complete beginner,looking for Stihl chainsaw advice,help!

[skipster]

Howdy folks,
Sorry to ask what may be an obvious question to the experts,but I've been thrown in the deep end,and have already bought the wrong saw once,and dont want to do it again, so hope someone can help.
I recently became employed to do forestry and management on 380 acres of eucalypt forest here in Australia.
Work includes falling smaller trees(up to 2 foot diameter) and preparing them for firewood.
Our small local town only has a Stihl dealer so i decided on a Stihl.
He reccomended an MS 250 model,saying that it would be adequate for what I was doing.
Its a nice little saw,and works fine for preparing the thinner tops, but lacks guts for larger limbs,and i really need something bigger,and more "professional"(less homeowner?).
I would like to stay with Stihl, and will keep the 250, so would want a marked step up in power , quality, and longevity.
Could anyone please give me some direction on this?
some independent and expert advice would be really appreciated!
Thanks,
Skip

 

[Creeker]

Stop.....go to Forest Tech. East Gippsland, or anywhere else that does training, get a cross cutting and falling ticket, then come back, most of your questions will be answered by then and you might have avoided injury or worse.

Your STIHL Dealer ..... LOL

As I've said before, no expert but have some experience in this area.

 

[moondoggie]

Stihl MS 362 C M.

 

[7sleeper]

Would have taken a 241 instead.

7

 

[derwoodii]

stay with the 025 for as long as you can & learn all you can with it about safe timber cross cutting handling felling sharpening maintenance only then step up to 20 inch bar model 310 and up to 441 price and range, oh with 380 forest acres try not to work alone or best tell some one where you are and will be

 

[treesmith]

Please get some training

And watch you tube fail videos

 

[Sagetown]

Howdy folks,
Sorry to ask what may be an obvious question to the experts,but I've been thrown in the deep end,and have already bought the wrong saw once,and dont want to do it again, so hope someone can help.
I recently became employed to do forestry and management on 380 acres of eucalypt forest here in Australia.
Work includes falling smaller trees(up to 2 foot diameter) and preparing them for firewood.
Our small local town only has a Stihl dealer so i decided on a Stihl.
He reccomended an MS 250 model,saying that it would be adequate for what I was doing.
Its a nice little saw,and works fine for preparing the thinner tops, but lacks guts for larger limbs,and i really need something bigger,and more "professional"(less homeowner?).
I would like to stay with Stihl, and will keep the 250, so would want a marked step up in power , quality, and longevity.
Could anyone please give me some direction on this?
some independent and expert advice would be really appreciated!
Thanks,
Skip

Check with your neighbor 'Stihl working hard'; Todd. He does jarrahs' all the time.

 

[Sagetown]

skipster here is one of his saws he just posted. A MS 661 w/36" bar.

 

[skipster]

Thanks for your concerns for my safety folks,I should have explained myself better.
I am working with two experienced operators who do the big felling. i am mainly cutting the smaller tops after the tree is down,and am aware of the basic safety procedures.
What I need is some saw advice
To be precise,my question is : what Stihl saw should i step up to after the MS 250 (the 661 is a looong way in my future

 

[Sagetown]

Oh; Okay You have two good choices for tops and limbs. MS262 50cc, and MS361 59cc. Both are in the $700 range. Both are pro saws. With that much work to do I'd go with one of those.....

If your budget can't afford those, you'd most likely go with the inexpensive rugged farm saw, MS291, 55cc, 12 to 13 pounds....
The MS311, 59cc at 13 pounds, $500, is favored by many users.
The reason I'm listing the weight is those saws get heavy after awhile. Less weight the longer you'll last. Short 16" bars are more maneuverable and good balance.

 

[skipster]

excellent advice, i was looking at those two in the shop the other day, thankyou.

 

[Sagetown]

Eucalyptus trees are hardwood. Even at that, with a very sharp chain your 250 should be able to handle most of your work. A 50cc saw would pull a lil better through harder stuff, but really not that noticable. That's where the 59cc begins to do the talking and walkin.

 

[Sagetown]

Oh; Okay You have two good choices for tops and limbs. MS262 50cc, and MS361 59cc. Both are in the $700 range. Both are pro saws. With that much work to do I'd go with one of those.....

If your budget can't afford those, you'd most likely go with the inexpensive rugged farm saw, MS291, 55cc, 12 to 13 pounds....
The MS311, 59cc at 13 pounds, $500, is favored by many users.
The reason I'm listing the weight is those saws get heavy after awhile. Less weight the longer you'll last. Short 16" bars are more maneuverable and good balance.

LoL! Those USA prices don't help you one bit.

 

[stihlaficionado]

Welcome to AS!

maybe 261, a pro saw, adjustable oiler, light & nimble

Here they retail for $619 w/ 18 bar

362 is a step up in power & price

 

[treesmith]

From what I've seen for stihl pro saw bar size v engine size in Oz trees, this is what we use and works reasonably well for good cutting speed -

201t - 12" 3/8 picco
241 - 14" 3/8 picco
261 - 16" .325 or 3/8
362 - 18" .325 or 3/8
461 - 20" 3/8
660 - 25" 3/8 or .404
880 - 30" - 40" .404

You can go longer but it gets slower

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Don't give out bad advice. Bar length has no effect on chain speed. That's geometry 101. The only variable on chain speed is engine rpm and sprocket size.

 

[treesmith]

He's in Oz cutting gum, Jolly, that's what we use, if it didn't work we wouldnt do it

 

[TheJollyLogger]

But bar length has no effect on chain speed.

 

[treesmith]

My point was that in ozzie gum those bar lengths on those saws work well together and cut well and it's what we use, by saying good cutting speed I mean being able to cut comfortably up to the bar length without bogging or racing, with standard sprockets and useable chain, as opposed to struggling and the saw bogging

My point was more about engine size v bar length and hard gum


cutting speed is dictated by sprocket size, bar length, engine size, chain size and condition, size of wood, type of wood, pressure in cut etc

 

[Creeker]

Advice stands, get some training.

Once you have a grasp from training go and buy a Stihl 461, don't buggarise round with the little saws, they are to slow
and gutless.