Stihl Pro models.

My fav saw is a modified MS361 .. If I lost it tomorrow it would be replaced with a 362 C-M.

I use my top-handle MS 201 more than anything though.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Either of the name brands will serve you well, but I'm partial to Huskies. Other than the McCullogh I had when I was fighting fires forty years ago (God I wish I still had that saw), it's all I've owned and have never been disappointed.

AFAIK, wildland FFs have been using Stihls for years now. Myself, I have a Husqvarna 450 Rancher. We heated with wood for 5 years and it served me well. My memory as a FS seasonal, back in the day, was that our saws were Homelites.

Stihl or Husky for me.
I'd give the Stihl the edge because there seem to be more dealers in my part of the world.
I've always bought the higher grade than I really needed because it's bulletproof for me and a lifetime purchase. Both of my saws will outlast me.

Stihl dealers are plentiful around here, so they'd be my first look.

Are you going to be felling, limbing, bucking into rounds ?

quote:

Originally posted by wrightd:
I have a 40cc 18 in gas chainsaw now...

A Stihl 261CM with a 16" bar is certainly capable of much work. Here's what mine did on a chilly day in January. The trees had diameters of 11 to 16 inches at the felling cuts, were 48 to 60 feet tall. Nothing huge, but the saw did the work without issues. A sharp chain is a key part of working efficiently. I vaguely recall burning 3 or 4 tanks of fuel that day. I know I sharpened the chain about half way through the process.

A clump of beetle kill trees before. I paint a yellow stripe on trees that I plan to fell.




5 trees from the above clump. I bucked the larger portions of the trunks to 6-foot lengths -- erosion control supplies.




Tree #6 -- before bucking



Tree #7 -- before bucking



Tree #8 -- before bucking

fritz, around here at $2000-3000 per tree, you'd be richer than
King Croesus by now.


https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...935/m/8300042115/p/1

Another vote for the Stihl 261C. It is a beast. My local Rural King has it on sale currently for $599. Stihl also has a special where it comes with a case, extra chain, 6 pack of oil, and a hat. You cannot beat that deal on a Stihl professional line saw!

Another Husky 55 Rancher owner here. I bought mine around early 2000s. Feel couple of large trees with it. The largest was more than 20" in diameter. I was stronger and dumber back then. Most the trees now are much smaller around 1' or less. I bought a lighter Echo 2511T to do delimbing but found out that little Migthy Mouse can handle trunks up to ~10" without straining. It being so light but powerful, it my preferred saw for most of my smaller jobs now myself being older with all the associated attributes.

The Oakie Woodsman video....

Here's a prime example of someone who doesn't know how to test chainsaws. In another of his videos he states that the Stihl is not his own saw, and that the rakers aren't set properly. For those of us who know what a properly sharpened chain does in wood -- and how it throws chips in a video -- it's pretty clear that Oakie Woodsman isn't a good source of information. He even states in a longer saw comparison video that this wasn't an apples-to-apples comparison of the three models. Furthermore, his skills of holding a saw are.... well, if you can't say anything good, you might as well not say anything.

With properly sharpened chains, the Stihl 461 will run circles around the 60cc Husky & Echo saws. There's a reason that the Stihl 461 is so heavily used by wildland firefighting crews -- it's because it works quite well.

Saw engine size is generally heavily correlated with cutting speed. It's a function of generated chain speed and torque. Chain speed is more important with small-to-mid sized pieces of wood. Torque really comes into play when the saw is buried into at least two feet of wood. For the guys who fell & buck the large trees of the Pacific Northwest, the torque of a large displacement engine is paramount to making a 3-foot or longer bar cut effectively.

The Joe Blows on the internet are eager to compare cookie cutting speeds of various chainsaws, seemingly attempting to show their chainsaw prowess. So often these videos are just clickbait. There are cookie cutting "tests" out the wazoo, with various levels of credibility. Cookie cutting is probably comparable to 0-60 mph acceleration stats for cars. And there's a lot more to buying a car than how fast it goes from 0 to 60. Bigger saw, faster chain speed, sharper chain -- faster cookie cutting times. This ain't rocket science. Cookie cutting times can be a significant factor for saw owners who primarily buck longer logs into shorter logs, such as those who specialize in firewood production. But in reality, a few seconds here and there per bucking cut means little over the course of a few hours of work.

A number of webz folks can make it seem like they know their saw shit by cutting cookie after cookie on the clock, while the log is held in perfect position through some kind of supporting device. Videos that show a saw's capabilities while felling, limbing, and bucking -- especially on uneven terrain.....<<crickets>>. It's because said webz gurus don't have the skills.

For sawyers who truly understand the challenges of safe and efficient forestry work, cookie cutting speeds are only one part of the equation. Proper saw selection factors should include powerhead weight, saw & bar balance, starting reliability, bar length, bar oiling capabilities, chain type & size, anti-vibration features, air filtration, ease of parts replacement, and service & support.

For Joe Blow weekend chainsaw warrior, what isn't considered enough is safety. Heavier & more powerful saws are harder to control, especially when felling and limbing. Regardless of personal strength & endurance, a larger saw causes greater fatigue over the course of a day. The one possible exception to fatigue over long day is bucking with a heavier & more powerful saw. With the proper experience, a heavier & more powerful saw means the user has to muscle the saw less. Some folks get careless with lighter saws -- I've seen way too many videos of guys waving a saw all over the place, with only partial control of such a potentially dangerous tool.

And there's the way-too-common lack of personal protective equipment -- cut-resistant chaps/pants, eye pro, ear pro. Plus a helmet, especially if any wood being cut starts out above the sawyer.

Another vote for Stihl.
Mine is an OLD one, a 028 Farmboss. Bought new in 1988. Still runs like a top. Think the 261 might be similar.
Thinking about bar length - I started with a 16” bar. Went to a 18” bar and now have a 20”. It handled them all well. Yes, tree diameter was a consideration, but it is/was rare that I pushed it to full bar capacity. It handled it well with any bar. The big perk for the longer bar now it that I don’t have to lean over as much when cutting limbs that are on the ground.
First bought it to build our log home. Have used it regularly ever since, both as a money maker and for tree work around the house. While Stihl dealers are in the area, I get most of my parts on line. It is a relatively simple saw to maintain. This model, the 028, seemed to be exceptional for trouble free, long life. They still bring money in the $300 range which is about what I paid for mine new.
Finally- use ONLY alcohol free gas in your two-stroke mix. Alcohol can really screw up the carburetors. It also have a much better shelf life.

I have been running a number of saws in the last 4 years. MS291 Stihl, 20 year old Husqvarna w 16” bar, and even an electric Dewalt.
I have had an opportunity to run a friend’s 550 XP Husqvarna Pro Saw a few times. The 550 XP is the smoothest running, best balanced, most powerful saw I have ever run. Light years ahead of the similarly sized and cost of the MS291.
If I had to buy a serious chainsaw I’d take the buy once, cry once, advice and get a 550XP. Unless you saw for a living it will be the last saw you’ll ever buy.
Billy

Stihl.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
Are you going to be felling, limbing, bucking into rounds ?

No felling, I call pros for that, but everything else related to any kind of firewood I can get off my property, and anyone else's who gives it to me for bucking it up and hauling away, that's my primary use. And trimming my own yard tree branches etc (no climbing). That sort of stuff. Last year I tore up my 18 inch 40 cc chainsaw taking out a large stump, and other times I've overdone it with that little saw, so my original idea of getting a 60cc saw to run a 20 inch bar was born, since the consensus seems to be that a 20 inch bar on a 50cc saw is still too much, the Stihl 261 a case in point. That's why I opened the thread suggesting a 60 cc saw with a 20 inch bar. I think I'm done with 18 inch bars except for small stuff, but no more heavy bucking and chopping up larger logs with a 40 cc saw. That saw is too light, esp since it's a homeowner saw only.

quote:

Originally posted by wrightd:
bucking
60 cc saw with a 20 inch bar

Stihl 362CM -- 12.35 pounds for the powerhead, retail of around $950
Husky 562XP -- 13.4 pounds for the powerhead, retail of around $820, I see promotions for around $750

Power is pretty similar for both models, both are pro-level saws. Although I definitely prefer Stihl, either one would be very good for your stated use. Heavily consider local dealer support in your decision.

I have commercial wood lots. when we log (which is a periodic requirement) I (with others) cut a lots of trees, some quite large.
I can't give you a comparison as 20 years ago I used Husky but the dealer support sucked so I switched to Stihl. And since then I have cut hundreds of thousands of board feet of timber using Stihl saws.
I have zero complaints. zero. At the moment I have 6 Stihl saws of various sizes so its a decent sample size. The saws run great, parts are available even for older saws (because if you do this seriously sooner or later you will run over a saw with an excavator or skidder), the dealer I have has been responsive for the inevitable maintenance issues caused by the crap we call gasoline (nominally a carb or two).
In terms of specific saws I mostly use the 362 sized saws (in reality I have both 361 and 362 and the 361 are better, but you can't get them). But when the work doesn't require that size the 261 saw is what I use and for much work (especially the stuff you outlined) its just fine and much lighter. A 262 with an 18" bar is about the most "all around" saw you could wish for if you don't need the power of a heavier saw.
all FWIW but I can't think of many products I would recommend without hesitation based on personal use over a long use period than the Stihl saws I have used.

Check out
In The Woodyard
On you tube.
Chris has a ton of good advice.
On over 500 videos.
If he can't answer many of your questions,
Then I don't know.

Saws, splitters, processors, chains, marketing, methods , procedures, safety, good stuff.