If you could choose ony 2 chainsaws

[pickwood]

346Xp and 372

 

[Hugenpoet]

It's just like hunting rifles always bring two even if the back up is a 80 year old 45/70 beats throwing rocks!

Don't be too hard on the 45/70 as a hunting rifle. I love using black in my 45/70 and 38/55 for coyote hunting. May take a little time for the big ol' heavy bullet to find its way to the coyote, but when it gets there it really picks 'em up and sets them down.

 

[Husky254xp]

Big Saw- Stihl MS 290, Modded slightly, but still a workhorse. 18 in. bar
Little Saw- Stihl 017, for limbing and stuff. 14 in. bar



Don't make me pull out my husqvarna, if i do things have got bad.....real bad! Husky 254xp- mean machine!

 

[mowoodchopper]

only two

I would have to go with a light fast saw 357xp and a 6000I or 6400/7300/79000 dolmar. I know the 6000I was only a 60cc saw
but they will hang in there with saws that should out cut them.

 

[iCreek]

I think the two best saws for me would be my MS361 20" bar, and a MS250 18" bar for limbs and yard work. I looked at the MS170/180, and think the MS250 is built a little better, and I like the standard .325 bar and chain on the 250.

 

[Wood Doctor]

My Two Saws Forever

I think the two best saws for me would be my MS361 20" bar, and a MS250 18" bar for limbs and yard work. I looked at the MS170/180, and think the MS250 is built a little better, and I like the standard .325 bar and chain on the 250.

+1!
MS 361 with 20" bar for big work and MS 250 with 16" bar, equipped with a standard chain for everything else. Those are the only two saws I would ever need, and they would last forever with ordinary care and respect for a couple of marvelous engineering accomplishments. :greenchainsaw:

When my '96 Echo 3900 eventually dies, I assure you it will be replaced with a Stihl MS 250.

 

[hutch3912]

Johny

I would have a Johny Red 2171 with a 24" bar for felling and bucking and a Johny Red 2165 with a 18" bar for limbing and bucking.

 

[spike60]

What you say is true! My home was not paid for 15 years ago I did not have the income I do now so CAD was out of the question. I did all my cutting with a 3.7 Eager beaver same saw as a 610. I did have my little Eager beaver as back up and used it many times as my main saw all 32 cc of it!
Then I got crazy and bought the 105 off a neighbor, who was moving back to the west cost I new him all my life as the guy that liked saw's! The 105 is twice the saw I will ever need! but as I grew older and dummer I cant stop myself It is a good thing I do not live in saw country.
When you are just starting out a mid size 50-60cc saw and a tiny one 30-35cc are tough to beat.
It's just like hunting rifles always bring two even if the back up is a 80 year old 45/70 beats throwing rocks!

Yes indeed! And I see that you still have your EB-3.7 that I'm sure you run now and then like I do with my 651. I always think about how much firewood that saw cut for me when it and the 644 were all I had. My 651 and your Eager Beaver 3.7 won't make anyones "must have" list, but they cut all of the firewood we needed.

I was also in the same boat about the house not being paid then and a lot less income. Life sure is better without the mortgage, isn't it? It's something to think about when we are giving all of this advice about 3 and 4 saw plans just for a guy to cut his firewood.

I'll bet most members can tell similar pre-CAD stories about the one or two saws they relied on to do all of their cutting. They didn't need to be slightly faster or a half pound lighter than a competing saw, they just had to cut wood.

 

[Lloyd H]

Homelite 330

Bowtechmadman "Some consistency in that you like the 330 it seems Loyd"

I do like my 330's used to all but worship my super EZ but the 330 is even better plus antivibe first 330 was a $100 farm aution find like brand new the other 330 was a gift from a buddy that bought it for $15 at a yard sale for the bar and chain on it. It needed a spark plug insert reinstalled right and a couple antivibe mounts. Both wear 16 inch bars and cut almost all my firewood. Limb with a XL2 occasionally and fell and buck with mySuper XLAO once in a while. My 550 has been on vacation for a while, just don't need the muscle very often. The shindaiwa is nice too, really quiet but don't like the .325 chain when its sharpening time, seems I can file a 3/8 chain in half the time.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Yes indeed! And I see that you still have your EB-3.7 that I'm sure you run now and then like I do with my 651. I always think about how much firewood that saw cut for me when it and the 644 were all I had. My 651 and your Eager Beaver 3.7 won't make anyones "must have" list, but they cut all of the firewood we needed.

I was also in the same boat about the house not being paid then and a lot less income. Life sure is better without the mortgage, isn't it? It's something to think about when we are giving all of this advice about 3 and 4 saw plans just for a guy to cut his firewood.

I'll bet most members can tell similar pre-CAD stories about the one or two saws they relied on to do all of their cutting. They didn't need to be slightly faster or a half pound lighter than a competing saw, they just had to cut wood.

I can relate to "they just had to cut wood". The ex stepped out of the picture and walked away with our nest egg for her new start 4 years ago, Saturday. It went from 2 incomes in a house of 5, to 1 in a house of 4. It would have been a lot easier at the start of it, if there weren't a stack of unpaid bills and credit cards left behind from all the presents under the tree and a following birthday. You do what you have to do and sell what you can get by without.

Eh, it's done, we have what we need. Everything gone is replacable. It's just the 2 boys (12 & 13) and me now. They dont need to be handling man sized saws. Their smaller saws will do in a pinch and have proved it.

 

[mcinfantry]

346Xp and 372

those are the two i own. i like them so much i only have 3 hardwoods left on my property.

 

[spike60]

I can relate to "they just had to cut wood". The ex stepped out of the picture and walked away with our nest egg for her new start 4 years ago, Saturday. It went from 2 incomes in a house of 5, to 1 in a house of 4. It would have been a lot easier at the start of it, if there weren't a stack of unpaid bills and credit cards left behind from all the presents under the tree and a following birthday. You do what you have to do and sell what you can get by without.

Eh, it's done, we have what we need. Everything gone is replacable. It's just the 2 boys (12 & 13) and me now. They dont need to be handling man sized saws. Their smaller saws will do in a pinch and have proved it.

Sounds familiar, except fpr no kids. Funny that if women do that it's a new start, or they are "finding themselves". If a guy does it, he's a "deadbeat dad", and the law comes after him. I think we're off topic here, aren't we?

 

[Austin1]

Don't be too hard on the 45/70 as a hunting rifle. I love using black in my 45/70 and 38/55 for coyote hunting. May take a little time for the big ol' heavy bullet to find its way to the coyote, but when it gets there it really picks 'em up and sets them down.

I should have been a bit more clear lol. I picked 45/70 as it's been around a long time and has been brought back to life a few times old soldiers never die.It's hard to believe guy's used to shoot targets at 1000yds with them but it was done.

 

[Austin1]

Yes indeed! And I see that you still have your EB-3.7 that I'm sure you run now and then like I do with my 651. I always think about how much firewood that saw cut for me when it and the 644 were all I had. My 651 and your Eager Beaver 3.7 won't make anyones "must have" list, but they cut all of the firewood we needed.

I was also in the same boat about the house not being paid then and a lot less income. Life sure is better without the mortgage, isn't it? It's something to think about when we are giving all of this advice about 3 and 4 saw plans just for a guy to cut his firewood.

I'll bet most members can tell similar pre-CAD stories about the one or two saws they relied on to do all of their cutting. They didn't need to be slightly faster or a half pound lighter than a competing saw, they just had to cut wood.

I still use the 3.7 often,it brings back all kinds of memory's,like cutting with my dad or the time a big bull Moose was watching me cut wood,he just layed in his bed 50yds from me when he got up I thought he was going to come stomp me into the ground for waking him up!lol
No mortgage is nice especially now who knows whats going to happen in the next few years.

 

[Lindsay]

easy. Stihl 011AV x 2.
NOT

 

[olpace]

026 and ms460 mag.... u can buck up the wood with the small saw and u can run up to a 32" bar on the 460 should you come across some larger timber. With some experience a fellow can work miracles with a small saw.

 

[Nailsbeats]

440 and 660.

 

[enjoys cutting]

2153 and a 2171

 

[RayJohns]

Hi,

I just joined the site. I have a Stihl 441 magnum and am also looking for a 260 pro as my 2nd saw. I also have a little Craftsman 18" electric, which actually isn't a half bad saw for the price ($89 on sale).

I do my main cutting with the 441 using a 28" bar and an oregon 72LGX chain. I've also just ordered a 20" bar (again with the 72LGX chain) for use when the 28" bar is over kill (since it tends to head for the ground on 45 degree down angle cuts). Also, the 72LGX (which is not a skip tooth chain) tends to bog once in a great while on the 28" bar if you push it too hard.

Anyway, love the site. I joined after hitting it over and over again via google while doing searches for which saw to buy next I was originally looking for perhaps an older 020AVP for my 2nd saw, or maybe an 026, but after reading through some of the posts on this site and looking over the specs on Stihl's site, I think I've narrowed it down to the 260 with a .325 bar/chain.

Ray

 

[iCreek]

Hi,

I just joined the site. I have a Stihl 441 magnum and am also looking for a 260 pro as my 2nd saw. I also have a little Craftsman 18" electric, which actually isn't a half bad saw for the price ($89 on sale).

I do my main cutting with the 441 using a 28" bar and an oregon 72LGX chain. I've also just ordered a 20" bar (again with the 72LGX chain) for use when the 28" bar is over kill (since it tends to head for the ground on 45 degree down angle cuts). Also, the 72LGX (which is not a skip tooth chain) tends to bog once in a great while on the 28" bar if you push it too hard.

Anyway, love the site. I joined after hitting it over and over again via google while doing searches for which saw to buy next I was originally looking for perhaps an older 020AVP for my 2nd saw, or maybe an 026, but after reading through some of the posts on this site and looking over the specs on Stihl's site, I think I've narrowed it down to the 260 with a .325 bar/chain.

Ray

Welcome to AS RayJohns, that sounds like a great setup, that 260 will even pull a 20" bar. I never priced a MS260, instead focused on the 250 and ended up picking up a used 025. Really like the 250 and image the 260 would be a ton better and only 10.6 lbs dry. Hope you find plenty of interesting threads to read and join in, this is a Great place to hang out.