Whats a good little trim/limb saw?

[PA Plumber]

Another vote for the Echo 346 CS. Great dependability, very light, and new under $200.00 on FleaBay, including shipping.

 

[robby26wi]

I had the 346 and the 401 kills it in everyway...except that its like 20 dollars more...

 

[bcorradi]

I'll throw a vote in for an 011 AVT.

Light, reasonably priced (about $120 on ebay), and better power to weight ratio then the other saws mentioned.

 

[Mtnman4ever]

I'm looking to buy a good little saw just for clearing brush/small trees 4 inches or less in diameter. I used to have a little green poulan but it just wasn't much, couldn't keep the darned thing running. Looking for something with a 10 inch bar and lightweight.

A fw others a Husky 359 about a Husky 336,
Husky 455 or 460

I would get 455 fr witha 16 inch bar if you are new to usign a chainsaw stick with the low kick back bars and chaisn for a few months untill you are used to it Buy ear an eye protectioon I wuold just drop the cash for a helmet with ear protection and mesh face guard .


be safe and get abook about basic tree carevan work .

 

[jaytee]

I've already got a Johnny 2054 with a 16 inch bar and a poulan pro 336. I'm wanting something lightweight and very short. I'll be walking my timber and thinning out all of the small trash trees, just cutting them and leaving them lay. Also occassional multi-flora rose bushes and other brushy stuff. I've been using my johnny but it does get a little heavy after 3 or 4 hours of walking around and bending down to cut 'em. Like I said earlier, most stuff will be under 4 inches with the majority of it prolly inch and a half to two inch hickory.

 

[SawTroll]

how 'bout 339xp??

My first thought also, when I saw this tread.......:yoyo: :yoyo:

The alternatives are MS200, and Dolmar 401 - but I would take the Husky, a much more nimble design, even though it looks a bit funny.....

 

[computeruser]

I've already got a Johnny 2054 with a 16 inch bar and a poulan pro 336. I'm wanting something lightweight and very short. I'll be walking my timber and thinning out all of the small trash trees, just cutting them and leaving them lay. Also occassional multi-flora rose bushes and other brushy stuff. I've been using my johnny but it does get a little heavy after 3 or 4 hours of walking around and bending down to cut 'em. Like I said earlier, most stuff will be under 4 inches with the majority of it prolly inch and a half to two inch hickory.

Well, if you're not down with the Dolmar idea then I would suggest a little Echo like the CS346.

Buy it on eBay with the 16" bar but pull the bar and chain as soon as you get it. Re-list the bar and chain on eBay and you'll probably get around $25 for it. Take that money and buy a good (Oregon Pro91) bar for the saw, maybe a 12" bar, and spend the $5 for a conventional bar tensioner screw-and-pin setup and spend the 5 minutes needed to pop it in (many of the Echos come with that cursed Intenz in-bar tensioner thingee and without a conventional tensioner installed). Then get a couple good loops of chain like Stihl PM or that new Oregon 91VX and you'll be set!

Here's the top-handle version, $200 total cost:

Or, since the stuff you'll be thinning is so small, you could just get a couple different types of machete from Cold Steel and do it the old fashioned way.

 

[PA Plumber]

I had the 346 and the 401 kills it in everyway...except that its like 20 dollars more...

You just wait:
After I do the muffler mod,
cylinder port,
special reduced friction double roller bar,
reduced friction roller bearing chain,
high compression fan belt,
new conooter valve
and muffler bearing (and $600.00 later)

My saw will beat your saw that costs $20.00 more!!!

:jester:

 

[robby26wi]

well i havent touched anything on the 401 and it would kill my 346....As far as the 011 having more power to weight then the 401 i am unsure...I have both and yes the 011 is lighter but as far as power i dont thing its close...could be wrong tho..

 

[hoss]

075 stihl 12' bar 1/2 pitch chain............well it WILL limb&trim. Ok maybe a little light for the job, but every time I swap the 12' bar onto the 090 instead my wrists get a little tired.:help:

 

[Erick]

No No No Hoss the 12" bar on that 090 makes you have to bend to much. What you need is a 36" bar on an 084 perfect balance and you don't have to stoop to cut at ground level.

Sorry jaytee

We now return you the thread already in progress

 

[Erick]

My vote would be for the MS180 but then again I'm a Stihl man.

I could quote some spec's to support my suggestion but I don't want to get called a Troll.

:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Cut4fun]

I'll throw a vote in for an 011 AVT.

Light, reasonably priced (about $120 on ebay), and better power to weight ratio then the other saws mentioned.

I had that saw 011 and sold it, it ran perfect, but my little project poulan 36cc saw would smoke the stihl 011 41cc in cutting 11" poplar I tested on. This is from hands on, not book specs.
It would be fine for light limbing, but there is so many better saws out there.
I would pass on a 011 for anymore then $80, thats what i sold mine for with a stihl case, 3 chains and new stihl 16" bar.

 

[B_Turner]

I don't limb all that much as I am usually working wood in the 18 to 36 inch range, but I do limb occasionally. So my vote is something on the small side. My older 026 and 5100 run sharp square and cut fine, but after a while the tendon in my left bicep (inside elbow) get tired when limbing because you are holding the saw out so much. (Or clearing brush for a couple of hours with a saw.)

So my vote is for something less than 11 lbs. power head max. A lb less than a 5100 doesn't sound like much, but for limbing I would find it welcome.

With a sharp chain a small saw will limb quite fast.

 

[blis]

I don't limb all that much as I am usually working wood in the 18 to 36 inch range, but I do limb occasionally. So my vote is something on the small side. My older 026 and 5100 run sharp square and cut fine, but after a while the tendon in my left bicep (inside elbow) get tired when limbing because you are holding the saw out so much. (Or clearing brush for a couple of hours with a saw.)

So my vote is for something less than 11 lbs. power head max. A lb less than a 5100 doesn't sound like much, but for limbing I would find it welcome.

With a sharp chain a small saw will limb quite fast.

Id say that tiredness is becouse of incorrect technique.... when limbing the saw is resting againts log 90% time, if done properly...

 

[B_Turner]

Id say that tiredness is becouse of incorrect technique.... when limbing the saw is resting againts log 90% time, if done properly...

Technique can always be improved, but I constantly try to make all my tasks as physically easy as possible. 90 percent might be true if one was walking down trees on level ground rather than on the sides of a building or very large trees that require alot of moving about. My saws cut fast and the actual cut is a small fraction of the total time moving about getting into position. With large trees, limbing requires lifting the saw to above waist height over and over, which after a while takes it's toll. Often the branch has to be cut shorter before totally limbed which means cutting in the air. That means I had to lift the saw that high. Many times.

So I am not really disagreeing, just throwing in it depends on the environment, size of tree and such for your pecentage. And the real issue with my arm is swinging a spikemaul back in the days I was a gandy dancer spiking on crews by hand all day for months on end. Talk about abuse of the body.

 

[blis]

Technique can always be improved, but I constantly try to make all my tasks as physically easy as possible. 90 percent might be true if one was walking down trees on level ground rather than on the sides of a building or very large trees that require alot of moving about. My saws cut fast and the actual cut is a small fraction of the total time moving about getting into position. With large trees, limbing requires lifting the saw to above waist height over and over, which after a while takes it's toll. Often the branch has to be cut shorter before totally limbed which means cutting in the air. That means I had to lift the saw that high. Many times.

So I am not really disagreeing, just throwing in it depends on the environment, size of tree and such for your pecentage. And the real issue with my arm is swinging a spikemaul back in the days I was a gandy dancer spiking on crews by hand all day for months on end. Talk about abuse of the body.

Point taken, forgot totally about the tree sie factor...