SawTroll said:
Another very good, well reflected, post from Computeruser!!!!
My wiew is that the saws aren't really comparable, because of the 5.6 kg vs 6.4 kg weight difference......
Thanks. And I do agree that they are not 100% comparable, especially on weight and price.
That said, they are comparable in as much as they are capable of doing much the same work, which is the factor that matters the most to a lot of guys. For example, for the guy bucking up firewood in his backyard or running the saw once or twice a month, the weight differential really wouldn't matter as much as it would to a more regular saw user or someone who has to pack their gear around in the woods. Since both are pro-grade saws and you can get a NIB 6400/6401 for about $150 less than a 361 (and an exRental one can be had for $205), a lot of folks will wonder whether the lighter and leaner chassis of the 361 is worth it. For some it will be and for others it won't.
A few other thoughts:
I have long wondered what the logic behind the 6400/6401 is, since it weighs the same as a 7900 and all. It doesn't fit in my Three Saw Plan idea, which states that people who does any amount of cutting should aim to have a 30-40cc lighweight for trimming, a 50cc pro saw for limbing and smaller work, and a 70cc+ big saw for efficient blocking, felling, and such. But the truth is that this represents a sizeable investment for most people and the more I think about it, I suppose that a saw like the 6400/6401 does make sense as the superior choice for the guy who would otherwise be looking, at best, at an MS390 or H460. I think sometimes we get too carried away with power/weight ratios and incremental thinking - for another $50 I can get...and for another $50 beyond that.... That may make sense to those of us with the saw addiction, but for the guy on a budget who just needs to get the job done, the extra money (or having three saws where one or two would do just fine) may not make sense.
The buddy I bought the 6401 for has two saws - the 6401 and an Echo CS3000. I bought it for him so we would have parts interchangeability between my 7900 and his Makita the same way we do with our Echos, since I do all the upkeep on his saws anyway. He lives on a small suburban lot and with these saws he has been more than able to handle anything he has needed to cut. I have dropped off logs for firewood that he's been able to cut up, he's been able to help friends and neighbors with trimming/removal/storm cleanup, he's been able to easily handle nature preserve trail cleanup work, and he has put the saw to good use when he cuts with caseyforrest and I. I suspect that this kind of use is far more represesntative of the cutting experience of most saw owners in the general population. And for these folks the 6400/6401 is a superb choice. Together with his Echo (which was an $80 HomeDepot Refurb and is still going strong), he has maybe $425 tied up in two saws, a few loops, some files, and the proper PPE. Not a bad setup for a homeowner/occasional wood cutter, I'd say.
