently on a diet and now only weights 12.8 lbs. Stihl even once claimed the 044 was 13 lbs even, and I know that is a fib.
Also, unless it has changed, I believe you previously stated you had never run a 362 C.
That said, I believe the 361 is a very good saw.
My previous recommendation to the OP to check them all out for himself and get the one he likes best still stands, IMO.
Also, unless it has changed, I believe you previously stated you had never run a 362 C.
That said, I believe the 361 is a very good saw.
My previous recommendation to the OP to check them all out for himself and get the one he likes best still stands, IMO.
So you love the 361 that's great, but it's also your not so humble opinion.[emoji6] I had one didn't care for it IMHO. Remember you cut in a different environment that has different trees.
A 60cc saw makes an OK limb saw and an OK bucking saw, it doesn't do either exceptionally well. It's made for those whom only have one saw, and it fills that spot well. For myself I prefer a dedicated limb saw and dedicated bucking saw. But that's in my experience and environment, yours may differ. In hardwood the 361 simply falls short IMHO, I mean an Echo 590 is just as strong as a ported 361 with only a mm.[emoji9]
SawTroll
Information Collector
The inboard clutch is a feature, not a drawback. Whatayahgonnado when your outboard clutch saw gets stuck in a cut? Got a chain-breaker or another saw handy?
Knock the clutch off, as I usually do with an outboard one. A flat screwdriver and something to hit it with as all you need.
No tiny parts to loose either, with an outboard.
weedkilla
Ain't no guru of nuthin'
Last week I got a saw stuck for the first time in a couple of years. Turns out you can lose the needle bearing and spend 5-10 minutes looking for it.
Here it is: MS 361 12lbs 12.6 oz.
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Does anyone have a 361 dry pho weight?
reindeer, Aug 10, 2014Report
#211Like+ QuoteReply
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Does anyone have a 361 dry pho weight?
reindeer, Aug 10, 2014Report
#211Like+ QuoteReply
longbowch
ArboristSite Guru
I had a 361 too. I thought it was a pretty good saw until I ran a 70cc saw. I sold that 361 and got a 440. Point is the OP should know there are a lot of options but they are all opinions.
nkila220
ArboristSite Operative
I actually was originally considering a 70-80cc saw ( was really liking the ms 461). Then i really took a good look around last friday at the wood i was going to be cutting and it was apparent that i dont need a saw that big to do trail maintainance. Honestly a 40-50cc saw would probably work for most of it, but i like the 20 inch 3/8 setup for the reach while limbing, and when i have to buck a 12-20 inch trunk of a tree that blew over. and i understand the 50-70cc combo, but its easier and more convienient to have one saw strapped to the 4 wheeler for trail clearing. My dealer also has a rebuilt 372xp for $650. But that is little more then i want to pay for a used saw. I probably made a mistake when i said money wasn't an issue. I should have stated that i have no problem paying up for a quality saw if i decided to go brand new. (buy nice or buy twice) lol. but if a used saw can be had for half price, then it is worth the savings to me. Overall i have to say all the replies and opinions are very interesting and entertaining, and i read every one of them and try to gain as much knowledge as possible. Thank you all for posting. Keep it coming and i will let everyone know what saw i go with. will probably be buying the week after next when i get some time.
