Your situation is a lot like mine, and first thing you'll notice is that these are not our fathers' saws. Second thing you'll notice, maybe cuz of their performance, is that it'll leave you wanting more...either more saw, or more saws. We got only what we needed for 4 storm-downed trees, a quality 16" 45cc. That same week we got a next level 20" 70cc saw, cuz the first smaller one made me want more, not cuz it wasn't adequate, but b/c it was so satisfying to use.
So, in my case my practicality for getting sumthin only for the immediate need at hand ultimately allowed me to get a second saw. Lotsa people follow a 2- or 3-saw plan. But, if you're determined to have only one, get the pro line, cuz after you use any of those you mentioned, yer gonna want it anyway. And good luck with that 1-saw plan...maybe you should just get the homeowner line like I did so that you can get a pro line saw behind it.
Truth ^ ... this is what can happen, psychologically.
In many posts above you have plenty of good info on the one-saw and two-saw plans, so I won't go over that.
I'll just add a little from an anecdotal POV.
Like you, I don't totally rely on it for home heating ...
yet ... just complementary heating, but if that time comes, then I definitely get a second larger saw
I did not do much research, I got the 250 / 18" (which is really a 16" effective length) before I even came near AS or other forums.
Fortunately, it does more or less what I
need, but sometimes I have to buck a wider log from opposing sides, as mother nature did not stop growing trees at 16". Maybe I should have looked more closely at the size of some of the trees around here in Lawnguyland, duh! But truth be told, most of my firewood is scrounged, so I am usually targeting logs 18" and under — splitting or sawing on site is rarely an option, and my old back has expressed its displeasure over me picking up rounds heavier than 80-100#.
As for cutting from two sides, I confess that after rolling the log over,
I've discovered more than once that I am really crap at lining up the kerfs just right, to avoid a slangy or notchy cut (somebody
please tell me I'm not the only one who has that problem!). And I think there's something to be said for a nice, relatively square cut, especially when it comes to splitting time.
Anyway, now I've got a bunch of perfect
rationales lined up for a larger/backup/#2 saw down the line
and plenty of time to ponder the options. No complaints, it's all good.
Stormy, just sitting here and thinking about everything else in my garage, I have one of nothing but multiples of everything. The more I read, the more it makes sense to have a few saws, just in case one is down or gets stuck. I'd say with that in mind, how does that change my plan? Go small first or go bigger first? I know I can talk the wife into one saw for the "house", so maybe go bigger on the first and if I want to grab a smaller one for limbing and camping, grab that one out of my own pocket.
Because I often encountered wood wider than 16," and turned my back on some, I'd actually go big — 361 or 362 — first. Also better for noodling as needed. You can run a 20" to 25" bar on the 362 according to most reports, which seems pretty versatile to me (and that 20" bar is really an 18").
If, like you suggest, you like "multiples of everything" and thus the idea of the 2-saw plan, I'd get it while the getting's good. The s/o is less likely to complain later about you getting a smaller saw than a larger expensive one...and they are making some nice 190 or is it 191 now.
"blood on the ice" in the first auction to help Terry and Anne.
I have been running back and forth ever since.
