Across the ditch we're paying $2300 for a 460 and $2500 for a 660, with the dual port muffer etc
Ouch:msp_ohmy:for that price you should get a tree service for a day with it!
Across the ditch we're paying $2300 for a 460 and $2500 for a 660, with the dual port muffer etc
i dont know who most of these guys think they are kidding
if they think they are above a wild thang, they are sorely mistaken
all you need are a couple wild thangs, some sharp blades, and some gatorade
one wild thang with a 16"
the other with a 24"
if that doesnt cut it, it aint worth cuttin
At one time last year I had a ms 290 w/18", 038 mag w/24" and 36", and a ms192T. I used the 038 the most except when limbing. When I was running the 36" bar on the 038 for the big stuff (which is about every tree I get) and it did not have enough power. So I got rid of the 290 and 038 to help pay for a MS 660. I love the 660 it does not feel much heavier than the 038 and is alot faster. I wish I could try out a 460 sometime.
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.
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
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:
Stihlman, amazingly there is not a huge difference b/w that 261 and the 460.
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!
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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