Finally picked up a 500i

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Please post a link with the dogs. Need those for my 500. Leaving tomorrow for the ranch to go and cut out a lot of storm damage. Not pretty. Long bar on the 500I and a shorter one on the old Echo 670 (27in), Stihl HT 134 and the SRM 410x fitted with the big Stihl weed knife!

Extra bars, chains and sprockets and a few gallons of Aspen 2 I should be good.
Those 3-point dogs are from Westcoast Saw https://westcoastsaw.com/collections/pro-safety-felling-dogs
 
They're longer, useful for the deeper barked tress they have out west.
Yeah, I saw a video - probably on the Westcoast Saw YouTube, where they explained leaving out the middle spike works well for big firs and redwoods. Oddly enough when I went to the website I didn't see a pair for the 500i but I've seen videos of them being run on 500s. So maybe they're available but not on the site yet...
 
Thats a weird line up.
Whats the grungy saw above the water. 661

A nearly unused 66 462 two 500s a grungy thing and top handle muffler ports bouncing off the tree drives me batshit crazy.

Wtf up with tree people. Lol how my mind works
Weird line up cause it doesn’t include a 70cc husky? The only one that should exist? Right @sean donato
 
Okay. I'm out west and have cut big bark trees, and have never thought I needed longer tooth dogs. Maybe if I was cutting giant Sequoias.

It depends on the tree and if you're falling them or just bucking. If you're falling trees like redwoods and cedars, those 3-points are really awesome to have. The bucking spikes that come on most stock 1/2 wrap saws are just about useless for falling large conifers IMO...it's all about the shape of the bottom spike.

The stock dogs on my wrap-handle 500 weren't bad, in fact I put them on one of my 044s, but I do like the 3 points for a falling saw.
 
Right just his bias towards that particular class is insane. No saw below the infamous 372 should exist. The stihl 462 will out work the 372 10 days a week.
Yeah his bias is unreal. I do agree, the 372 was great in its day, but the 462 is a step above in performance.
 
Prerequisite for 500i owner ship is the wcs clutch cover. As much as i love the 3/4 wrap i can do without it.

Its nice have one saw with a full wrap and its partner a half wrap for laying on its side cutting in the dirt.
Maybe a stupid question but what is the benefit of changing the clutch cover?
 
So for me it to have the chips actually be redirect into a better direction and not at my face
Yeh ok, can’t say ever really noticed it, maybe more for you guys that have used lots of different saws, I’ve only owned 3.
Maybe i just expect that when I go cutting wood, ha.
 
Okay. I'm out west and have cut big bark trees, and have never thought I needed longer tooth dogs. Maybe if I was cutting giant Sequoias.


I've cut medium-sized tan oaks (~20-28") that have 1"+ thick bark, that loves to break/peel. Big ones 3-4' that had 1.5-2" thick bark. Sometimes firs are similar, but with discernible layers/textures of its bark. I've seen 1-2" thick bark on pepper woods and true oaks as well.


Madrone is great in not having bark that clings.
 
Can you explain that? Ran an awful.lot of saws and can't think of a time, except being in a tree where the chips were spraying me in the face.
Best way I can describe the difference between the stock and aftermarket cover is, the AF cover seems to direct the chips in a more concentrated stream. The chips/dust seems to be more dispersed with the stock cover...when falling, more of the chips bounce off the tree and end up in my face. It's not a huge difference, but the stock cover on the wrap-handled 462/500 is too small for my liking.

The other big reason is, that it's just more room in the cover. Cutting pitchy pines and firs, the stock covers can load up quickly with debris.

When cutting in a tree, I do a lot of back barring...particularly when putting in face cuts with the top handle. Or if I have a rear handle, I'll position myself on the side of the face so I'm not eating chips.
 

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