New Large-ish Saw - Advice Appreciated

[blsnelling]

I would say that you are more of a Smokey Yunick or Mr. Norm of saws haha...

Did he, or did he not saw a big saw for 36"-40" Oak? That's 90cc territory if I ever heard of it! I don't mind the monikers though Just havin' fun whicha

 

[kevlar]

For wood that big, the 385 is the smallest saw I'd consider. That's MS660/395 territory!

I agree,660 would do very nicely!

 

[056kid]

I put 100,000's on the truck with an old 044 that bairley had 100 lbs of compression so ...

of course then I had to walk 15 miles up hill in the rain to & from work with boots that where to small and clothes that where full of holes.

then I got a 660 and I can see clearly now the rain is gone, I dont have to walk anymore either, I just ride the saw!


http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.n...0eb84dd0613a37e288256de100066298?OpenDocument

 

[blsnelling]

I put 100,000's on the truck with an old 044 that bairley had 100 lbs of compression so ...

of course then I had to walk 15 miles up hill in the rain to & from work with boots that where to small and clothes that where full of holes.

then I got a 660 and I can see clearly now the rain is gone, I dont have to walk anymore either, I just ride the saw!


http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.n...0eb84dd0613a37e288256de100066298?OpenDocument

Put a 40-pin sprocket on that 660 and ride it like a unicycle

 

[headleyj]

Ya'll are awesome! Man a 660?! Holy &^%$ that's huge! I never even considered that honestly. Once this crop of big stuff is gone I still want to be able to use it w/o having back surgery I'm in good shape and could handle a heavy-ish saw for cutting firewood, but man....that's a big-un!!

OK - tonight I'll measure the largest piece I have (maybe 1 or 2 pieces on the place that big)...then I'll measure a "normal piece"....that's appx 12-14" dia I'm assuming. I'm hoping my 36" is way off, but I don't think so...I'd hate to get a 660 or equivalent and it be perfect for 2 pieces and overkill for the other 98%.

Anyways...
1. Found the thread on the IN? KY area GTG - I'd love to do that, but hell I just today found out what a muffler mod is ...so a noob? YES! I'll PM Erick....and shoot I used to work in Seymour so I know right where Scottsburg is...it's not that far.
2. A welding instructor at Bloomington HS North huh?! Hell I went there and bet I know him through someone, if not already What's his name?

I really appreciate all this guys - I'll measure and report back tomorrow - no internet at home.

Thanks again!!!!

Josh

 

[blsnelling]

Noobies are welcome at GTGs! You'd have an awesome time, I promise!

 

[headleyj]

Yes you should try to make the GTG. It's a good chance to run the saws you've mention.

Your story sounds a lot like mind. I brought a house with an outdoor burner. I started with a Husky 350, but realized it was too slow on the bigger wood.

I ended up with a 372xp and 395xp as my two main saws. 395xp would be a great choice for firewood with your 290 as back up and clean up work.
I think people forget with firewood you can most of the time drive up to the wood and the cutting is mostly low. So you more or less just "hanging" the saw on the ends of your arms. Your not really holding it up as with felling or limbing. So you can get by with a bigger saw. But this is my opinion.

There was a 385xp in the Indy CL for 525. I think if you shop around you can do better with price. There was a 288xp on the Bloomington CL for 300 not too long ago either.

For hard wood in the sizes your saying. You can't replace displacement.

I saw that CL ad and talked to the guy - he got that off a pawn shop...that's the one I mentioned actually.....I'd probably tend to stray away from that sicne he knows nothing about the saw except it runs good now...no history...that's just me. Thanks for the info though!

 

[headleyj]

Noobies are welcome at GTGs! You'd have an awesome time, I promise!

That's appreciated man. I will PM Erick tomorrow - gotta get home and drag logs up to the stove!

 

[AUSSIE1]

Don't deny the 390XP a thought.

 

[blsnelling]

OK - tonight I'll measure the largest piece I have (maybe 1 or 2 pieces on the place that big)...then I'll measure a "normal piece"....that's appx 12-14" dia I'm assuming. I'm hoping my 36" is way off, but I don't think so...I'd hate to get a 660 or equivalent and it be perfect for 2 pieces and overkill for the other 98%.

Josh

If that's the case, then I wouldn't recommend a 90cc saw. Go for something in the 70cc class.

 

[056kid]

:agree2:

 

[TRI955]

Get a 372 Husky/2171 Jonsered or Stihl 441/460 or even a Dolmar 7900, run a 24" bar set up most of the time and buy a 32" bar with full skip chain set up for that rare instance that you really need that bigger bar/saw. I think you'd be really happy with that set up, I know that I am!!!
Come to the GTG and you can try my 2171....

Just my .02,
Mike

 

[outdoorlivin247]

I will bring my stock MS460 to Erick's GTG if I can make it...I am sure that there will be a stock 441 and 7900 there also...Unless something just falls in your lap, I would wait until after the GTG...And feel free to bring CASH, you might just find the perfect saw there...

 

[Noko]

I mainly cut red oak and white oak diameter up to 40+".
My setting is MS460 with 28" bar and 20" bar.
My chain choice is full comp chisel for both bars.
I carry several chain loops for each bar and change them as chain gets dull.
Switching bar/chain on MS460 is very quick.
This setting works well for me.
Noko

 

[blsnelling]

I mainly cut red oak and white oak diameter up to 40+".
My setting is MS460 with 28" bar and 20" bar.
My chain choice is full comp chisel for both bars.
I carry several chain loops for each bar and change them as chain gets dull.
Switching bar/chain on MS460 is very quick.
This setting works well for me.
Noko

I guess I'm just spoiled. Pick up a nicely ported 066/660 and you'll wonder how you ever did it with a stock 70cc class saw. 40" wood? LOL, I'm draggin out a ported 084 for that

 

[Noko]

660 sounds good, but 460 is what I have now.

When I did not have money to buy 460, I cut this size oak with Poulan Pro 295 (46cc) with 20" bar with Oregon Low-Kickback chain.

Current 460 setting is like a heaven compared to PP295 setting.

I would not go back to PP295 setting, but it is possible.

Noko

 

[mdavlee]

Dolmar 7900 would be a good choice. I had a ms 460 for about 4 years and bought a 7900 and sold the 460 2 weeks later. It will pull a 28" full comp in oak just fine. It's not got the power of a 660 but it will cut quicker than a 460 plus it's lighter. My 372 spw is not broken in yet but the 7900 seems to be quite a bit stronger than it. I have an 044 which is the slowest cutting saw of the bunch but the smallest cc. The 044, 372, 7900 all 3 way about the same with a 460 being a little bit heavier.

 

[Farmall Guy]

I reach for my 066 90% of the time, the 046 gets used from time to time but as brad says once you've run a 660-066 its hard to go back to a stock 70cc saw. That said I really enjoy running bigger saws (my 046 is my small saw) in reality a 460 would do just fine in what you describe 36-40" being the exception not the rule. If you find a good 066-660 at a good price I wouldnt hesetate to pick it up, they're really not that much harder on the body than a 460-046...... now an 088-880 on the other hand will wear most folks out in a hurry.

 

[CentaurG2]

If you are not going to make a career out of busting up 36”+ logs get a 372xp or an ms441 with a 24” bar and some full skip chain. Keep the chain sharp and it will handle anything you throw at it. I have used a 372xp to salvage many cords of hardwood from logs that belong in a tub grinder. It is a lot of work but if you sell the clear and used the knots and scraps for furnace bait, it aint a bad way to go. Softwood just cut into manageable chunks and stuff it in the furnace door.
The ms660 and 395xp are great saws but in my opinion, they are way overkill and too expensive to burn up in the fire wood pile. If you hunt around, you might be able to pick up a 372xp for around $700. If you are a bit if an iconoclast, hunt up a dolmar 7900. Best bang for the buck! Good luck!

 

[TreeClimber57]

..... now an 088-880 on the other hand will wear most folks out in a hurry.

You got that right. On the other hand it is one mean saw.. and there isn't much you can put anywhere in sight that it will not tear through in a heartbeat.