200t plus which other stihl?

[imagineero]

hi all,
Im looking at a 2 saw plan, I had a 192t and an 044 but the 192t is being replaced with a 200t and Im wondering whether I ought to look at something other than my 044. If i was going to have a 3 saw plan I'd probably look at 200t, 361, 660 but I really dont have room for 3 saws.

That leaves me with 2 saws, a 200t plus one other saw. I dont do tree work full time, I'm actually a builder. But I do on average 1-2 take downs a month, mostly tricky stuff suspended over houses and they need to be taken down branch by branch then chunked down. As such I dont do a lot of the traditional fell/limb/buck. most of my limbing and bucking is done in the tree

Im in aus, and about 60% of my tree work is pine which is considered to be a weed locally. The rest is native australian trees, mostly gums. I leave a 24" bar on my 044 most of the time and have a 36" that gets me out of trouble on the bigger stuff.

What do I want? A saw that's lighter and more powerful of course! Would be great if it weighed as much as a 361 but had the power of an 090 ;-) I want something with a bit more zip than the 044 even though its grunty. weight is definitely an issue, a day of trunking down 2'~3' trunk hanging in a harness doesnt do much for my back and wrists.

would a 460 be much of a gain on an 044? should I be thinking 660? something else?

thanks!
Shaun

 

[Slamm]

You might want to look into modded saws. They generally seem to get up the power of at least the next larger model (size), while obviously staying at the same weight.

I have all modded saws, but a few weeks ago I had a stock 441 and my modded 361 was faster and had more grunt, but the modded 361 pales in comparison to a modded 441, which is better than a stock 660, and so on.

In situations where power to weight means something like steep hills and hanging in a tree top, if you are a professional or your time is worth money, modded saws will or can make or save you a lot of time and money.

Adding a 660 would be good for your setup. I have a buddy that modds 192 and 200 and they are wicked little beasts, when opened up.

My opinion,

Sam

 

[tomtrees58]

the 362 is a nice saw and the 441 good to

 

[dieselram]

There is nothing wrong with a older 044. You can freshen it up with a MM and some porting and I think you will be happy with it. If you want a new saw the MS460 is a awesome saw, I like mine... I have two MS200t's, they are great little saws.

 

[bigredd]

You have the ultimate 2 saw plan, with the possible exception of a 372xp instead of the 044. Try a simple muffler mod on the 044 for more power.

 

[cjnspecial]

Get a 460 and you will be very happy. Get a modded 460 and you will be all grins.
PS: I think a 460 top end will fit on that 044 with a little modification.

 

[mbayer]

find an old o64 only a little heavier than a 460 but its 85cc it not real zippy but in softer wood Ive been running an 8 pin 28'' full comp and it does nice. Oh ya and thats totally stock.

 

[oscar4883]

The 460 is not enough of a jump from an 044 IMO. I think you need a 660 or even an 064. If you are needing to spend alot of time in the air then the 064 may be a great choice as it is lighter than a 660 but still rips. If you are doing alot of pine than an 064 would be my choice due to the power to weight ratio.

 

[lone wolf]

You dont need anything what you have there from what you tell me will last you forever. You really dont need another you have two of the best. Save your money for something else. But what do I know it is easy for people to tell you to but it is not their money.If the saw works good leave it alone.

 

[TrillPhil]

I agree with lone wolf. A 200t plus a 044/046/460 is basically a very similar saw and it's the ultimate setup, imo. We have 2 200ts and 2 460s on the truck. We had a 395xp on the truck, I really liked the way it cut. The clutch broke 3 times this summer over the course of about 2 months. The 3rd time it got fixed to be sold. We were probably a little too hard on it.

After I get a tree stripped on the way up and the top taken out... If I haven't been using the 460 already then it's time to have it sent up to chunk the pieces down.


For myself:
I'm thinking of purchasing a makita 6401 and the big bore kit for it. Baileys has them for about $600 usd. Which would make it the same as a dolmar 7900 with big bore kit with the exception of it being green. A nice used 460 goes for 600 here, so to me $600 is alot and I'd rather have new. (ie: poor)

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=DCS+6401+BB&catID=11227

I've heard really good reviews on here about the saw.

 

[tomtrees58]

 

[tomtrees58]

 

[tomtrees58]

ms460

 

[tomtrees58]

thear all good saws i have ever saw they have:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[lone wolf]

Save your money unti you really need it if the 44 burns up.
But it wont if you dont lend it out or let others use it.

 

[MCW]

I think you need to buy one of my modded 7900/7901's with a Stihl bar adaptor

 

[jeepyfz450]

I too would keep the 044. If you need to go bigger down the road save up for the 660. I wouldnt want to run my 660 in a tree but would i guess if i had too.

 

[chopperfreak2k1]

since you only have a couple jobs a month for it, i say get the 044 ported and you'll be all set.

 

[angelo c]

I'm about as StihlHeaded as anyone on here but if I HAD to only keep two saws (and I purely am supposing this concept as possible for the sake of some allergic reaction or rare disease of some kind that counter affects CAD) it would be my 6401BB or the 372 xpg and a 200t fer sher. My 440 is like my favorite basketball kicks, trusty, comfortable gives me everything they have, but when I want to run sprints I reach for the running shoes.

But like I said neither will be sold while I am still young enough to run 'em. Does anyone who likes wine have just "one" bottle at a time ??? no way, saws are like good wines, they are all good for different purposes and moods.

 

[Anthony_Va.]

I think I would keep the 044 also. If it ever gets weak, just slap a 460 topend on it, or have someone do it for you. You could even have the 460 topend ported and you would basically have a 13 some odd pound saw that will cut with a 660.

I would'nt think you would need a 660. I have one, but use it only when felling trees. I usually run my 361 with a 25" bar if I'm climbing and it does me very well.

I think you're good with what you have.