Help a rookie decide on a saw

[danrclem]

I was in the same boat as you a couple months ago. I cut firewood for myself. I wound up buying a 359 because I thought the price vs quality was a good deal. It feels a tad on the heavy side for me but my last saw was a lot lighter. I'm saving my other saw for limbing and using this one for the big cuts so the extra weight shouldn't bother me. Considering that I can cut a lot quicker it should actually make it easier on me. I've only cut down one small tree (8" or 9") with it so I can't tell you 100% for sure about the performance but it seemed to cut real well. I have about a 20" oak lined up so I'll know more about it in a week or two. I don't believe I would go with a more expensive saw and the 353 would be the least I would go with. I don't have experience with the other saws but I'm just using my 359 for a guidline. This site is what lead me to buy the 359. Good luck with your decision.

Danny

 

[sawinredneck]

Here again I will eplore the virtues of the 350....... Light, cheap, easy to get parts, Lowes Atwoods etc, and I have fallen and bucked many 24" white oaks with one with the 18" bar. I will talk you out of the 346, but not the 353 or 359. BUT!!!!!! i can easily run my 350 4-6 hours a day, I cannot do the the same with my ms390 or 262xp (someone please help with the new equivalent, thank you) they are just TO STINKEN HEAVY!!!!! I am a big guy, 6' 250 but 3-4 hours with either of the bigger saws and I am ready to grab my ms192t!!!!!! Just more to think about.
Andy

 

[1CallLandscape]

Personally im a Stihl guy but dont have anything against huskys.... If you want a good firewood saw go with the 026 or the 036 for bigger stuff. the 026 is a very toughf and versitle machine. I have 2 and use them daily in my tree business. i can fell 30"+ trees with that saw, its a stretch but it'll do em. the 026 is the perfect firewood saw with the 16" bar. duribility is the best point of these saws. my oldest 026 is 10 years old and still is all OEM.
new thelyy run you 380-450$ where i am. another good tip is whatever saw that you choose i encourage you to buy from a dealer and not a hardware store. your dealer will be better equiped to serve you and can get parts alot easyier and cheaper for you.
You shouldnt overlook Echo either they make some great firewood saws that are perfect for your application.

-mike

 

[Dan R Porter]

Thanks 1call

Yes never overlook an ECHO. Good saw for the price, starts on the first pull (Enough said there,) and great saw. HD has Echos, get one you will NOT be sorry. Nice to see another missourian.

 

[1CallLandscape]

Yes, Echo is definately a great saw my 302 echo- kioritz has gotta be 25+ years old , all metal, LOUD, Powerful and everybodys favorite ; no safety features!!!. i guess the point is they are an awsome and durable saw. this saw has been dropped outta trees ( by mistake) and survived.

-mike

 

[TwoTurboVolvos]

Do a thread search here on "Makita"...My 6401 with a 24" bar is a screamin' saw...and as other's have mentioned, for the price, it's very hard to beat the performance.
Ron
Here's mine!

 

[coveredinsap]

There is no 'perfect' saw for the tasks that you are looking for. It sounds like you actually need two saws....a midrange saw for the occasional bigger stuff and a lightweight saw for the everyday small stuff.
The compromise...and it would only be a compromise...would be something in the 40cc-45cc class.

 

[spacemule]

Do a thread search here on "Makita"...My 6401 with a 24" bar is a screamin' saw...and as other's have mentioned, for the price, it's very hard to beat the performance.
Ron
Here's mine!

That saw looks green!!

 

[stihlatit]

That saw looks green!!

Yep but grey side up. LOL.

 

[PineRidgeAcres]

Hmmm, maybe one of these 6401's, then an el'cheap-o for the light stuff?

I did just come back from a Home Depot. I asked the people about any rental chainsaws they might have for sale, and they looked at me like I was from a different planet.

The girl asked me if I was thinking of "open box" items, and I said no and explained it again. She said no, HD didnt do such a thing.

Anyways-- One chainsaw handle 95% light work but heavy work if need be, or are we going with a Two chainsaw theory now? Id rather have just one to tote around, but you guys are the pros :greenchainsaw:

 

[geofore]

saw choice

346XP and use the 14" bar for the light stuff. When you get into bigger stuff change the bar to 16" or 18" bar and buy a 20" bar for bigger stuff. If you run into trees bigger than 3' diameter then it's time to get a bigger saw. It's not that you need more saws. A good selection of bars will do. The 346XP will last you for years if properly maintained. When you go past 3' diameter you'll be back here asking about the next saw you should buy and your choices will be Stihl 440, Husky 395 and Dolmar 7900 with 20", 24" 28", 32" or 36" bars. Then we'll talk you into getting them ported or modded for high preformance.
for what you're doing a 353 would do but a 346XP would do it faster. How long the saw will last will come down to how well you maintain it. You need to learn to hand file you own chains. One thing that kills a saw is running a dull chain or worse yet loaning it out to a friend. Keep your chain sharp and never loan out your saw.

 

[computeruser]

Anyways-- One chainsaw handle 95% light work but heavy work if need be, or are we going with a Two chainsaw theory now? Id rather have just one to tote around, but you guys are the pros :greenchainsaw:

In the end, you're the guy who is going to be using the thing(s) and the decision should be yours. You could easily do a single do-it-all saw (350, 353, 357, 359), or could do a two- or three-saw setup. It's up to you - there is no "right" answer that the "pros" have seceret knowledge about.

Here's my take: If I were you, knowing what I know now, I would start with a good quality, lightweight 50cc saw, like the 350 or 353.

Why?

Because I think that everybody who regularly uses a chainsaw for more than just trimming up around the suburban house will end up wanting three saws - a small "tidy up" saw (small Echo, Stihl 180, etc.); a lightweight 50cc all-around saw for limbing, medium-sized firewood, and taking down moderate-sized trees; and a big saw (70+cc) capable of running a larger bar in bigger wood and for flush-cutting stumps. I would start with the 50cc saw because it is the most versatile of the three and then add the others as funds allow and necessity dictates.

In the 3-saw scenario, there really isn't any need for a 60cc saw. However, for a committed one-saw guy, a 60cc saw is probably the ideal machine to purchase.

In the end, I stand by my earlier suggestion of going with a 353. Pick up a 16" bar for everyday use, and possibly a 20" for the rare instance where you need more length. If you find that you're using the 20" setup a lot because you actually need the length, then it might be time to get a big saw, too. If you don't find that you need the 20" setup very often, then you will have saved yourself money AND weight that you didn't need to have spent on a 60cc saw like the 359.

Either way, go buy something and start cutting!!!

 

[rbtree]

353 all the way, inexpensive, pro build quality, pleny of power, especially if you port the muffler....

There are no 40-45 cc saws that have any real power....sorry sap.

Or, if you dare get a used saw, and one with hard to find parts, I have a 3 cube Solo 651 SP with full woods mods that will cut with a 359 Husky or 360 Stihl...it is real low hours and I'd sell it for a reasonable price.

 

[Andy1234]

Unfortunately, some HD's are better then others....

Usually, they'll have to call the manager and you'll have to explain that you want to buy a rental item that has passed the 200% mark. Even then, they may not know what to do. The HD on Hanley & 40 had a couple left last month...

If you are interested, I can check the one in South County (S. Lindbergh and 255) and see if they still have one..I drive by it a couple of times a week.


Andy

 

[pinus]

For a fallen tree, a small saw will cut OK, just slowly. If you are felling medium to large trees you need a fast enough saw to do it safely, but that doesn't sound like what you are doing.

If to do things right there is no such "rule".
IMO, 50cc with 18" for non pro user can do reasonably well practically any job up to occasional cutting of 60-80cm wood. Only the cutting time in large wood is somewhat longer than it is with "big" saw. If the work is bucking of large hardwood to the firewood then 70-80cc is saving a lot of time.

 

[SawTroll]

OK, so what about stepping up a few notches, like the 346, 359, or 357. ...

If you are "stepping up", I suggest that you skip all those, and go streight for the MS361. It is lighter and more powerful than both the 359 and the 357xp. :rockn: :rockn:

 

[PineRidgeAcres]

If you are "stepping up", I suggest that you skip all those, and go streight for the MS361. :rockn: :rockn:

Oh, geez. Another saw to add to my confusion?

:bang:

 

[SawTroll]

...... or just get the 353, and add a bigger saw later if you find out that you really need it.

"Everyone" should have a 3 cube saw anyway, as they cover a lot of uses.:deadhorse:

 

[coveredinsap]

There are no 40-45 cc saws that have any real power....sorry sap.

Wrong again. You really should just give it up. The Husky 346xp is a 45cc 'pro' saw. The Echo CS-440 is a 45cc 'pro' saw. A less expensive choice would be the Husky 142, a 40cc saw. All of them are decent, light 40cc - 45cc saws...and if you have a saw in that cc range, you'll find that you reach for it a lot more than the big shelf queens....er, 'kings'.

 

[Paul61]

Wrong again. You really should just give it up. The Husky 346xp is a 45cc 'pro' saw. The Echo CS-440 is a 45cc 'pro' saw. A less expensive choice would be the Husky 142, a 40cc saw. All of them are decent, light 40cc - 45cc saws...and if you have a saw in that cc range, you'll find that you reach for it a lot more than the big shelf queens....er, 'kings'.

Pineridge,

Pay no attention to this girl, her experience comes from cutting the likes of toy Tomahawk handles, or Google searches, and you can't tell from her avartar & signature that she's brand biased in any way
You'll also notice that she only shows up early mornings cause she thinks no one is here to dispute her posts