New saw advice

[weedkilla]

Ok, I know these threads get annoying, but I have searched, I have read, and I have watched too many youtube videos! (Its been too wet to work)

Currently I have a small weed control business, we had to kill a whole heap of olives a while back and had to chip the waste.
Since I bought the chipper we've gotten more and more work with it - and its a good fit for our business. If its too windy to spray we can go cutting and chipping.

A couple of 45cc saws and a Husky 268 (a non xp version, it's Dad's, it stays) served us well enough.
The 268 is no fireball, but it is happy with a 20" bar, and pulls a 24" if needed.

So I added a 562 thanks to reading on here, and I'm damn glad I did. Awesome little thing.

Now we've started getting some storm cleanup work - mostly for council/highways type organisations. Working on the roads, in stormy weather is pretty unpleasant. So its an excuse to add a new saw! Apparently CAD is contagious if you read enough on here.....

Now, I want to run a 28" bar and have a saw that hauls. I'm not planning on using it for long days, so I figure it doesnt HAVE to be the smoothest, or lightest thing in the world.
And I know it wont do anymore than 30 or 40 hours a year, but it'll earn me good money at that.
I have good Stihl and Husky dealers, and employ a mechanic, as well as being happy spinning spanners myself.
I just havent had the chance to run any of these saws, and I'm not likey to.

So, here I am, my choices are -

Stihl 441c/460/461 - maybe too close in size to the 268?

Husky 576AT - maybe too close in size to the 268?

Makita 7910 - I'm a bit afraid of part supply, but the more I read on here the more I think I should investigate the dealers nearby a bit more closely. If I dont like it and sell it I'm going to lose out a lot more than stihl.

Stihl 064 - Appeals greatly if I can find one worth owning/rebuilding. Expensive for its age. And I know it'd end up with a capacity upgrade

Stihl 066/660 - More common than the 064, a bit heavier.

Husky 390 - Seems like the smart choice if I can find one second hand/get one imported for less than $1000 and not have to pay duty/have someone fudge the customs declaration.

I'd want a saw that will do what I want (fairly) stock, in my opinion port work is to make a good thing better - not as a requirement to do the job.

tl:dr - I want a saw that hauls with a 28" bar, full comp chain, in Eucalypt, etc.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

As hard as I've heard that euc is, you're gonna want a 660 to pull a 28 through it.

 

[JakeG]

As hard as I've heard that euc is, you're gonna want a 660 to pull a 28 through it.

Because you won't be running this saw all day, the weight isn't that big of a concern. If you want to stay relatively light and powerful with a 28" b/c in Aussie wood, the 660 or 390 get my vote.

I ran my 394xp with a 28" all week last week. It's noticeably heavier than a 390xp and only a little heavier than a 660 but has more power than both. So don't rule out the 394/395xp's or even the 385xp. They can be had for 400-600USD in good shape and will do great with a 28"er.

If you were cutting soft loblolly pine, I'd consider a 70cc class saw.. But you're not, so stay out of that class. 85-95cc's will make you and the saw both happy

 

[MRCo.]

A 660 certainly will do it...but it's really too much saw for the job. You're going to spend a lot more money on that than you need to, and it weighs substantially more. Now, if we were talking 36", I'd say 660.

I recommend the 7910, very strong performer and easy maintenance wise. They are just built like tanks.

I'd also look at the Jonsered 2172 / Husqvarna 372. Again excellent saws with a 28". I played with the Jred with a 32" and was very impressed by how well it did.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

A 660 certainly will do it...but it's really too much saw for the job. You're going to spend a lot more money on that than you need to, and it weighs substantially more. Now, if we were talking 36", I'd say 660.

I recommend the 7910, very strong performer and easy maintenance wise. They are just built like tanks.

I'd also look at the Jonsered 2172 / Husqvarna 372. Again excellent saws with a 28". I played with the Jred with a 32" and was very impressed by how well it did.

You've got to remember he's down under, lot harder wood than we're used to.

 

[HuskStihl]

The perfect saw for you is currently up for bids on eBay. It's a 394xp ported by Mastermind, who has agreed to give it a once over. I'd buy it, have it shipped to mastermind for a tune, then off to you.

 

[brokenbudget]

stick with the stihl 660 or husky 390. you can never have too much saw. and they will pull a much bigger bar/chain if and when needed. the 7910 is a nice saw, but it's too close the the 288 size and weight to make it a worthy contender. plus, there are stihl and husqvarna dealers everywhere.

 

[JakeG]

The perfect saw for you is currently up for bids on eBay. It's a 394xp ported by Mastermind, who has agreed to give it a once over. I'd buy it, have it shipped to mastermind for a tune, then off to you.

That's a great suggestion.. Especially for a business owner looking for a used saw in another country. Buying a saw built and looked over by an Arboristsite sponsor will give you piece of mind. I bet that's one hell of a saw too!

 

[weedkilla]

Funnily enough, financially they will all work out about the same. New stuff is priced so high that the second hand stuff is still expensive. Which is fine - because I know I can turn it around and not lose too much. Except for the Makita, new they are a lot cheaper here than the stihl/husky saws but worth next to nothing second hand. However it would be the only one I would be buying new from a local dealer and getting a warranty on. Importing new saws from UK and USA is not much dearer than a second hand saw and sensible "freshening up" costs.

The only thing that would be cheaper is importing a 365xt and giving it a 372 conversion. If I wasn't really looking for a saw to get stuff done in a hurry, I'm sure it would be fine. I just think I need, or perhaps want, a bit more.

 

[deepsouth]

I would say the 390, ported is what you want.

I have a ported Jonsered 2095, similar to a 395 husky in a fair few ways, and give it a big hardwood log it chews away on it no worries.

The 70cc saws are just that bit too small if you have a 562xp and smaller already.

 

[nstueve]

Funnily enough, financially they will all work out about the same. New stuff is priced so high that the second hand stuff is still expensive. Which is fine - because I know I can turn it around and not lose too much. Except for the Makita, new they are a lot cheaper here than the stihl/husky saws but worth next to nothing second hand. However it would be the only one I would be buying new from a local dealer and getting a warranty on. Importing new saws from UK and USA is not much dearer than a second hand saw and sensible "freshening up" costs.

The only thing that would be cheaper is importing a 365xt and giving it a 372 conversion. If I wasn't really looking for a saw to get stuff done in a hurry, I'm sure it would be fine. I just think I need, or perhaps want, a bit more.

I'm going to be the unconventional one and tell you to get a Makita! Honestly they don't break down and if they do the internet can get you parts for your mechanic to fix. I have to ask why everyone is suggesting the expensive new 90cc saws when he could get a 7910 cheap second hand????????????? The 7900 and 7910 are one of the nicest wood cutting saws I have used to date. Their smaller counter part the 6400 is a little overweight for the power but we're not talking about them. Sounds to me like you could afford 2x 7910/7900's and always have at least one running. I have buried 32in bars in solid dry oak with no problem. If your not in a big hurry and you want to save yourself some cash I'd recommend looking into the Makita. Also the Makita is the same as the Dolmar 7910 so any mechanical parts can be bought from a Dolmar dealer. The only thing that separates the two is color. Also I have to add that my 7900 with a few little improvements will easily keep up with a stock 660!

I don't know I can see buying from one of the big two but the 7910's are a dang fine running saw and you have the mechanic to fix them, they are cheaper, and they are really reliable!

 

[weedkilla]

That's the experience I was looking for, the 7910 is very appealing. On paper its light enough that I believe I could swing it all day if I had to, I'd be buying new, and locally, husky bars fit (I believe) so there is already a 18", 20" and 24" in the shed.

The lack of resale value is irrelevant if I like it and keep it.

Safe to say, I think my instincts are right. The 268 stays as my 70cc saw - Dad is so attached to the damn thing I could never get rid of it. And honestly it is nice to run, it doesnt seem to be that impressive power wise, but it is torquey. I believe its specs should be about 4.5hp and 13.7lbs, so any of these saws will be a nice increase in power.

The 390/661 are nice but they would trip up on import duties importing a new one and they are that bit heavier. Second hand - well its just about what comes up. They do seem to be the obvious step up in size, an extra 20cc and couple of lbs.

An 064 would make a nice old school hotrod, but I've got to find one that is worth the effort and I struggle to see the value of spending more on one than a new 7910. The appeal of a "rat rod" style 064 calls to me though, and I'd be the only one who ever knew it what it cost me!

I'll make a point of visiting the another local makita dealer tomorrow, first one I tried was pathetic hardware store type.

 

[nstueve]

That's the experience I was looking for, the 7910 is very appealing. On paper its light enough that I believe I could swing it all day if I had to, I'd be buying new, and locally, husky bars fit (I believe) so there is already a 18", 20" and 24" in the shed.

The lack of resale value is irrelevant if I like it and keep it.

Safe to say, I think my instincts are right. The 268 stays as my 70cc saw - Dad is so attached to the damn thing I could never get rid of it. And honestly it is nice to run, it doesnt seem to be that impressive power wise, but it is torquey. I believe its specs should be about 4.5hp and 13.7lbs, so any of these saws will be a nice increase in power.

The 390/661 are nice but they would trip up on import duties importing a new one and they are that bit heavier. Second hand - well its just about what comes up. They do seem to be the obvious step up in size, an extra 20cc and couple of lbs.

An 064 would make a nice old school hotrod, but I've got to find one that is worth the effort and I struggle to see the value of spending more on one than a new 7910. The appeal of a "rat rod" style 064 calls to me though, and I'd be the only one who ever knew it what it cost me!

I'll make a point of visiting the another local makita dealer tomorrow, first one I tried was pathetic hardware store type.

Most of the Makita dealers here in the US are the same way. They have the hardware and power tools but not the chainsaw line up. However they can get you the parts you need also, Dolmar dealers have the saws and can get the parts if you have any near by. And the 390 is 88cc's which only banks 9cc extra. I would post the local prices you are seeing new too so we have a point of reference on price weight and power. I will admit that the 7910 wont cut hardwood as fast but for the admitted 30-40 hrs of run time a year is the extra cost worth the little bit of time you'll save? Keeping your chains sharp will save you more time cutting than having the extra 9-12cc's. just my 2 cents...

That's the other thing... Keep in mind the 7910 is 79cc and the 660 is 91cc which is only 12cc difference (not sure actual cc size of 661 but assume close to 660 91cc?). The 7900 and 7910 are very strong saws stock, and don't need modifications to un-restrict the mufflers or other mods to get them up to respectable power for the weight. You might want to see if there are any 7900's new to be found. They weigh less and don't have muffler and carb junk added (at least that the case here in the USA).

And to answer your question, YES they are husky mount bars. Oregon mount D009. If you already have a 24in I'd jump to a 32in next. they are still a pretty good balance and its probably only a few bucks more than the 28in. I guess I like to have a little bit broader span between bar sizes too.

Don't forget that these saws also have a factory HD air filter kit available too. I'd highly recommend it for hardwoods that tend to let a lot of fine saw dust fly while cutting.

Bailey's - Heavy Duty Air Filter Kit for Dolmar 6400, 7300, 7900 & Makita 6401, 6421, 7301, 7901

 

[weedkilla]

A new 7901 (oops) would run to $1000
New Husky 390 $1300 - $1500 depending on if I got stung for import duty
Stihl 461 or 441c $1300ish
660 around the $1500 mark

2nd hand $800 - $1000.

These are conservative prices. Its $150 - $200 to freight a saw into Aus and I've included that. Then if it goes over $1000 import duty is approximately 15%.

 

[nstueve]

A new 7901 (oops) would run to $1000
New Husky 390 $1300 - $1500 depending on if I got stung for import duty
Stihl 461 or 441c $1300ish
660 around the $1500 mark

2nd hand $800 - $1000.

7901 is the same as 7900 dolmar and a super saw! when I go cutting I throw the 7901 and the 401 in and that's usually it. If i have someone with I might throw the 520i into the truck too. With the extra cash you save I'd throw a HDAF on it and go!

 

[weedkilla]

There isn't really any choice but to import them. My 562 landed for $850, rrp is $1500

 

[weedkilla]

Okay you Makita/dolmar zealots, its available with decompression or without. Is there any reason I want a decompression lever? I cant imagine a reason, I dont have delicate hands.....

 

[HuskStihl]

Okay you Makita/dolmar zealots, its available with decompression or without. Is there any reason I want a decompression lever? I cant imagine a reason, I dont have delicate hands.....

Definitely not a makita zealot, but decomps take a lot of stress of the starting components

 

[bcaarms]

Jonsered 2188

Get it ported.

 

[nstueve]

Definitely not a makita zealot, but decomps take a lot of stress off the starting components

fixed that for you...

Yea, it does take some stress off the recoil components but the only wear and tear you have is rope and starter pawls. I have decomp and use it about 40-50% of the time. It's definitely not needed...

Kinda funny that it comes with or without the decomp valve. I have only seen decomp cylinders, so maybe they just install a plug from factory???

Does decomp cost more?