Firewood saw

[300zx_tt]

hey all,
I had purchased a husky 455 rancher off of craigslist a couple of years ago,( only had one tank through it) it runs great and has plenty of power for the stuff under 15-16" in diameter. Now that I'm scrounging harder I have opportunities to get into some bigger wood but I think my saw is holding me back.

So I just popped on Craigslist to see what's out there

1. Stihl 044, looks pretty clean asking $380
2. Stihl ms461 also looks clean but more wear than the 044 asking $600
3. Stihl 064, has normal wear and tear, nothing major asking $460 firm
4. Husky 372xp normal wear, new cylinder and piston asking $550

I'm not real familliar with the pro grade saws, especially some of the older stuff, I'm just looking for a saw I can rip through some. 20"+ red oak or hickory. Once I narrow down what will fit my needs best I'll start looking for deals. Don't know where to start so I figured here was a good place!

 

[svk]

Personally I'd do the 044 or 064 depending on how big of a saw you want provided the piston is clean and compression is good. I'm always cautious of work done by someone I don't know and they want a pretty penny for the 372

 

[codygary12]

I'd go with the 372, 044 seems like a decent deal however I've never run one, I love my 372 and it hasn't let me down yet, wouldn't think you'd need to go much bigger unless you're doing some serious bucking/felling

 

[bowtechmadman]

I'd purchase a 70cc saw from one of the reputable sellers here on AS, unless you are ready to have to work on the saw.

 

[300zx_tt]

I'd purchase a 70cc saw from one of the reputable sellers here on AS, unless you are ready to have to work on the saw.

Like who? Like I said I'm not familiar with anything about pro saws, and I rarely go on the classifieds here.

 

[svk]

Spike60 has Husky/Johnny
Millermodsaws has Johnny/Makita

Mesupra and Chipper1 often have gently used saws for sale.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I'd check the classifieds and feel pretty comfortable dealing with anyone that has over 500-1000 posts. Someone that has spent that much time in here usually has a solid reputation and isn't going to falsely advertise to make a few bucks.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Why not buy a brand new saw and know exactly what you have. There is no guarantee that a new saw will never cause you a problem during its life span. A used saw will much more likely as some point in its life span have some sort of an issue. I agree with most members on this site that will fine a solid value with a used unit or a new unit here at AS. I have bought new and used from many sources through out my years, but a new unit has fewer surprises. Thanks

 

[300zx_tt]

Why not buy a brand new saw and know exactly what you have. There is no guarantee that a new saw will never cause you a problem during its life span. A used saw will much more likely as some point in its life span have some sort of an issue. I agree with most members on this site that will fine a solid value with a used unit or a new unit here at AS. I have bought new and used from many sources through out my years, but a new unit has fewer surprises. Thanks

A new ms461 is $1,000 around here, I can't even get a new 261 for the price of the saws I listed above. Don't get me wrong I'd love to buy a brand new 461 and rip it for years and years, I'm at a point in my life where I can't justify the cost of new equipment, trucks, trailers or anything really, So used it will be.

 

[JeffHK454]

A new ms461 is $1,000 around here, I can't even get a new 261 for the price of the saws I listed above. Don't get me wrong I'd love to buy a brand new 461 and rip it for years and years, I'm at a point in my life where I can't justify the cost of new equipment, trucks, trailers or anything really, So used it will be.

There's nothing wrong with buying used..I've owned a bunch of saws and not a one was new. Just do your homework and go prepared to inspect and test the saw you pick out.

 

[Tenderfoot]

I would not rule out a 576xp from Husqvarna or Dolmar saws if they are available locally.

 

[codygary12]

I hardly buy anything new these days if I can avoid it, do you have a husky dealer around you to service the 372 if you were to go for it? I think you really couldn't go wrong with that saw

 

[Relex]

I started as well with a 455 and it was a great saw when I used it. I started to get the itch to find something bigger so I kept my eyes open on craiglis and finally found a 372xp and got the guy down to $250.

I've only used it a little bit so far but it's a night and day difference. Since then I have a buddy who bought one for $200 and I've seen another one on facebook for $250. Unless if you need it right now, I'd keep your eyes open on craigslist for a deal to come around.

 

[unclemoustache]

I'd be careful about buying a saw from Craigslist. If you do, bring along a good chunk of wood to try it out properly under a load.

I'm not much of a saw guy, but I've been very happy with the Echo brand. They don't do the pro vs. homeowner thing in their line of saws, they have a longer warranty than any other brand, and they prices are good. Good solid saws, but not as great as a pro Stihl.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

For most part I have had to stop buying Stihl because you are at the mercy of the dealer. However with Husky you can have them shipped to your door along with any part you need. There are many Husky dealers every where that will send you any saw that you like for the price that is advertised. Stihl is a well built saw, but the dealers are often shady so it is difficult to get a fair priced purchase. You should be able to shop around on Ebay and other online businesses to find a reasonable price, but I still like new when possible. I look at any purchase as an investment for the future. I have a couple of 056 supers that I was going to get rid of them this summer because they needed some service, but I put in some carb kits and they are still churning. They were bought brand new 30 years ago and I got offered $900 for one of them that is pretty clean. Saws can hold there value for many years. Thanks

 

[rarefish383]

I'd be careful about buying a saw from Craigslist. If you do, bring along a good chunk of wood to try it out properly under a load.

I'm not much of a saw guy, but I've been very happy with the Echo brand. They don't do the pro vs. homeowner thing in their line of saws, they have a longer warranty than any other brand, and they prices are good. Good solid saws, but not as great as a pro Stihl.

Most of my newer saws, say 20 years old and newer, are Stihls. But, I agree with Uncle, Echo makes a very nice saw for the money. I've got a little Echo 305 I bought when I was still climbing and it's been a great saw. I've got a couple old Echos and they were great saws too, maybe a bit heavy, but all of the old saws were heavy. Check out the Echos, Joe.

 

[rwoods]

I would check out the 044 - possibly the best bang for the buck among your list. Ron

 

[hanniedog]

Check out your local dealers to see if they have any used saws on hand. i picked up a really nice Stihl 026 pro for $175. This saw had been checked over by them prior to putting it out for sale.

 

[Chris-PA]

If you're talking about firewood for your personal use (i.e. not a business) then I seriously doubt your 455 is holding you back at all. Cutting the wood is a small percentage of the time spent getting wood to your stove. My dad's 455 will pull a 20" bar fine in anything I need to cut, and even if you sometimes have to cut from both sides it will hardly slow you down. You could even get a 24" bar for occasional use.

If you just want another saw that's cool, but don't expect it to result in bigger stacks of wood. You should decide how big a bar you want to run and pick the saw based on that. My biggest bar is 25" (84DL) and I've dropped 30" trees and bucked 36" with that, but we really don't have many trees of that size left here.

 

[BenK]

I agree with the replies directing you to the trading post here. If you want to go used that would be the best place to start. You will likely get much more info about the saw from folks selling/trading on here than you will from CL.
When buying used gather as much info as you can before purchase. Checking out the trading post here will likely provode you with much better intel pre-purchase.