25" Bucking saw

[woodchip rookie]

I'm going to change around my saw arsenal shortly. Right now I have a poulan 3314 and a craftsman 2050. The little poulan is too heavy for a limber saw and too small for a bucking saw for 20"+ logs. The Craftsman. Is well...a craftsman. I'm going to get some sort of top handle saw for all the small stuff but I need a bucking saw for 20" ish logs. They wont be much bigger than that because I dont have a splitter and dont mind swinging an axe/maul but bigger than 20" is a little much. I need a saw that will rip through some dead, dry standing ash logs like nobodys business. I dont wanna stand over this Craftsman very much longer. It will get me through this year but I'm thinkin tax season will have something to do with a noisy, dangerous, chip slinging evil monster. So what will sling a 25" bar well and what chain? Stihls are expensive. Huskys are too. Any alternatives? I dont mind either but I havent been in the game long. What cc do I really need? I dont think I need an 880...a 660 may be much even....a 441 big enough?

 

[Full Chisel]

Echo CS590

 

[CoreyB]

70cc saws are more then enough but are more $$$ if you wanted a used one that may be an option. The Echo 590 is a solid 60cc saw. At under $400 new it is hard to beat. I my self like the 60cc saws. They work well on 25" + hard woods like oak and hickory. I use a Dolmar 6100 but that is going to be $200 more then the 590

 

[Guido Salvage]

The Craftsman. Is well...a craftsman.

Sears does not manufacture any of its products, all are sourced from outside suppliers. Depending on the age of the saw it could have been made by Poulan, Roper, Homelite, etc.

You have already gone cheap on 2 saws, buy a good quality 60-70 cc saw and take care of it and it could last decades.

 

[CoreyB]

Sears does not manufacture any of its products, all are sourced from outside suppliers. Depending on the age of the saw it could have been made by Poulan, Roper, Homelite, etc.

You have already gone cheap on 2 saws, buy a good quality 60-70 cc saw and take care of it and it could last decades.

Truth.
A good quality saw with good maintenance will last a home owner fire wood hack many many years 20-30 years is not uncommon.

 

[Woodyjiw]

Truth.
A good quality saw with good maintenance will last a home owner fire wood hack many many years 20-30 years is not uncommon.

True statement, I have my dad's first saw, a Jonsereds 70E that he purchased new in the late 70's. I still use it today, I love that old saw and to my knowledge I don't think it has been rebuilt. And he did use it, we used to heat with wood when I was a kid and my dad sold wood to supplement his income.

If u plan on cutting wood for a while buy a quality saw and keep it maintained and u might never need another one.
Good luck....

 

[CR888]

25" is 70cc+ territory in my humble opinion, 60cc saws are small limbing saws. Sure you can put a 25" bar on a 30cc saw if one chooses (Piltz runs 28"bc on ms201) but if you want a saw that will run 25" bar properly get a 440/441, 365/372, 6410/7910. I would never run any more than a 20" b/c on a 60cc saw.

 

[cgraham1]

I my self like the 60cc saws. They work well on 25" + hard woods like oak and hickory.

25" hardwood with a 60cc? Even in softwood I feel much better running a 70cc. For bucking, a 90+cc is even better.

Here's a 25" Douglas Fir I cut with my ported 440/046 hybrid (77cc), and I didn't feel at any time that my saw was too big for the job...

25" is 70cc+ territory in my humble opinion... if you want a saw that will run 25" bar properly get a 440/441, 365/372, 6410/7910. I would never run any more than a 20" b/c on a 60cc saw.

Agreed. Here's another tree I wouldn't want to cut with a 60cc, but my 440/046 hybrid and 7900 did a nice job on it. I had to noodle many of the rounds, since the tree was green and the bigger ones were pretty heavy. A 70cc + saw works much better for that, as well...

 

[GrassGuerilla]

25" is 70cc+ territory in my humble opinion, 60cc saws are small limbing saws. Sure you can put a 25" bar on a 30cc saw if one chooses (Piltz runs 28"bc on ms201) but if you want a saw that will run 25" bar properly get a 440/441, 365/372, 6410/7910. I would never run any more than a 20" b/c on a 60cc saw.

Can't say you're wrong at all... Having owned a cs-590 I can attest that it's quite happy pulling a 25" chain. Not quite the equal of a husky 562 in terms of speed, but plenty of torque. And the simple design and solid echo build are a tough combo to beat. If the op wants a saw to put wood in the stove, it's hard to beat on a budget. If he wants to spend a couple hundred more a husky 555 or Dolkita 6100 would be solid choices. If the budget allows, why not? Most of us would have him buying an $800 saw and sending it out to be ported out of enthusiasm rather than a true need to cut firewood.

If it were my neighbor asking, I'd tell him to buy the echo 590 and ditch the factory bar and chain due to the odd driver count (70 I think) and get a proper 72 drive link bar and a couple chains for a nice firewood combo. And if he really finds himself NEEDING more bar it will pull 25" just fine on rare occasions. With a simple muff mod and retune that's a fine firewood saw.

 

[Full Chisel]

OP said most of the wood would be 20" or less...that is well within 60cc territory IMO. Sure, a 70/80/90cc saw would work better and faster but is that amount of displacement and power really necessary? Not really.

If you are limiting your budget to less than $500 and wanting to buy new, the CS590 is tough to beat. Buying used, rebuilt 70cc saws can be bought all day for $400ish.

 

[cgraham1]

OP said most of the wood would be 20" or less...that is well within 60cc territory IMO. Sure, a 70/80/90cc saw would work better...

So what will sling a 25" bar well?

OP asked what size saw to pull a 25" bar well... Sorry, but a 590 ain't gonna be that saw. That's why I recommend a 70+cc saw. Could he make due with a 60cc? Yes, but that's not what he asked...

 

[7sleeper]

What I don't quite understand, but have read here VERY often of, is the obvious "long bar Syndrom"! I can easily cut a 25 inch tree with my 18 inch bar standing only on one side of the tree! Why does anyone even consider a 25 inch bar when not needed? This is clearly a sign of problems in the cutting technique!

Further the shorter bar is much easier to wield

@woodchip rookie ,

listen to the guys recomending a solid 60cc (echo 590, Dolmar 6100, etc.) and forget the illusions of needing a 70cc saw for your type of wood.

7

 

[cgraham1]

What I don't understand, is why a guy asks one question, and everyone on this site gives an answer to another question...

 

[blsnelling]

70cc class saws are where it's at. 044, 440, 046, 460, 461, 372 is what you're looking for.

 

[Roll Tide]

70cc class saws are where it's at. 044, 440, 046, 460, 461, 372 is what you're looking for.

+1

 

[Jon1212]

What I don't understand, is why a guy asks one question, and everyone on this site gives an answer to another question...

+1

So what will sling a 25" bar well and what chain? Stihls are expensive. Huskys are too. Any alternatives? I dont mind either but I havent been in the game long. What cc do I really need? I dont think I need an 880...a 660 may be much even....a 441 big enough?

It would appear that @woodchip rookie already knows a 70cc class saw is best for using a 24/25" bar, so I'm not sure how a 60cc saw discussion is necessary?

70cc class saws are where it's at. 044, 440, 046, 460, 461, 372 is what you're looking for.

+1

+2 with the addition of a 576XP.

 

[Guido Salvage]

25" is 70cc+ territory in my humble opinion, 60cc saws are small limbing saws. Sure you can put a 25" bar on a 30cc saw if one chooses (Piltz runs 28"bc on ms201) but if you want a saw that will run 25" bar properly get a 440/441, 365/372, 6410/7910. I would never run any more than a 20" b/c on a 60cc saw.

A good general rule of thumb is to have 3 cc's of saw for every inch of bar length. Of course you can cheat by cutting soft wood or using a skip chain.

 

[GrassGuerilla]

+1



It would appear that @woodchip rookie already knows a 70cc class saw is best for using a 24/25" bar, so I'm not sure how a 60cc saw discussion is necessary?




+2 with the addition of a 576XP.

The OP also mentioned that Sthl and Husky are expensive. With 25" being mentioned and 20+ wood the 590 makes a lot of sense. At $400 + another $100 or so for a 25" bar and chain and he's set pretty well for largish wood. Sure, a 70 cc saw would be better in big stuff, but since he mentioned cost as a factor...

Maybe a better question would be to qualify the OP? Does he have a budget? Is he willing to buy used? With a bit more info we can give better advice.

 

[Full Chisel]

Just buy an 090 with a 5' bar and fear no wood.

 

[Jon1212]

Just buy an 090 with a 5' bar and fear no wood.

*Best Answer*