Deep thoughts for those seeking a firewood saw...

[litefoot]

Lots of folks asking the "what to buy" question about firewood saw. Let me just add a few thoughts other than the stock "sufficient for your needs" and "dealer support / parts availability" answers.

1. If firewood hauling is a family activity, match you saw to the hauling limits of your kids. If they're really young, 6" rounds may be all they can carry. Cut anything bigger and they'll get frustrated. So you wouldn't need a big saw to cut to their limit. Make sure they have fun!

2. As the kids grow up, they can start sawing and they can carry bigger rounds to the truck. Now get a bigger saw for bucking the big stuff and let the boys limb with the smaller saw. Make sure they do some sawing and YOU do some packing. They'll have more fun.

3. When you get a bigger saw, get a BIGGER saw, not just one that's a "sufficient" step up. A barely adequate saw is WORK. A saw that rips through your work like like a scalded dog makes you .

OK, I'm done. I just wanted to give 2 cents to thie oft-asked question.

P.S. Did I mention you should have fun?

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Or, just buy a 70cc saw from the get-go and not have to worry about it again.

 

[IchWarriorMkII]

Or, just buy a 70cc saw from the get-go and not have to worry about it again.

Some days I wish I had...


But I won't mind buying a 70cc saw to have two. Two is one and one is none! Holds true with chainsaws too

 

[turnkey4099]

MS310 is a good all-around firewood saw. I would go up to a 361 if I were buying again but...

Any of the major name brands that will haul a 20" bar is about all the average person will need. Not overly heavy for cutting small stuff, big enough to handle anything up to about 30" from one side of the log. That way you don't have to pass up good firewood.

Cutting stuff too big for the kids? Bust 'em up then have them loading.

Harry K

 

[GitWood]

I realize that most here will think that I am nuts, but I really like cutting firewood with a little saw. I use a Echo CS-346 for the majority of my firewood. I also have a Echo CS-670 and Solo 694, but only resort to one of them when the wood gets fairly large. As a rule of thumb, I start with the limbs (don't keep anything under 3") and start down the tree. I keep going with the 346 until the wood is larger than 12" and I run out of gas, which usually gets me up to 14" or so. I then break out a big saw and finish it off. The splitting, hauling, stacking, etc. are all work. With the small saw, the cutting is like a break.

It is usually just me and the kids and when you take everything into account from the tree to the wood stove, the time difference in using a larger saw for everything is not even significant. I know this is a bit odd, but it not only works, but works well. That said, I must confess that if this were an income activity, I would do it differenty. Am I the only oddball like this?

 

[Indiana John]

Actually, most of my cutting is with smaller saws (14"-16") saws as well. Right now my "go-to" saw is my MS250 with 16" bar with full-chisel, and it's a wood-cuttin' SOB! That's why I just can't see spending big bucks for a big "pro" saw with a huge bar that I'll rarely use. Doesn't make sense to me........

 

[Woodsrover]

I'm with you last two, too! I just bought a new Stihl MS180 and used if for some small stuff yesterday and was pleased enough. Today we dropped a good sized red oak (~18" dbh) and after it was one the ground most of the work was done with that little 180 until I got down to 12" at the trunk and grabbed the 2150. I was thrilled with it! Nice and light, easy to handle and cuts hardwood up to 12" as well as a 50cc saw. Stihl had a great idea with that picco chain!

Jim

 

[Freakingstang]

Firewood is a relative word. My version of firewood might be one thing and yours another. Remember that hardwood cutters need more of a saw than comparable softwood cutters. I split firewood cutters into two classes:


70-80cc class For the guys that rely on 100% heat from firewood, like myself often use a 70-80cc saw. It has to do with what we cut. It is hard and long work to use a 50cc saw to cut and block a 24" tree...Popular saws in this class are the husky 372/570/575, Stihl 440 and 460, Dolmar 7300 or 7900. Most of these saws will be equipped with 20", 24" or 28" bars.

50cc class. With that said, there are those that heat for "romance" or a secondary heat. These guys need less of a saw becuase they are content with cutting 6"-14" stuff. Most saws for this type of wood include the 50cc saws. popular saws include the husky 350, 353, 357, Stihl MS 290/310/390 (pro versions Ms 260 and 361, and Dolmar 510 and 5100. Most of these saws will be used most effectively with a 16" or 18" bar, although some have the ability to run longer bars if needed.

This might be the first post i didn't recommend the dolmar 5100 and 7900! HAHAHA, although they are both great canidates for either classes of firewood saws!

 

[computeruser]

IAm I the only oddball like this?

Nope, there is something pleasant and relaxing about cutting with the smaller saws. Not that I become careless with the small saws, but I find that I don't have to be as concentrating as intently on what I'm doing with the little saws than with the big saws. This is especially true when cutting up small-to-medium branches that are in a pile or in in my trailer.

Plus, for that kind of stuff, the big saws are just overkill anyway.

 

[blis]

also one thing worth of noting is that trees aint big as over there in most countries... here anything above 10" goes for selling, while normal firewood size is 2"-6"...

 

[computeruser]

Firewood is a relative word. My version of firewood might be one thing and yours another. Remember that hardwood cutters need more of a saw than comparable softwood cutters. I split firewood cutters into two classes...

Good post. Perhaps we should reprioritize our standard list of questions to move "what is your idea of firewood" closer to the front of the line. If you're going to be harvesting tops, small trees under 15", and other easy-to-handle stuff, then there is no need for anything larger than the 50-60cc class, and you can likely get by with a much smaller saw, saving weight, money, and fuel.

The red oak limbs in the foreground were later cut up with a 30cc Echo, which was a pretty good match between the job and the tool. By contrast, the larger limb pieces (25" diameter where it broke from the tree) are NOT something that you'd want to do many of even with a 50cc saw. If most of your cutting involves stuff like the limbs in the foreground, you definitely don't need a 70cc saw.

Similarly, stuff like this standing dead ash makes great firewood, but is not going to get blocked up very quickly with an MS180. The picture features Caseyforrest with his 660:

 

[SawTroll]

MS310 is a good all-around firewood saw. I would go up to a 361 if I were buying again but...

Any of the major name brands that will haul a 20" bar is about all the average person will need. Not overly heavy for cutting small stuff, big enoug- to handle anything up to about 30" from one side of the log. That way you don't have to pass up good firewood.

Cutting stuff too big for the kids? Bust 'em up then have them loading.

Harry K

Then split them with the saw, if needed......

The MS361 is a perfect firewood saw, and I believe my new Husky 372xp will be even better - the 353 is only used to cut up tops and limbs + thinning unmature parts of the woodlots.......:greenchainsaw:

...our mature trees are up to about 20", mostly 12-14, birch only......

Some of them are either twisted or knotted, or both, so they need to be spit at least once lenghtwise with a saw anyway.....that's fun... opcorn:

 

[outdoortype]

You need both sizes!

Small and large are relative loose terms in both saws & firewood. After using old 40cc Mac's with my father years back, My 59cc saws seem large. But when reading what some of you guys use, they seem smallish. I've been blessed lately by having Black & Red Oaks 14"-16" dia. dying & falling around hear lately. If I tried to cut a few truckloads with my 40cc saws my back would kill me from leaning over while bucking. It seemed like it took forever and was a real chore when I was using my 40cc saws. On the other hand, if try to limb 2"-6" with my bigger saws, my arms get real tired. I'm not saying one should spend $550+ on a pro or 70cc saw. But I couldn't imagine cutting hardwood over 12" with a small saw like an MS-180. I didn't mean to offend anyone.

 

[Woodsrover]

I heat 100% with wood (6-8 cord per year), all cut off my property. As well as firewood, I keep a handle on the woods, getting standing dead pine on the ground, cutting up long dead and down junk, etc. Sure, I'd love to have a 70cc saw and probably will some day, but my 50cc Jonsered 525 has done everything I've asked it to. And no, the oak I dropped today couldn't have been done with a 180 alone, but 80% of the work after it was on the ground was. Under 12" it'll perform right along side either of my 50cc saws and weighs 2-3 less. And at just over $200, I'd rather wear this saw out than a $350 50cc saw.

jim

 

[FourMoCajuns]

75% of my firewood cutting looks exactly like the photo of Caseyforest. I cut this with my MS361 and it is not that fast it handles the task. One day i may get a 7900 or 660 but until then......

 

[RiverRat2]

Bottom line from my veiw is ya need a few saws that meets your needs

I use a 310 w/18" bar mostly for toppin and limbing and it will buck pretty good up to 12" stuff with out a hitch...When I get to the bigger stuff my 460BB w/ 24 or 28" bar is the mac daddy go to saw,,, But any of my Huskies will get the job done to. alot of times we get dirty wood so I bring a couple of each class so if I dull a chain or break,,,, I CAN JUST GRAB ANOTHER SAW AND GET ER DONE ned to run them all any way,,, also for falling they are good too. Ocasionally if I we get some very large Oaks 48-60" and the 066 does the talkin

My 2cents

 

[Chopwood]

I do all my fire wood myself. Heat 99% with wood. I watch my neighbors go th the woods with 55 ranchers and old, little saws around 50cc. To me 50cc is a little saw. I take an 036P 16", a 365 husky 20" and a 394 husky 24" with me on the four wheeler. I cut half a day and haul half a day. Splitting the next weekend. Get the same amount in two weekends by myself as the three neighbors combined. No, I didn't spend a pile on my saws. My 394 has about 200 bucks in it. The 365 was a good deal used for $250. The 036 was bought new in '95 (about $450 at the time). I think most guys that talk about swinging these little clubs when they are cutting firewood are a little shortsighted. Try a bigger saw once or twice, if you are cutting 12" plus wood and cutting hundereds of blocks the amount of time being wasted with a 50cc saw is amazing. Just my opinion.

 

[Sparky_NY]

I also heat about 99% with wood for the last 3 years now. My wood situation is probably somewhat unique. The city here has a forestry department, they cut a average 300 trees a year in Nov thru Feb and put the wood in a "give back" area for residents to pick up free. You can back right up to the wood which makes it easy. The wood is anything from 12" to 24" average, occasionally bigger, almost exclusively maple and oak.
I did the first 2 years cutting with my stihl 032 but always thinking something bigger would be nice. It is funny to watch others show up at that woodpile with a homestore type saw 16" and 35-45cc... they are fighting a loosing battle. Over the summer I got 4 new to me saws, a pair of 272XP's and a pair of 044's. I went to the Boonville NY lumbermans festival and picked up new 24" bars and chains for everything. Now I am just waiting for the wood to start coming in. I expect it should be a lot easier, faster, with less wear and tear on the chains and saws. The 50cc 032 did the job but always left me wanting more power.

 

[wdchuck]

My firewood learning curve advanced pretty quick, started with a WildThing, then got a 360pro(scored it):bang: , then up to a 460mag, so those two always went with me and did the trick. Now that I have a little trim saw and the 028WB, three saws go with, the WT stays home now, the 028 and XL2 get the majority of the work, the 460 is along when needed, and I have a little more pep left to unload when I get home.

Small, medium, large, and extra chains for each pretty much covers the possibilities, haven't had to pass up firewood due to size yet.

 

[GitWood]

I also heat 99% with wood. I cut about 8 cords per year and usually salvage a few logs from storm damage, etc. The little echo cut most of the wood in the pic. If I were doing this for a living I would go bigger, but probably not bigger than a 346xp or 5100 as my small (primary) saw.