First Post: shopping for a new saw.

[Stud Duck]

Good morning. I've lurked here for quite some time and finally decided to register as a user.

I'm sure my question has been discussed ad nauseam, but here we go again.

I have a hobby farm/homestead/whatever you want to call it and for the past 20 years, a used Stihl 025 with a 16" bar has done most of what I've faced. There have been a few occassions, when I've borrowed a larger saw to clean-up storm damage/blow-downs.

Yesterday, I quickly cruised my property and determined the biggest blow-downs I'd have to clean-up would be approximately 48" on the stump. I'm shopping for a larger saw to address this situation and to be a companion to an absolutely stellar 025.

My budget is around $1k give or take. I've handled Stihl and Husqvarna, and will stick with a Stihl. I've looked at the new 362, 462 and 661, while looking at used 440, 460 and 660 models. I can currently purchase a very clean 660 with 25" and 32" bars for $900 or a very clean 460 with new 25" bar and chain for $650. Based on the previous information, what saw would you recommend and what bar length?

If you need more information, please ask.

Thoughts?

ETA: Please provide me with any advice or tips when considering used saws. I don't know a whole lot about what I should be looking for.

 

[ericm979]

A 460 will pull a 32" bar of full skip chain. You should do the high output oiler mod for that.
Bars and chains are consumeables and you should have more than one especially for a larger saw. Some guys like to run long bars for everything but I find that a bar that's way too long is more tiring to use than one that's closer to the right length.

A 24" bar is the 460's sweet spot. The 660 is overkill for that. If you were going to run a 32" or larger bar all the time then then 660 would be the ticket. For only periodic use with a long bar the 460 is plenty, and it's cheaper, lighter and easier to start.

I've had to deal with trees up to 4.5' on my land. I use a 460 for the larger trees. Most of the time the 24" bar is enough but sometimes I need the long bar.

A good used saw should have nothing obviously broken and should have a good compression reading. You need a compression gauge with a one way valve in the hose for small engines like saws. You should also inspect the piston through the exhaust port by removing the muffler. Many experienced sellers provide pics of the piston and the compression reading. I bought my 460 used from someone on this site and he did that.

 

[Lightning Performance]

660 will have the longest stroke and the least issues imho.

It will be pulling a 42" on and off the mill with a modded oil pump. You can even buy a new complete R pump if your going to be keeping it for big stumps and you will. Or just run the short bar and move around them. Mod the muffler and get after it. Buy more air filters like foam types and add a V stack.

A solid runner, good compression and actually pull the muffler and look at the piston. Be ready with tools in hand. Cut some with it if they allow that.

A new 42" bar and two loops makes this the 1.15K plan

 

[Lightning Performance]

Give it the "hang test."

 

[Stud Duck]

Give it the "hang test."

I have no clue what you're talking about. Enlighten me.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I have no clue what you're talking about. Enlighten me.

Pickup the tool by the starter cord only. If it stays on the whatever it's cooked or has hung rings, no compression. If it takes three or four seconds for the motor to roll over once your usually good but still look to be sure.

I'm horribly horrible at teaching anything!

 

[Lightning Performance]

Take a friend in the know.

 

[Stud Duck]

Pickup the tool by the starter cord only. If it stays on the whatever it's cooked or has hung rings, no compression. If it takes three or four seconds for the motor to roll over once your usually good but still look to be sure.

I'm horribly horrible at teaching anything!

Not at all, makes perfect sense.

 

[Lightning Performance]

@Stud Duck

Donny Walker has a few very good videos like his 461 carb video and the porting a Stihl 066.

Read between the lines and get all the info you need.

 

[James Sawyer]

As we age sometimes that extra weight make a long day dragging a larger saw around. The 660 is a very good saw if weight isn't a issue and it'll will do more than you want. I have a 460 and run mostly 32" bar full comp. on soft wood ... it runs fine. Hard wood semi or full skip would be the way to go as stated above. I would not buy the 362 its just not enough saw for large wood like you stated. I have 362 as well. You're looking at least $800 or more buying 32" bar and couple chains for the 460 so the $900 on 660 doesn't look as bad. Where as the 460 will do what you want but it'll be working pretty hard on big wood and you're going want let it idle... cool down after those big cuts. In my thoughts the 660 is the saw you need if it clean and in good shape but I would check the saw out like others have stated. If either of those used saws have cylinder/piston or seal issues your not going to be very happy. Just be careful buying a used saw! Here in the PNW a logger saw don't have the time a firewood cutter saw has on it... so thou the saw may look good it might have a lot of time on it. Its always good advice to have someone that knows saws to look at it. Always buy more saw then you need because it always seems like you'll wish you did later. I don't have 660 but wish i did and was just looking at 661! A new 661 aren't cheap but if you need to replace the top end, bearing and seals after a used saw purchase then it doesn't seem as bad.

 

[ericm979]

Keep in mind that you only need a bar that's a little over half the diameter of the largest tree you're going to cut. There are techniques for felling trees with a bar that's even shorter than that but for ease of bucking and a wider range of felling cuts I prefer half the tree diameter plus a couple inches.

A 362 won't pull or oil a 32" bar. 24" is its limit. Stihl's 25" is really 24". They measure funny. The 362 is a great saw for an 18" or 20" bar. It's noticably lighter than the 460 and is much smoother due to the modern spring type A/V.

 

[Stud Duck]

Keep in mind that you only need a bar that's a little over half the diameter of the largest tree you're going to cut. There are techniques for felling trees with a bar that's even shorter than that but for ease of bucking and a wider range of felling cuts I prefer half the tree diameter plus a couple inches.

A 362 won't pull or oil a 32" bar. 24" is its limit. Stihl's 25" is really 24". They measure funny. The 362 is a great saw for an 18" or 20" bar. It's noticably lighter than the 460 and is much smoother due to the modern spring type A/V.

A/V? Anti-vibration I'm assuming.

I'm new and still learning.

 

[cookies]

A ms460 is nothing to be scoffed at, ported they are a down right wood eating mean some a nuh bich. they have a high output bar oiler available to increase the useable bar length . Mine wears a 28" bar and I have no doubts it would pull and oil a 36" bar no problem with the work thats been done to it.
A strong running 660 is a thing of beauty out of the box, it just screams in the cut running bars smaller than 28" It also has a high output oiler available if its planned to run bars over 32" as well. And once ported they can be down right scary to hold and rev up.
I like the 460 because its more user friendly with sub 28" bars being lighter and the fact that there are few trees here over four feet in diameter. If the ms460 is in great shape then send it off to have some magic done to it with a new high output oiler and a set of new oem rings sent in the box with it. For this size of saw It might be worth the money to have a reputable shop check the saw your interested in before committing to buy if your not well versed in what to check or simply nervous. A good seller will have 0 issues meeting you at a reputable small engine repair shop.
The one thing I see not mentioned yet is the starter recoils, aftermarket offerings are trash 90% of the time, they simply do not last. A new oem one can cost you upwards of 200 bucks and on a larger saw you really want the oem quality recoil and a properly functioning decomp valve or your shoulder/wrist and fingers are going to have a really bad day when it fails. Also look for case corrosion, many tree species produce sap that eats the metal cases or if a simpleton stores them incorrectly or sets them on concrete running the bottom gets eaten up.

 

[sand sock]

Good morning. I've lurked here for quite some time and finally decided to register as a user.

I'm sure my question has been discussed ad nauseam, but here we go again.

I have a hobby farm/homestead/whatever you want to call it and for the past 20 years, a used Stihl 025 with a 16" bar has done most of what I've faced. There have been a few occassions, when I've borrowed a larger saw to clean-up storm damage/blow-downs.

Yesterday, I quickly cruised my property and determined the biggest blow-downs I'd have to clean-up would be approximately 48" on the stump. I'm shopping for a larger saw to address this situation and to be a companion to an absolutely stellar 025.

My budget is around $1k give or take. I've handled Stihl and Husqvarna, and will stick with a Stihl. I've looked at the new 362, 462 and 661, while looking at used 440, 460 and 660 models. I can currently purchase a very clean 660 with 25" and 32" bars for $900 or a very clean 460 with new 25" bar and chain for $650. Based on the previous information, what saw would you recommend and what bar length?

If you need more information, please ask.

Thoughts?

ETA: Please provide me with any advice or tips when considering used saws. I don't know a whole lot about what I should be looking for.

You need a 50-60 cc saw, 20 to 24 inch bar. I think 20 is enough for most. Out of position cutting. I can handle about 13 pounds.

If your trying to prune trees, over your head or shoulder high. Watch out for kick backs. That might be the only time I would recommend a safety chain . 361 is a good saw. The 290 is just ok. The husky 460 has impressed me . Looking at the 562. I don't think you need to go bigger than that

 

[fields_mj]

I'd consider a slightly different rout. Once you start running a pro grade saw that's 60cc or bigger, the only reason you'll pick up your 025 is if/when the weight of your "new" saw motivates you to use something lighter.

So first, consider how many trees you would have to deal with that are over 30". If you are having to deal with trees that size every year, or every other year, stick with your current plan, and I'd go with the 460 even though I've never ran one. If needed, it's easy to have that saw upgraded slightly so it can run a slightly longer bar in slightly bigger wood. If this is the route you choose, I'd get at least 3 bars for it with the shortest being a 24"/25", and then 2 different sizes in the 28" to 36" range. 36" is long, but with a high output oiler and full skip chain, the saw will pull it for the occasional 4' tree. Yes 32" will get it from both sides, and will cut faster and be lighter, but with the few big trees that I've had to deal with I have found that I prefer to make as much of the cut in one pass as I possibly can. If you can pick up a 362 with a 25" bar and handle it compared to the 460 with the same, that would also be useful. If you can't tell hardly any difference in the weight, go with the 460.

On the other hand, if you find yourself frequently dealing with trees that are well over 24" at the stump, and/or the 460 feels a lot heavier to you than a 362, then strongly consider a 3 saw plan using your 025 to fill the small saw spot and focusing your efforts and money on the middle saw. I'd go looking for a good used 036, MS360 or MS361 and set it up with an 18" or 20" bar. Yes it will pull a 24", but when the bar is mostly buried, they cut a lot better with slightly shorter bars. For the big saw, I'd recommend a Chinese 660 clone. I have one, and to be clear, I would never recommend it as a primary saw for felling or bucking mainly because its so darn heavy compared to the originals. There are a handful of easily replaceable components that need to be replaced on them right out of the box. By the time its all said and done, you have a 92cc saw powerhead ready to go for around $300. Just need to add the bar and chain of your preference. The start good, they run good, they are easy to service, and parts are readily available both aftermarket and OEM. Don't get me wrong, these saws are NOT as good as the Stihl or Husky 90cc saws. I just can't recommend spending $1000 on something that's only going to get used every few years when I can get what I need for less than half the price. Spend the bulk of your budget on a saw that will do the bulk of your work in the best fashion possible (quickly and comfortable for your to run), and spend the rest on a tool that will handle the remaining work content when needed.

 

[JTM]

Are any of those big logs salvageable? If you know or can find a logger you might come out with a little money and have those big trunks removed.

 

[Mafun464]

So i own ms 660 and 046 magnum. Id recommended the 460 they will run 32 inch bar just fine. Good weight and balance. To me perfect saw for mostly everything i do.