372XP. With the 346xp a close runner up. If I was just doing firewood and dropping smaller stuff the 346 would be just fine. And I either own or run most of the saws mentioned on this thread and these 2 are my first picks. CJ
if you could only have one saw
- Thread starter gilraine
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saxman
Addicted to ArboristSite
My MS462 would be it. Can run a 20” to 28” bar, reasonably light and very capable saw. In the last 40+ years of buying and using saws, the 462 is the best I’ve run
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562xp
I agree. I redid a 036 pro and couldnt get myself to let it go. Just to nice of a Cutting saw plenty of power( ported and polished of course)
jolj
ArboristSite Operative
Farm Boss.
MS 500i - I bought my first saw in '65, right out of 8th grade. The 500i is the lightest, fastest, easiest to start saw i've ever owed or used.
I may have answered years ago. But new saws have came and gone. We have 10 or so work saws, lot clearing and firewood being 95% of our work with 24 inch or bigger wood being 5% or less but not unheard of. We only have stihl and husqy saws. In use we have Maybe 5 Stihl 661 through 440 and one old 039, and Husqy from 395 down to a 440 xtorq that stays on the ATV. Lol. (Well, a couple top handles too). If I could only have one it would be our 372 xp saws before xtorq.
If the question was "if you could only have one saw and it never break". As in no worries about failures and having to fix it, I may well pick the 550xp. For the weight it does a great job and can handle most of what we do very quickly. I'm just not confident in the long term durability. If all of our saws are on the flat bed and sharp and gassed up and I'm just grabbing one to cut firewood, it's the one I grab.
If the question was "if you could only have one saw and it never break". As in no worries about failures and having to fix it, I may well pick the 550xp. For the weight it does a great job and can handle most of what we do very quickly. I'm just not confident in the long term durability. If all of our saws are on the flat bed and sharp and gassed up and I'm just grabbing one to cut firewood, it's the one I grab.
jolj
ArboristSite Operative
I tried to buy a new saw, they said on back out for some time & do not know when it will come in.
To call back every week & they would let me know when the shelves are restocked.
To call back every week & they would let me know when the shelves are restocked.
Out of the three saws I have if I had to choose one it would be the 365 Special with 24" bar, had it years and still cuts great.
Iffykid
ArboristSite Operative
I keep a few firewood saws around both 50cc and 70cc but if it came down to just one saw it would be a 10mm 044 second choice would be a 12mm 044 and a 20" b&c, Never been much of a 60cc person one would think it the perfect compromise being between a 50cc and 70cc, but it just never seemed worth it. IMHO
I called several places hunting a 460 or 560 stihl or a 545 or 555 Husqy brush cutter for a job. Some quoted over a year. And some said that as of march 2022, their saws that were due in January 2021 still hadn't come. Lol
I did finally find the Husqy 545 and 555. Amazing cutting from a glorified weed eater.
jason ms460
New Member
My ms460, but I love my 034 too, I have a jonesreds 801 I thought was the cats meow, but then I got the ms460,
Dennisthemenace
ArboristSite Operative
08s
Swiss army saw..025,036,460, scrench, axe, combi can and wedges all in one
Currently run a Makita ea4300 (dolmar 410) and a 365. My firewood is all arb waste that I cut up. I only run the big saw occasionally and could make do without it, especially if the small saw were slightly larger I'd definitely not need a bigger saw, but would a bigger small saw annoy me and leave me wanting a smaller saw too? I guess I'd love to try a 550xp and that with an be 18" bar would probably be my one. Although I'd possibly stick with the ea4300 and it's 15" bar or a 16". So.... Dig an answer out of that! 
361, 461.
FLINT
ArboristSite Member
LIke this?
I've only owned about a half dozen different saws, but my 362 seems like a pretty darn good all around saw. not too big, not too small. I don't have experience with the previous iterations 036, 360, 361, etc. so I can't compare, but this size class I think would be my vote for an all around one size does most saw.
Thumper88
ArboristSite Lurker
If I have access to a dealership then my 1 saw plan would be the 500i. It starts easy, runs like a raped ape, and runs anything from a 20" to a 32" bar well in our local hardwoods.
If Im doing my own repairs to keep it running, then its my Tree Monkey 064. It only weighs 1.5 lbs more than than the 500i, with almost 10 horsepower. Itll cut any tree I will ever run across and pulls a 36" full comp 9 pin in hardwood. Wicked fast bucking with a short bar as well.
If Im doing my own repairs to keep it running, then its my Tree Monkey 064. It only weighs 1.5 lbs more than than the 500i, with almost 10 horsepower. Itll cut any tree I will ever run across and pulls a 36" full comp 9 pin in hardwood. Wicked fast bucking with a short bar as well.
johnems
ArboristSite Lurker
361 is my choice as well
