bluequill56
ArboristSite Operative
So is Pamela Anderson. What's your point? :greenchainsaw:
Firewood saws
- Thread starter bookerdog
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So is Pamela Anderson. What's your point? :greenchainsaw:
Ray Bennett
ArboristSite Guru
I agree with bookerdog completly, I and can not understand why everyone recomends a high dollar pro saw when a mid range saw will last him 2 life times and cost half as much. Espically when someone says they have 3, 4 , or 5 hundred dollars to spend. The next thing you know they are talking them into 600 dollar saws that will last them 3 or 4 lifetimes and will not even save cutting time cause the poor guy probally cant sharpen a chian that well and is too broke to buy extra chains or have a shop do it.
RiverRat2
Serio Tree Freak
I wonder when guys come on here and ask for suggestions on a firewood saw. Most of us seem to try to steer them to way to much saw for them. If a guy just wants to cut 3 to 5 cords a wood a year were always there to help steer him towards the 6 to 8 hundred dollar saw. I limb, bucked up a 32 inch dour fir blowdown yesterday all with my 359 I hadn't used it for a long time and wanted to give it a workout. It maybe wasn't the fastest but it did the job.
I would think for the guy just cutting a few cords of wood a 359 or a 290 would be all he would need. I would think with good care it would last him a long time without the 6 to 8 price tag.
Okay let me have it
Book I couldnt agree with you more,,,,,
346/357/359 210/290/310's, have proven themselves over and over,,,, and will continue to do so,,,, I I'm sure even jonsered/dolmar has one that is right in the mix,,,,Heck o - Echo has one too!!!!!
You are right a good saw for the firewood cutter can be found for under 400.00 easy and some good used saws as listed above can be had for around 1/2 that,,, I I happen to know where 5 are right now!!!!!!!
Good thread Bookerdog,,, I'd rep ya but it wont let me!!!!:bang:
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Log Splitter
ArboristSite Guru
So good it's going in my sig for a couple days. You been reading 1984?
Be careful with that sig, Festus. Somebody may think you've been drinkin' the Orange Koolaid.
DarylB
ArboristSite Operative
Yeah, it's easy to go buy a new Pro saw and spend $500+ on something you might not use a lot. A good used Pro saw can be had for $250+ and still have many years of life left. Thanks to a friend I lucked up upon a hardly used 038 Magnum and walked away with it for $325. A like-new 72cc saw for ~$300 aint bad. They're out there, you just gotta watch & wait.
AngelofDarkness
Addicted to ArboristSite
huskydave
Addicted to ArboristSite
Go Echo!
AngelofDarkness
Addicted to ArboristSite
Can't go wrong with a CS-670.
and oh yeah, I have a Wild Thingy.....in my pants.......
I would think for the guy just cutting a few cords of wood a 359 or a 290 would be all he would need. I would think with good care it would last him a long time without the 6 to 8 price tag.
Okay let me have it
You're right. My BIL has an 032 that he got back in the early eighties. He cuts maybe two cords a year of orchard wood and takes excellent care of the saw....he's an aircraft mechanic. That thing runs like brand new. It's all he needs and it'll be interesting to see how long it lasts.
gink595
Addicted to ArboristSite
I agree with you with you to a point, it just depends on where to draw the line on price and what the duty of the saw really is. I bought a 310 instead of the 361 because it was $270 cheaper. I had even ran a 361 before the purchase. I only cut 15-20 truck loads a year at most. If the saw only lasted 5 years on what I cut than the extra money would be well spent, I don't foresee that problem. I felt the 361 wasn't that much better for the money on what I cut. For the extra 270 I will try finding a 044 or 046. I think people are suggesting saws that people don't need and maybe paying more than they want to afford by the opinions of people that haven't used some of the saws they are bashing. There is a reason Stihl manufactures more saws then the 361 (which I do like...alot)
spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'm probably going to bounce around here to the point that I'll seem to be disagreeing with myself but why not join the discussion anyway?
The extra $100 to $200 that someone might spend to get a better saw than he was planning on, is really insignificant when you consider how much money will be saved in just a few years of burning wood. Heck, I save $3000 a year myself @ current oil prices. However a lot of people come in my store with a price point in their mind that they really don't want to exceed. They have settled on say, $300 and you can suggest something nicer, but you have to be careful not to offend them by giving the impression that you are just trying to get more money out of them.
But I think where members most often miss the mark with this "firewood saw" advice is more along the lines of power and size than price. Let's admit it, we're all addicted to power! But our fondness for power and speed isn't really in sync with the average saw customer. In addition to price, one of the most important factors for many people is weight. They pick up a 372 and to them it's a big heavy saw. They pick up a 350 or 346XP, and it feels like a tool that they want to work with. They know that it is obviously going to be slower than the 372, but they aren't in a hurry, and it will likely be as quick or quicker than whatever they have been using.
You also have to take into account the size and age of the customer. Big guys are obviously more likely to want a bigger saw. With older guys, it's all about weight.
I also think that the number of cords a guy burns each year really only tells part of the story about his saw needs. Other questions that need to be asked are how big are the majority of logs that he will be cutting? Is he cutting on a log pile? Is he cutting in the woods? Will he have lots of limbing to do? How much cutting will he do at one time? Just a pick up truck load every weekend?
Another thing that I've seen is that in addition to the weight of the saw, the weight of the blocks being cut is another factor that comes into play. Many guys aren't interested in cutting blocks of oak that require two guys to pick up, so they don't need a saw big enough to cut them. For hardwoods averaging 12", a good 50cc saw will do just fine. You don't get tired running the saw or tossing the wood into the back of the truck.
You guys would be amazed at how much wood some of these people cut with saws that on this site would be considered inadequate.
The extra $100 to $200 that someone might spend to get a better saw than he was planning on, is really insignificant when you consider how much money will be saved in just a few years of burning wood. Heck, I save $3000 a year myself @ current oil prices. However a lot of people come in my store with a price point in their mind that they really don't want to exceed. They have settled on say, $300 and you can suggest something nicer, but you have to be careful not to offend them by giving the impression that you are just trying to get more money out of them.
But I think where members most often miss the mark with this "firewood saw" advice is more along the lines of power and size than price. Let's admit it, we're all addicted to power! But our fondness for power and speed isn't really in sync with the average saw customer. In addition to price, one of the most important factors for many people is weight. They pick up a 372 and to them it's a big heavy saw. They pick up a 350 or 346XP, and it feels like a tool that they want to work with. They know that it is obviously going to be slower than the 372, but they aren't in a hurry, and it will likely be as quick or quicker than whatever they have been using.
You also have to take into account the size and age of the customer. Big guys are obviously more likely to want a bigger saw. With older guys, it's all about weight.
I also think that the number of cords a guy burns each year really only tells part of the story about his saw needs. Other questions that need to be asked are how big are the majority of logs that he will be cutting? Is he cutting on a log pile? Is he cutting in the woods? Will he have lots of limbing to do? How much cutting will he do at one time? Just a pick up truck load every weekend?
Another thing that I've seen is that in addition to the weight of the saw, the weight of the blocks being cut is another factor that comes into play. Many guys aren't interested in cutting blocks of oak that require two guys to pick up, so they don't need a saw big enough to cut them. For hardwoods averaging 12", a good 50cc saw will do just fine. You don't get tired running the saw or tossing the wood into the back of the truck.
You guys would be amazed at how much wood some of these people cut with saws that on this site would be considered inadequate.
Stihl here
ArboristSite Operative
I'm probably going to bounce around here to the point that I'll seem to be disagreeing with myself but why not join the discussion anyway?
The extra $100 to $200 that someone might spend to get a better saw than he was planning on, is really insignificant when you consider how much money will be saved in just a few years of burning wood. Heck, I save $3000 a year myself @ current oil prices. However a lot of people come in my store with a price point in their mind that they really don't want to exceed. They have settled on say, $300 and you can suggest something nicer, but you have to be careful not to offend them by giving the impression that you are just trying to get more money out of them.
But I think where members most often miss the mark with this "firewood saw" advice is more along the lines of power and size than price. Let's admit it, we're all addicted to power! But our fondness for power and speed isn't really in sync with the average saw customer. In addition to price, one of the most important factors for many people is weight. They pick up a 372 and to them it's a big heavy saw. They pick up a 350 or 346XP, and it feels like a tool that they want to work with. They know that it is obviously going to be slower than the 372, but they aren't in a hurry, and it will likely be as quick or quicker than whatever they have been using.
You also have to take into account the size and age of the customer. Big guys are obviously more likely to want a bigger saw. With older guys, it's all about weight.
I also think that the number of cords a guy burns each year really only tells part of the story about his saw needs. Other questions that need to be asked are how big are the majority of logs that he will be cutting? Is he cutting on a log pile? Is he cutting in the woods? Will he have lots of limbing to do? How much cutting will he do at one time? Just a pick up truck load every weekend?
Another thing that I've seen is that in addition to the weight of the saw, the weight of the blocks being cut is another factor that comes into play. Many guys aren't interested in cutting blocks of oak that require two guys to pick up, so they don't need a saw big enough to cut them. For hardwoods averaging 12", a good 50cc saw will do just fine. You don't get tired running the saw or tossing the wood into the back of the truck.
You guys would be amazed at how much wood some of these people cut with saws that on this site would be considered inadequate.
I agree!!!
For many years the only saw I used was a little poulan. We dont have long winters here, and it was the only saw I had. I used it as a fire wood saw, and for small trees. I recently purchased a Husky 350, and while it may not be the biggest, badest, or most powerfull, it was a huge step up for me. I love the saw, and its been great for its intended purpose, a fire wood saw. Wish I had bought it years ago.
gink595
Addicted to ArboristSite
Do you suppose people had "discussions" about the brand of axe and hand saws they used back in the day? I like it
Ray Bennett
ArboristSite Guru
Yep, I had a friend that cut all his fire wood , 5 to 6 cords a year with a wild thing. He loved that saw and would not even look at my 029. After about 6 or 8 years he blew his poulan up running year old mix. He bought 310 and swears he can win the timber sports with that saw.
Poley4
ArboristSite Guru
A 50cc saw makes a good firewood saw if you are not selling firewood for a living, especially when you live in the south as we do. Like your Husky 350, my Shindaiwa 488 can do 90% of what I need to do.
Narwhale
ArboristSite Lurker
Klink....Klink....
(that's the sound of my 2 cents...)
I believe that for the "under 6 cords of wood a year" type of guy whose ego is not wrapped up with how big their saw is, a good 40 to 50 cc saw and a 18" bar will handle almost all of what they need.
My personal choice is the Echo line, based on very good exerience with them. Got an Echo CS4400 that worked hard for 2 years, then ignored for 5 years or so, and she started up and runs pretty darn good.
For poor mechanics, it is a wonderful saw line.
The new models are probably $275 or so, and one can get the cs510 for $370 or so. That is a lot of saw for the money, and believe it puts the borg huskys and stihls to shame.
Rich S.
(that's the sound of my 2 cents...)
I believe that for the "under 6 cords of wood a year" type of guy whose ego is not wrapped up with how big their saw is, a good 40 to 50 cc saw and a 18" bar will handle almost all of what they need.
My personal choice is the Echo line, based on very good exerience with them. Got an Echo CS4400 that worked hard for 2 years, then ignored for 5 years or so, and she started up and runs pretty darn good.
For poor mechanics, it is a wonderful saw line.
The new models are probably $275 or so, and one can get the cs510 for $370 or so. That is a lot of saw for the money, and believe it puts the borg huskys and stihls to shame.
Rich S.
AngelofDarkness
Addicted to ArboristSite
A friend and I cut and split about 20-25 cords a year for personal consumption and to sell to a few folks. We get into a lot of big trees that had grown in towns, stuff nobody else messes with because all they have are 18" bars on 50cc saws. This is part of the reason I bought the 575. We'll cut up 30-40" logs for firewood regularly, break the huge rounds with wedges and cart them over to the splitter lift table. There is so much more wood available in the big rounds it's actually less work when you figure it only takes about 5 big 35" rounds to make a truckload.
Oldsawnut
Addicted to ArboristSite
If all you ever used is a wild thing than its all you ever need.. As soon as you run a decent saw then you will either want one till you get one. Or just get one cause they are so much nicer to run. You can get a good used pro saw in the 70cc range for 250-300 if you keep your eyes open and be set for a very long time if you have any mechanical know how at all.
