Ok I just burned the cylinder and rings in my poulan 3750 60cc 22". Parts are going to cost me $100. I want to buy a new saw about the same med size. I am looking at the stihl 310,360,390.leaning toward the 310. Huskys in that size? Poulan 330. One dealer pushing a germany made dolmar? Any help and ideas? Just a homeowner who cuts bigger trees on my land when they fall. I have only bought poulans in the past, due to price being cheaper. Whats a 310 running price?
Need to buy a new chainsaw?
- Thread starter Cut4fun
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
hammerfall
ArboristSite Lurker
you can check for the HUSKY 55rancher
VERY good price for a 55cc Husky!
very good saw also
VERY good price for a 55cc Husky!
very good saw also
TonyM
ArboristSite Guru
Which Dolmar model is the dealer steering you towards? The PS540? I just had a customer who has a Husqvarna 55 buy a PS540 from me. He likes the PS540 better, and it is slightly faster cutting and lighter. The PS6400 is the next jump up. It's a little heavy against the Stihl MS361, but good competition for the MS390. The PS6400 is a better constructed saw than the MS390 (magnesium with left and right crankcase halves), has a little more power, and is just a little heavier, and priced just slightly more. Also, with the PS6400, you can always jump up to a 79cc piston/cylinder at some point in the future, for whatever reason. You can send any Dolmar questions my way.
Elmore
Addicted to ArboristSite
Makita or Dolmar (same saw)
HomeDepot will sell you a similar size Makita(a.k.a. Dolmar) for a reasonable price. They are slightly used but maintained regularly. Available in their rental section. I think they are Makita DCS 6400. A new Makita DCS 540 with an 18" bar is a very good value. List price under $300.00. Just do a simple muffler modification and it will perform. It seems that their stock muffler is a bit too restrictive. Which color do you like? Blue or orange?
HomeDepot will sell you a similar size Makita(a.k.a. Dolmar) for a reasonable price. They are slightly used but maintained regularly. Available in their rental section. I think they are Makita DCS 6400. A new Makita DCS 540 with an 18" bar is a very good value. List price under $300.00. Just do a simple muffler modification and it will perform. It seems that their stock muffler is a bit too restrictive. Which color do you like? Blue or orange?
fishhuntcutwood
Full wraps and long bars!!!!!!!!!
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2005
- Messages
- 3,601
- Reaction score
- 395
First of all, I don't believe the 360 is available anymore. Not to say that a dealer won't still have one on the shelf somewhere, but it's been replaced by the 361, which is a great saw! I love mine. Do a search on here for 361 and pack a lunch. They're everywhere. As for the 310, I had one of those, and was quite happy with it...with the understanding that it has it's limitations. It's meant to be a homeowner's saw-for firewood, clearing here and there, and not for felling larger trees, professional work and so forth. It's a good saw, and the 390 is the same saw, but with a bigger bore, so it may be worth looking at that saw, as they weigh the same, but the 390 has more power. The 310 should run you about $400 give or take, depending on where you buy it at. I think you'd be happy with the 310 or the 390 if you intend to use it like you described. You might want to look at the 361 as well though. It'll cost more, but it's alot more saw, as far as construction and features. Let us know what you choose, and any other questions. That's what this site is for!
Take care all,
Jeff
Take care all,
Jeff
Last edited:
TonyM
ArboristSite Guru
Whoa, I think you mean the 310 and 390 are the same saw with different bores! The 360 is a Pro Saw, being replaced by the 361.
keith c raymond
ArboristSite Operative
Thats how I started out,Just a saw to do work in my yard,than I found this site....
Greg Carberry
ArboristSite Operative
Hello Timbermaster,
I've got a good slightly used saw for sale. Send me an email if your interested.
I've got a good slightly used saw for sale. Send me an email if your interested.
woodsjunkie
Addicted to ArboristSite
If you have a husky dealer close by look at the 359/357...............
firedog
ArboristSite Lurker
I am also a MS361 fan. Just bought mine a week or so ago. Spent all weekend using it and it is a great saw. Running Stihl RS chain on it and it melts right through the stuff I was cutting, alder and Doug Fir.
fishhuntcutwood
Full wraps and long bars!!!!!!!!!
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2005
- Messages
- 3,601
- Reaction score
- 395
TonyM said:
Yeah, that's what I meant. I was typing too fast on my way out the door earlier today. Sorry to throw you for a loop on that one. My mistake.
Jeff
mrniceguy
ArboristSite Lurker
fishhuntcutwood,
What exactly makes the ms361 more of a saw than the ms390? Please bare with me, I'm new at this. The ms390 has 5cc more displacement. They both run at about the same hp. Is the 361 really worth the $150 or more investment?
Thanks in advance! Joe.
What exactly makes the ms361 more of a saw than the ms390? Please bare with me, I'm new at this. The ms390 has 5cc more displacement. They both run at about the same hp. Is the 361 really worth the $150 or more investment?
Thanks in advance! Joe.
tony marks
Addicted to ArboristSite
every saw mentioned will make u happy ,if you get a good one..you could go from 036 even the husk 346xp,al the way to the 372. all these will be better in some area.. but imo good in all.good luck.
fishhuntcutwood
Full wraps and long bars!!!!!!!!!
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2005
- Messages
- 3,601
- Reaction score
- 395
mrniceguy said:
Joe- Nothing to bare with amigo, this site is here for questions like this, and we've all had them, worry not, man.
There's a couple of things that make the 361 a better saw. Lets start with weight. Weight is your enemy, and the 361 weighs almost a pound less. You'll feel the difference at the end of the day. And the 361 puts out a tad more hp with less displacement, what does that tell you? It's a more efficient saw, and does a better job with less displacement. Burns less gas, and so on. Then there's construction. The 290/310/390 are built on a top half/bottom half case construction, while the 361 is built on the same LH/RH half construction that the other pro saws are built on. This is considered to be a superior design. The 361 has a decompression valve. Not as readily evident as on a 460 or 660, but you can tell the difference, and it's better for the saw, putting less stress on the starting assembly. The 361 also has a new anti-vibe system on it, and it's noticable, you'll feel that at the end of the day as well. There's other smaller, less noticeable features you'll find on a pro saw that you won't on a 390-things ranging from filtration to bearings to small stuff like extended chip deflectors. Plus, you can get a full wrap handlebar for the 361, and can't for the 390, and I'm all about the full wrap!
The 361 is a beefier, pro quality saw worth rebuilding when the time comes well down the road, while the $200 required to rebuild a 390 sooner than the 361 anyway would almost warrant buying a whole new saw. I think the 361 is entirely worth the extra $150. And I can put my money where my mouth is, as I owned a 310, sold it, and spent the extra $190 to get the 361. If you're a guy who's gonna cut occasionally and do a chord or two a year, the 290/310/390 will do you fine, but if you're beyond that, or want to buy a saw for life, and never look back with any doubts whatsoever, go with the 361.
Any other questions, ask away Joe. Around here, we love to hear ourselves talk! :angel: And your profile says you're into archery. Do you hunt, shoot competively or both? I'm a Hoyt guy myself who hunts primarily, and competes so I can shoot better when I'm hunting.
Take care all,
Jeff
SawTroll
Information Collector
Very good post, Jeff! 
mrniceguy
ArboristSite Lurker
Jeff(fishhuntcutwood),
Thanks for the info on the 361! You made the comparisons very clear! One other thing if I may. I started a thread on choosing the right lubricants for chainsaws. Synthetic vs. conventional, different brands, yada, yada, yada. There have been so many responses with so many different opinion that my head is going to explode! What do you use in your stihls? Two stoke oil & bar & chain oil? As far as archery goes, I have shot in years. I really want to get back into it. I have never shot compound bows but would like to try it someday. I have a local archery club nearby, but they meet once in a blue moon"? So you like Hoyt?! What is a good starter model for target?
Jeff, thanks again for your support!!
Joe.
Thanks for the info on the 361! You made the comparisons very clear! One other thing if I may. I started a thread on choosing the right lubricants for chainsaws. Synthetic vs. conventional, different brands, yada, yada, yada. There have been so many responses with so many different opinion that my head is going to explode! What do you use in your stihls? Two stoke oil & bar & chain oil? As far as archery goes, I have shot in years. I really want to get back into it. I have never shot compound bows but would like to try it someday. I have a local archery club nearby, but they meet once in a blue moon"? So you like Hoyt?! What is a good starter model for target?
Jeff, thanks again for your support!!
Joe.
fishhuntcutwood
Full wraps and long bars!!!!!!!!!
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2005
- Messages
- 3,601
- Reaction score
- 395
SawTroll- Thank you.
Joe-I gotta admit, I just use the regular Stihl brand stuff. I run a ratio of 40:1, and alot of guys will say that 50:1 is just fine, and I believe that it is, but if 40:1 doesn't foul the saw up, why not run it? Alot of guys will call for 32:1 as well. I think it's good for older saws-many of them call for it, or even lower ratios-and new saws can run it, as long as you aren't fouling plugs, clogging stuff up, smoking like crazy and things of that nature. There's a bunch of guys that do run Mobil and other oils, and they work just fine. I think the general consensus is to stay with a good, name brand that you know is tried and true, find a happy ratio, and go with it. I also use Stihl bar oil. I don't bother with the Bio stuff. I just don't see the significance of pollution from the regular stuff. I use Stihl stuff because I get it at my Stihl dealership,which is closer to me than Wal-Mart. I see alot of pros out here running around with Poulan bar oil they bought at Wal-Mart. It works fine for them.
As far as bows, wow, big question. It depends on how long you like your bow, what kind of shooting you do-fingers or release, how much you're going to shoot it. But just like chainsaws, buy the best you can afford for what you need, plus a little more than what you think you'll need and never look back. PM me if you want to talk more about that.
Take care all,
Jeff
Joe-I gotta admit, I just use the regular Stihl brand stuff. I run a ratio of 40:1, and alot of guys will say that 50:1 is just fine, and I believe that it is, but if 40:1 doesn't foul the saw up, why not run it? Alot of guys will call for 32:1 as well. I think it's good for older saws-many of them call for it, or even lower ratios-and new saws can run it, as long as you aren't fouling plugs, clogging stuff up, smoking like crazy and things of that nature. There's a bunch of guys that do run Mobil and other oils, and they work just fine. I think the general consensus is to stay with a good, name brand that you know is tried and true, find a happy ratio, and go with it. I also use Stihl bar oil. I don't bother with the Bio stuff. I just don't see the significance of pollution from the regular stuff. I use Stihl stuff because I get it at my Stihl dealership,which is closer to me than Wal-Mart. I see alot of pros out here running around with Poulan bar oil they bought at Wal-Mart. It works fine for them.
As far as bows, wow, big question. It depends on how long you like your bow, what kind of shooting you do-fingers or release, how much you're going to shoot it. But just like chainsaws, buy the best you can afford for what you need, plus a little more than what you think you'll need and never look back. PM me if you want to talk more about that.
Take care all,
Jeff
SawTroll
Information Collector
I see no reason to not use the sweet-smelling Aspen 1:50 premix offered by Husky and Jred dealers over here, in my Husky and my Stihl. It cost a bit more than regular fuel, but in addition to the the environmental gain, there is no possibility of forgetting to add the oil...... 
I think Stihl offers something similar, but I haven't tried it.
For use in my old Jred I use the same fuel, but adjust the oil ratio to 1:25. It has been run on pure Aspen for years though, with seemingly no adverse effect - but why take any chances?
Aspen 1:50 premix offered by Husky and Jred dealers over here, in my Husky and my Stihl. It cost a bit more than regular fuel, but in addition to the the environmental gain, there is no possibility of forgetting to add the oil...... I think Stihl offers something similar, but I haven't tried it.For use in my old Jred I use the same fuel, but adjust the oil ratio to 1:25. It has been run on pure Aspen for years though, with seemingly no adverse effect - but why take any chances?
Last edited:
Ok do to the price of these other 60cc saws I checked into. I figured I would try my first rebuild, yes just using it for homeowner purpose I figured it was worth the try. Got the gaskets, ring. Little polishing on the scoring on the cylinder and piston. That was on the exaust side. Two pulls and it runs better than ever. Going to cut some wood in 3 days and see if it all holds together. I ended up doing the total fix for $20 total. With the cost for new saws I figured what the heck, cant hurt it. Also at the dolmar echo dealer in town wanted to charge $200 for parts and labor to fix it right. I'd say I came out good so far. Thanks all for the ideas and help.
Similar threads
