Help with the decision between the 390xp and 395xp

[FATGUY]

I worked for a "Farmboss" one time.......that bastard.

I bet he called you names and stuff....

 

[Mastermind]

All joking aside, I always thought the 660 fell in between the two. Little more torque than the 390, little less than the 395. Feels a little heavier than the 390, but a little lighter than the 395. I just posted a smartass comment because I was amused by how the entire Stihl line was dismissed because the OP ran his friends Stihl once. That being said, it's his money, he can buy whatever he likes.

Lets not set the joking aside that easily........I was just getting started. :msp_biggrin:

Four Nuns die in a plane crash. Upon arrival at the Holy Gates, St. Peter meets them and says that they have to answer one question that will be verified in the Book Of Life before they can enter into the Heavenly kingdom.
The question is "Have you ever touched a man's Private?"

The first nun steps up and says no, but I've seen one in a book.
St. Peter says hold on one moment while I verify your answer...
He returns and says You are correct on Dec. 17, 1964, you saw a man's private in the worldbook encyclopedia, so go wash your face in the holy water and enter the gates of heaven!

The second nun steps up and the same question is asked to her....
she replies I once touched one with my finger.
St. peter goes away for a moment and comes back and states that she has not lied, and that in fact that on Sept. 11, 2001 she had a momentary weakness and did indeed touch a man's private with one finger.
He tells her to go and wash her hand in the holy water and enter into the gates of heaven!

Now the third and fourth nuns start yelling at each other and soon end up rolling around in a dog eat dog fight...
saint Peter says "ladies, we can't be fighting like this if you are going to enter into the gates of heaven, so what is the problem? "

The fourth nun states " I am going to wash my mouth out with that Holy water before she puts her booty in it !!!

 

[Stihl 041S]

I bet he called you names and stuff....

That reminds me of the Hanson Brothers in "Slapshot" when they are getting psyched before going on the ice;

"CALLED US NAMES!!!!!!"

Now back to more serious stuff.....

 

[FATGUY]

That reminds me of the Hanson Brothers in "Slapshot" when they are getting psyched before going on the ice;

"CALLED US NAMES!!!!!!"

Now back to more serious stuff.....

"...puttin' on the foil coach"

 

[Stihl 041S]

"...puttin' on the foil coach"

Don't get me no rutbeer!!

And the lesbian, Malinda Dillion is the mother in "The Christmas Story"!!!

Ah. Small world.....

 

[Mastermind]

I bet he called you names and stuff....

Made fun of muh legs.

 

[FATGUY]

Don't get me no rutbeer!!

And the lesbian, Malinda Dillion is the mother in "The Christmas Story"!!!

Ah. Small world.....

man I love that movie.....

 

[tlandrum]

i like apple pie and french vanilla ice cream:wink2:

 

[Mastermind]

i like apple pie and french vanilla ice cream:wink2:

And stuff. :msp_biggrin:

 

[Stihl 041S]

man i love that movie.....

wky gtg......

 

[FATGUY]

And stuff. :msp_biggrin:

I don't know Randy, I think pie and ice cream don't need anything else. We'll have to wait for Steve to comment on the subject though...

 

[flushcut]

Here's a bone to chew on: 372xp, muff moded, skip tooth full chizzy, with rackers set at .020, sporting a 28". A very fine combo for working big hardwood.

 

[Andyshine77]

Sooooooooooo how y'all doing tonight?? :nosebleed:

 

[FATGUY]

Sooooooooooo how y'all doing tonight?? :nosebleed:

you should make that your avatar.

 

[jropo]

Sooooooooooo how y'all doing tonight?? :nosebleed:

great

View attachment 253950

 

[Andyshine77]

Well here goes nothing. First off I will explain my situation and that may or may not help answer my questions. I cut approximately 150 facecords a year, with 80% being white ash and 20% red oak. OCCASIONALLY I get into a patch with some that are 4-5' in diameter, which, right now I have about 30 of them, MOST of the time im into 12"-30" trees. I would like a saw that will at least handle comfortably a 36" bar for the larger situations. That being said, here are some of my questions. What would everybody recommend, being as this will not be an EVERY DAY 10 hr a day saw and only be used on the larger trees? What is the biggest differences and or advantages or disadvantages of the inboard clutch on the 390 and the outboard clutch on the 395? As far as power does the 390 have enough balls to pull a 36? Is the less than 2lbs more for the 395 REALLY that big of a deal? I have called Madsens and talkes to a salesman and he told me a lot of guys are going 390 and getting them ported which he claimed was a 10-15% power increase. The prices were $925 for the 390 w a 36" bar and $1099 with the port job, the 395 w the 36" bar with no port job $1029. Does this porting take longevity of life away from the saw? Would it be better to just go with the saw that has more displacement from the factory and just deal with the little bit more weight and the chain tensioner thats not side mounted? Any knowledgeable answers would really be appreciated, I am not looking for answers like "Dont go with either get the Stihl 660 or 880" these answers are not relevant as Ive cut with a friends stihl and besides them a LOT and was NOT impressed. IT WILL BE a cold day in he11 when I purchase a Stihl product.

Back on topic.

From my experience it really comes down to one question. How often do you really plan on running a 36" bar? if only 5% to 10% of the time the 390 is definitely the saw you want. The 390 is simply a more modern saw, that's easier to live with on a day to day basis. Personally I'd run a 28" or 32" reduced weight bar on a 390 100% of the time. I feel that both setups can cut down, and buck up the vast majority of trees in the U.S. Be careful not to fall into the AS big saw syndrome. Big saw are what they are. Big, heavy, awkward and not needed nearly as much as some here make it sound. Honestly you cloud likely get away with a 70cc saw with a 24" bar. Your body would thank you later. The most important thing that can make up for power is a properly sharpened chain. I've seen guys running 660's with dull chains and I'm pretty sure I could out run them with a sharp chain on a Poulan Wild thing.

 

[Andyshine77]

you should make that your avatar.

Do I have to come over there and make Bella kick your a$$???

 

[SawTroll]

Never buy a saw based on what you think it will do after being ported. Buy a saw that can do the work you need it to do as a stock saw. The porting is just a bonus.

A lot of guys on this site rate saws based purely on power output alone, but there's more variables to the equation. How much heat can a saw dissipate in a day?
The 395 can take and absorb and deal with much more heat than the 390. The 395 can also take much more abuse. It has a heavier crank, piston, cylinder, clutch, and a bigger muffler.

It also has an outboard clutch, that some believe is inconvenint - but actually is an advantage! :msp_biggrin:

 

[Joe Kidd]

I bought my 395(28") when I had a stump grinding business several years ago to cut off stumps to a manageable level. It was more saw than i really needed, but it sure got the job done. It is heavy like a cinder block with a handle. If I was you buying today I'd probably go with a 372 or 576 with a 24" b&c. It's fun running it the few times I get to use it though. I try to stay away from any wood larger than 36", I'm not as young as I used to be! :msp_sad:

 

[Mastermind]

Andre makes a great point. I bucked up a 40" stem a couple of weeks ago with a 28" full comp on a stock 6401. No problem at all.

Now........back to pie.