Chainsaw selection help, best saw for "me"

[Big Block]

How's you know?

Ewe know me?

Nope just got a good eye

Plus it's still for sale because it stays together, but who's counting? [emoji41][emoji41]

This ^^^^^

 

[rwoods]

Jason,

You need to decide what you will be falling. To be safe you need to have a saw that is fast and has plenty of grunt along with plenty of experience as oaks can chair as quick as you can blink. If you are planning on falling 36" oaks, then IMO you are in 661 territory though a 461 can handle it. 30" or less a 461 should be plenty. 18" or less a 362 should be fine.

If you are just bucking downed trees under 4 feet, I see no need for a 661.

Your logger friend is interested in getting a tree on the ground with the least stem damage possible which is probably why he uses a 661.

I have no personal experience with a 661 and am gauging this off experience with smaller saws.

Be selective when buying a used saw.

I have a knack: For picking the wore out or abused ones.

That is why I use the terms lightly used or premo. Around here these are more likely to be a 60cc saw than any other. Bigger saws are usual well-worn by someone trying to make a living. Pro 50cc are typically well-worn firewood saws or tree service saws. Lightly used 60 cc saws are the saws purchased for a specific job by the guy who didn't like the tree service price, thinks he need a big pro saw and the dealer sells him on the saw; sometimes you find a larger saw in this category but not as often.

Ron

 

[Kegerator5]

I still believe you should go 2 saw plan. 362, and sell the 290 while they are still getting good money. The 291 is lighter and only lost I believe 2cc's. I'm not sure why there is such a love affair still with the 290? But, just guessing, in a year or 2, a used 290 will tank in value. Simply because 291 will prove it's just as dependable for a homeowner, and it's lighter.

A 362 vs 290 is not really even a comparison. 362 will be a much better saw. Plus, if you intend to mod/port, etc, that 362 even better yet.

Than, in due time, once you save up, buy a 461 or 661...

Simply buying a 461/661 will wear you out if it's your main saw.. plus, I've never known anyone who owned a 036,360,361,362 and didn't enjoy using that saw. 461/661, just seem heavy to use as a go to saw all day everyday. They seem more of a go to as needed saw.

 

[PULLINmyPOULAN]

Scrap that list and get yourself the ultimate firewood saw a ported 346

 

[blsnelling]

The 461 will meet all of your needs, now and in the future. It will run circles around a 362. Put a dual port muffler cover on it, from a 046/460, an unlimited coil from a 046/460, trim the limiter tabs to re-tune, and you'll have all the saw you'll ever need.

Sell your 290 and buy a used pro grade 50cc saw. You'll never regret the 50-70cc combination!

 

[sunfish]

Scrap that list and get yourself the ultimate firewood saw a ported 346

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

 

[sunfish]

Scrap that list and get yourself the ultimate firewood saw a ported 346

No Joke, Really, It is.

 

[PULLINmyPOULAN]

No Joke, Really, It is.

You only know if you know and I know. I think anyone who has cut firewood with one would agree with us.

 

[sunfish]

You only know if you know and I know. I think anyone who has cut firewood with one would agree with us.

Best quote ever on this or any forum!

 

[rwoods]

First post Jason said he wants a Stihl due to dealer support. We all know Husky makes good saws too. We also know that come the end of the day, the chain and the nut holding the saw is more related to production than having a tad more power or speed.

Make no mistake, though I run a variety of 60cc Stihls by choice, I am not claiming that they are any better or worse than another brand. Nor that dealer support should be the deciding factor; none of mine have ever needed a dealer for anything that I couldn't buy online. I am a third generation McCulloch family. A gear drive McCulloch and a little XL-12 Homelite saw my grandfather through his productive years. Dad switched to Husky in the late seventies. The reason I bought a new 036 is because it had the best published hp to weight ratio of any saw then made by Stihl (IIRC also slightly better than any Husky) and I liked it better than the comparable Husky - felt better in my hands and appeared to be better constructed. I had never heard of porting at the time. I don't know what saw fits this category now. As to the others: I bought a like new 362 to help a fellow on hard times; the other 362 because it was only $200 and to loan it; and the 361 (since ported) due to all the raves on AS including ST's endorsements. Now I am practically down to two Stihls - sold the like new 362 to a brother and s-i-l has the other 362 on permanent loan or so it seems.

The 461 will meet all of your needs, now and in the future. It will run circles around a 362. Put a dual port muffler cover on it, from a 046/460, an unlimited coil from a 046/460, trim the limiter tabs to re-tune, and you'll have all the saw you'll ever need.

Sell your 290 and buy a used pro grade 50cc saw. You'll never regret the 50-70cc combination!

Brad, you are comparing apples with oranges. However, I have no problem with your combo recommendation except does he need it. The reason I suggested the 60cc series is IMO they make the best one saw plan for a firewood cutter who doesn't fall large trees. Jason hasn't yet indicated a need for a 76.5cc saw. If he is just bucking firewood, I think folks are overestimating his needs. Upgrade the 290 and go from there. If he finds he needs more saw then go bigger to a two saw plan. If he had a pro 60cc saw, I doubt he would ever go smaller.

Ron

 

[sunfish]

If you don't know, you wont know, until you know it.

Has nothing to do with brand or size of saw.

 

[blsnelling]

Brad, you are comparing apples with oranges. However, I have no problem with your combo recommendation except does he need it. The reason I suggested the 60cc series is IMO they make the best one saw plan for a firewood cutter who doesn't fall large trees. Jason hasn't yet indicated a need for a 76.5cc saw. If he is just bucking firewood, I think folks are overestimating his needs. Upgrade the 290 and go from there. If he finds he needs more saw then go bigger to a two saw plan. If he had a pro 60cc saw, I doubt he would ever go smaller.

Ron

Falling and/or bucking 30"+ wood is 70cc class work, IMHO. Yes, a 60cc saw will do it, but it's not ideal. Besides, he already has the 290.

 

[Kegerator5]

If you don't know, you wont know, until you know it.

Has nothing to do with brand or size of saw.

That's what she said

Falling and/or bucking 30"+ wood is 70cc class work, IMHO. Yes, a 60cc saw will do it, but it's not ideal. Besides, he already has the 290.

Yes.... But it's a 290..... Lol just kidding.
But in my opinion, a 362 is about 3 steps up from a 290.

 

[rwoods]

Falling and/or bucking 30"+ wood is 70cc class work, IMHO. Yes, a 60cc saw will do it, but it's not ideal. Besides, he already has the 290.

No argument about 30" wood but we are apples and oranges again - no where did Jason say he will be falling large trees or that he has enough 30"+ wood to buck to justify a 461. See his first post reproduced below - abbreviated and with emphasis added.

Howdy gentlemen,
***
I recently moved to an all wooded 5acre lot and I have spent the last year working on my standing dead ash trees. ***

My property is a mix of hard wood, oak, maple, cherry, ash, hickory to name a few and my timber ranges from 6"-36" plus in diameter. Of course I have no plans of taking down the big boys unless they break or get diseased. (Much of my white oak is stressed....). Most of my firewood is @ 20" or less.

*** I plan on running a 20" bar and in fact I already purchased a 20" Sugi Hara bar. It might be worth having something like a 25" bar in case I get into some larger stuff.

***

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It matters not to me what size or brand saw he buys and he has all the information that I can give him on the merits of a general purpose firewood Stihl. If I wasn't on vacation with little else to do I likely would have stopped at my first post.

Not that it means anything beyond my personal preferences - if I could buy just one 20" bar Stihl for him based upon the information provided, it would be a ported 361. I don't need to tell you how it would stack up against a stock 70cc saw. Nor should I need to say that like new 361s are becoming extremely hard to find and can be pricey enough without the added expense of the port work that recommending such is not particularly realistic.

Ron

 

[Firemoore98]

Lots of great advice and I respect all the above opinions. I will post a few pics of my woods and my current pile in need of bucking.

Keep the thoughts coming guys/gals


Jason


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[rwoods]

If you don't know, you wont know, until you know it.

Has nothing to do with brand or size of saw.

Wasn't it the great philosopher, Clint Tryandtakemywood, that said "A man has got to know his saw's limitations", or something to that effect?

Ron

 

[sunfish]

Wasn't it the great philosopher, Clint Tryandtakemywood, that said "A man has got to know his saw's limitations", or something to that effect?

Ron

Some saws have no limitations, but ya have to be in the know.

 

[rwoods]

Some saws have no limitations, but ya have to be in the know.

You mean the 346 is another saw like the "awesome 362 m-tronic" that is the subject of so many posts between chainsaw connoisseurs?

I will just have to continue in my ignorance while trying to sharpen my sharpening and cutting skills as I don't have enough time or money or interest to keep up with the latest and greatest, much less be in the know as to what is truly the greatest.

Ron

 

[fearofpavement]

Ok, looks like another future case of CAD. To the OP, you probably already own a saw that will cut up anything you need to cut up... If you want to get another saw, (and you should based on how much cutting you plan to do) in my opinion it should be significantly larger than what you currently have. You can fill the gaps later for your 7 saw plan...

 

[Firemoore98]

Yeah I'm a rookie on this forum, but a multi saw plan seems to make sense. I take good care of my stuff and like to buy the right tool for the job. It's good that I'm getting such a diversity in advise its teaching me there is more than one right answer, but a common them I'm seeing is pro saws are worth the coin, big saws for big wood and better to have a smaller saw for smaller wood keeping fatigue down.

Can't thank you guys enough for all the great comments. Please keep it up.


Jason


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