new to forum with a can full of worms

[flame fighter]

I know I'm treading on dangerous territory. I've found a lot of good information on this sight on the past couple of days. Most of my use with a saw involves firefighting. Currently my department has a pair of JRed vent saws and I finally got them to replace 4 of 5 homelites that have been used on the wildland trucks for about 15 years. they were small maybe 30cc range homelites. 4 of them were replaced 2 with Husky 55 ranchers, and 2 with Stihl 250s had to spread business around town as we have both dealers in town. While these saws are a deffinate improvement over what we had I would like to see the last of the homelites replaced with smoething a bit larger say a Husky 365 / Stihl 361 at minimum up to a 372/ 460 at the top end. 2 of us on the department have a class B fallers endorcment on our red cards and would likely be the only ones using the larger saw as much of the department doesn't care to use the other saws. When being used on fires we cut about equal amounts of pine 6 - 24" and cottonwood up to 40" (the last I brought down was a 36" cottonwood ( the 55 rancher was struggling a bit with an 18" bar)). The department is a bit resistant to replacing the last saw a larger homelite but it is getting older. (as a friend of mine said it's like a 16 year old girl (makes a lot of noise but doesn't put out)).

If the Department won't replace the saw I may one myself. I've run primarily husky's 55 Rancher, 61, 365, and 372 the 372 was about as heavy as I would like to go and I was originally set that it would be the saw to go with, but I got to looking at the specs for the stihl 460 it's lighter weight and rated at a higher horse power. So now i'm also considering it as well. Would be using a 24" bar on either and can get either for within $60 of the other. My questions center more around torque output, and vibration to the grips. How do the 372 and 460 compare. the only mechanical issue I see between the two is the Husky has steel springs to dampen vibration as opposed to the stihl having the rubber mounts. Are there any real issues either way?

 

[clearance]

Used lots of 372s, own one. Couple of little problems but a good saw. I ran a Stihl ms361 on friday, didn't like it. The chain tightening set up is bogus. You get the chain were you want it then when you tighten the bar nuts it gets tighter. If the 460 is like that and has the same stupid gas and oil caps, consider the 372. Heard here that the 372 is been discontinued, so maybe you can get one cheap. Get the big dogs, the stock dogs are useless.

 

[tawilson]

According to the Baileys circular I just got, they stocked up on them when they heard they were being discontinued.

 

[ozflea]

Caution there Clearance that will proberly get you hog bound and horse whipped here on this Stihl and Huskie forum.
Better to bite ya tongue and live.

Mc Bob.

http://www.users.bigpond.com/ozflea/saws.html

 

[MasterBlaster]

I thought this was gonna be a thread about fishing...

 

[stihltech]

fishing

Yep, and the tales will just get longer.

Look at a 440 and don't look back.

 

[Dadatwins]

Oh no, not another Stihl vs. Husky thread
Welcome flame fighter, I would suggest the Stihl 440 / 460 with a 24" Rapco chain should be all the saw you will ever need. Good luck.

 

[begleytree]

460 rescue.
Oh, and clearance, the 360, 361 don't impress me either, and I'm all stihl.
-Ralph

 

[Trignog]

We run 372's at work and the customer's neighbor came out with his fire rescue 372. It had a device to set the angle and depth of the bar,like a jig saw or sawsall has, large enclosed handle for heavy gloves, off switch will always spring back to on, and carbide cutters!!!! Could use that on stumps or those ancient yard/street trees full of iron and other goodies,(concrete and brick from the "tree surgeon" days). Why it was at his house and not an a fire truck where it belongs, I don't Know. Oh ya, it was brand new too!

 

[firedog]

We run the Husky/Unifire 372's we don't have the depth gauge on them, run carbide chain, Good saws. Ours must be older modles because they don't spring back to on, we do have the large D handle starter so you can start them with Firefighting gloves on. Still haven't seen the reason they cost $1000 more than a standard 372. I think what Flame Fighter is looking for is more of a falling saw for wildland work than a roof roof saw though.

I just bought a MS361 and I really like it, I think for wildland work the 440 or 460 would be a better option. I really like my 361 but would want the extra horsepower if I was working a fire line. Not that I fight fire with saws and shovel's. Give me a house fire anytime



here is a picture the 372 at work though

372 at work on roof

 

[njforestfire]

I use my 365 with a 24" .375 RC chain....use it on a lot of fires. Includes cutting burning snags (gets hot when the embers hit your chaps), cutting regular snags and just cutting line. Good power to weight ratio and has enough 'umpf' to go thru some pretty big stuff (big red and white oaks). Used an 044 out west 2 years back...it was a good saw but I have a personal preferrence towards the Huskies.

Fire dog - give me a wildfire anytime over a house fire!!! LOL

Flame fighter, welcome to the forum. Where abouts in Wyoming are you from? I was there 2 years ago. Flew into Casper and then bused to a local fire. Was only about 3000 acres. Then they bused us over to S.Dakota to the 'red point' fire which was about 17,000 acres at the time.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Fire dog - give me a wildfire anytime over a house fire!!! LOL

Amen to that! I'm in SAR helicopters in the CG now, but did wildland fire for a couple of years, never got any good fires, but my dad fought them for better part of 15 years, and went out West every year.

As far as saws, got a 361, and I think it's a great saw, with plenty of low end for a 4.5 hp saw. That said, I'd have to second what was said about wanting all the power I could get on a fireline. MS440 or 460. I think the 440 would do you well, and weigh a pound less, which is golden.

Take care all,
Jeff

 

[SawTroll]

Chain tighteners

............I ran a Stihl ms361 on friday, didn't like it. The chain tightening set up is bogus. You get the chain were you want it then when you tighten the bar nuts it gets tighter........

That statement puzzles me a bit, as the tightener on my 361 works great. The tightener on my Husky 353 behaves exactly as you describe though, but it isn't really a problem when you get familiar with it's behavior.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

That statement puzzles me a bit, as the tightener on my 361 works great. The tightener on my Husky 353 behaves exactly as you describe though, but it isn't really a problem when you get familiar with it's behavior.

I'll second that, mine works fine for me as well.

Flame Fighter- your bio says hunter and flyfisher....you sound like an allright guy!

Take care all,
Jeff

 

[SawTroll]

.........Look at a 440 and don't look back.

Here is another recent tread with more fuel to the fire!
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=20367
Why does so many people at this forum state that the Husky 372 should be compared to the 460, and not the 440?

 

[WRW]

Trignog,
Don't believe for a minute that carbide will cut concrete and/or bricks. You'll just wind up with a very expensive ruined chain that, when new, cut the wood a lot slower than a regular chain. Carbide will make it through a few nails but with damage to the cutters that causes further slowing of the cutting and it cannot be sharpened with a regular file (more costly sharpening).

Firedog,
The reason the fire/rescue saws cost so much more is because they have a few more bells and whistles (heat shield that is just a bent piece of aluminum with spacers and screws, D handle off a lawnmower, carbide chain), and the fact that it is being sold to a fire department (ask your purchasing dept. about markup on fire service products).

As to the original question...70+ cc works just fine.

 

[firedog]

WRW, Yeah I know the reasons. It just amazes me that they can mark them up that much. If you go to unifire's website the list price on a chainsaw is around $1500.

 

[WRW]

Whuff!! Must be that air filtration system on them thangs.

By the way, there is a diamond impregnated chain available that will cut concrete and rebar. Talk about sticker shock!!

 

[tony marks]

well im an ole stihl man.. but for the money the 372 is hard to beat.. i have one given to me an reworked by dan henry.. it aint pretty but also i dont intend to sell it,as i dont believe a new stock one, would be close ,performance wise..do buy the 372 while its available..

 

[flame fighter]

should have specified better. Already using Jreds for roof saws. Looking for another wildland felling and bucking saw. NJ I'm in Wheatland the fire you went to when you flew into Casper I'm guessing was the Hensel fire south of Esterbrook at that time I was on one to the south "Notch Peak" doing structure protection. My department catches a bit of everything but our bread and butter is crash rescue. Run about 200-300 calls per year.


someone asked why compare the 372 to the 460 I wuld say power per weight rather than power per cube. I have been seeing on this forum people saying the 460 weighs more than a 372 but if you look in the factory specs it's just the oposite.