# Chainsaws



## slowzuki

Winter is logging time around here, I've been doing some cleaning up around the woods here after the big blow we had in the summer. Friends JD120C excavator with thumb has been handier than all get out I'll tell ya!

Anyways, with a friend working for me I was short on saws so I picked up a used Stihl MS-361 pro arctic with heated grips and carb, what a nice saw! I had my MS-260 already that I've had for 10 years or so, and I had a friends Husqy 345 borrowed as well.

The extra power of the 361 sure is nice felling big stuff, its a little less handy limbing, we are cutting spruces with lots of limbs so it wears you out a bit. Better vibe reduction system than the 260, not quite as good as the husqy.

Saws sure have come a long was from the old ones like the old Partner in the shed. No anti-vibe, no chain brake, what a monster to run for a whole day.


----------



## Lostin55

The ugly truth is that the older we get the more we notice the little differences.

They do make nice saws now.


----------



## mlappin

I have a 362 and love it, has a 25" bar on it which I'll change out for a 20 once it wears out. I also have a 460 with a 30" bar so no real need for the 25".


----------



## slowzuki

Question for ya, no one runs big bars here, I have a 16" on the 361 for example, I'd use a 16" bar up to about a 40" tree, are your trees just bigger? Ours are mostly softwood in the big sizes which may be the reason. Odd big maple here and there.


----------



## mlappin

slowzuki said:


> Question for ya, no one runs big bars here, I have a 16" on the 361 for example, I'd use a 16" bar up to about a 40" tree, are your trees just bigger? Ours are mostly softwood in the big sizes which may be the reason. Odd big maple here and there.


Split some maple from town today with the inverted splitter, measured 58 inches across, counted 179 rings.


----------



## JD3430

slowzuki said:


> Question for ya, no one runs big bars here, I have a 16" on the 361 for example, I'd use a 16" bar up to about a 40" tree, are your trees just bigger? Ours are mostly softwood in the big sizes which may be the reason. Odd big maple here and there.


I like the longer bars for felled timber. Less bending over for my hurtin' back.


----------



## mlappin




----------



## Gearclash

That's a big un. We have cottonwoods to deal with here. Nothing that an old Husky Rancher 61 with a 24" bar can't handle. Biggest are about 48" at waist height from the ground, 80' tall. Most are around 100 years old.


----------



## PaCustomBaler

I got my first Stihl out of high school...MS 260 Pro...absolutely love it. I have an 18" bar and it's my saw for firewood, burn 5-6 cord/year plus help all of her family relatives cut and split their wood. I bought myself a MS660 with 28" bar as a college graduation present to myself (hehe).

I'm a diehard Stihl guy...mostly oaks, hickory, maple, locust, walnuts, some cherry around here.

Bailey's online has narrow kerf (.050) bar/chain combos to replace wider .065 bar/chains. I'd like to try it..less lumber to cut through. Any of you guys do the switch to your saws?


----------



## slowzuki

The pico chain? I don't think they have rim drive for Stihl and you have to use a spur drive.

Thats some big maple there! We rarely have them get that big, people cut them down earlier in their life.


----------



## PaCustomBaler

The narrow kerf bar/chains are Woodland Pro brand, not Stihl.


----------



## slowzuki

No I know, stihl withdrew the pico stuff from north america years ago, someone still brings in a bit from europe for chainsaw mills.

EDIT I went and looked and see I'm out of touch, didn't know about 0.325 narrow kerf.


----------



## aawhite

Running a John Deere 65v with a 26" bar thats well over 30 years old. Switching to a 20" bar soon. Don't drop big trees anymore, and that thing is HEAVY, will wear you out. Great saw, jsut keeps on running.


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

Jonsereds 70E with 20" bar for the big stuff. Used to have a 24" bar!

Husqvarna 345XP & 2 Sthil 028 Pro's, with 18" bars for everything else

The Husky is prolly my favorite!


----------



## deadmoose

I have had good luck with my stihl's. MS270C and MS362. Both nice saws. Would never pay extra for the C again. But my older brother had just got an ms250c... Other brother had a husky that was a dog. In all fairness he bought it used at a dealer. Did turn me off to husky tho.

My dad had a jonsered that he had forever. I wish my mom didn't sell it. By the time I asked about it it was long gone.

Now i just need a big saw. And a little saw.


----------



## slowzuki

Helped a neighbour with something and he gave me his spare saw. He said it needs some work so we'll see what's wrong. Ms-360 pro, worth fixing I think.


----------



## slowzuki

Should note too, I had a 100 year old bamboo fly fishing rod with an original wooden holder and canvas case that I gave him as a thank you for the saw as I hadn't expected anything at all for helping. He's an avid fisherman and has a small collection of antiques so I hope he likes that as much as I like the saw!


----------



## Grateful11

Personally I think that Husqvarna and Stihl make excellent saws. The first saw I ever bought was a well used Stihl 028WB and was still running until a few years ago. Sent it to a guy that said he could fix it and made it worse so for now it's retired. When I had a good back and leg I had a Husky 371XP with 24" bar but someone decided they wanted it, my Husky 55 and few things more than I did and stole them out of my garage. I replaced the 371XP with a used Stihl 046 Magnum with a 20" bar very nice saw, sold it when my back went out on me. Right now we're running a Husqvarna 455 Rancher and a Stihl MS180. Both are good saws even though they're so called homeowner grade.

The Stihl uses a Picco Micro Mini chain and as long as it's sharp it cuts great, lower power needs a narrower kerf just makes sense to me. If I don't hit the ground with it, like any saw, I can go through 2-3 tanks of fuel before it needs a light touch up with a file.


----------



## Wethay

I run a Stihl 460 with a 32" bar for the bigger stuff and a 029 with a 20" for most of the rest. I have a 211 with a 16" bar for limbing and to throw it on the tractor to take care of limbs, brush, etc. I figure that limbing and cutting brush is about the hardest thing on a saw. Looking at the price of a new saw I figure I would rather beat the heck out of one that is more affordable. When it's time to take out another couple of truck loads of trees I'll most likely get a 36" bar for the 460. I would like a light weight 36" bar but a couple of truck loads doesn't justify the added expense.


----------



## JD3430

Don't know if I mentioned this in another thread, but I have a great little chainsaw secret to share. 
Makita purchased the Sachs Dolmar chainsaw company in Germany a few years ago. If you don't know Dolmar, they are considered the rolls Royce of chainsaws. 
Anyway, Home Depot carries the Makita line at their rental department. These are Dolmar made saws painted blue-no other difference from an orange sachs Dolmar saw. They frequently sell these saws with 20" bars on them in very good conditions for $250. 
I bought 2 of them and they are monsters! Blow away my Stihl farm boss 20" saw.


----------



## PaCustomBaler

Doesn't take much to blow those Farm Boss' away. I'm a stihl guy and I can't stand how slow those clumsy saws run.


----------



## mlappin

Farm Boss is just a hopped up homeowners model, when i buy a chainsaw its the professional model all the way, may cost a lot more but you get a lot more.

I'll agree though, Sachs Dolmar does make a hell of a chainsaw, I have two of those and three Stihls.


----------



## PaMike

Yup, if you get a stihl it MUST be a pro model...


----------



## MDill

The Farm Boss was the 290, so it is a decent saw. The new one is a 271 I think? Don't quote me on that.
I had a Rancher 55 and a 41 that I've had since high school, I don't burn wood where I am now so I really only used them to trim fence lines at work, cut down trees after power outages and clean up during sugaring season. 
Probably going to start cutting a lot more so I sold my old Rancher 55, it had been a good saw but wasn't super reliable anymore. Just got a screaming deal on a new Stihl MS311 that I couldn't pass up, haven't cut anything with it yet but I figure it should pair nice with my dads 290 farm boss and the 290 at work. 
I really really wanted a Dolmar, my brother has a pile of Huskys (you can never have just one Husky) and has been collecting them for years. He just picked up a Dolmar 5105 not that long ago that he loves. I haven't run it yet but I love the feel and power of the new Dolmars. They are light which is what I always liked about my Rancher so they make a nice sugarbush saw, but they have way more HP than the Stihl or Husqvarnas of the same size. 
The problem I see with Dolmar is they suck at marketing. Badly. They make awesome saws, all the larger ones are pro grade, so there is no homeowner grade junk, they have nice features but they expect people to come to them. 
Besides price the reason I bought a new Stihl was that they aren't going anywhere, almost every equipment dealer around here is a Stihl dealer. 
Also everyone knows Stihl, if I don't like this 311 I can easily resell it. 
Stihl is basically the John Deere of the chainsaw world, not sure what that makes Dolmar/Makita.


----------



## JD3430

MDill said:


> The Farm Boss was the 290, so it is a decent saw. The new one is a 271 I think? Don't quote me on that.
> I had a Rancher 55 and a 41 that I've had since high school, I don't burn wood where I am now so I really only used them to trim fence lines at work, cut down trees after power outages and clean up during sugaring season.
> Probably going to start cutting a lot more so I sold my old Rancher 55, it had been a good saw but wasn't super reliable anymore. Just got a screaming deal on a new Stihl MS311 that I couldn't pass up, haven't cut anything with it yet but I figure it should pair nice with my dads 290 farm boss and the 290 at work.
> I really really wanted a Dolmar, my brother has a pile of Huskys (you can never have just one Husky) and has been collecting them for years. He just picked up a Dolmar 5105 not that long ago that he loves. I haven't run it yet but I love the feel and power of the new Dolmars. They are light which is what I always liked about my Rancher so they make a nice sugarbush saw, but they have way more HP than the Stihl or Husqvarnas of the same size.
> The problem I see with Dolmar is they suck at marketing. Badly. They make awesome saws, all the larger ones are pro grade, so there is no homeowner grade junk, they have nice features but they expect people to come to them.
> Besides price the reason I bought a new Stihl was that they aren't going anywhere, almost every equipment dealer around here is a Stihl dealer.
> Also everyone knows Stihl, if I don't like this 311 I can easily resell it.
> Stihl is basically the John Deere of the chainsaw world, not sure what that makes Dolmar/Makita.


Well you can walk into a Home Depot and buy a used Dolmar/Makita for about $250 and start feeling the power.
I just used mine today and that saw screams through wood.

Theres a small Dolmar/Gravely shop in my area. Barely hangin in there. I get parts there.


----------



## deadmoose

271 repkaced the 279 "Wood Boss". I have one. It has done well for me. Cut probably 25+ cords of firewood with it before getting an MS362. Both have their place. I would like a big saw some day. Not today. My top handle and these two do well for me.


----------



## slowzuki

I won't talk down the mid level saws, the biggest problems with them is how they come apart to be rebuilt, they have cases that aren't as easy to pull apart. For the average homeowner it will never get the hours to need a rebuild.

The pro saws can be rebuilt 2 or 3 times if they haven't been run over by a skidder or whatnot.


----------



## Thorim

When I worked for Davey Tree doing power line clearance we ran Jonsered with 20 inch bars for our ground saws don't remember a model number but the sure were heavy

just about indestructible.. Stihl were the in tree saws again don't remember model numbers as there was different one that we used


----------



## mlappin

I have a Sachs 112 and a 120SI, 112 more of an entry level saw, the 120 is a screamer though. Also have a 023 I traded for two round bales of 1st cutting. Bought a brand new Stihl 362 that just keeps getting stronger with every tank of gas and a Stihl 460 thats a beast. The 112 and 120 have 20" bars which I like, the 023 is a 16" which is great for topping. I don't like the 25" bar that came on the 362, just seems like an odd size, the saw has more than enough power to pull all 25" though, just gonna replace it with a 20" when the 25 wears out. The 460 has a 30" bar on it.


----------



## PaCustomBaler

Brother-in-law has a ms362 that cuts like butter...much faster than my 260 pro.


----------



## cornshucker

Got a Husky 262XP and a 257XP both have given great service. Don't think you can go wrong with Husqvarna or Stihl I have a friend that's in the logging business and loves the Sachs Dolmar, swears by them. From what I have seen I would probably give a slight edge to Stihl but a real good friend and customer is a Husqvarna dealer and service tech so I am pretty much committed to buy Husqvarna products.


----------



## glasswrongsize

Have a 270 Wood Boss. It cuts well for that HP class of saw with a 20" bar. Dad has an 036 and 361 pro. The 270(pretty well) keeps up with the 036 with 20" bar and is lighter. Both the 270 and 036 have .325 pitch chains with 30 deg. angle and a 0 deg. offset. There is night and day difference between the 361 pro and the 270/036. The 361 has a 3/8 pitch (so fewer teeth on a 20 inch bar), but the angle is 25 deg (I sharpen at 23 deg) and a 10 deg offset.

I sharpen all of the chains for all of the saws and I run all of the saws from time to time. Leave the 270 out of the equation for a minute...The 361 out-saws the 036- hands down...but the 036's speed is reduced by the cutting ability of the chain, not by it's HP.

When the 361 was purchased, I immediately noted the difference in chain angles and attempted to find same for the .325 pitch chain. They were not offered at the time.

I contemplated the waste of metal on the cutting teeth to change the existing angle on the existing chains and did not think it to be worth it. Dad and I have enough chains that I usually only sharpen 1-2 times per year.

I'm about out of sharp chains and think I'm gonna bite the bullet and waste the steel on a chain or two to see if the 036 will keep up with the 361 (same HP class of saw). I am confident that it will... but a lot of people are confident in their own ignorance and I am not exempt.

On a second note, the local saw shop sold Huskies and Stilhls. He dropped the Stihl line (or they dropped him?) and he now sells EFCO. He claims the EFCO saws to be an old manufacturer with a long history of quality saws. He is a salesman, so his opinion is self-fulfilling. Is there anyone here that has experience with EFCO saws...or better yet, has anyone personally sawed with a Stihl pro class of saw AND an EFCO in the same CC class?

73, Mark


----------



## JD3430

glasswrongsize said:


> Have a 270 Wood Boss. It cuts well for that HP class of saw with a 20" bar. Dad has an 036 and 361 pro. The 270(pretty well) keeps up with the 036 with 20" bar and is lighter. Both the 270 and 036 have .325 pitch chains with 30 deg. angle and a 0 deg. offset. There is night and day difference between the 361 pro and the 270/036. The 361 has a 3/8 pitch (so fewer teeth on a 20 inch bar), but the angle is 25 deg (I sharpen at 23 deg) and a 10 deg offset.
> 
> I sharpen all of the chains for all of the saws and I run all of the saws from time to time. Leave the 270 out of the equation for a minute...The 361 out-saws the 036- hands down...but the 036's speed is reduced by the cutting ability of the chain, not by it's HP.
> 
> When the 361 was purchased, I immediately noted the difference in chain angles and attempted to find same for the .325 pitch chain. They were not offered at the time.
> 
> I contemplated the waste of metal on the cutting teeth to change the existing angle on the existing chains and did not think it to be worth it. Dad and I have enough chains that I usually only sharpen 1-2 times per year.
> 
> I'm about out of sharp chains and think I'm gonna bite the bullet and waste the steel on a chain or two to see if the 036 will keep up with the 361 (same HP class of saw). I am confident that it will... but a lot of people are confident in their own ignorance and I am not exempt.
> 
> On a second note, the local saw shop sold Huskies and Stilhls. He dropped the Stihl line (or they dropped him?) and he now sells EFCO. He claims the EFCO saws to be an old manufacturer with a long history of quality saws. He is a salesman, so his opinion is self-fulfilling. Is there anyone here that has experience with EFCO saws...or better yet, has anyone personally sawed with a Stihl pro class of saw AND an EFCO in the same CC class?
> 
> 73, Mark


EFCO is an Italian job (I mean made in Italy, not the movie). I have a few dealers near me. Seem to be a lot like Dolmar, very poorly marketed.

I think that Stihl & Husky dominate the market. Echo & Tanaka market quite well, too.

Dolmar/Makita, Jonsereds, EFCO, may actually make better saws, but you cant find them (easily)


----------



## MDill

Pretty sure Efco has a 5 year warranty which is pretty impressive. I looked into them briefly, no close dealers.


----------



## Grateful11

Son recently picked a Echo CS-590 when the local dealer that sells Dolmar, Husqvarna and Echo. They had a one day sale of 20% off all Echo, so for $320 he walked out with a 59.9cc magnesium case chainsaw. No one has had anytime or the weather to use it yet. Many in the chainsaw circles say there's no better 60cc class saw out there for $400 or less than the Echo CS-590 and it has 5 year warranty.

Here's a video of muffler modded CS-590 vs. ported Stihl MS-361


----------



## JMT

MDill said:


> Pretty sure Efco has a 5 year warranty which is pretty impressive. I looked into them briefly, no close dealers.


I have zero experience with Efco. Did a search just for info (had never even heard of them). Found this, no clue to its validity, but it was on the internet so...
http://store.chainsawr.com/blogs/news/7283896-the-chainsawr-is-no-longer-an-efco-dealer-read-why


----------



## Grateful11

Efco comes and goes. At one point Northern Tool was selling them but I don't know of any major saw shops around here that has ever sold them.

I still remember my late Dad's old Sears he had back in the 60's, big heavy monster with big round tank on top. As long as it would start it was ok but many times it wouldn't. Luckily we had a full-time sawmiller down the road, a one to two man operation, that also ran a saw shop selling Pioneer and repairing any brand. Kinda funny but he had a saw shop and right beside it his wife had a shoe store. This was kinda out in the country mind ya. You just don't see things like that these days. Good people, if you needed a pair shoes and she didn't have your size she would order them right away. I've got weird feet, real narrow and long, Mama used to go there and get my shoes because no else would have them and didn't really want to order them, that was back when you only had maybe two pairs shoes, shoes school and church and a pair brogans, we called them, for work.

On hunch I Googled Sears 60's chainsaw and found one just like Dad had. It's probably older than the 60's because Dad probably bought it used.


----------



## mlappin

Just get one of these:


----------



## Farmineer95

I tried out the stihl ms661 today. Took 1/2 the time and 1/2 the gas to do the same thing as the ms390. Make me smile. I shall call it Hot Knife or Chip for short.


----------



## Grateful11

Farmineer95 said:


> I tried out the stihl ms661 today. Took 1/2 the time and 1/2 the gas to do the same thing as the ms390. Make me smile. I shall call it Hot Knife or Chip for short.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 20160528_080931.jpg


That MS661 is a mans saw. My old worn out body can't handle something like that, ah to be young again. When I was younger I used to love to head for the woods and cut a couple loads of firewood in the evenings, there was just something about being in the woods working up some firewood.

Do something for yourself and your family if you haven't already, getcha a pair of chainsaw chaps, they're worth every penny.


----------



## Swv.farmer

That is one good looking saw.
And the thing about it you have a saw that will last you a long time stihl makes a good product.


----------



## Swv.farmer

Around hear if it ain't a sthil it ain't a saw.


----------



## JD3430

Swv.farmer said:


> Around hear if it ain't a sthil it ain't a saw.


CAUTION: Brainwashing and brand loyalty are a dangerous thing!!

Hey just having some fun swv farmer.

I've owned a bunch of different types. Theres about 7 really good brands of saw out there.

Stihl

Husky

Sachs Dolmar/Makita

Jonsereds

Echo

Shindiawa

...and a few others my aging brain is forgetting.

Not sure if Partner is still around


----------



## Farmineer95

You bet, chaps were buckled on using that monster. Just got back from Dad's and cut a 22"elm log. Made quick work of it.
I decided anyone who uses it is required to wear chaps. It stops for nothing, wood or not.


----------



## Thorim

Grateful11 said:


> That MS661 is a mans saw. My old worn out body can't handle something like that, ah to be young again. When I was younger I used to love to head for the woods and cut a couple loads of firewood in the evenings, there was just something about being in the woods working up some firewood.
> 
> Do something for yourself and your family if you haven't already, getcha a pair of chainsaw chaps, they're worth every penny.


When I was with Davey Tree if you got caught running a ground saw with out chaps it was an immediate firing on the spot. Loved wearing them in the cold Michigan winters all you needed was your long johns pair of jeans and those chaps and you stayed toasty warm all day no matter how nasty the day was....


----------



## mlappin

Like my MS460, just seems to run stronger than a friends MS461.

I looked at a MS660, not sure what I would ever use it for, most of the huge trees here are long gone. Do have a Burr Oak in one field that me and the forrester measured at 63" diameter, I'll keep farming around it though, it's probably been there longer than this has been a farm and its the wife favorite tree so no way am I cutting it down, besides would cut for weeks on the tops out of that monster.


----------



## Thorim

mlappin said:


> Like my MS460, just seems to run stronger than a friends MS461.
> 
> I looked at a MS660, not sure what I would ever use it for, most of the huge trees here are long gone. Do have a Burr Oak in one field that me and the forrester measured at 63" diameter, I'll keep farming around it though, it's probably been there longer than this has been a farm and its the wife favorite tree so no way am I cutting it down, besides would cut for weeks on the tops out of that monster.


 A friendly request share a couple of pictures of that old tree....


----------



## Swv.farmer

JD3430 said:


> CAUTION: Brainwashing and brand loyalty are a dangerous thing!!
> 
> Hey just having some fun swv farmer.
> I've owned a bunch of different types. Theres about 7 really good brands of saw out there.
> Stihl
> Husky
> Sachs Dolmar/Makita
> Jonsereds
> Echo
> Shindiawa
> 
> ...and a few others my aging brain is forgetting.
> Not sure if Partner is still around


----------



## Swv.farmer

Yea but the catch hear really is that sthil is the only close dealer.unless you want a Wal-Mart special.lol


----------



## RuttedField

I am not brand loyal per se, but I have run both Stihl and Husky and Stihl just seem to last longer.

I bought an 046 Stihl in 1994 and after running it over with a skidder twice, rewelding the handle, bashing it with an excavator...it still runs. Oh it leaks gas out of the cracked tank nightly, but has been a good saw. I have cut at least a thousand cords with it.

I am not even sure a new one can really replace it.


----------



## JD3430

Thats the thing that has happened to all my Stihl saws. Every last damn one of them leaks and makes a huge mess in my tool boxes.

Oil and fuel mix.


----------



## slowzuki

None of my stihls leak fuel but all leak oil eventually. I don't refill the oil at the end of the day.


----------



## mlappin

Thorim said:


> A friendly request share a couple of pictures of that old tree....


All five foot of the wife standing at the trunk.










Picture today with the Polaris Ranger under it


----------



## broadriverhay

Most Huskies have one piston ring and Stihls have two. There is the longevity answer.


----------



## mlappin

I've been very happy with all my Stihl saws, what I'm really impressed with is my Kombi, rarely even have to choke it and usually running by the second pull. Have the edger, brush wacker, pole saw, power broom and hedge trimmer for it, being a hybrid four stroke it has a ton more torque than it's two stroke counter parts it replaced.


----------



## slowzuki

Partner only make concrete saws now.

I have an old R16 with no chainbrake and no anti-vibe. Good strong motor but rough to run very long. My dad used to cut truckloads of firewood with it which I can't imagine.



JD3430 said:


> ...and a few others my aging brain is forgetting.
> 
> Not sure if Partner is still around


----------



## RuttedField

My father had a Partner and that thing is out in the woods everyday...that is because when he launched it over the brush pile in a sheer seething blast of of anger, that is where it has been ever since.

The blasted thing would run great when he tried it at home, but out in the woods..crank, and crank, and crank...then one day...up in went, right over the brush pile in a nice graceful arc!


----------



## RuttedField

Of all the wood I have cut, I have only been cut twice and both were minor. Considering what logging is, and how bad they bite, any chainsaw bite that you live through is a minor one.

The first was when I was younger, perhaps 15 or so, and was felling a tree. I made my notch, but as I went to make the back cut, there was a sapling that ran up the tree and my saw bounced off it and leaped back and cut my chin pretty good.

The second time I was in my mid-30's and was working in very deep snow. It was up to my waist and I had just topped off a tree. As the saw came down, I was still treading up through the snow and brought my thigh up into the downward saw and cut my thigh pretty good. Fortunately it was winter and so my jeans and thermal pants kept the bit from being severe, and I had sugar packets for my coffee in my lunch box. Sugar will clot cuts in a pinch.

I have been beanied by a few widow-makers and spring poles over the years too, but nothing overly debilitating.


----------

