flame fighter
ArboristSite Lurker
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?
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?