60cc chainsaw choice

[iowa_jim]

Hello, I am looking for a 60cc chainsaw, give or take. Or I think I am. I do everything, occassionally. I'd like to cut slabs when the wood is available, probably with a 28" bar, and firewood cutting and general life in the country with a 20" or so bar.

I don't need the most powerful saw, I need a saw that will start easily and last a decade or better with occassional use.

The Echo 620 is appealing, as i have a weed whip and blower from them that have been trouble free.

The husky 562 comes in at a 50% premium, is it worth it?

The stihl 362 looks to be the competitor in this class, priced with the husky. I had a 180 that died because of the choke lever issue, so im not feeling warmly towards stihl. Sure, that was a homeowner saw, but the mechanism of failure was off-putting.

What are your thoughts? And thanks for the help!

Jim, in Iowa

 

[ericm979]

A 362 is going to struggle with a 28" bar fully buried. Especially if you're ripping instead of cross cutting. The oil pump is not up for it either but that can be addressed with parts from other Stihl saws. I like my 362 but I'd look for a bigger saw for what you're doing. A 20" bar is perfect.

 

[Mad Professor]

Sounds like two saw plan, 60cc w/20" and 80-90cc if you want to mill w/28" bar

 

[mbrick]

Sounds like you want a 50cc with 16-18" bar and then a 70-90cc saw for a 28" bar to mill. I use my 550xp more than any other saw, it has a ton of hours, haven't had any issues, and it still screams.

A 60cc is not suited for a 28" bar for normal cutting, and definitely not for milling.

 

[WoodRaider]

Gonna have to chime and say that a 60cc saw is probably not up to milling with a 28" bar fully buried. For occasional mill work I would look at a 70cc saw as a minimum, and even then you'd definitely be using a full skip chain. If you really want to go ahead with the 60cc saw then the 562 is your best bet IMO. I'd be looking at the Husky 572 or the Stihl 462, or better yet the 500i, but then for as much money as the 500i you could go out and grab a 592 and still have money left to buy chains and a couple of bars.

 

[iowa_jim]

Thanks for the input so far! The 572 comes at a steep price increase, but I see that it can handle a 32" bar vs a 24" on the 562, so I guess it's a steep increase in capability. I'm not hearing any love for Echo. Are there reasons to avoid Echo?

 

[singinwoodwackr]

The real problem is you’re wanting to cut slabs with a small, cheap saw and that ain’t gonna happen, at least not for very long. You can find plenty of used 80+cc saws for reasonable prices…get one for your slabbing.
for general cutting the Echo saws are fine. The 620 has a good track record as does the smaller 590.

 

[mbrick]

Also, keep in mind that is just Husky's guidance for a max bar size. That's not the full load size you would necessarily run for a long time while milling, for example.

There is no replacement for displacement. I started milling with a 24" bar on a 60cc saw and quickly moved up to a 75cc saw. It is slow going and just seems like the 60cc is not going to last.

Others here are likely even more experienced than I and hence the 80-90cc recommendation.

 

[WoodRaider]

Thanks for the input so far! The 572 comes at a steep price increase, but I see that it can handle a 32" bar vs a 24" on the 562, so I guess it's a steep increase in capability. I'm not hearing any love for Echo. Are there reasons to avoid Echo?

I have a 394 XP that does all my milling as well as felling big trees. If you don't mind buying second hand, then you could be budget conscious while ending up with a perfect milling saw. Stihl 660 and Husky 394, 395, 390 would all be good saws to look out for. The 572 or equivalent is the smallest I'd consider to be a viable milling saw, but even then I wouldn't want to use it more than occasionally for that kind of work. Also I wouldn't run anything longer than a 28" bar on it and it would have a full skip chain. For milling, bigger really is better.

Can't speak for Echo as they basically don't exist in Australia. I've never seen one or heard of anyone who has one.

 

[thomasinvancouver]

MS362 is obsolete. Made so by the MS400. I run a 28 on my 362 all the time.

 

[dudz3636]

I will echo what WoodRaider stated above. I mill with a 395 and have a 390 that wears a 24" bar. One observation I will point out from my experience owning and using both is there's a fairly noticeable difference in handling between a 395XP and a 390XP. If you do more felling or firewood cutting than milling, go with the 390. If you plan to do more milling than cutting, go with a 395. They both will do either, but one is noticeably better at each activity.

I have a 620PW wearing a 24" that I enjoy using because it is a torquey saw. I have not attempted milling with it, but I don't think it would like milling wearing a 28" bar.

 

[muddy42]

Always get the biggest saw you can for milling. 120 cc and a 28 inch bar would be very comfortable and not overkill. I’m serious.

Plus dont forget that when milling, the chain is somewhat protected from being flung by the mill. Hence you can buy older models that dont have a chain brake or newer saws where the brake doesnt work well.

 

[iowa_jim]

Thank you for your insights! I will start with a smaller saw and grow from there. My next question is about the smaller saw, but that might deserve another thread. I don't recall this particular aspect being addressed yet, based on a search, but we'll see.

Thanks again! I don't mean to brag, but I am smart enough to know that I don't know anything about this topic and that I need to listen.

 

[muddy42]

Also sorry if this is obvious - but to cut the occasional 20inch log for firewood you don't need 20 inch bar, because you can cut from both sides.

A 50cc and a 14-16 inch bar will be lighter and more usable day-to-day than 60-70cc. The exception is the tall people that like to 'stand and buck' with a long bar. Then as others have said 90+cc (for occasional big stuff and milling).

 

[James G]

Thanks for the input so far! The 572 comes at a steep price increase, but I see that it can handle a 32" bar vs a 24" on the 562, so I guess it's a steep increase in capability. I'm not hearing any love for Echo. Are there reasons to avoid Echo?

FWIW, Echo makes very good saws, but their customer service is really bad. If you can actually speak with someone in CS, they will find every reason not to honor a warranty.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

If I was buying new and looking at those needs you listed. 20" most times but want to use 28" when needed. Echo 620.
Let alone the cheaper costof it for the little more weight. Great built saw with regular carb still.

https://www.echo-usa.com/chainsaws/...Tnw3FSXLyJYJpyAfk1caAiTvEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Be real close to its cheaper brothers weight the 590.

 

[ericm979]

Thank you for your insights! I will start with a smaller saw and grow from there. My next question is about the smaller saw, but that might deserve another thread. I don't recall this particular aspect being addressed yet, based on a search, but we'll see.

Cutting in the ripping direction as you do when milling is cutting across the ends of the wood grain. It's the hardest direction to cut. A chain made or filed to milling spec (10 degree vs 30-35 degree for normal cross cut chain) works slightly better.

It's slow cutting to begin with. You're often using a long bar which makes it slower, and then you're making 8' or longer cuts. So it's really hard on the saw. At a minimum you want a pro saw with an adjustable oiler that you turn all the way up. Often there are mods you can do which will increase the oil pump output. Many people also run richer oil ratios and adjust the carb to a richer fuel:air ratio than they would use for regular cutting. The extra fuel helps cool the engine.

Bar length is really personal. I'm not a fan of super long bars except when you really need one. They're heavier, harder to transport and manuver around the tree, and if they are long enough they move the saws balance point too far forward which increases fatigue. But I'm fit and my back is good and I don't mind bending over. OTOH I don't see much need for anything shorter than 16", even for brush cutting. I'm also a proponent of using the right size saw for the job. You can limb with a 90cc saw but it's a lot more pleasant to use a 45cc saw for the smaller limbs. You'll get more work done since you can move the saw faster and you'll be less tired at the end. Often I take two saws with me for a given tree. But I'm working on my land and can use a UTV to carry gear close to the work site. Someone working way back in the woods might not want to pack two saws in and will have to use the felling saw for everything.

As you do more and learn more, you'll work out what's best for you.

 

[kenmbz]

I use a 620P with 24" bar to mill every now and then.
Use a ripping chain and it is slow, but not too bad.
Would not do this often as it heats the saw up.
The 620 so far has been dead on reliable.
the 24" bar limits the width of the slab quite a bit,

 

[mountainlake]

It's a lot better to hire a potable bandsaw for a day rather than ruin a chainsaw. They will mill more in one day than you could in a month with a chainsaw mill. Steve

 

[sean donato]

I will echo what WoodRaider stated above. I mill with a 395 and have a 390 that wears a 24" bar. One observation I will point out from my experience owning and using both is there's a fairly noticeable difference in handling between a 395XP and a 390XP. If you do more felling or firewood cutting than milling, go with the 390. If you plan to do more milling than cutting, go with a 395. They both will do either, but one is noticeably better at each activity.

I have a 620PW wearing a 24" that I enjoy using because it is a torquey saw. I have not attempted milling with it, but I don't think it would like milling wearing a 28" bar.

I 100% agree with the 390xp vs 394/5xp. Been my experience to a T. The 390xp is much more nimble in the hand. I rarely ever use the 394xp outside of milling, and thats been near zero since my cousin got a band saw mill.