Best 45 to 52 cc saw?

OK, I have a Johny Red 630 (great saw), a 288 XP (true wood killer) and possibly a 3120 xp on the way. I need a 45-52cc saw for limbs...poles...etc. What is the best small saw in that class in terms of weight to horse power-balance-smooth in the cut-reliability? Don't have a Stihl yet and thought a 260 might be just the ticked but what do you guys think? Let'r Rip!!! Strongly held opinions and strongly held bias is encouraged.

CT

Cowboy Tom said:

OK, I have a Johny Red 630 (great saw), a 288 XP (true wood killer) and possibly a 3120 xp on the way. I need a 45-52cc saw for limbs...poles...etc. What is the best small saw in that class in terms of weight to horse power-balance-smooth in the cut-reliability? Don't have a Stihl yet and thought a 260 might be just the ticked but what do you guys think? Let'r Rip!!! Strongly held opinions and strongly held bias is encouraged.

CT

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Husky NE346xp or the extremely strong contender the Dolmar 5100s. I think the husky is a tad more money. Either one of those two saws will REALLY put a smile on your face. My vote goes to the 5100s cause I own one. 4 tanks into rebuild and its got 180psi of compression. (previous owner put straight gas through it thats why I rebuilt it) I got the saw for 40 bucks. By the way both these saws turn 14+ grand RPM's to boot.

best limbing saw is a MS260 or 346XP.... depending on who you talk to. kinda partial to stihl, so 026 for me...

the NE346 is the best 50cc limb saw. It has the same power as the 5100, but it's lighter and more nimble.

I think it comes down to your brand preference. I've never had the chance to run a 346xp or a Dolmar 5100, but everyone I've talked to that has either loves it, and searching the posts on this site seems to give the same story.
I personally love my Stihl 026 (pre-cursor to the 260). The local tree service by me uses these saws and how long they last is incredible. They even still have a lot of 026's in service. This is impressive because I know qute a few guys that work there, and they beat on these saws like an annoying red-headed stepchild.
I don't think you could go wrong with any of these saws, just get whichever one you can find the best deal on from your favorite dealer.

The Dolmar 5100s makes the most power, followed by the 346xp and Jonsered equivalent 2153? The MS260 is a nice saw, but the most expensive of the bunch, and least powerful. I have a 346xp and lightly used 026, and the 346xp has noticeably more power. They're both nicely balanced, and work very well. I have other Dolmar products in blue dress(Makita), and like them, but haven't run the 5100s. It seems to get rave reviews.

Cowboy Tom said:

Don't have a Stihl yet and thought a 260 might be just the ticked but what do you guys think? Let'r Rip!!! Strongly held opinions and strongly held bias is encouraged.

CT

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You are on the right track. Get a 260 run it for awhile then mod the muffler. I think of the 260 as a light limbing saw while the 5100 would be a small bucking/felling saw. You really can't beat a 026/260, but all saws mentioned are great.

my vote goes to the 346 XP

Ok....one of each!

346xp

5100

MS260

441_Stihl said:

my vote goes to the 346 XP

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Sounds like you either need another Husky or Jred. I would say either the 346 or 2153 and you should be more than happy.

Adam

Well, I agree that the top contenders are the 346xp and 5100. The 260 is a great old saw, and super reliable, but doesn't have the poop or comfort of the other two. The 260 and 346 are about the same price, but for new 346's they come with Cat mufflers that really have to go. That adds another $45 to the price. My guess is that the Dolmar will roll in about $100 less than the other two.

Being out in Selah, I'm not sure what support is like for the 5100 (or Husky, for that matter). On the west side, there are only a few Dolmar "dealers", and none that I know of stock much in the way of parts. You can order parts online from site sponsors here, but that takes time.

I have a 346xp OE (45cc version), and have used the 5100 some and the 260 a lot. My vote would be for a 346xp OE or NE, then a Dolmar, with the 260 coming in last.

Good luck

Come on guys, maybe you need a refresher course. The answer is obviously a 361 with a custom crank to reduce the stroke and bring the displacement down 7 cc.

serial killer said:

Come on guys, maybe you need a refresher course. The answer is obviously a 361 with a custom crank to reduce the stroke and bring the displacement down 7 cc.

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LoL!

its called a 5100s.

opcorn:

Well you own Husqvarna's so a346xp NE would fit in nice. The dolmar 5100 is quite a nice saw but dealer support is not the best. the Stihl ms260 is not as powerful but is a very reliable saw and is worth the money. I think the nod goes to the 346xp if your buying new than if you want a bargan get the 5100 and If you like Stihls or need a saw that can really take a beating get the trusty ms260.

Right up there with the oil thread.............

:deadhorse: :deadhorse: :deadhorse: :deadhorse: :deadhorse:

Andyshine77 said:

the NE346 is the best 50cc limb saw. It has the same power as the 5100, but it's lighter and more nimble.

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Exactly!

The short answer is you won't go wrong with 346XP, PS5100, or MS260. If you need dealer support then that should be your main purchasing criteria among these 3.

The Dolmar will give you slightly better output. However the Stihl has served the test of time in the field well beyond any of the other 2. (one of Stihl's best but getting dated). I haven't used a 346XP.

Andyshine77 said:

the NE346 is the best 50cc limb saw. It has the same power as the 5100, but it's lighter and more nimble.

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Probably but my vote goes to the 5100 as best all-a-round firewood saw, in that class. The 5100 is a bucking machine, even with the 18" bar buried.....I bought a 401 for the limbing saw, as a compliment to the 5100.....Two saws are better than one.....

I don't know for sure but isn't the 260 the lightest of the 3. I run a 346 now and then and like the handling of my 026 better. Presently running newly aQuired 026 pro w/ only 1 adjusting screw on the carb and stock muffler. Doesn't seem to put power out near as good as the previous one I opened up the muffler a bit on. To me the 2 original 346's I put several hours on didn't make a decent running 026 feel like a slouch.