Which saw?

[The Thriftdrifter]

Hi guys and girls

Fresh new to A.S. here.

Looking at saws on behalf of my bro (ive got time on my hands)

He recently had seven trees felled in his driveway (lives rural) with another seven to be felled in six or so months and possibly twelve more at a later date.

The trees are poplars, the biggest ones something like 28"-32" wide near the base.

His current saw is a Husky 440e with a 15 inch bar which he has been using on weekends to limb and buck as much as he can, but it's rather slow going once the tree trunk gets past about 20" in diameter.

He is in the market for a larger saw to compliment the Husky.

How big does he needs to go? After clearing all of the old poplars at his place, subsequently he would need to cut enough firewood for 3 or 4 households each season.

Common firewood trees around here are: pine, macrocarpa, eucalyptus and a limited amount of native hardwoods.

What saws would you all recommend?

Local dealers/service are available for Stihl, Husqvarna, Makita, Shindaiwa.

Look forward to your replies.

Thanks

 

[BenK]

There's a lot of options....

Questions that would help narrow the search are (but not limited to)

Is he doing any felling or just bucking up stuff on the ground?
You mentioned needing to cut wood for multiple households. How many cords does that equate to yearly?
What is his budget?

Just a few to narrow down the search. If he already has a lambing saw and is in the market for a bigger one he should get his hands on them and see which suits him. If possible, with a local dealer, taking options for a test drive is advisable. If he's going to shell out some money on a saw with some serious power it just makes sense to try before you buy (if possible)

I'm partial to husky ..and upgraded from a husky 440 (non-E version) to the 555, which is a 60cc saw. I'd imagine somewhere in the 60-70cc range of saws would be a good jumping off point.
Lotta love on here for the husky 562xp and 372xp, as well as the 7900 dolmar, and the 461 stihl.
Good luck

 

[Big Block]

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/echo-cs590-w-wrap.296257/

 

[The Thriftdrifter]

He would mostly be bucking off the ground , maybe felling as he gained more experience.

6-8 cords a year.

Budget NZ$2000 ish (US$1300)

Thanks for the offer Big Block but no thanks.

 

[CascadeHusky]

Msrp is $1879 on a 562xp according to the husky nz website. Seems like a good fit for what you describe.

Man, according to Google that is $1292 usd. Sure makes our prices seem reasonable.

 

[BenK]

Brand new 372xp/ms461/dolmar 7910 and he would have some money left over for some protective gear and/or a quality splitting maul.

Edit- just noticed the going rate is much higher in your neck of the woods. I didn't account for that...what gives with the steep price increase?

 

[CoreyB]

Man long explanation short echo/ shinny 590 or 620 or dolmar/makita 6100.

 

[The Thriftdrifter]

He has safety gear (he ain't no fool) and a maul already.

New Zealand: small population + far away + limited competition = expensive.

562xp - $1879

372xp - N/A

Ms461 - $2395

7901 - $1899

590 - $1029

Sx600 - $1199

Ea6100p - $1195

Husky and Stihl seem to sell at a premium, price wise.

And of course the less the saw costs him, the more beer he can buy me.

 

[CoreyB]

Here is a video of the 6100 cutting some hickory

 

[Jeffkrib]

You guys get ripped off even worse than us. You can either go down the best dealer support path or not worry about that and if you do have questions/ problems come on here ad ask for help.
Best value for money looks like the 79cc Makita.

 

[The Thriftdrifter]

You guys get ripped off even worse than us. You can either go down the best dealer support path or not worry about that and if you do have questions/ problems come on here ad ask for help.
Best value for money looks like the 79cc Makita.

Yeh the Makita looks like the most saw for the money.

Is the 7901 a solid saw, going on the specs it seems light in weight for its engine size

 

[Jeffkrib]

Yep its as good as they come, built by dolmar in Germany. A Lot of people will argue its the best saw in its class.
But with 4.6 kW it IS the undisputed horse power leader in its class.
Ive got one and its a great saw. What they are not good at is dealer network, luckily parts are readily avaliable from the states.

 

[The Thriftdrifter]

So getting parts online via the states is reasonably straight forward and what are the international delivery times like?

Are the models the same worldwide or are there local differences?

The bro likes to do most of his own mantainance I think. So that would suit. I'll check with him.

 

[Derrick Sawyer]

I find the perfect saw is the 460, if you can find one used and have a good dealer, enough grunt to run 32" bar with skip chain, can live with 25" bar most of the time, and real fast with 20" bar. An 046 is great too but have to make sure bearings are tight, 461 can be had for a little more if used as well. Shipping to NZ might be a lot though if bought from outside. An 044/440 would also do the trick but man, tough to beat the 460 with 175psi+ compression.

 

[Jeffkrib]

Ive bought parts through fordf150
http://performanceoutdoorequipment.com
I beleive there are serveral other sponsors on this forum who sell Dolmar.
You may even want to consider buying a new saw or a new ported saw, i rekon a good early xmas present to pay or the porting for your brother.

 

[lightj12]

I'd stay with a 70 cc saw. Stihl 461/460/046 or Husqvarna 372XP.

 

[CascadeHusky]

Not that there is anything wrong with severe overkill(actually, there is), but I see lots of recommendation for saws closer to 80cc than 70 for a unknown guy who is currently running a 2.4hp saw, and likely not a chainsaw fanatic.

For someone with no stated brand/dealer preference, I take back my 562xp choice for $1879nzd. I haven't run a 6100, but I do absolutely love my 5100s (also, a 5105 could cut 8 cords a year for a long time and be a major improvement over a 440e, but I don't know cost down there.)

For the money and application, I'd go 6100 if he is a normal person, or dolmar/makita 6421 if you think someday one of you wants to slap on a 7901 top end (and if the current price is at least $500nzd less than a 7901).

If you buy a 70-80cc saw, that 440e will inevitably continue to be used as more than just a backup. That isn't a good thing. 2.4hp is for one handed climbing saws.

 

[Big Block]

Here is a video of the 6100 cutting some hickory

When did you get a wrap?

 

[CoreyB]

When did you get a wrap?

I got it from @fordf150 he is awesome to deal with.
I am hoping every time I say that he will give me 10% off lol

 

[Big Block]

Looks cool man !!!