New guy with some ??

[sawfun]

Zi

Greetings forum members. I am a long time lurker first time poster. I have decided to pull the trigger on a chainsaw. I am a homeowner and have a few trees to take down and some clearing to do on my property. Nothing that couldint be accomplished with a basic 35cc chainsaw. But my modo is buy right or buy twice. I purchase the best tools I can afford, this strategy has served me well. I often end up on a bigger project down the road and am happy to have the right tool in my arsenal. Now I am in the market for a chainsaw. My search for the best tool for me. Has brought me to the conclusion that I would like to own a Husqvarna 562xp. Yes this is way more saw then I will need for my basic homeowner projects. I figure it would also make a great firewood scavenging saw and that is something I could see myself getting into between fishing/hunting seasons. I like to call those the Tweener months in the Pacific Northwest. Did I mention I live in Portland OR. So any members who might be interested in sharing firewood scavenging spots feel free to contact me. I was looking at some areas around Tillamook Forest. I am familiar with that area as I fish the Wilson R. Often. So in summary I am looking for advice on my purchase of a Husqvarna 562xp. Any tips on dealers and good pricing? I would also appreciate any input on good places to scavenge firewood with a forestry permit or BLM/state permit. I am open to areas as far south as Sisters and as far North as Olympic peninsula.

Thanks to all the contributors of this forum it has been a great resource thus far.

Zigzag, I'm in Portland and the best choice for wood is tree. impairs in the summer. Baring that, private land, then probably the state forest in the winter as the summer national forest land you get permits for is mostly rotted beetle kill fir. Some maple but not much hardwoods that I've found in those approved areas. Plus fire season is a real woodgetting killer.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Casey - Just curious, hopefully don't start a derail here... Why not run anything longer than a 16" on a 362? Reason I ask is my only saw is a 261 and it gobbles up the mostly oak and hickory with an 18" bar no problem. Seems like a 362 ought to handle a 20"+ bar no problem. Based on the way you post most of the time, I expect you to have a good explanation, and possibly a reason why I am wrong.

Personal preference. I had a 261 and was unhappy with it and a 16" bar. I tend to lean on my saws and when I do I don't want the chain stalling in the wood. So I err on the side of keeping the bar length on the low end. My 241 has a 12" bar.


Sent from a field

 

[sunfish]

562xp is a fine saw! I've had one since 2011 and no problems at all. Thee 555 is it's non-xp counter part and basically same saw with a little bit less zip & less money too. Forget the 455. That said, I prefer a strong 50cc saw, 550xp or 545 would do all you want.

 

[cantoo]

Thanks for the replies. It appears there are a few Stihl fans out there. What would be the comparable Stihl 60cc saw to the Husky 562. I also have looked closely at the Husky 455 and they can be found for considerable less online. Howeaver when looking at retail prices I only see about a 200 dollar price difference. I don't believe the 455 uses a Power match style Bar mount. Correct me if I am wrong.

I don't want to start a debate but in the right hands this Stihl is comparable to the 562. My grandson.

 

[MontanaTed]

Run with the 562 you won't regret it. Comfortable saws. Grab a Sugi or Tsumara light weight bars and run it. 20" bar would be a great length for that saw and think you'll find it comfortable. Wouldn't be my choice for a limping saw but all around you be just fine.

I ran a 361 as a one saw plan for quite a while. Basically the same concept.

I now have two Husqvarna saw instead of my preferred Stihl and like them both.

It's a Ford vs Chevy thing. All good saws all have flaws and all have lemons.

 

[Zigzag]

I will be running 20inc bar. I would like to know if the need arises I could put a 24inc bar with Skip tooth chain and run it on bigger wood. Mostly will be cutting Fur, Alder and maybe if I get lucky I will run across some Oak and Madrone.

 

[svk]

I will be running 20inc bar. I would like to know if the need arises I could put a 24inc bar with Skip tooth chain and run it on bigger wood. Mostly will be cutting Fur, Alder and maybe if I get lucky I will run across some Oak and Madrone.

Yes. It will pull full comp 24 just fine in softwood but I'd jump to skip for hardwood.

 

[Deleted member 116684]

I've got a 362 cm with a 20 b/c . Chisel chain. I opened up the muffler some and it's a great saw, pulls a 20" buried in red oak pretty well, though not as nice as a ported saw. I have used a few different saws and I have to say I enjoy this one the most. It just feels good cutting with it. THe main reason I bought it is Stihl dealer is half a mile away but it's good for a one saw plan.

 

[AmateurSawer]

I'm a Stihl guy.I would consider a Jonsered or Husq. if the price and dealer were right.My 362 will pull a 20" bar and has since I bough it.I could get by real well with my 50 cc 026 or 90 plus per cent o my cutting but I wanted a bigger saw in case a big tree came down.The largest tree I can remember cutting was 24 " or more with the 359 Husqvarna I had at the time wearing a 20" bar.It would be a 555 now. My 48 and 50 cc Stihls wear a 20" bar.I cut mostly oak but not with a full bar on them
A sharp chain on a 50cc beats a dull chain on a 60 any day.

 

[MontanaTed]

24" Tsumara on the 562 balances well.

 

[lknchoppers]

Stihl MS261 or Stihl MS262 not sure on the Huskies.

 

[turnkey4099]

Thanks for the replies. It appears there are a few Stihl fans out there. What would be the comparable Stihl 60cc saw to the Husky 562. I also have looked closely at the Husky 455 and they can be found for considerable less online. Howeaver when looking at retail prices I only see about a 200 dollar price difference. I don't believe the 455 uses a Power match style Bar mount. Correct me if I am wrong.

As casey says, the 362. I have the older 361 and it wears bars up to 28". I have cut Black Locust with 24" bars and it does quite well. 28" bar used in softwoods. I added a 441 a few years ago with a 32" bar. Doesn't even slow down in softwood. Dressed with a 20" skip tooth and a bar cover with no chain catcher is is one awesome noodling saw, no chip jamming.

 

[MountainHigh]

The main question I would ask myself is - What size wood will I be cutting and do I care about packing around 2lbs more weight?

562xp is awesome saw but I have to agree with others here, if you're using it all day long and only need to tackle 16" wood or under most of the time, go with a 550xp/545. 50cc saws are lighter and nimble to pack and throw around in the bush. Then there's the 555, which is nice if you want more kick than the 50cc saws, but you still save a bit of weight relative to the 562.

If you will be into any larger wood on a regular basis and don't mind the 2lb increase in weight, the 562 is one of the most potent beasts in stock form.

Not sure your experiece level, but I don't believe I would have been ready to run a 562 as my first saw - yes it is smooth, but nipping down smallish trees takes finesse, some learning and strong hands to keep out of trouble. Planting a 562 in larger diameter logs and bucking them up is probably a little easier for anyone at any level of experience, but you sure don't want this one to get ahead of you. How does the saying go ? ... Cut only as fast as you can think.

Here's a photo taken about 2+ years ago ... saw doesn't look quite so fresh anymore ;-)

 

[Jere39]

Of course you will appreciate buying a great saw for many years to come, so do invest in this tool for the long run. That said, if you believe you will likely be a "one saw" owner for a long time, and using it irregularly for property maintenance, I'd recommend a 50cc saw. They are work horses on home property, make a great single saw firewood horse, are light enough to step around branches while limbing, and can run all day after a big storm. Of course if you are headed into the timber for some commercial firewooding, or log cutting to build your next home, or thinking of selling off a couple acres of standing large trees for milling, well then a 60cc might be better start. Good idea to ask here on the forum, but of course, always take the answers as food for thought. Try to get your hands on a couple saws, maybe head out to a GTG to handle several back-to-back-to-back.

Disclaimer: I bought a great 50cc saw (a Dolmar) and cut firewood with it for several years, sawing every week all winter long. I loved the saw. BUT, I eventually got all the standing dead Red Oak in the 18-24" cut and processed and started into some 24-32" stuff. So, I added a 60cc saw (also a Dolmar) and got an extra 24" bar for the really big (to me) stuff. It wears and balances best with the 20" bar. It only cost me an extra 3 cord of oak to cover the cost. Then I got involved in some trimming at church and ended up spending several Saturday's in a bucket, so I added a 32 cc saw with a 14" bar. The trimming project ended (and the owner of the bucket truck must have realized he probably shouldn't have loaned it to us anyway.) The 32cc saw didn't really fit my needs as well, so I traded up to a 42cc saw with a 16" bar. And, now, I am convinced I have all my cutting requirements covered. What do I know?

 

[Trapper_Pete]

I am running a Jred 2255 also known as a Husky 455 in a red case with a more comfortable handle angle for me.
I also run a Stihl MS260

either are great firewood saws , both of mine have 20 inch bars and my Jred is running woodland pro33RC-72 on my 20 inch bad I also have an some 18 inch bars running woodland pro 33RC-66 because I got a heck of a deal on the bars 3 dollars each and the chain coasts less , I run this when cutting around the farm especially fence lines , one of these days I know I am going to find barbed wire in one of the trees and I would like for it to cost me less when I do , but the 2255 runs both very well.

the MS260 is running woodland pro 23RC-81 if you sink all 20 inches of bar in a log it can slow down a bit just don't push and let the saw do the work and it does just fine.

the Stihl MS260 I made 9 years of cutting before I scored the cylinder , I rebuilt that with an NWP kit and it is running well again. but it is slower than the 2255 in the same log both with a fresh chain.

I was looking at the Jred 2258 I think that is the red counter part to the 555 HUSKY until my dealer had a 2255 he let me try out I decide for the 200 in savings I could easily live with a new 2255 , I have been running the saw since November it has 12 tanks of gas through it now been cutting mostly sugar maple with a little ash and mulberry.
I figure tanks of fuel is about the best way to measure a saws life / use because if I am taking down small trees around the barn and dealing with all the brush I might do 8 trees in 4 hours and run 2 tanks of gas or If I am bucking up 18-24 inch in diameter logs 8 feet long piled up with the skid steer in to 16 inch lengths I might run 20 some minutes on a tank of fuel.
looking at my notes that is 5 half days of cutting I have a pile of logs stacked up in 8 foot lengths that will take a half day or 2 to buck up I figure that is somewhere around 15 cord I only actually need 3 but the farm is starting to sell firewood bundles

if you just have a few trees around the yard and some scrounge firewood you might give serious consideration to the Husky 460 rancher and put the rest that you would spend on a a 562Xp at a wood splitter you just don't sound like your going to be cutting that much wood , if you were even going to be spending 8 hours a month cutting it might be worth it but if your more likely to be cutting 8 hours every few months then you probably don't need that much saw.

 

[Zigzag]

Well I pulled the trigger on a 562xp. At the price Baileys is offering a 2016 model. It just made sense to step up from the 555. I have a few 30inch rounds of an old fur tree in the yard. Awaiting the arrival of my new saw to go through the break in period. From what I understand the auto tune requires some initial tunning. Running the saw into wood for a few cuts. Is there any other things I should consider When setting up this saw for the first run?

 

[Deleted member 116684]

Chaps!

 

[MountainHigh]

Yes chaps ... Eye and Hearing protection .... No Ethanol Gas Mix ....
BC Faller Training

562xp they say to run it full on in wood for a few minutes each time you change elevation and/or when initially using the saw. This enables the carb to adjust itself.

Be safe - Have fun

 

[Zigzag]

Thanks for all the input from the memebers. I put the 562xp on her first mission this week. Seems to be a solid saw. I invested in chain sharpening files and such. Anyway ran her pretty good through some Dug fur rounds. Then fell a alder tree I had in the yard. Followed by a Holly tree. All is well with the 562xp. Really not sure why anyone would own a saw with less then 60cc other then a trimming saw.

 

[Zigzag]

562xp