Buying a new saw for serious firewood cutting!

[TXTreeSurgeon]

Hey guys, I'm new to the site. I am a full-time pastor who needs to make some extra money on the side to support his family. Last fall/winter a friend and I started selling firewood and we ended up selling about 30 cords of firewood. We lost a lot of orders because we couldn't keep up with the demand for firewood here in Central Texas. We plan on selling over 50 cords of firewood this year. I have an old Husqvarna saw (not sure which model) which came out of a trash pile after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and was restored by my dad. My saw has seen better days and doesn't have enough power to keep up with the amount of firewood that I need to cut this year, but it will make a great backup saw.

I plan to buy a new saw and run a 16" bar and chain for regular use. I want to be able to occasionally run about a 24" bar and chain for cutting up large trunks. I am looking for a saw that has the capability to run hard all day long and has enough power to help me do my work much more efficiently. I don't want to waste time in the field tearing down a cheap saw that gives me constant trouble when I could be steadily cutting with a higher quality saw. Needless to say, I am only interested in buying a professional use saw.

My local Stihl dealer is running a special on the MS 362 right now. With a 16" bar and chain, I can get a MS 362 for $349.99. Unless I am badly mistaken, I think this saw usually sells for over $600. Does this deal sound too good to be true or is this a normal sale price? Am I missing something here or should I go buy this saw immediately?

I was also going to look into a Husqvarna 346XP. The Husqvarna website says that the list price is $489.95. I have read about both of these saws. I know that everyone has their own opinion in the Stihl vs. Husqvarna debate, but it looks to me like they are both excellent saws and I will be comfortable buying whichever saw comes at the best price and best fits my needs. My budget limit is about $500. What saw do you guys think best fits my needs?

 

[Turkeyslayer]

362 sounds like a good choice, it will be super peppy with a 16" and handle the occasional use of up to a 25" b/c. Or look at the 357/359, or 365 from husky. IMO a 346 is a little small if you want to run a b/c in the 24" neighbourhood. Good luck and dont be afraid to ask more questions or use the search function here, lots of good info to be found.

 

[BuddhaKat]

Both are great saws.

Welcome to the AS Forums. Understand that soon you will come down with a disease called CAD. It stands for Chainsaw Acquisition Disorder. We all have it.

 

[TXTreeSurgeon]

That's the idea... use a powerful saw with a small b/c so that you can rip through the wood. What about the price of $349.99? Is that normal? I didn't even think that I could afford that big of a saw.

 

[HARRY BARKER]

$349 seems about half price.

 

[TreePointer]

Around here, nobody sells below the "Distributor Suggested Retail Price," so an MS362 with a 16" bar will be $650+.

Suggestion: Consider a 20" bar to give you more reach and save your back from bending down too much. You can bury a 20" bar in hardwood on that saw just fine.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

That's the idea... use a powerful saw with a small b/c so that you can rip through the wood. What about the price of $349.99? Is that normal? I didn't even think that I could afford that big of a saw.

If that is the correct quoted price for a brand new 362 from a local dealer I wouldnt hesitate one bit, and jump all over that deal

 

[Axe Man]

Was out today looking for a bigger saw. ( have had an 026 for about 15 years now and it's been a great saw with no problems at all ). Looked at a 362 at my stihl dealer ( 2 hours north of Toronto ) and price was $699 with 16 inch bar on sale. Regular price is $779. Being Canadian we like bending over. Will be moving to New Brunswick the end of June so maybe I'll head to Maine for the purchase.
Have only owned stihl but have friends that owned both stihl and Huskys and they prefer the Stihl. Dealer quoted me 2 years parts and labour warranty on the 362. Good Luck!

 

[indiansprings]

That's an unheard of price on a 362. For dedicated firewood cutting a 362 would be a better choice that a 346 xpne. I've got a 361 stihl and a 346 xpne husky, both are excellent saws, but imho for what you are doing the 362would fit your needs better. We cut oak firewood and consider the 361 the best firewood saw we've ever run, we run ours with a 18" bar. It will pull a 25" for the occasional big piece. The 362's improved air filteration and reduced fuel consumption over the 361 would make it ideal.

 

[smokinj]

30+cords of wood I wouldnt cut with any thing less than 70cc if I had to do it in one saw but even at that is a very tall order. I will do 40 cords this year and some milling as well but couldnt do it with one saw!

 

[PineFever]

Was out today looking for a bigger saw. ( have had an 026 for about 15 years now and it's been a great saw with no problems at all ). Looked at a 362 at my stihl dealer ( 2 hours north of Toronto ) and price was $699 with 16 inch bar on sale. Regular price is $779. Being Canadian we like bending over. Will be moving to New Brunswick the end of June so maybe I'll head to Maine for the purchase.
Have only owned stihl but have friends that owned both stihl and Huskys and they prefer the Stihl. Dealer quoted me 2 years parts and labour warranty on the 362. Good Luck!

:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[TXTreeSurgeon]

TreePointer, I will look into getting a 20" b/c and might just wait on a 24" for now. I still will buy a 16" b/c because I need it sometimes to move around in all the brush that I have to cut in and I just like having the extra power.

Smokinj, you have a good point about buying a bigger saw, but my wife would never go for it. Trust me, I wish I could take your advice!

I was a little skeptical of the price, but I just called my dealer to doublecheck and it is the real deal MS 362. He said that they are really pushing this saw right now because they are able to sell it for such a good price. I will go and pick the saw up Monday afternoon and will give you guys a report once I get a chance to do a little cutting.

 

[outdoorlivin247]

You need to buy 2 of them for that price and sell the other on ebay and get 90% of your money back...That truly sounds to good to be true...

 

[smokinj]

TreePointer, I will look into getting a 20" b/c and might just wait on a 24" for now. I still will buy a 16" b/c because I need it sometimes to move around in all the brush that I have to cut in and I just like having the extra power.

Smokinj, you have a good point about buying a bigger saw, but my wife would never go for it. Trust me, I wish I could take your advice!

I was a little skeptical of the price, but I just called my dealer to doublecheck and it is the real deal MS 362. He said that they are really pushing this saw right now because they are able to sell it for such a good price. I will go and pick the saw up Monday afternoon and will give you guys a report once I get a chance to do a little cutting.

At that price forget selling firewood and buy all of those 362 and put them on ebay! theres your cash flow!

 

[outdoorlivin247]

At that price forget selling firewood and buy all of those 363 and put them on ebay! theres your cash flow!

:agree2: that would work too...

 

[TXTreeSurgeon]

lol. Well, I will make sure my dealer isn't shooting me a load of crap. However, I did run in to buy some mowing supplies and actually picked up one of the saws. It looks exactly like the MS 362 on the Stihl website. I will be careful to make sure that I am buying the right thing.

 

[Wolfcsm]

TreePointer, I will look into getting a 20" b/c and might just wait on a 24" for now. I still will buy a 16" b/c because I need it sometimes to move around in all the brush that I have to cut in and I just like having the extra power.

Smokinj, you have a good point about buying a bigger saw, but my wife would never go for it. Trust me, I wish I could take your advice!

I was a little skeptical of the price, but I just called my dealer to doublecheck and it is the real deal MS 362. He said that they are really pushing this saw right now because they are able to sell it for such a good price. I will go and pick the saw up Monday afternoon and will give you guys a report once I get a chance to do a little cutting.

Where is that dealer? That is about what I paid for a 310 in Killeen. Might have to add a 362 to the stable.

Do you ever run into really big wood? Always looking for an excuse to get out the big saws.

Hal

 

[Oldtimer]

I'd find a used 372 Husky or 044 Stihl.

 

[RAMROD48]

thats a smokin deal, I work at a Stihl dealer and pay cost on saws....I cant get MS362's that cheap...



I would buy a few and sell them....you will more than pay yourself back for yours...

 

[ms310]

find out from that dealer if he wants to sell alot of saws, I think he could do a lot of sales if he is willing to ship them out, I would take one at that price plus shipping, and I am sure a lot of others would also