What Saw Would You Buy??

[chevyman]

I am new to the site and have learned alot in the past few months lookin around here. I cut maybe 10 cord of firewood a year. Half for me and half for a few old ladies. I cut oak for me and pine for the ladies. Every now and then i get a digger pine in the 25 - 32" range. The saw that i have now is a Crapsman 36cc with a 16" bar. I got this saw new as a gift about 6 years ago from my father. It has done the job but i want to step up to something better with a longer bar. I would like to be able to run a 24" bar if i NEED it but i would stick with a 18" or 20" for 75% of the cutting. I live in a small town and i have a Stihl dealer here and a Husky about 20 miles away. Both were helpfull and seemed to know what they were talking about. Here is a list of the saws that i have narrowed it down to. Please feel free to add if i forgot something. Thanks to everyone in advance for all the help i know i will get.

Husky 460 Rancher
13.3 Lbs 3.7 HP 13-20" bar $440

Husky 353
11.0 Lbs 3.3 HP 13-20" bar $440

Husky 346XP
11.0 Lbs 3.7 HP 16-20" bar $489

Husky 359
12.1 Lbs 3.9 HP 13-24" Bar $519


Stihl MS311
14.1 Lbs 4.2 HP 16-25" Bar $499

Stihl MS391
14.1 Lbs 4.4 HP 16-25" Bar $529

 

[woodgrenade]

Based on those options, and your need for a 20" bar I would say the 359 or the 391. But..... the saw that you listed with the best reputation is the 346xp hands down, it is just that for your application it might be too small for the larger trees.

Just a question, how come pine for the ladies? Buring evergreens in the Northeast is a no no except in an outdoor wood boiler. Too much chance of a chimney fire and creosote buildup.

 

[WoodChuck'r]

391.

But I suggest a Makita 6401. Once you're bored with it slap a 7900 P&C on it and you'll be beyond impressed.

 

[smilin possum]

Welcome aboard, find you a good used 044 Stihl and all your wood cutting will be taken care of. No matter if it's big or small an 044 will do it all. It will pull a 25" bar with no trouble at all, so a shorter one will be a breeze.

 

[2000ssm6]

If you have your heart set on new and seldom need to run a 24" b&c, you want the max amount of power. The 391 is your saw from the choices.

If it were me I would look for a good used 70cc saw like a 044/440, 046/460 or 372xp. These could run a 24" b&c all day and make ya

 

[2000ssm6]

Welcome aboard, find you a good used 044 Stihl and all your wood cutting will be taken care of. No matter if it's big or small an 044 will do it all. It will pull a 25" bar with no trouble at all, so a shorter one will be a breeze.

Neighbors think alike eh?

 

[chevyman]

The Older ladies like the pine (they say that it is lighter to carry). But they do get their chiminy swept / cleaned at least once a year. I have been doing this for about 5 years now and they have not had any problems. They burn around a cord of wood a year (each). Do you see this as a problem? i would hate for something to happen to any of them.

 

[chevyman]

I was looking on craigs list and i found a couple of saws that are for sale. I have not worked on many 2-strokes but have rebuilt my share of 4-strokes. What should i look for in a used saw besides pulling the muffler and looking at the piston? I do not have a compression gauge. Is it worth the investment to get one if looking for a good used saw? I am a believer in getting more than i need now so that i dont have to upgrade again in a year. But i dont want to by a used piece of crap right now that i will have to rebuild after a year or two. These are the three saws that i found. Given the info in the first post and this info are these a good choice? What are the differances between the two? Is this WAY to big a saw for my needs?

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/tls/1624690958.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/tls/1624675884.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/grd/1621609236.html

 

[2000ssm6]

I was looking on craigs list and i found a couple of saws that are for sale. I have not worked on many 2-strokes but have rebuilt my share of 4-strokes. What should i look for in a used saw besides pulling the muffler and looking at the piston? I do not have a compression gauge. Is it worth the investment to get one if looking for a good used saw? I am a believer in getting more than i need now so that i dont have to upgrade again in a year. But i dont want to by a used piece of crap right now that i will have to rebuild after a year or two. These are the three saws that i found. Given the info in the first post and this info are these a good choice? What are the differances between the two? Is this WAY to big a saw for my needs?

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/tls/1624690958.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/tls/1624675884.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/grd/1621609236.html

Those are the cats meow right there, thanks for the link, I will call tomorrow and see if they can ship.

Naw, a compression gauge is a good investment along with pulling the front cover and looking in the p&c. Take a T27 torx bit with ya, 4 screws and the front muffler cover is off. A 044/440 is enough saw for most of the guys here.

 

[2000ssm6]

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/tls/1624690958.html

This is the one I would check on first. Seems to be a clean 440. The 440s usually demand a higher price due to being the "newer" version of the 044. 044s are hard to find in good shape due to their age, most are beat to heck.

 

[Erick]

If I needed a saw for what you say and had to pick from your list... for my money I'd get the 359 w/ an 18" (or 20" bar you know more about what size trees you cut than we do) and a 24" bar with skip chain for when you need it.

The 359/18" combo is light enough to cut with all day even it's limb work and it will pull the 24" bar w/skip comfortably when you need to get into the bigger stuff.

A little overbucking with a 24" will get you through 28"-30" trees in a single pass. Double cutting with a 24" bar will have you safely cutting 46"+ trees and that’s really all the tree you need to be cutting anyway.


If you have a drill bit or a Dremel tool and a willingness to use it the 359 is by far the clear winner here.

 

[pjwoolw]

I was looking on craigs list and i found a couple of saws that are for sale. I have not worked on many 2-strokes but have rebuilt my share of 4-strokes. What should i look for in a used saw besides pulling the muffler and looking at the piston? I do not have a compression gauge. Is it worth the investment to get one if looking for a good used saw? I am a believer in getting more than i need now so that i dont have to upgrade again in a year. But i dont want to by a used piece of crap right now that i will have to rebuild after a year or two. These are the three saws that i found. Given the info in the first post and this info are these a good choice? What are the differances between the two? Is this WAY to big a saw for my needs?

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/tls/1624690958.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/tls/1624675884.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/grd/1621609236.html

That guy has been running those ads for months. I'd stay away from him. I've been flagging him for some time. Just selling overpriced junk.

Google his phone number and see how many times he has posted the same stuff over and over for different prices. Hasn't sold one yet. What does that say. He may be legit but I would think he might have had one sold by now.

 

[Evan]

out of your list id pick the 359 and 20" bar. its capable to a 24" bar to.

but i would also sugest a used 70cc or heck a new one if you can swing 800bucks. my first pic for the size wood you mention would be the 044/440 the 372 or a brand spanking new 460stihl

 

[woodyman]

If I needed a saw for what you say and had to pick from your list... for my money I'd get the 359 w/ an 18" (or 20" bar you know more about what size trees you cut than we do) and a 24" bar with skip chain for when you need it.

The 359/18" combo is light enough to cut with all day even it's limb work and it will pull the 24" bar w/skip comfortably when you need to get into the bigger stuff.

A little overbucking with a 24" will get you through 28"-30" trees in a single pass. Double cutting with a 24" bar will have you safely cutting 46"+ trees and that’s really all the tree you need to be cutting anyway.


If you have a drill bit or a Dremel tool and a willingness to use it the 359 is by far the clear winner here.

:agree2:

 

[chevyman]

Thanks for the heads up pjwoolw. I am not trying to be a smart ass, i dont want it to come across that way but have you seen his saws? What makes you say that they are overpriced junk? What is a good price for a used 044 or a 440?

 

[chevyman]

Erick....by the drill bit or a dremel tool are you refering to a muffler mod? Does it help out alot on the 359? With that mod would it pull that 24" with a full skip ok? I know that the 359 is not a PRO SAW but will it last a long time? I am a HUGE maintinance guy and take care of my tools.

 

[pjwoolw]

Go check them out if you want. If your close the stuff he has is worth a look in any case. I'm just real leery of the guy because of all the different listings and prices on top of no sales. There must be a reason for that.

Check out the Makita saws at Bailey's. Pretty fair deals on good saws. If your near Chico check out the Husqvarna dealer there. Good folks. I bought both of mine from them. I wish I could but I can't recommend any Stihl dealers. Good product but very little real support if you need it. Check Home Depot for rentals for sale.

 

[wendell]

The Older ladies like the pine (they say that it is lighter to carry). But they do get their chiminy swept / cleaned at least once a year. I have been doing this for about 5 years now and they have not had any problems. They burn around a cord of wood a year (each). Do you see this as a problem? i would hate for something to happen to any of them.

No, no problem at all. Properly seasoned pine produces no more creosote than any other wood. That it does is an old wife's tale with no basis in fact other than people burning green pine in old smoke dragons.

If it did, there would be a lot more chimney fires in Canada and Norway!

 

[nmurph]

the 440/044's don't look over priced to me. they would be an excellent choice if they check-out ok. as mentioned, get a $30 compression tester, a t-27 torx, and a flashlight. remove the muffler and peek at the piston and cylinder. compression should be 145+. anything lower than 130 is a soon-to-be canidate for a rebuild. crank the saw and let it get hot. tip it from side to side and listen. do this both at idle and higher rpms. listen for the saw to hold it's rev's steady. shut it down and re-crank it several times. check for throttle response. there should be no stumbles. look the plastic and metal over for cracks. scrap the crap off if it is present. look at the fuel mix to see if it is fresh.
it would concern me a little if the saws have been listed for sometime. but it would only serve to highten my skepticism and not necessarily as a stop sign.

of the new saws you listed i would probably choose the 359 bc of the size of the wood you cut. a 346 could handle the larger stuff on an occassional basis, and it certainly is lighter and a better saw for limbing.

 

[nmurph]

No, no problem at all. Properly seasoned pine produces no more creosote than any other wood. That it does is an old wife's tale with no basis in fact other than people burning green pine in old smoke dragons.

If it did, there would be a lot more chimney fires in Canada and Norway!

:agree2:

creosote is a product of all wood. the cooler wood burns i.e. wetter...the worse the problem. seasoned pine is no worse than any other dried species.