Smaller saw to use mainly for limbing and light firewood?

[manual]

346xp w/ 16" bar. You'll love it, especially if you can find it without the catalytic (I believe green caps for fuel = catalytic). If it has a catalytic, remove it.

I really like using the 95VP narrow kerf chain (or 20NK WoodsmanPro from Bailey's is great but may be slightly less safety oriented). It cuts very smoothly, fast, and has a lot less kickback than standard chain which is helpful when limbing. I generally don't run safety chain on my other saws, but this stuff performs great. Just make sure you use a narrow kerf bar to match. Keeping rev's up is critical to this saw and the narrow kerf works really well, especially on smaller lumber as you describe.

Well everyone,

I decided to give the 346xp a whirl with a 16" bar. Thanks for all the advice! I'll be back to read some more posts in the future-this is a great site.

Jay

Hi Hutch,
Glad to see you did some research on you purchasing a saw.
Please consider Engineeringnerds advice, the 346xp responds well with a narrow kerf Bar and chain set up.

Welcome to the site.

 

[SawTroll]

No doubt the 350 is an excellent saw. I'm surprised to hear you say it out cuts the 346. Seems the 346 should beat the 350 in every condition, except possibly a full buried cut, and I would have thought it would win there too. I often run mine with a 20" bar, but it slows down considerably on anything over 14" diameter. It will sink into oak with the 20" bar, but a bigger saw is much more graceful. I also like the rim sprocket set-up on the 346, but to your point, it isn't much of a benefit if you don't cut a lot of wood and need to change them out. I've worn out about 5 chains and my current rim sprocket and still looks almost new.

My 346 is a breeze to start; two pulls with choke on to make it pop, 1 pull with the choke off to start it. Once it's warmed up it starts the first pull.

I would think the Dolmar 5100 would be the best competitor to the 346, but that's been argued about a million times. Seems to always come down to whether you want more power with slightly more weight (=> 5100), or better filtration, higher revs, and years of proven performance (=> 346xp). If I was choosing a single saw, I'd look seriously at the 5100. Since I have a 70cc saw for firewood and felling, I really like the "flickability" of the 346 and the way it slices through lumber like a knife. Truth is, they both seem to be fine saws. I do think a nice feature of the 5100 is the internal clutch, making changing chains and rims somewhat easier.

I've had the 346 for a while now and don't see a compelling reason to change. It's hard to imagine being happier with a purchase.

Very good post, I think you hit most nails sqarely!

....but 5 chains on one sprocket just seems like too much, unless you hit nails and other hard objects often, and has to file off a lot of metal when sharpening.......

 

[SawTroll]

Good luck with your choice.


Even if its not the Stihl:bang:

Stihl is way behind in the 50cc class, but there are some that will never admit it......:biggrinbounce2:

 

[Engineeringnerd]

Troll,

I know 5 chains on a sprocket seems a lot. Tanks of gas would probably be a better indicator than # of chains. I must admit I used my 95VP and 20NK chains to learn on my MAXX chain grinder, so they didn't last very long; probably 1/3 as long as when as when hand filing. Now that I know how to grind, my chains probably will last about 70% as long as hand filing. l like to keep my chains pristine, and sharpen them after each cutting, even if I've only whacked a few limbs. Remember, its a hobby for me, and state of mind = state of hardware!

By the way, I've read some bad rep for 95VP as being hard to sharpen. I've found them the easiest of all my chains to sharpen, especially if using a hand file. 3-5 strokes and you're there. The cutters are so narrow that the metal comes off very easily and leaves a great edge. I do think I'm forming a preference for WoodsmanPro chain over Oregon as it seems to hold an edge better, and doesn't blue as easily on the grinder. If hand filing, I'd probably prefer the softer Oregon.

 

[SawTroll]

By the way, I've read some bad rep for 95VP as being hard to sharpen. I've found them the easiest of all my chains to sharpen, especially if using a hand file. 3-5 strokes and you're there. The cutters are so narrow that the metal comes off very easily and leaves a great edge. ....

Hmmm, 3-5 strokes seems a bit much, for normal touch-up, but if it is really dull, I agree.....:biggrinbounce2:

 

[SawTroll]

By the way, I've read some bad rep for 95VP as being hard to sharpen. I've found them the easiest of all my chains to sharpen, especially if using a hand file. 3-5 strokes and you're there. The cutters are so narrow that the metal comes off very easily and leaves a great edge. ....

Hmmm, 3-5 strokes seems a bit much, for normal touch-up, but if it is really dull, I agree.....:biggrinbounce2: