Ouch:msp_ohmy:for that price you should get a tree service for a day with it!
The best for firewood
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Ouch:msp_ohmy:for that price you should get a tree service for a day with it!
Hedgerow
HACK
I'd take a wild thang over my super 2 any day... I hate that saw... You wanna trade?
:canny:
redheadwoodshed
Freebird
I had a 660 in mind, myself, but I don't think I want to get rid of my 038mag.The only thing standing between me and an MS 660 is about a thousand bucks, I'll have to wait and see how much I can sell this year.Most of the logs I get are pretty big and come from a sawmill(cull logs) so I don't do much limbing right now.I would like to run a 460 as well for a day and see how it does against the 038mag.One thing I'v noticed about that 038 is it's hard on a gas can,whereas the newer saws don't seem to drink as much.
If you don't mind me asking, exactly how much did that 660 cost, is actual price about the same as what Stihl's web-site list.And if it was cheaper than the website, were did you buy it.The shop here get's whatever the website says.
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pullmore
ArboristSite Lurker
The dealer wanted $1,110 for it with a 25" bar. I told him I did not want the bar. I already have a 24" and 36". I bought the powerhead and he gave me a 24" and 36" Oregon chain all for $1,049 with tax include in that. I bought it in Transylvania LA at the farm supply store. Maybe some time we can get together and I will let you run my 660 and see what you think of it.
Like most have said, there's no one right anwer. On average a 40~50cc saw will do you well. If you cut a lot then you will be better served with 2 or maybe even 3 different saws, again depending on your specific needs. I would recomend that a person starts small, then goes big. Otherwise they end up with an in-between saw that doesn't get used much. By starting small, a person can figure out what size(s) will really be best for them, and then move to that keeping the smaller saw for smaller jobs because there are always smaller jobs to be done. Not every tree is a 60" red oak, but even a 60" red oak has small limbs that need to be taken off. Maybe the small saw is all a particular person really needs, or maybe they need something that will run a 24" bar and run it well. Nobody knows until they get their feet wet and cut for a while.
As far as brands go, Dad and I have always used Stihl saws, and they've never let us down. We've found that they make a solid 15+ year investment. What I mean is even at 15 years old, they are still going strong, AND there are still plenty of parts available for them if something does wear out or get broken. Same for a few of the farmers that we cut on. As far as Stihl saws go, I perfer my 036 for most work, but most of what I cut is between 8" and 20" hard wood. I like my little 024 for limbing, and my 064 is great for bigger trees and noodling. I've spent a lot of time on an 041 as well, and back in the 80s that was one heck of a saw. I like the older Stihl saws because I can pick them up pretty cheap (around $200 or less in good working order), and they still run forever. Dad has an 028 that he bought new in the early 90's and for straight up firewood, it's an excelent saw. He even cut up a 6' maple in his yard that he had taken down a few years ago (before I got the 064). It took him a few Saturdays to get the trunk bucked up, but by noodling off smaller chunks, he got it done. A local farmer that I know has 8 Stihl saws, but does 90% of his cutting with one of the two 026 saws that he has. I'm still working on him to get rid of one of his 034s, I'd love to have a spare...
In short, using older Stihl saws for reference, as a firewood only saw I would want something between an 026 and a 036 depending on what wood is available. The 028 fits that bill extreemly well. It's just a tad big to be a "small" saw, but if you know that you are only going to be cutting a few cords a year, and you're not going to be cutting very much that's over 20" across, then it's a fantastic saw. The 028 has a reputation for being hard to kill, and I've seen them in good shape go for $150. They wear an 18" bar extreemly well. For my specific circumstances, the 028 was a tad on the small side, especially since I already had an 024 that I picked up for the fun of cutting back while I was living in an appartment. The woods that I cut in the most has a lot of old, mature trees, and we don't cut anything unless its dead, going to come down in a field/lane way, or it's a top that the logging company left behind (most of these tops are 18"+ at the base, and some are well over 24"). The 036 worked well for most of it, but I found myself often working on trees that had blown down that were over 24" across, and an 18" bar just wouldn't get a few of them, so I found a good deal on the 064. For what it's worth, I have less than $800 wrapped up in all 3 of my saws total, and I payed twice what the 024 was worth when I bought it. I'm sure the new saws are very nice, but I can do most of my own repairs (with help from some of the guys on here), and now that I have a house payment, a wife (to justify my expenses to) and 2 toddlers running around the house, my tools have to pay for themselves, and it's just plain hard to beat the return on investment that I get out of a $200 036 that will likely last me for longer than I care to think about I've read enough input from folks on the chainsaw forum to know that Stihl, Husky, J-red, Dolmar, Efco (and all the various other namplates that those saws wear) all make very good equipment as well.
Just my 2 bits,
Mark
As far as brands go, Dad and I have always used Stihl saws, and they've never let us down. We've found that they make a solid 15+ year investment. What I mean is even at 15 years old, they are still going strong, AND there are still plenty of parts available for them if something does wear out or get broken. Same for a few of the farmers that we cut on. As far as Stihl saws go, I perfer my 036 for most work, but most of what I cut is between 8" and 20" hard wood. I like my little 024 for limbing, and my 064 is great for bigger trees and noodling. I've spent a lot of time on an 041 as well, and back in the 80s that was one heck of a saw. I like the older Stihl saws because I can pick them up pretty cheap (around $200 or less in good working order), and they still run forever. Dad has an 028 that he bought new in the early 90's and for straight up firewood, it's an excelent saw. He even cut up a 6' maple in his yard that he had taken down a few years ago (before I got the 064). It took him a few Saturdays to get the trunk bucked up, but by noodling off smaller chunks, he got it done. A local farmer that I know has 8 Stihl saws, but does 90% of his cutting with one of the two 026 saws that he has. I'm still working on him to get rid of one of his 034s, I'd love to have a spare...
In short, using older Stihl saws for reference, as a firewood only saw I would want something between an 026 and a 036 depending on what wood is available. The 028 fits that bill extreemly well. It's just a tad big to be a "small" saw, but if you know that you are only going to be cutting a few cords a year, and you're not going to be cutting very much that's over 20" across, then it's a fantastic saw. The 028 has a reputation for being hard to kill, and I've seen them in good shape go for $150. They wear an 18" bar extreemly well. For my specific circumstances, the 028 was a tad on the small side, especially since I already had an 024 that I picked up for the fun of cutting back while I was living in an appartment. The woods that I cut in the most has a lot of old, mature trees, and we don't cut anything unless its dead, going to come down in a field/lane way, or it's a top that the logging company left behind (most of these tops are 18"+ at the base, and some are well over 24"). The 036 worked well for most of it, but I found myself often working on trees that had blown down that were over 24" across, and an 18" bar just wouldn't get a few of them, so I found a good deal on the 064. For what it's worth, I have less than $800 wrapped up in all 3 of my saws total, and I payed twice what the 024 was worth when I bought it. I'm sure the new saws are very nice, but I can do most of my own repairs (with help from some of the guys on here), and now that I have a house payment, a wife (to justify my expenses to) and 2 toddlers running around the house, my tools have to pay for themselves, and it's just plain hard to beat the return on investment that I get out of a $200 036 that will likely last me for longer than I care to think about
I've read enough input from folks on the chainsaw forum to know that Stihl, Husky, J-red, Dolmar, Efco (and all the various other namplates that those saws wear) all make very good equipment as well.Just my 2 bits,
Mark
zogger
Tree Freak
028
I have a well used one that was given to me that I want to rebuild. Basically junk except for the case and p/c. Needs av mounts, proly a carb kit, clutch action, ignition, blah blah. I hope it works as well, whenever I get it done, as your recommendation!
Like most have said, there's no one right anwer. On average a 40~50cc saw will do you well. If you cut a lot then you will be better served with 2 or maybe even 3 different saws, again depending on your specific needs. I would recomend that a person starts small, then goes big. Otherwise they end up with an in-between saw that doesn't get used much. By starting small, a person can figure out what size(s) will really be best for them, and then move to that keeping the smaller saw for smaller jobs because there are always smaller jobs to be done. Not every tree is a 60" red oak, but even a 60" red oak has small limbs that need to be taken off. Maybe the small saw is all a particular person really needs, or maybe they need something that will run a 24" bar and run it well. Nobody knows until they get their feet wet and cut for a while.
As far as brands go, Dad and I have always used Stihl saws, and they've never let us down. We've found that they make a solid 15+ year investment. What I mean is even at 15 years old, they are still going strong, AND there are still plenty of parts available for them if something does wear out or get broken. Same for a few of the farmers that we cut on. As far as Stihl saws go, I perfer my 036 for most work, but most of what I cut is between 8" and 20" hard wood. I like my little 024 for limbing, and my 064 is great for bigger trees and noodling. I've spent a lot of time on an 041 as well, and back in the 80s that was one heck of a saw. I like the older Stihl saws because I can pick them up pretty cheap (around $200 or less in good working order), and they still run forever. Dad has an 028 that he bought new in the early 90's and for straight up firewood, it's an excelent saw. He even cut up a 6' maple in his yard that he had taken down a few years ago (before I got the 064). It took him a few Saturdays to get the trunk bucked up, but by noodling off smaller chunks, he got it done. A local farmer that I know has 8 Stihl saws, but does 90% of his cutting with one of the two 026 saws that he has. I'm still working on him to get rid of one of his 034s, I'd love to have a spare...
In short, using older Stihl saws for reference, as a firewood only saw I would want something between an 026 and a 036 depending on what wood is available. The 028 fits that bill extreemly well. It's just a tad big to be a "small" saw, but if you know that you are only going to be cutting a few cords a year, and you're not going to be cutting very much that's over 20" across, then it's a fantastic saw. The 028 has a reputation for being hard to kill, and I've seen them in good shape go for $150. They wear an 18" bar extreemly well. For my specific circumstances, the 028 was a tad on the small side, especially since I already had an 024 that I picked up for the fun of cutting back while I was living in an appartment. The woods that I cut in the most has a lot of old, mature trees, and we don't cut anything unless its dead, going to come down in a field/lane way, or it's a top that the logging company left behind (most of these tops are 18"+ at the base, and some are well over 24"). The 036 worked well for most of it, but I found myself often working on trees that had blown down that were over 24" across, and an 18" bar just wouldn't get a few of them, so I found a good deal on the 064. For what it's worth, I have less than $800 wrapped up in all 3 of my saws total, and I payed twice what the 024 was worth when I bought it. I'm sure the new saws are very nice, but I can do most of my own repairs (with help from some of the guys on here), and now that I have a house payment, a wife (to justify my expenses to) and 2 toddlers running around the house, my tools have to pay for themselves, and it's just plain hard to beat the return on investment that I get out of a $200 036 that will likely last me for longer than I care to think about
Just my 2 bits,
Mark
I have a well used one that was given to me that I want to rebuild. Basically junk except for the case and p/c. Needs av mounts, proly a carb kit, clutch action, ignition, blah blah. I hope it works as well, whenever I get it done, as your recommendation!
Stihlman441
Addicted to ArboristSite
This may help show the differance between a 261 (muff mod) and a stock 460 (Ozzy model with dual port muff) both with the same Carlton chisel 3/8 chains.Wood is green sugar gum.
[video=youtube;c40EbbuNwlE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c40EbbuNwlE[/video]
[video=youtube;gLsbSOUUuOg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLsbSOUUuOg[/video]
[video=youtube;c40EbbuNwlE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c40EbbuNwlE[/video]
[video=youtube;gLsbSOUUuOg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLsbSOUUuOg[/video]
cmsmoke
ArboristSite Operative
This is a loaded question, CAD must be factored in. That being said, everyone needs at least 2. One saw for limbing and smaller stuff and one monster hammer for large stuff!!:hmm3grin2orange:
If you cut on your own, you need 2 saws because at some point you will pinch the bar and you'll need a second saw to get it free. It can be done with an axe, but it takes MUCH longer.... trust me. Another good reason to start out on a moderatly worn smaller saw
barton174
ArboristSite Guru
I really like a 50-60cc saw around here, for most stuff... I've got an 18" bar with a 3/8" chain on my mufmodded Dolkita 540, an it's really pretty good for most stuff... Big enough that it pulls well through 18" logs, but light enough that it's not a PITA to run all day...
Mike
Mike
Iron Head
ArboristSite Operative
Stihlman, amazingly there is not a huge difference b/w that 261 and the 460.
spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
There's really no such thing as "best". There are so many different sizes/models that work great as the many previous posts illustrate. We do tend to slant towards bigger saws here because most of us are saw geeks to some degree or another. And yeah, the power is great. But unless you are into bigger wood on a regular basis, it's hard to say that a 372 type saw in necessary. The average sized firewood log can be handled by any decent 50cc class saw.
I do agree strongly that it's a good idea to go into the woods with more than one saw. Getting stuck, wrecking the chain, breaking a starter rope, etc is a real pain without a backup saw in the truck.
Another suggestion that might raise some eyebrows is that I'd be careful buying some of the second tier saw brands. Stihl and Husky are solid brands that will obviously be here for the long haul. I don't know that you can have confidence in some of the other brands still being on the market 10 years down the road when you may need parts support. Not knocking the saws themselves, but it's something to think about.
I do agree strongly that it's a good idea to go into the woods with more than one saw. Getting stuck, wrecking the chain, breaking a starter rope, etc is a real pain without a backup saw in the truck.
Another suggestion that might raise some eyebrows is that I'd be careful buying some of the second tier saw brands. Stihl and Husky are solid brands that will obviously be here for the long haul. I don't know that you can have confidence in some of the other brands still being on the market 10 years down the road when you may need parts support. Not knocking the saws themselves, but it's something to think about.
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The best firewood saw is a 50cc & 70cc pro combo. Convince yourself that it's not really two saws, but a tool set. You wouldn't have a tool bag with a Phillips and no flat head screwdriver, would you?
:greenchainsaw:
:greenchainsaw:
Ms 361
If I had to throw every saw away that I own and keep just one, I'd keep my Stihl MS 361. But, you already knew that, didn't you?
To me, it's the most versatile saw that Stihl sells and the one with the greatest Hp-to-weight ratio. For firewood collection, I rate it at the top.
MS 361 Rocks!
If I had to throw every saw away that I own and keep just one, I'd keep my Stihl MS 361. But, you already knew that, didn't you?
To me, it's the most versatile saw that Stihl sells and the one with the greatest Hp-to-weight ratio. For firewood collection, I rate it at the top.
MS 361 Rocks!
Looked to me like the 261 was running about 17 sec, and the 441 was running about 9 sec. Purely by the numbers, that's a huge difference, as is to be expected. However, if you consider the real world application in how much longer would it take to cut a truckload of wood, the 261 would still get the job done in a reasonable amount of time. The reality is that for a lot of folks, the wood in those videos was on the bigger side of what they normally cut. It's still well within the normal "firewood" size, just on the the bigger side of things. When you move into smaller pieces, the difference becomes less and less. The other thing to consider is that most of our time is spent doing stuff other than actually cutting. So at the end of the day, even though the 441 is almost twice as fast as a 261, it wouldn't take much longer to get a load cut if all you had was the 261.
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It's a tremendous saw! Friend has one but one problem we have is that here on the coast we have fast weather changes and for some reason my friends 361 doesn't like it ,especially damp cold. Very hard starting some times. Even with starter fluid. My 310 is similar. Bob (Cheeves)
spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yup, you got it.
BloodOnTheIce and I did a little experiment a while back. Compared a Dolmar 7900 and a 346NE in 14" hard maple. As expected, the 7900 toasted the 346 by 4 seconds, which in cookie cutting is a big deal. But we did some math and thought that you might make 30 such cuts to fill a pickup truck with wood. 30 cuts X 4 seconds equals out to two minutes. Time wise, that's a meaningless difference for the job at hand.
And lot's of guys would be happy to give up those two minutes for the two less pounds of weight with the 346. Then there's the $300-$400 price difference.............
Gotta second TreePointer, 50 & 70 class saw(s), not 50-70cc saw. You really need two, no sense in cutting 8" stuff with my 576xp and no sense in cutting 24" stuff with my 346xp. Can I logically justify having two pro saws to cut 8-12 cord a year while I burn only 4? NO. Can I justify building a new, faster, better splitter when I have one with a 12 second cycle time for under $400? If I had to have only one saw to cut tree length firewood it would be a 70cc class saw of your preferred brand. At this moment in time I would choose the 576xp autotune.
Not to hijack the thread but I have been running a greyhound 6.5hp honda clone (chongda) on the splitter with great results. $79 dollars to split 10 cord of wood so far is pretty good.
Can anyone lead me to a good thread on homebuilt splitters, I have a 13hp chongda clone sitting on the bench.
Not to hijack the thread but I have been running a greyhound 6.5hp honda clone (chongda) on the splitter with great results. $79 dollars to split 10 cord of wood so far is pretty good.
Can anyone lead me to a good thread on homebuilt splitters, I have a 13hp chongda clone sitting on the bench.
