cord wood saw,whats the best

[Brian G]

I have a few but some are to heavy,some no power,what is the best on the market pound for power,I have a 2150 Jonsered,and a ms290 sthil, what do the guys use that cut 20 cords a year use. I find the 2150 is a light saw with power,and the ms 290 is a heavier saw with less revs. The 346xp is also a high rev saw but light. Sachs Dolmar I was told not to rugged. Ialso have a 359 husky which is a little on the heavy side.

 

[Greg Perryman]

What size of wood are you cutting on normally. I find the 38 stihl with a 20 in. Bar is a good all around saw setup. Bigger wood a 44 stihl is plenty. I'm stihl owner and I love em. But to be honest I'm not crazy about the 29 model. It's heavier and not a commercial grade saw. I have a 28 that I mainly use for limbing and stuff around ten inches and it's a lot lighter than that 29. A newer saw I'd go with a 360 seems to have the power and will keep up with my old 38. just my 2 cents.

 

[Brian G]

I had a 031 av that needed a module so I just left it,and have a 041 av but thats a dinosauer so to speak The wood I cut is 8-14 around. I find a old saw is good but heavy and sometimes when the spark goes so goes the saw. Replacement of a module and labor could run upwards of 220.00 I do have a partner 5000 plus but keep that in my collection. Als a Jonsered 920 24 bar.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I have a 390 Stihl. I can cut 20 cord a day with it if I am feeling up to it. A good muffler mod and tune will wake it right up. I have cut 100's of cord with it.

 

[HuskStihl]

Obviously no one right answer. For bucking sub 14" logs into firewood rounds, with durability, performance and weight all being factors (although from your post it seems that weight may be the biggest concern), it would be tough to beat a 346xp. You could also put a 16" bar on the 359 which would lighten it up a bit. The stihl homeowner line is heavy for the performance. If weight is key, you'd really want a 026/260/261. I don't think you need to be above 50cc for 8-14" wood. A 362 won't be any faster than a 261 thru 10" wood

 

[Guido Salvage]

I have a 390 Stihl. I can cut 20 cord a day with it if I am feeling up to it. A good muffler mod and tune will wake it right up. I have cut 100's of cord with it.

20 cords a day??? That would be 2 cords an hour over a 10 hour day, you need to prove that to me.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I usually work more than 10 hours a day in the summer, and rarely cut more than 6 cord a day, but the saw can do it. The saw spends more time turned off than it does running when I am cutting wood. I can cut up a tree in no time, but it takes a while to load it. I usually get to the point where it is no longer safe to cut because of all the wood piling up and i have to take time to load some.

 

[blades]

Don't know who told bad news on Dolmar, I find them to be as good or better than anything else, and they are all pro saws no homeowner/ contrator/ pro gobblygook similar # less saw with big price tag based on name. Problem now across the board all brands, new units is that EPA xyz stuff. Saws set so lean to meet EPA that if you do not have them re-tuned properly they will burn out in a couple cords. So be advised.

 

[CTYank]

Save your $$. Check out vminnovations-dot-com for buys on new & refurb saws, mainly Husqy. Quite possibly a 435 would do you well. Well before a stihl, I'd go for a dolmar- price differences are significant. Much less of a cash-ectomy, if you take my drift.
Simply forget the homeowner stihls, unless you have excess cash on hand.
Adjusting carbs is not rocket-surgery, unless you have a stihl with a fixed-jet carb. WTF!

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Hey Brian

First welcome to AS.

The second item that would really help, can you give us a firm, not to exceed, budget number? If $XXX is it, no sense in recommending something way out of that range.

20 cord is a whole bunch of wood. I sell 50+ cord a year, along with harvesting from 50K to 100K board feet of logs depending upon who calls and how often. At 20 cord a year you're a serious candidate for a "pro" grade saw or at the very least one of the pro grade chassis saws minus some of the bells and whistles. Not saying you can't get there with one of the heavier duty homeowner saws, but in the long run an upgrade will be to your advantage.

Where in MA are you? I'm about 15 minutes from the Sturbridge tolls. If you want to try out some of my saws, your most welcome, got plenty of wood to cut.

As to the Dolmar quality, based upon the sample of two I own they have been completely reliable. Home Depot rents them in their Makita colors and they seem to hold up just fine in that application. (Makita owns Dolmar just in case you're interested).

Another option is to talk to local dealers. Some will make the effort to get a demonstrator saw from their rep for you to try for a day. Really need to be serious about buying before they go that route however.

Take Care

 

[Swamp Yankee]

20 cords a day??? That would be 2 cords an hour over a 10 hour day, you need to prove that to me.

+1

This pile is about 22 cord give or take 2 cord, (3 grapple truck loads). For reference, the bucket on the skidsteer is 7 ft. The skidsteer itself is a little over 6 ft high.

Take Care

 

[Derrickhand]

I've honestly had incredible luck with dolmar and echo. Dolmar 6400 and the echo cs600p. Honestly though, at $300 frog skins cheaper, the echo is the best you can get in the 60cc class imho. I personally think it's light, but I'm 6'4" tall and 220 lbs. For the money and performance though, I don't think you can beat that cs600p.

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[troythetreeman]

I like the Husqvarna 550xp for a 50cc saw, you have essentially the same saw with the 346xp.
Next size up the only saw I think is worth its salt is the Stihl 460, I'm hearing the 461 is good, I can't say, I haven't run it.
Echo however has an extremely good warranty, I run them for my top handles. I looked at them when I wanted a replacement for my tired old Husky 350. They get good reviews, I just didn't think they would hold up to the impacts they sometimes suffer swinging from my saddle.

 

[Greg Perryman]

Bottom line is if your plan is to cut a lot of wood, then get a good saw. Stihl or husky is your best bet. The echos warranty may be better, but my stihls stay in the woods and less time in the shop. My grandpa bought an echo 2 yrs ago and that was the last one. Having the right equipment for the job will make your life much easier and safer.

 

[Poindexter]

The good advice I got here years ago, followed, and am going to repeat now is this:

If you are cutting firewood, start with a 16" bar. Get a saw, either a Husky or a Stihl, with the biggest possible motor you can handle.

I went to Lowes-Depot and found a Husky powerhead that was available with either a 16 or 20 inch bar. I bought the 16" version. That was in 2007. I have no regrets, seven cords last summer. I can drop 24" trees with it now that I have learned how.

I see guys out there with there 20 and 24" bars dropping 14" trees in the public woodlots and I thank the wise folks at arboristsite for encouraging me to find out what I could do with a 16" saw before I went bigger. My aching lower back thanks you too.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

I have a 390 Stihl. I can cut 20 cord a day with it if I am feeling up to it. A good muffler mod and tune will wake it right up. I have cut 100's of cord with it.

bullsh!t

 

[flashhole]

The Stihl 460 is a 76.5cc saw and a real work horse. It's my go-to saw whenever I'm doing an serious bucking. I run it with a 20" bar and full chisel chain. The power to weight ratio is pretty good but at 60 years old it will wear me down in about 6 hours. If you keep the chanis sharp it will do all you ever need it to do and you will smile a lot when using it. My next favorite saw is the Husqvarna 394 (94cc) it's heavier but man can it cut the bigger stuff. I use mine with a 32" bar and full chisel chain. I am good for about 4 hours of continuous cutting with the 394. A Stihl 041 is my backup saw and it has gottem me out of a lot of problems with pinched bars and chains.

 

[Thompson20398]

I would recommend a Stihl MS261 to replace the 290. It is an all around better saw than the 290. Unless you're cutting really big wood, the 261 should do the trick. It is light, powerful and reliable. If you are into really big wood, then you'll need to step up a level or two.

 

[Knobby57]

Get a good used ms361 and a18" bar and go to town . If I only go out with one saw is a 361 or my441cm. But my 361 is my favorite . 261 a bit light on power .


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[RyKR]

I've honestly had incredible luck with dolmar and echo. Dolmar 6400 and the echo cs600p. Honestly though, at $300 frog skins cheaper, the echo is the best you can get in the 60cc class imho. I personally think it's light, but I'm 6'4" tall and 220 lbs. For the money and performance though, I don't think you can beat that cs600p.

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I have an Echo CS 450 and a CS 600P. I use the 600 when cutting things down or working the trunks but I rely on the 450 for almost everything. I can run the 450 all day without any pain while the 600 beats me up pretty bad.