Bigger chain saws

[snowwolfe]

We have lots of big oak trees on our property so I need a bigger chain saw. I do have a husky with a 16 inch bar so am looking for a saw with a 24 inch bar and most likely at least a 60cc motor.
Been thinking about one of the larger Echo's since they have a 5 year warranty.
What advice can you folks offer?

[Mica_Hiebert]

Stihl farm boss, should be able to pick one up with a 24 inch bar, full skip chain for around the 4-500 range. the Farm Boss is not a industrial grade saw like the models intended for arborist & loggers that will be used every day all day but they have allot of power and will be plenty adequate for the average user.

(I am a Stihl snob... I will buy a worn out Stihl and rebuild it before buying half the garbage out there on the market)

[Bazoo]

I also am a fan of a stihl. Not particular to any model. I have used a husqvarna some, and it was a good saw. It would not start unless one followed the exact starting procedure every time. It was cold natured.

[Mica_Hiebert]

I only recommended the Farm Boss model due to the price level comparison to the Echo or Husqvarnas and I have ran one a little and was impressed with the power. my personal saw is a 25 year old 036 that I replaced the jug, piston and rebuilt the carb on a year ago. I got it for free with no compresion and it cost me about $150 in parts from baileys.

[country gent]

We have several sthils on the farms that are good saws, Brother has a husqvarna thats a good saw. If you are planning on doing alot of cutting, you might want to consider one smaller lighter one for trimming and smaller parts and a big one for felling and or trunks. Some of the big saws can wear you out in just a couple hours running them. Had an old heavy clinton on the farm with handles on the end of the bar that would wear 2 good men out in an hour or so. LOL.

[Leslie Sapp]

I was a Husqvarna guy for many years, and still have a worn out 65 cc model that's got to be over 30 years old. However, in the last few years Husqvarna has gone more toward the homeowner line of equipment, and the new ones are not what they used to.
I recommend you plunk down the money for a professional grade Stihl. If you take care of it, it will likely last for as long as you're physically able to stand on your hind legs and run it.

[frankenfab]

I have had an MS310 Farm Boss for many years, and it has been a great saw. I'm running the non-safety chain on mine.

I am still using my dad's 15 year old 025 for limbing

[snowwolfe]

Farm boss has a 60cc motor?

[oscarflytyer]

Did a BUNCH of cutting during two tornadoes here in N AL. 2011 one burnt out my old 16 Husqvarna. Old ones were great saws, new ones not even close. On that one, I used, and saw a number of the volunteer groups that have wood cutting trailers set up, using the Stihl Farm Boss. The anti-vibration feature alone sold me on it. I got one and haven't looked back. Used it on the 2014 tornado and worked great! I have 4 chains and two bars - we go thru chains one a day during clean up on these things. IIRC (without looking) mine has a 20" bar. Been plenty and the engine can make that length scream. If for some reason had to buy a new one, would be exactly the one I have now.

[Gofaaast]

440 or 460/044 or 046 Stihl gets my vote. My 046 with a 24" bar is my favorite when cutting firewood over 8"'s. I have a couple 025's for limbing and cutting hedge posts, excellent power to weight ratio. I had a 039 and it was ok but awful heavy for cutting posts hours at a time and lacked power for timely wood cutting if you get much over 12" wood. Stihl chains really make a difference in my opinion. I can cut a cord of hedge with my 025 16" chain and still have a 75% sharp chain. With Oregon or Sandvik maybe 50%.

[kfarm]

Deleted

[frankenfab]

Farm boss has a 60cc motor?

59CC to be precise

http://www.backyardboss.com/mfg_Stihl/MS310.aspx

[Mal Paso]

Farm boss has a 60cc motor?

Would you believe Stihl is in cubic inches? 60cc would be an 036 - 038 or modern versions of those numbers.

Current Farm Boss 271 is 50 cc or 3.06 CI

044, 440 etc is 4.4 CI or about 5 hp.

I have the 038 Magnum which is the 4.4 CI with the 52 mm piston.

The Stihl 041 with the cylinder in line with the bar is the one to avoid. That was 30 years ago but I'll bet there are a few lurking out there.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have a Stihl MS360 Pro, the specs say 3.75 Cu in. or 61.5cc
I bought it new, about 10 years ago for $600, I suspect the Pro saws go for more now...They are worth it, if you are gonna be burning wood and cutting a several cords every year. Mine has a 20" Bar, It's all I need, if a log over 39" in dia, and I can't cut it, it's just as well, as I probably can't lift it on the trailer.

[Bullwolf]

I'm not a logger, or a chain saw expert but I do cut my own fire wood and have done a lot of work around the farm using Stihl chainsaws with no complaints, and only a few exceptions.

I had an older yellow McCulloch chain saw with a 28 inch bar. It was my go to if something big fell down and I needed to get it out of the way. Sadly the bar oiler died on the big McCulloch. Since they went out of business in 1999 I could not get any parts to repair the McCulloch with. I managed to run it for another season by pouring oil on the bar externally for really large diameter pieces, and rather than rigging up some kind of manual bar oiler I got rid of the old beast. Something I've kicked myself in the rear for many years later.

Have not gotten another saw with a long bar to replace the old McCulloch, and the big saws just keep getting more and more expensive every year now. I even had to farm out a job on a large tree that fell in the road back in 2010 due to not having a saw with a bar long enough.



Now all that being said, my truck chainsaw is an older Husqvarna 49, with a 20 inch bar. (I added the 20 inch, it came with an 18 inch bar)

I've been running that saw somewhat hard on clean up jobs since 2008, but can't say for sure what year I purchased it, it's likely a 1996 Era saw though.

It's always been a 1 pull starter. The Husky does not see quite as much use as my regular Stihl saw that I use for cutting wood to burn, but since it's always in my truck I don't have to go for a hike whenever there's a tree down, or a branch in the road. It has never let me down. The majority of my clean up jobs are Eucalyptus, Oak, and Madrone. They are the only tough hard woods that I really have to deal with. Other than those, it's Pine, Fir, or Redwood, with the occasional buck eye tree mixed in.

I haven't had a lot of Husky saws, or really pushed the one in my truck as hard, or as often as I do the Stihls, but it's been around for a while now. Based on the performance of that Husqvarna, I may just purchase another one some day. I would probably even recommend one if asked. Like the Husqvarna 460 Rancher.



http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products...her/966048320/

Failing that, I don't think you would go wrong picking a good Stihl saw either.

I run all my 2 cycle engines, including the saws on Red Line 2 cycle oil.



Noticed that I do not have to do rings and upper end cylinder work as often as I used to after making this change over. It really opened my eyes. Now I wish that I had done it years ago. I won't even touch those little bottles of generic 2 stroke chain saw oil anymore. Amsoil and other high end synthetic oils are likely just as good if not better, but I'm personally sold on Redline for life.


- Bullwolf

[Rusty W]

I'm also a Stihl snob. I have a 029 Super and it's a great saw. I've had it for 10+ years & cut about 10-15 ricks of wood a year for the last 12-13 years. I started out with the Poulan's and decided I wanted a real saw the 2nd year I moved to the country. I also have the MS230 and a MS 211C for lighter work. I really like the ez start on the 211.
This is a big Oak tree that we used to string up whatever needed butchered, Steers, hogs, deer, etc. I was about 12-13yo when I lived there w/my parents. Mom still lives at the home place & a storm blew the tree down back during the spring. I'm 45yo now so it's grown a little.

[Mk42gunner]

The only Echo I was ever around much was a rebadged Craftsman 40+ years ago. It was a decent little saw (14" bar) but that doesn't tell you anything about the current ones.

My dad logged for the last few years of his life with Husky's, and I still have his last 61. I will say the consumer grade Husky's aren't nearly the saw the older ones are.

After occasionally running a few of the better Husky's that my best friend has, I wouldn't bother with the consumer grade saws. I would pony up the money for one that will last; be that a good Husky or a Stihl.

My best advice is to buy what your local dealer services, then hope you don't need to visit him very often.

Robert

[starmac]

If I was going to go with a 60 cc saw, I would look very hard at the 562 autotune husky, but with oak and a 4 in bar, I know exactly what I would have and that is a 372 husky or 2171 jonsered IF you have a decent husky dealer in your area.
Stihl and husky both make pro saws, and homeowner saws, it doesn't matter which you get, but the homeowner will never compare with the pro saw.
If I was just cutting my own wood, I might look at dolmar/makita or the larger echos though.

[Superfly]

Dohlmar Look them up you wont be sorry

[trails4u]

Husky 372xp. Or if you really want to end the conversation...the 390 is a beast, although somewhat new to the market so not as tested as the 372. I work in the woods, and heat with wood at home, so I spend quite a bit of time with a saw in my hands.... From my perspective...it's the only shade of orange. YMMV...of course.