Your Experience 500i & 661

[Bob Hedgecutter]

His first husqvarna saw should be a 2100 with .404 32/36" bar and the rakers dropped. Don't need no flashy, high-revving electronic piss-revver when you've got the real-deal smooth torque that just won't give up. That was my first try of a husky. So smooth so no-BS, the big don't-argue saw. Got offered the saw for IIRC $300 but didn't have the cash so a mate in Oz snapped it up and I sent it to him. Was sad to see it go - biggest saw regret to date.

No doubt! That 2100 would be the perfect saw for those big Aussie gum trees you cannot see around without taking two sideways steps....... but we are talking a pasty tinged Pom that lives in Aussie..... a 2100 for a first Husky?
I guess maybe his Kiwi Mrs. could use it till he builds up the biceps?

 

[Evan]

Just one wrinkle in that analysis. Aussie gum trees are dense sons of biartches.

Damn hardwood sweet sugar gum Sob's
However it may be a wrinkle the OP appears to be making it work with some kind of saw he currently has or possibly may not cut much. In either case I feel it may be silly to let cad spend money on 90cc saw of any color.

Maybe no saw purchase is needed at all. In that case a project saw in whatever 70-90cc flavour pops up first should be grabbed.

The kinda project the skidder ran over then drug a log over kinda projects.

 

[Derrick Sawyer]

No experience with 500i. 462 is a nice saw and is light and has some power but id compare it powerwise to my old 044, which has more character in my opinion and just as good with 20" bar. My modified 661 is used mostly with 25" bar and is a beast once properly broken in, but it lacks the character in my opinion of an old school 064, i sold all mine since i didn't know it at the time, but i had a special one with the right cylinder and flywheel and timing, it would pop and idle at low rpm and not die, sickest sound ever, (yeah, even better than old 288xp) i would let it just run like that for 15 min to listen to it, i ultimately rebuilt 3 of them from a mix of old 064 parts, but the other 2 weren't like that one, my old 066s don't sound that good, and no newer saw will probably sound like that, sometimes you get an average saw but once in while you get a special one, or you build a special one.....now i want to find another 064.....thanks man

 

[Stihl working hard]

i see you have both, would you say the 661 is a better saw all round? I’d happily
Get the 661 but haven’t seen any for sale other than at my dealer, but I can get one from them for 1700 ish and get a 4 year warranty if i buy the oil from them, but if I can go second hand good condition 660 like this appears then I’ll check it out for sure.

My 661 is ported as is the 462 both of my saws were bought and ported in the US .I don’t like Stihl oil never have the Stihl ultra burns your eyes I have never used 50:1 in any of my saws as it leaves the bearings to dry .Both the 660&661 are great saws it comes down to personal choice, Iam into Mtronic a bit more now than what I was initially .I have always liked tuning saws with a screwdriver.

 

[Stihl working hard]

Damn hardwood sweet sugar gum Sob's
However it may be a wrinkle the OP appears to be making it work with some kind of saw he currently has or possibly may not cut much. In either case I feel it may be silly to let cad spend money on 90cc saw of any color.

Maybe no saw purchase is needed at all. In that case a project saw in whatever 70-90cc flavour pops up first should be grabbed.

The kinda project the skidder ran over then drug a log over kinda projects.

Something like this one maybe

 

[CR888]

Whenever I have 24-42"s of .404 strapped to my ported MS660 buried in oz hardwoods, I wish it was a 110cc saw not 90. Spoon should consider a 395xp too there a great saw. Torque wins over here once you get over 20" wood. Big cranks, heavy clutches and the ability to adjust the tune is what I want in a big saw. I nearly sold my 660 to buy a 661, I'm kinda glad I didn't, the 660 is nothing fancy but gets it done every time.

 

[CR888]

His first husqvarna saw should be a 2100 with .404 32/36" bar and the rakers dropped. Don't need no flashy, high-revving electronic piss-revver when you've got the real-deal smooth torque that just won't give up. That was my first try of a husky. So smooth so no-BS, the big don't-argue saw. Got offered the saw for IIRC $300 but didn't have the cash so a mate in Oz snapped it up and I sent it to him. Was sad to see it go - biggest saw regret to date.

That's heart wrenching, twas IN your hands... right price right saw then slipped through your fingers. Over 6 cubes of complete running sfeedish iron for 3 bills!!!

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I have been told “no replacement for displacement” I’m not sure how that fairs against ported smaller engines vs standard larger? Anyway I have seen what Al @drf255 can do to 26’s with porting, so maybe that rule isn’t always true?

this video of a 026 he worked on gets me every time.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I have been told “no replacement for displacement” I’m not sure how that fairs against ported smaller engines vs standard larger? Anyway I have seen what Al @drf255 can do to 26’s with porting, so maybe that rule isn’t always true?

this video of a 026 he worked on gets me every time.

Yep, I owned a Ford Escort 1600GT once upon a time, would eat V8's for breakfast at an unofficial 1/4 mile, but it was a beggar of a thing to drive.
Lumpy cam, had to rev the nuts out of it, feet had to move faster than an Irish dancers between the pedals and you had to change gears like a blur.
The V8 alongside me was usually factory stock and the driver just pressed the gas pedal and kept up with me to the point that most wins were a mere bumper thickness.

You seem to compare dirtbikes to saws- a CR 80 could probably keep up with a CR 500 in a straight line drag- the 80 in top gear before the 500 hit 3rd.
1/4 mile or so, the 80 would be there, you just have to do a lot more work to keep the wee snotter in the powerband and reving the ring off of it, the 500 would just keep pulling.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Yep, I owned a Ford Escort 1600GT once upon a time, would eat V8's for breakfast at an unofficial 1/4 mile, but it was a beggar of a thing to drive.
Lumpy cam, had to rev the nuts out of it, feet had to move faster than an Irish dancers between the pedals and you had to change gears like a blur.
The V8 alongside me was usually factory stock and the driver just pressed the gas pedal and kept up with me to the point that most wins were a mere bumper thickness.

You seem to compare dirtbikes to saws- a CR 80 could probably keep up with a CR 500 in a straight line drag- the 80 in top gear before the 500 hit 3rd.
1/4 mile or so, the 80 would be there, you just have to do a lot more work to keep the wee snotter in the powerband and reving the ring off of it, the 500 would just keep pulling.

Yes big 2 stroke mx fan, I miss my cr250 dearly.

and as for someone else’s comment above, no, I have absolutely ZERO need for a 660, 500i, 461, 362, 260 or even a 240. My ms 180 can cut all the green cherry carving wood I need which is up to about 14”, but I’m not here because I have to be, I’m here because I want to be I really enjoy saws and want to own them because I work hard for my money and wish to spend it on something I’m interested in. I’ll go out and cut firewood and stack it for a farmer just to use a saw. It’s just the enjoyment of I get from using them and owning something that excites me. No arborist here, just an average guy with an interest.

I’d also get enjoyment having them just as wall queens, appreciating them like any other collector would.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Yes big 2 stroke mx fan, I miss my cr250 dearly.

and as for someone else’s comment above, no, I have absolutely ZERO need for a 660, 500i, 461, 362, 260 or even a 240. My ms 180 can cut all the green cherry carving wood I need which is up to about 14”, but I’m not here because I have to be, I’m here because I want to be I really enjoy saws and want to own them because I work hard for my money and wish to spend it on something I’m interested in. I’ll go out and cut firewood and stack it for a farmer just to use a saw. It’s just the enjoyment of I get from using them and owning something that excites me.

Haha, heaven help us when you discover firearms..... they will excite the heck out of you!

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Haha, heaven help us when you discover firearms..... they will excite the heck out of you!

Haha I have owned a few of them too!

my license expired just before I left for Australia so didn’t renew it and thus sold them.

My gun cabnit was full of them at one stage! I had to thin them down.

I had two Beretta silver pigeon 1’s a 30” sporting gun for clays and a 28” game gun for pigeon.

Also had a semiauto for pigeons too.

Then I had 2 air rifles, one was my fathers old faithful German .22 and my own .177 for rabbiting!

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Haha I have owned a few of them too!

my license expired just before I left for Australia so didn’t renew it and thus sold them.

My gun cabnit was full of them at one stage! I had to thin them down.

I had two Beretta silver pigeon 1’s a 30” sporting gun for clays and a 28” game gun for pigeon.

Also had a semiauto for pigeons too.

Then I had 2 air rifles, one was my fathers old faithful German .22 and my own .177 for rabbiting!

Firearms under British law don't count- too restrictive, you can own funner ones in Aussie, not as much fun as the States- but way better than Britain.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Firearms under British law don't count- too restrictive, you can own funner ones in Aussie, not as much fun as the States- but way better than Britain.

We should continue this under the off topic forum, but, to conclude my thoughts, I am all for every healthy (mentally) adult owning any firearm they choose, however I do believe in different (weapon specific) licensing with expiry dates and thus a need for renewal, background checks, doctors certificates and the need for attending safety classes as standard across the board for any weapon.


Britain has a very rich history of firearms use, it’s sad knee jerk legislation from those who has absolutely no clue about guns make the most idiotic laws.

 

[KiwiBro]

That's heart wrenching, twas IN your hands... right price right saw then slipped through your fingers. Over 6 cubes of complete running sfeedish iron for 3 bills!!!

Yeah, I think about it almost every time I run a saw. It went to a good bugger who appreciates it though. That softens the blow a little but it still hurts ;-)

 

[rogue60]

I have been told “no replacement for displacement” I’m not sure how that fairs against ported smaller engines vs standard larger? Anyway I have seen what Al @drf255 can do to 26’s with porting, so maybe that rule isn’t always true?

this video of a 026 he worked on gets me every time.

I wouldn't take much notice of how they setup saw's overseas running 32in bars and the like on 60cc saw's.
It's chalk and cheese there timber to ours to us our native Cypress pine is what we call a softwood but in reality it's harder than what some guy's overseas call there rock hard hardwoods lol.
The harder the timber the more load it puts on a saw it's common to see 25in bars on 90cc plus saw's here and besides all that we don't limb pine trees.

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

Interesting table that. I thought blue gum was fairly hard but not really on that though. I cut up a dead standing probably 30 inch blue gum and holly bajesus it was hard going it stood for could be 20 years dead. The big hire splitter got laughed at by it so ended up blocking the whole lot. Cost me a heap of a half warn chains it just rip the teeth off but burns very very well was worth it.. I think lol
So is that table green? Cos it cuts well green unless really big and old especially down on the stump

 

[rogue60]

Interesting table that. I thought blue gum was fairly hard but not really on that though. I cut up a dead standing probably 30 inch blue gum and holly bajesus it was hard going it stood for could be 20 years dead. The big hire splitter got laughed at by it so ended up blocking the whole lot. Cost me a heap of a half warn chains it just rip the teeth off but burns very very well was worth it.. I think lolView attachment 792866
So is that table green? Cos it cuts well green unless really big and old especially down on the stump

You sure it was Blue Gum and not a Grey Gum? Our hardwoods do get harder the drier they get growing conditions also play a part on hardness.
I've ever cut any Blue Gum that I would call hard it's like the Stringy barks for hardness.

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

You sure it was Blue Gum and not a Grey Gum? Our hardwoods do get harder the drier they get growing conditions also play a part on hardness.
Cut say I've ever cut any Blue Gum that I would call hard it's like the Stringy barks for hardness.
View attachment 792878 View attachment 792879

Well to tell ya the truth I'm not sure it was to dead to really tell but it's in an area with a bunch of eucalyptus trees that we would just call blue gums perhaps it is something else. It's like concrete and I mean so is oak but at least oak splits.

Bit more of it here

This spliter isn't a wussy

 

[rogue60]

IDK? I wouldn't call oak hard either guess it's just what someone is used to cutting wait tell you get into some of the Box family of Aussie hardwoods lol