# Saws in the logging industry.



## AJLOGGER (Nov 3, 2006)

Was talking with a friend of mine and we were wondering what brand of saw is used most in the logging industry as well as model. I know that many models are used but is there one model in particular that is a favorite? I couldn't think of a better place to ask than here.


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## jomoco (Nov 3, 2006)

*Stihl of course is still top dog*

As to which model, it's a toss up between the ms460 or the ms660.

jomoco


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## mike385 (Nov 3, 2006)

Seems in PA that husky is gaining ground. I have used them all and I still like husky. My opinion of couse.


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## GASoline71 (Nov 3, 2006)

Out here in the PNW it is dominated bt Stihl... mostly 044/440's and 046/460's. With the 066/660 thrown in there for BIG wood. There are some guys loyal to Husqvarna out here. But not where I'm from.

Gary


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## fishhuntcutwood (Nov 3, 2006)

GASoline71 said:


> Out here in the PNW it is dominated bt Stihl... mostly 044/440's and 046/460's. With the 066/660 thrown in there for BIG wood. There are some guys loyal to Husqvarna out here. But not where I'm from.
> 
> Gary



Ditto.....but then again, we only live 50 miles apart!


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## ciscoguy01 (Nov 3, 2006)

*In Northern, NY*

Here in the daks, I think Stihl has the hands down largest presence. For model, I'd say something in the 44/46 range. Husky's gaining ground here also. Although, most husky folks around here are mostly homeowners using them for a few occasion cord or cutting. My preference is a bigger stihl also, buttttt, if they are going to be so friggin' proud of their saws, I'll buy a husky in a second. Posted about this in another thread when buying the wifey a saw...


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## Billy_Bob (Nov 4, 2006)

Stihl MS-460's around here. Note you can get an "Arctic" model which has a heated handle.


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## JohnH (Nov 4, 2006)

372,575 husky or 440,460 sthil about 50-50 here


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## Forest Steward (Nov 4, 2006)

Down in the Finger Lakes region it seems pretty mixed. From what I hear, traditionally Stihl pretty much ruled the area, but when I've been looking in guys trucks, there's been a lot of Husky's in the beds. All the Husky's I've seen have been either 385's or 395's. Most of the guys using Stihl's around here have 66's or 88's. We use both. The Husky's are 395's and the Stihl's are an 066, 088's and an 880.


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## stihltech (Nov 4, 2006)

*stihl rules*

Well, in this area anyway. But we made sure of that with quick service to the pro's. Most of my work is done after 5 at night. Not uncommon to have customers from Rochester to Buffalo. Word of mouth still works.


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## NYH1 (Nov 4, 2006)

Had two loggers get some cherry off my friends property a few years ago. They showed up with a Stihl and three Husky's. I have a cousin that's not a logger but he used to work for a company that cut tree limbs to keep them away from power lines for different power companies. He used Husky's, a 346 and a 372. A guy at work has a tree removal company he does on the side. He has 10 saws, 7 Stihl's, 2 Husky's and a Jonsered. I've seen a pretty good mix of Stihl and Husky in my area.


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## Reddog (Nov 4, 2006)

Don't see saws much. More Timbco's and Ponse bunchers. Tree services run more saws. What you do see is Stihls 75% of the time.


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## Freakingstang (Nov 5, 2006)

South of me is where the loggers are. From the little i have seen it is mixed 50/50. the stihls seem to run the 066/660 and the husky's run the 372 and 395's. not seen many 385's or the smaller stihls running around. The most common firewood saw in the area seems to be the 046. Seems everyone and their brother has one around here....


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## Kiwilogger (Nov 5, 2006)

*Stihl 660 here*

In my part of the world *stihls* outnumber huskys by more than 20:1


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## SWE#Kipp (Nov 5, 2006)

JohnH said:


> 372,575 husky or 440,460 sthil about 50-50 here



whats the verdict on the 575 ??
does the loggers like them ??


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## Kiwilogger (Nov 5, 2006)

SWE#Kipp said:


> whats the verdict on the 575 ??
> does the loggers like them ??



575 is a bit small for a loggers saw. Well, it is over here....

What sort of wood do you guys cut, and how big?


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## jon72 (Nov 5, 2006)

Maine is a Husky strong hold!In the early 80's they came in pushed their saws on everyone and it worked.It's hard to find a descent Stihl dealership in my area.And most loggers don't dare to switch.(myself included)
60 to 70+cc saws are most popular for our type of logging.

As far as the 575,I had one and won't buy another.It's not standing up to the all day-every day abuse.(limbing softwood)


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## SWE#Kipp (Nov 5, 2006)

Kiwilogger said:


> 575 is a bit small for a loggers saw. Well, it is over here....
> 
> What sort of wood do you guys cut, and how big?




Lets just say that my 372xpg is a bit of overkill


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## Kiwilogger (Nov 6, 2006)

372xp overkill? :censored: Heck, my 385xp is relegated to the shed as it just doesn't have the grunt required. I only got the 385 because it was a mates saw who left logging and he sold it to me for NZ$50. (around $30 US). Goes bloody well, only had 18months work, but the grunt aint there. MS660 is whats required. :greenchainsaw:


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## redwood logger (Nov 6, 2006)

*Logging Saws*

Out here in the redwoods of northern California the loggers use stihl almost exclusively. Those that dont, use husky, but they are uncommon. The ms 460 is most common for bucking and limbing. The ms660 for felling, and once in a while a 880 for the few and far in between big old growth stick.


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## Forest Steward (Nov 6, 2006)

To me, it seems that if you were to compare the the equivalent models between Husky and Stihl, the Husky puts out little more chain speed. They're a real smooth cutting saw, but they feel like they run a little looser. The Stihls seem a little more solid in their overall construction. We've only had our Husky's (395's) since this summer, so we'll have to see how they hold up to the everyday use. We use them mainly for felling and limbing and leave the Stihl's for bucking. I've heard that the Husky's can rattle themselves loose, but this could just be that the people using them don't know how to properly use a saw. So I'd definatley be interested in some feedback on that. But for us, Stihl still takes up the most space in the back of the truck.


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## John Ellison (Nov 7, 2006)

This is pine country around here and most of the loggers use the big equipment. The few saws I see are mostly Stihl 440.
I am the oddball with Dolmars.
Ten + years ago I fell timber in Alaska. There were fallers from all over the PNW.Seemed like 75% of the saws were 066s and the rest were Husky.


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## Ryan Willock (Nov 8, 2006)

I SWvirginia where I was logging it was about a 50/50 split between husky and stihl. Most guys run 372/575 or 440/460 with the 460 being the most popular stihl. Most outfits will have a 395 or 066 sitting around somewhere for the really big stuff but I've seen and cut some [email protected] timber with a 20''.


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## brian660 (Nov 8, 2006)

I tell ya one thing if I ever get into cuttin timber for a living I won`t be lugging my 090 or 088 around, those are best left for the mill :greenchainsaw:


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## stumpjumper83 (Nov 8, 2006)

*husky's job*

:hmm3grin2orange: In my neck of the woods its the husky's job to sit in truck and bark and or bite anyone trying to get the five finger discount on the stihl 044-660 laying in the bed... Just my $.02


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## Forest Steward (Nov 8, 2006)

brian660 said:


> I tell ya one thing if I ever get into cuttin timber for a living I won`t be lugging my 090 or 088 around, those are best left for the mill



Naw man, those are the things to use for production cutting. Yea, lugging them around can be a pain at first, but you get used to it. I used to think they were a bit of an overkill, but man, once you get going, they get the job done quick.


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## tek9tim (Nov 9, 2006)

redwood logger said:


> Out here in the redwoods of northern California the loggers use stihl almost exclusively. Those that dont, use husky, but they are uncommon. The ms 460 is most common for bucking and limbing. The ms660 for felling, and once in a while a 880 for the few and far in between big old growth stick.




That's kind of funny, the Forest Service uses almost exclusively Stihl, and almost always the 044/440, but one of the main areas that they use husky is California, I figured it was a regional thing, but aparrently not, if the loggers use Stihl.


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## a_lopa (Nov 9, 2006)

around here southern australia its the 066 with a 25" bar 99% of the time.every logging contractor must have a harvester so not much chainsaw felling.


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## GASoline71 (Nov 9, 2006)

An 066/660 in the woods out here in the PNW is usually gonna sport a 36" bar or longer. The 046/460 is king up here.

Gary


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## Stihl Crazy (Nov 9, 2006)

*Southwestern Nova Scotia*

Down here it is a 50/50 split between Husky and Stihl. Our wood is not very big. Sthl 260-361, Husky 346-357/359.


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## Monk (Nov 9, 2006)

*Stihl*

I use a 66 in the woods and an 84 in the yard and I use the husky as a wheel chauk.


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## Timbercutter (Nov 12, 2006)

460 stihls mostly around here


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## BostonBull (Nov 12, 2006)

It used to be all Stihl around here 046, 056, 064, 066 etc etc etc. Now it seems dead split with husky and stihl.


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## lumberjackau (Nov 12, 2006)

When I was cutting cypress pine in central Queensland most where using huskies (385, 395, and 3120's) and some where swinging off stihls as well.

Moved to southest queensland into the hardwoods and most are diehard stihl owners with the odd husky user thrown in to keep em honest. 

Just a regional thing, all comes down to service and avialability. No sense in having a saw that you can't get fixed overnight when you are relying on it to make your wages. My dealer where I used to live could fix a saw for me and have it ready for the next morning, if not he would lend me one of his saws so I can keep working (when I first started cutting on my own had just one saw). the stihl fella in the area couldn't give two hoots if it was fixed by next week! So I just went with the company that treated me right.

When I was working for the USFS in Montana in the early to mid 90's all the districts had stihl's, that way if we were on a fire or project and you had a breakdown and you didn't have a spare somebody else might have what you needed(always had a handfull of bar nuts and fuel and oil caps floating around in our gear, some dip???? on the crew always seemed to forget to tighten them).


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## rubberducky (Nov 13, 2006)

over here in eastern oregon, around unity to be exact. id say its about 80% sthils 20% huskys, they use 046s on most of the landings and 066s out on the mountainsides fallin trees. personally i like the 046s though not too big you can pack em around but big enough you can do just about anything you want to with em.


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## Tree Sling'r (Nov 13, 2006)

rubberducky said:


> over here in eastern oregon, around unity to be exact. id say its about 80% sthils 20% huskys, they use 046s on most of the landings and 066s out on the mountainsides fallin trees. personally i like the 046s though not too big you can pack em around but big enough you can do just about anything you want to with em.



I used to work with a couple guys from Unity, the have since left the timber falling biz. They were Dan and Jimmy Davis - father and son.


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## Eppleton (Nov 13, 2006)

*in and around Valemount, eastern British Columbia (52' Lat)*

Agreeing with 'LumberjackAU', it is mostly based on availability of service - mostly Stihls and Jonsered around here - pine, fir and spruce species - ranging from 20" to 48" butts (double back cut, of course) - some companies use StihlMS460 in the bush for falling (weight preference), 066 on the landings to buck to length (speed) while other companies use the Jonsered 2171 in both environments - however, in this case, parts and service for both brands are available from a single shop here.

Eppleton


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## lumberjackau (Nov 14, 2006)

My folks still live in New Hampshire, my dad bought a jonsered chainsaw mill a number of years ago, cut himself enough lumber with it to build a big post and beam barn and is now in the middle of building a 36' wood sailboat with the wood he cut with it. He is happy with its performance. I was looking at buying a jonsered for work but no one stocked them here, well no chainsaw shop, there was a local agricultral did but they had no service to back it up. 

No service, no sale


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## Monk (Nov 14, 2006)

> My folks still live in New Hampshire, my dad bought a jonsered chainsaw mill a number of years ago, cut himself enough lumber with it to build a big post and beam barn and is now in the middle of building a 36' wood sailboat with the wood he cut with it. He is happy with its performance. I was looking at buying a jonsered for work but no one stocked them here, well no chainsaw shop, there was a local agricultral did but they had no service to back it up.



If you are looking for a johny just buy yourself the husky of your choice and order the red plastic they are identical saws no difference except the husky has a lower price tag.


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## lumberjackau (Nov 15, 2006)

Monk said:


> If you are looking for a johny just buy yourself the husky of your choice and order the red plastic they are identical saws no difference except the husky has a lower price tag.



Here the johny's are cheaper than the husky's. My first worksaw was a husky and I just kept on buying them. A cutter I ran into yrs ago had the jonsered version of the 385, funny thing was he added some orange to it so he can get the larger airfilter on it. He ended up spending more on his than I did on mine, was boasting what a great deal it was at first.


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## JBFab (Nov 16, 2006)

I've got an antigue Jonsered 52E, which gets no use anymore, and my main saw is a Jonsered 670 Champ, all my buddies have the jonsereds, mostly 2071's and 2171's great saws, great performance, and great service here.


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## lovetheoutdoors (Nov 16, 2006)

Around here its 60% husky and 40% stihl.....either way you cant go wrong. I have both stihl and husky and like em both


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## treebogan (Nov 17, 2006)

*Sthil*

I've worked in seven countries logging in two and doing tree service in five,most places favour Sthil even up here in Alaska.Both have their stong points,especially Husky in the really cold conditions,the enclosed carb certainly makes a difference.I've grown up with Sthil so thats what I run,each to their own


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## Dakota Forester (Nov 20, 2006)

*STIHL all the way*

Just picked up a MS 441. Amazing! Lite and powerful. Love it


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## 1I'dJak (Dec 15, 2006)

climbing saws and falling saws 020 & 660's -stihl... in between -huskies... just bought a 353 for some residual knockdowns in the cutblock and it worked great... the weateher was this ????s but my filter stayed clean for the whole week...when spacing in the early 90's...(saws were in the 60cc class) everybody used husky cause they were less plasticky and tougher (which was needed cuz a guy probably fell at least ten times a day) but now they're all plasticky.... i think huskies have a better mouting system though... less vibration, but i think stills got a bit more torque...


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## Kiwilogger (Dec 15, 2006)

At work there are 6 660's, an 066, an 064, a 460, a 575 and a 385.

The huskys sound like screaming children!  

lol, I gave my 385 to my old man the other day. Never use the damn thing.

And as for the 575, just too damn slow and gutless. :censored:


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## Dwayne Ferguson (Jan 13, 2007)

I'm a logger in NZ also and I'm the only one on the job with a husky all the other guy use the 66 with 24"bars i run a 28" on my 395


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## FBX1986 (Jan 13, 2007)

*saws*

stihl rules... but husky is gaining ground.


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## BC_Logger (Jan 22, 2007)

my saws 

husky 385 
stihl 066 
stihl 029 


here in BC its a preference depends on who you are loyal too .
for bucking I like the 066 but for falling I like 385


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## MALogger (Jan 22, 2007)

I run a husky 372xp and a Stihl MS460 
Also have a Stihl ms200t (from tree work days) and a husky 268 which doesn't get used very often. So I guess I am 50/50. Although I am thinking of getting a stihl MS361 when I can afford it.


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## FSburt (Jan 23, 2007)

*Central Cal*

We use stihls now mostly 440,460 and 660 they do very well for what we need them for mostly fireline contruction, PC thinning, and hazard tree falling. Whole forest used to run mostly Husky 66,68,72 and 288 but when the 371 and 72 came out crank bearings started to routinly sieze so we pretty much switched over. I know CDF in our area used to run huskys also but they had the same problems with the crank bearings so they were eventually going to switch over in time.


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## nedly05 (Jan 23, 2007)

I''ve had both saws and so far I havent been able to find a saw that pleases me as much as my 44 and 460 have. I have run Huskys a lot and I have just had better luck with the STIHL. We have a 262 at work, and I really like that saw, and I use it a lot, but it's not mine so.... If it were it would be a 360. Sorta like the difference between Chevy and Ford, some are partial to one specific brand. What bar length do you guys run on your 460's I have a 20" but I am sure that it would still run strong with a longer bar. JW as I would like to get a longer bar.


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## Ryan Willock (Jan 23, 2007)

Loggers back here run mostly 460's (probably 2 460's to every one 440) followed by 440's and 372's. You see some 385's but you see almost as many 395's and a few 066's. The 70cc saws will almost always have a 20'' on them and you see a 20'' on ALOT of the larger saws. Its funny it seems that the faller says to him self "wow, this is a big tree (compared to what he normally cuts) I need to get my big saw!'' but his ''big saw'' has the same size bar as his normal saw..... I haven't figured that one out yet:yoyo: ; If I'm going to carry a bigger saw then I want a longer bar.


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## woodfarmer (Jan 23, 2007)

*ryan*

i noticed in your logging pics that it looks like a 372 with 20" bar that you are felling with and the last picture you had a gb 24"? am i close?


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## geofore (Jan 23, 2007)

*longer bar?*



Ryan Willock said:


> Loggers back here run mostly 460's (probably 2 460's to every one 440) followed by 440's and 372's. You see some 385's but you see almost as many 395's and a few 066's. The 70cc saws will almost always have a 20'' on them and you see a 20'' on ALOT of the larger saws. Its funny it seems that the faller says to him self "wow, this is a big tree (compared to what he normally cuts) I need to get my big saw!'' but his ''big saw'' has the same size bar as his normal saw..... I haven't figured that one out yet:yoyo: ; If I'm going to carry a bigger saw then I want a longer bar.



You will find out the longer bar is heavier and the shorter bar, be it on a more horse saw will be easier to handle and you will cut faster. Wait, you have to know how to handle the saw with the shorter bar first. A lot to do with your tech
skill handling the saws. Time on the trigger will tell.


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## MALogger (Jan 23, 2007)

geofore said:


> You will find out the longer bar is heavier and the shorter bar, be it on a more horse saw will be easier to handle and you will cut faster. Wait, you have to know how to handle the saw with the shorter bar first. A lot to do with your tech
> skill handling the saws. Time on the trigger will tell.



I run a 16" bar on my 372xp and a 20" on my 460 both have 3/8x8 sprockets to increase chain speed and semi skip chain. They cut very nice setup that way!


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## hornett22 (Jan 24, 2007)

*a 16 on a 372? damn!*

i just put one on my 357 and i can't stand it.seemed to cut better and be better balanced with an 18 for some reason.seemed to cut faster with the 18 too.
i run a 20 on the 372 and it's perfect.


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## Kiwilogger (Jan 24, 2007)

I run a 20" on my 66 at work, 8 tooth rim sprocket for chain speed. I have a 30" in the shed for when I get big eucalyptus, or cypress to fell for my firewood. 

We are in some quite big wood at the moment, 3ft + at the butt, 3 tonne piece size and a 20" is fine. Very fast cutting with a 66 and 8 tooth rim sprocket on a 20" bar.

Its funny how trees cut differently. We have just finished one side of the road where we are (12 months work), and have just moved, still in the same forest, but about half a mile away. The wood is alot softer, lighter and easier to cut. Smaller branches, less nodal swelling, bigger trees, and straighter.

We are processing probably 15-20 % more wood in this new block.


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## GRTimberCO (Jan 24, 2007)

This is husqvarna country here but you will see the occasional Stihl. Most crews fell with a feller buncher or a track cutter. I use a 385 and a rancher as a backup and limbing saw but but most crews only use a saw at the deck. Usually a 365 or a 372.


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## Kiwilogger (Feb 17, 2007)

I just spent a day on a MS650. 

Nice saw, had a 22" bar with an 8 tooth rim sprocket. Hard to tell the difference from an MS660. Used less fuel, which is a bonus. 

Anyone else used one?

I was more impressed with the 650 than the 640, thats for sure!


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## redwood logger (Feb 17, 2007)

*why such long bars?*

I have never seen anyone use less than a 32" bar on a logging saw in my area. I have tried since I have read all about it on this site, and got tired of bending over so far all the time and having to come at things from both sides to make a cut with the shorter bar. Limbing with the short bar is murder on the back, I think the slight loss of power with the longer bar is worth it. I read about people on here running 066's with 20" bars on them and I wonder, do they run there saws richer to keep them from blowing up from exteme rpm's?


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## Kiwilogger (Feb 17, 2007)

Hiya redwood.
I pretty much only use a 20-22" bar. Its a whole lot less weight to cart around, plus we put on a larger rim sprocket and get more chain speed. When the boys are limbing, the logs are up on bearers, around a foot off the ground, and you walk down between the logs, so bending over just isn't done here. I certainly wouldn't run my saw richer, as I, and most who do, know how to use a saw. You don't hold them wide open at extreme rpm's, thats just asking for trouble. Everyone in our crew uses a 20" bar, and an MS660 fulltime on the skid will last 3-4 years before needing a rebuild, and thats with the average skiddie. The guys who really look after their saws get 5-6 years.

I've got a 36" bar, but I only ever use it for knocking over some really big stuff on the odd occasion.

I guess it comes down to what you are used to in the end.....


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## redwood logger (Feb 18, 2007)

*8 tooth sprocket*

I have considered doing the bigger sprocket for more chain speed, but I heard that it makes the chain come off more often! Do you think so?


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## Kiwilogger (Feb 19, 2007)

redwood logger said:


> I have considered doing the bigger sprocket for more chain speed, but I heard that it makes the chain come off more often! Do you think so?



No. Thats a definite old wives tale. :hmm3grin2orange: 

What sprocket do you run with the 32"? 7 tooth?

If you were in bigger wood than us, (ie: 40"+ on a regular basis) a 25" bar would certainly be an advantage, but apart from that, IMHO, a 22" is more than adequate.

I would only go to an 8 tooth for 25" or smaller bar. I run a 7 tooth with my bigger bars, and also run a high volume oil pump when I have the 36 on.


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## redwood logger (Feb 19, 2007)

*sprockets and bars*

Around here almost everyone uses 7 tooth sprockets and bars that are a minimum of 32". 32" being most common all the way up to 60" for ripping a big log once in a while. Even though we run all these long bars, I have never seen anybody use a high volume oil pump. It sounds like a good idea though. I did'nt even know there was such a thing. I agree that on the landing we could use shorter bars most of the time, but people dont like the short ones around here. Maybe its just a macho thing, like a pickup with 40" tires that never goes off the pavement!!!!!


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## BC_Logger (Feb 20, 2007)

can you tell us more about the high volume oil pump that you use?

on my saws I just turn the oil screw to full


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## Kiwilogger (Feb 20, 2007)

The high vol oil pump is a standard stihl accessory. Recommended by stihl on the MS660 when running 36" bars or bigger. I run my standard oil pump on the 20/22" bars on full open. I wonder, if running the 8 tooth sprocket has a bearing on the oil flow required? Probably does. If I only have a little bit to do with a big bar and can't be bothered changing the oil pump over, I certainly notice the difference, I don't like doing it to my chains. Over your side of the world the hi vol pumps are probably quite cheap, in NZ we pay around NZ$255 for a hi vol pump. Thats probably equivalent to about US$170 or less. I would imagine that you guys over there would be able to find aftermarket pumps a whole lot cheaper. I am sure the stihl one would be cheaper over there too. Regardless, A hi vol pump will outlast the life of a saw, to me its a cheap investment.

Just out of curiosity, how much do you guys pay for a brand new MS660? Here, an MS660 retails for NZ$2600, or about US$1800. Although, I can buy through the internet, but no warranty, and only pay around NZ$1800, about US$1300.

Would be interested to find out how much they sell fo over there. I'm sure us Kiwis get ripped off.  :bang: lol!

Later!


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## faller (Feb 20, 2007)

bloody interesting question..... ive worked in crews in NZ & now work in a harvesting crew in australia,. originally i used husky(266) , because that is what most of the crew used, thinnings mostly, i then moved to a clearfall crew that used stihl, when it was time to buy a new saw i went to stihl (066), the main reason for the change was that in case of a break down during the work day i could beg or borrow parts etc to keep me going. Now i have to admit that i didnt have any major breakdowns with either brand. I currently run stihl and have done so for 14 years, I have recently given up my contract falling job to a guy that uses a husky(395). I used it falling for a coulple of days and heck it's a damn great saw, a bit heavier and more cumbersome than my (660) but given a week or two I would be more than happy with it, maybe apart from the fuel consumption., So like I said interesting question. I think the argument will continue...........Stihl or Husky........or???..


Stay Safe..........................


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## redwood logger (Feb 21, 2007)

*sorry Kiwi*

I hate to do this to you but here in Northern CA you can buy a MS660 for $1000 US dollars with your choice of up to 42" bar and chain.


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## Kiwilogger (Feb 21, 2007)

redwood logger said:


> I hate to do this to you but here in Northern CA you can buy a MS660 for $1000 US dollars with your choice of up to 42" bar and chain.



I knew we were getting ripped off.

My price is for the powerhead only! A 20" rollamatic bar is another $160, then add the price of a chain]


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## faller (Feb 21, 2007)

posted a reply yesterday, not sure what happened to it.. (new to the site), jist of it was that i have used both proffessionally, and both are damned good proffessional saws, guess it comes dowm to personal preference, another question is.............. why do use the brand of saw that you do and why are you so passionate about the product..


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## Kiwilogger (Feb 21, 2007)

I've owned and used both. I have had a 385 XP, a 288XP, and a 55 in the Husky range. I have had an 066, 2 MS660's, and an 088.

To be honest, in the huskys, I liked the 288 much better than the 385. 385 had less power than the 288, sounded terrible, and the plastics, sidecovers etc on the 385 were crappy. The clips that hold the airfilter cover (particularly on on the starter side) are rubbish, they keep coming undone. There is a 385 at work now with the exact same drama. I did use a 395XP for a few days, but still found it wanting when compared to my 660. The 55 was only my fencing saw, and was a damn good saw for its purpose.

The stihls have been more reliable, more power, and, well, they just sound better too 

I have used a 575 Husky at work, and I would have to say, it is the crappiest husky I have ever used. No where near enough power, but very smooth to use. But just too gutless. I guess I am used to the 660 with 92cc, so the 75cc husky just doesn't cut the mustard.


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## slowp (Feb 21, 2007)

And, I think I shall be loyal to Stihl, because I have an old 032 that I bought back in 1985 (I think) and I've moved a lot, sometimes using it to cut a lot of firewood, sometimes 3 years of sitting in the garage. I've brought it out to help a friend clean up slash after logging, and the thing runs like new. I've even named it. I'm thinking a longer bar might make it easier on the back for slash work though. Well, we're working in the snow again! Winter returned.


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## gjersy (Feb 21, 2007)

Stihl & Husky both around here but mostly tree harvestors.I use a 440 & 066 Stihl.A dealer who I bought a 440 from last year (sells both brands) told me he has more service work on the huskys. A big box stores sell Huskys cheaper around here & they don't service them,so he gets those people bringing there saws in 2 him for service,he fixes the ones he sells first.


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## 59Billy (Mar 6, 2007)

Kiwilogger said:


> The high vol oil pump is a standard stihl accessory. Recommended by stihl on the MS660 when running 36" bars or bigger.




Does anyone know if the HV pump is available as a factory option in the US?


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