new guy with saw fever, what to buy?

[tfrugal]

hello all, been lurking for a bit. tired of the wildthings and poulan stuff, and want to upgrade. my problem is i get lost looking at all the options....and the money is just burning a hole in my pocket.

i am 50, and am somewhere between heating the house or just supplementing the heat with a wood stove. grew up with wood heat, so many hours at it, but most was as the labor, not the saw guy. probably more of a weekend warrior, but understand value to be price and quality. most of my wood is stuff like tops left after logging, fencerow stuff, usually dropped or pushed over. mostly ash, cherry mullberry hackberry, i do end up losing some opportunities with larger trunks though.
really tired of pulling the rope until i want to toss the cheapy saw (a p pro refurbish that sure seemed like a deal at the time) and murder it with the ax. brother has went stihl, loves them. sort of leaning that way. mechanical ability is good enough to engine swap a car, but two strokes dont respond to my fumblings.

my options?
new/used. one saw or two? dealer critical or mail order?
do i go with a smaller saw, enjoy the lighter workload, and also pick up a larger saw for the bigger stuff?
do i try for a middle saw and make it work harder if i get bigger sized opportunities or some hardwood?

i can buy a new ms250 with an 18 inch bar for 300 bucks from the dealer.
huskys at the rural king look like an option too.

used,
i see some interesting saws in the tradin post. my problem there is i keep looking at bigger saws. not afraid of an older model, if it was dependable.
there was a makita or two that look cool as flak. between reading the dolmar stuff and seeing the makita colors, makes me want to jump. some of the huskies too.

looking at clist and ebay, close enough to go run the saw before i buy it has a few options.
stihl 017 an hour away, guy wants 130 obo.
ms251 cb-e for 200 that looks clean, and has 10 tanks of fuel ran thru.
husky 450 looks like a demo at a hardware store, has a day left and is at 175.

i see a lot of 025, 029 saws on cl, 250 seems the going price around here. i have no real clue what the diffs are, other than what i read on here.

any advice?? thanks in advance.

 

[tfrugal]

by the way, any time i have typed in a question for a net search, this site always comes up as most detailed. y'all do quality work here!!

 

[Four Paws]

Most power/dollar = Dolmar 6400 or Echo CS-590

If you want a lighter machine, consider a Husqvarna 562xp. They come at a premium price. Or a Dolmar 6100, they are more affordable and a bit heavier.

You can't go wrong with any new pro saw on the market.

 

[rburg]

For the tops a good 50 Cc saw would work well. For larger wood you would probably want a 70-80cc saw.

 

[J. Talley]

What size wood on average?

 

[tfrugal]

size?
anything from about wrist size to 18 inches?
trouble is the work in smalls gets me less btu than bigger. i can and do mess with what many dont think is worth the effort, but hey, btu is btu. thats why i was thinking two saws, maybe a 14 and a 20? with the 14 doing three quarters of my cutting. it SUCKS leaving bigger stuff where the real wood is.

i get a lot of stuff the asplundh type guys leave beside roadways too.

 

[Big Block]

This is just my opinion.....2 saw option would be a 50 cc 16-20 inch (20 for reach) & a 70 cc 24 inch. 1 saw 60 cc 20 inch. If your mechanically inclined the Echo cs-590 is the best bang for the buck out there. Just look you will see I don't have to defend it. Also the echo cs 600p and cs 620p and pw Husky 555 562XP 262xp dolmar 6100 6400 the makita versions stihl 3 60 361 362 all good options too.

 

[MillerModSaws]

If 20" is your big bar ya want I would look into a 421 dolmar as your small saw and a 6100 dolmar as your big saw.

 

[Chris_In_VT]

555 husky or 2258 jonsered with a 20" bar. All you'll ever need for firewood.

 

[longbowch]

You could get the new 250 from the dealer now and maybe a bigger saw later. Go with the best dealer not the farm store.

 

[tfrugal]

This is just my opinion.....2 saw option would be a 50 cc 16-20 inch (20 for reach) & a 70 cc 24 inch. 1 saw 60 cc 20 inch. If your mechanically inclined the Echo cs-590 is the best bang for the buck out there. Just look you will see I don't have to defend it. Also the echo cs 600p and cs 620p and pw Husky 555 562XP 262xp dolmar 6100 6400 the makita versions stihl 3 60 361 362 all good options too.

i was reading up on that echo, and the 6400/6100. i have an echo dealer in the little town i live in, reading up on that 590... very enticing. those dolmars are too, 6400 looks like its a monster.

 

[7sleeper]

Personally I see the BEST BUY out there in the 40cc class the Dolmar 421. Pro built for around 300$ you get a really good brand new saw easily up to the task you have at hand! Tree's up to 20inch should not be any problem. Max bar length shound not exceed 16 inch.

in the 50cc class the poulan pro 5020. For around 200$ you get a really solid brand new saw easily up to the task you have at hand!
Tree's up to 24inch should not be any problem. Max bar length shound not exceed 20inch.

in the 60cc class the Echo 590. For around 400$ you get a really good brand new saw easily up to the task and any future tasks you have at hand! Tree's up to 30inch should not be any problem. Max bar length shound not exceed 24inch.

For your need's I would NOT get a larger saw! Learn how to sharpen your chain and have your carb tuned correctly, MUCH more important in my eyes than 10cc more!

And as other's have already mentioned, I also see the 40 & 60cc combo as ideal for the homeowner/firewooder type guy.

7

 

[Shagbark]

Good advice from the posters in this thread. If I had to have only 1 do all saw it would be 60cc ish and a "Pro" model or the equivalent. Weight would be a big factor in my decision. It would wear a 20" bar and always have razor sharp chain on it. I would also buy used in excellent condition from a reputable seller in the equipment exchange here.

 

[J. Talley]

I'll second what shagbark said. Hit the classifieds here up, and get a used pro saw.

 

[CoreyB]

I cut my fair share of firewood. And I have the Dolmar 6100 and a small saw. If I had to replace my saws tomorrow I would buy a Dolmar 6100 and a 421. If I could only afford to get one saw it would probably be a 421 or echo 590.

 

[beentown]

Husqvarna 555 is what I went with. Pro built, plenty of power for a 20" bar and it is relatively inexpensive for a "Pro" saw. I also have other saws but I dont see them getting used much anymore.

 

[SCHallenger]

Lots of great advice & recommendations have been posted. Here is my .02 worth. For me a nice 50cc like a Stihl 261 or Husky 550 will handle an 18in B&C very easily. Either combines great versatility with the least weight. For a little less weight for the majority of your cutting, a 40-43cc saw like the Stihl 241 will cut very fast with a 16in B&C (the Dolmar 421 is also a good choice). I have used both & prefer the 241. If going with the 40-43cc as your most used saw & you want something that will handle a 20-24in B&C, I would highly recommend the Husky 562. It is an amazing saw with, maybe, the best power-weight ratio out there! Let us know what you choose & how you like it (them).

 

[BenK]

555 is what I went with too. Great all arround firewood saw for a 1 saw firewood situation.

 

[tfrugal]

thanks for the advice so far. i am leaning towards going with a 2 saw solution, 40/60 (and then second guess that with a single 50!).
i am pretty sure that 'pro' is in the cards for me, at least for the bigger saw.

prolly need to learn to sharpen too. i admit to being 'mr banana cut' too often.

 

[Homelitexl903]

If I was in your situation and had an echo dealer in town, I would get the echo 590 with 20" bar. That will handle the occasional big stuff and easily handle the small stuff. You get a five year warranty and dont have to spend a fortune. Try it out and see how you like it. Since your cutting occasionally on the weekends weight shouldn't be an issue but if it is then get the dolmar 421 with 16" for small wood. Then you have the perfect combo for around 700 bucks.