which chainsaw would you recomend?

[j.p.landscaping]

Hey guys,
Which chainsaw would you recomend for me. I'm a landscaper not a arborist so it won't be used everyday but I want a saw that has power to spear and will always work when I need it. I have a small echo 340 for pruning and small work but I want something that I can limb with AND chop up the big stuff.

Here's what I'm looking at:
stihl 260pro
stihl 440mag
husky 372XPW

I have always favored stihl but I know husky is neck and neck with stihl however my stihl dealer showed me a scored piston from a 55 rancher and said it was the result of husky having one ring instead of stihl's 2 ring. Said the guy ran it with a dull chain and it caused it to overheat the ring. Both dealers said the exact same thing to me "husky is like harley davidson, fast and loud where stihl is like honda, quiet and calm but powerful".

Thanks for any help...
Jay
J.P. Landscaping

 

[Husky372]

those are stihl dealers feeding you that crap right? go to a husky dealer they'll feed you the same crap about stihl. i personally like the husky 372xp you cant go wrong with it.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Unless you're a small woman, scratch that 026 off your list. 3 cube saws are for young girls and old women.
The 440/460 and 372 are compareable, you won't go wrong with either one. It's like the ford chevy arguement. You'll also get told to look at echos, dolmars and other off brands. Those guys are lie the guys that like toyota's.

 

[z4lunch]

stihl

Spend the money on the MS440
Steve

 

[Gypo Logger]

Probably the most important thing the dealer neglected to state, was that the seizure, in addition to what was noted, was caused by to low a gas/mix ratio.
It's amazing the boulchit some people will conjure up in order to lend some credance to their claims.
What comes to mind is a 357. You could send it out to one of the saw builders here, or simply open up the muffler a bit.
Hope this helps,
John

 

[j.p.landscaping]

Hey you guys are great, thanks.

I am leaning towards the 440 mag myself. Don't get me wrong, the husky looks just as good, it just felt a little bit heavier to me that the stihl. I can get the 440mag with an 18" bar, new for $600.00 and for $30.00 more my dealer said he could put a dual exhaust muffler and tweek the carb for me.

The only reason I was thinking about the 260 pro was I didn't know if the 440 was going to be too bulky to drag up in a tree to do limb work. Like I said though I'm a dirt jockey not a arborist so I'm not going to be clearing lots every week, just medimum duty stuff and maybe some firewood too.

I think I'm going to end up with the 440 but honestly I'll probably end up getting a husky 372 within the year just to have both to play with. Can always use an extra saw around especially with the winter storms we get here. I can get the husky online for $560.00 shipped.
How do these prices sound to you guys? Is there anywhere online where I could get better deals that I don't know about???

Thanks

 

[Marky Mark]

They are both good saws, myself I would lean towards the 372xp or a gypo commented on the 357xp. Husy's are more comfortable to run. What size tree's are you dealing with? As for Mike Maas stating you need a huge saw we have to look at what mike does for living. Mike happens to be in the climbing world a 10, he's one of the best. If you look in the post on the climbers forum he has a video the nick put together.

He Mike demonstrates the use of a big saw to drop a tree on the corner of a house, then to top things off drops a huge limp dead center in a shed. All using a big saw.


Here's the link http://students.uwsp.edu/ncraw045/removal_king.wmv it's a big file but I laugh everytime I watch it.

If I was going to be taking a saw up a tree it wouldn't be an o44 if I only had one saw. There are guys here that can put you on target for that. BAck to you Roger.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Originally posted by Marky Mark

He Mike demonstrates the use of a big saw to drop a tree on the corner of a house, then to top things off drops a huge limp dead center in a shed. All using a big saw.


Here's the link http://students.uwsp.edu/ncraw045/removal_king.wmv it's a big file but I laugh everytime I watch it.

To be fair Mark, I was using a Husky 336, a realatively small saw.
In the tree a good sharp climbing saw trumps a big dull saw every time. The only time I use an 046 in a tree is if I'm working the spar down. Most limbs can be cut with a 16" bar on a climbing saw.

 

[j.p.landscaping]

Dan,
Like I have been saying I'm a dirt jockey. I don't cut trees. I would never take on anything as big as what's in the video like mark sent me nor would I climb that high...lol

I just want to be able to either cut down small trees that are NOT near anything that could be destroyed, limb branches that are overgrown and chop up trees that fell either on their own of because of a storm. Oh and chop up some firewood too. I just don't what to buy a underpowered saw. I don't mind paying $600.00 for the 440 if I know I'm going to have a good powerful saw.

One of the main reasons for me asking for your advise is you guys are the pros and I'm not. I'm not the type of guy who is gonna buy a powerful saw and ack like a pro with it either. I want a good piece of equipment that I can get used to and grow with. I feel that I could handle the 440 too. It felt good in my hands. Very comfortable for a 6'2" 250lbs guy.

Oh, and what the hell is a troll or don't I wanna know??

 

[j.p.landscaping]

Thanks Rockey...

That's what I kinda new but wanted someone to confirm. Now I feel that the 260pro would be the saw to bring up there. Am I right??

 

[j.p.landscaping]

Ok here's what I'm thinking....

My echo for the small pruning
A 260 Pro done up with the carb and exhaust work for climbing and limbing.
The 440mag ON THE GROUND to chop everything up.

Am I on track now???

 

[rbtree]

Jay,

As I have all of the saws you listed, here's what I suggest.

1, if you leave the saws stock:

357 or 372. The 440 is also a great saw, but you'll need to open up the horribly restricted muffler port. Or buy the ported front cover, and presto, a dual port 044.

If you take the advice of those of us that run modified saws, then get, in descending order of preference:

357
346
026

Personally, I rate the 026 near the bottom of the 3 cube saw class, for a few reasons.....but it is still a good saw. However, the 346 is a far nicer saw.

Benefits of going small with a modded saw.....you get to run a saw that is tuned to perfection, wil run cooler and perhaps outlast a stock one, it will be lighter with close to the same torque as a bigger saw. If all you plan on needing is an 18 inch bar, then get a modded 346, it is one amazing saw. But you might find, as your business grows, need for a bigger saw. A modded 357 will pull a 24 inch bar in hardwood, and a 28 in softwood. however, I run mine with a 20, and use 24 to 32 inch bars on my modded 372 and dolmar 7900's....(or 044's, but mine are tired.)

A bigger saw might last longer, even stock, as it won't be working hard that often. But it will need muffler opening, the Huskies as well as the Stihls.

 

[geofore]

440/372

The 440 and 372 are big saws to take up in a tree if you are not well trained in handling a saw up in a tree, have the PPE to be up in the tree and know how to use it. They are good saws for on the ground for cutting up firewood. For up in a tree, you better know what you're doing and how to handle it before you take a saw that big up with you. When you get to taking down trees where you need a saw that big up in a tree you should be hiring a climber to do the tree/ show you how. If you get one of the saws, practice on the ground until you're good with the saw then get someone who does treework for a living to show you how to use it and all the equipment you should have to be up in a tree with it. The "I don't climb that high" is scary.

 

[glens]

Jay,

The Husky 372 felt heavier than the Stihl 440 because it <i>is</i> heavier; probably by a full pound.&nbsp; If you can get the 440 from the dealer new with a dual port muffler for the price you stated, why don't you have it already?&nbsp; That would be the first saw of all mentioned so far that I'd be buying.

In order to achieve the greater torque and cut with a larger saw, the modified smaller saw generally needs to spin faster (think rice-grinder vs. hog).&nbsp; That in itself will speed up cutting, but using it to it's full potential will require a bit more care on the part of the operator.&nbsp; If you're going to dip your "blade" into the dirt a bit and continue to keep cutting because there's only a half-dozen more cuts to go, you'll do better with the bigger saw.

You might also look at the MS361 as something between the two Stihls you mentioned.

A modified Husky 346 is going to cost most of what you quoted for the Stihl 440 and it will likely last longer than a stock 346, but not as long as a stock 440 doing the same bigger stuff most every time it cuts.

By "up in a tree" do you by chance mean standing in an outstretched loader bucket?

Glen

 

[Ryan Willock]

I would buy the 440 as it has plenty of power (with the muffler opened up {or dual port} as all saws need that in my opinion). I wouldn't heasitate to buy another 440. I run a 440, 460, a hopped up 066 and I have a 372. I would buy the 440.

 

[j.p.landscaping]

I still don't think you guy's get what I'm saying...
I have used saws before working with other dirt jockeys so I feel pretty comfortable in my abilities in handeling one HOWEVER as I stated a few times now I ADMIT that I'm not a professional tree cutter like you guys that do this for a living. Nor am I even going to attempt to try to do any big jobs unless I'm helping clear a lot where I can just lay a SMALL(20-35 footer) right down because THERE IS NOTHING BUT TREES ANYWHERE AROUND ME FOR HUNDREDS OF YARDS.
I will be more that happy to give those bigger and riskyer jobs to you guys. I just want to be able to do small work like downing small stuff (12" diameter stuff) and minor limb work. I just don't want to buy a saw and end up not happy with it because of lack of power. If I have to buy both the 260pro to take up in the tree with(AGAIN I'M NOT GOING HUNDREDS OF FEET UP WITH IT JUST SOME LOW LIMBING) and the 440 to chop up the ground stuff I'm perfectly fine with buying 2 saws. I don't mind spending the big money to buy both saws as long as I'm getting what I need to do a job right.

I felt the 440 was too big a saw to climb with but I was only putting a 18" bar on it so I had that second notion that I could kill 2 birds with one stone by useing it in the tree and on the ground but maybe I'll just get the 260pro for the high work and the 440 for the low work.

Ugh...I got a headach now....lol

 

[j.p.landscaping]

In fact let me help us along here and say that I made up my mind and am getting the 440 mag with either a 18" or 20" bar (I'll figure that out later/One problem at a time...lol) for the ground work. So far everyone I talked to said nothing but good things about this saw and I can't beat the price, so thanks for the re-encouragement on the 440.

There...that's done....

Now let's work on what would be a good saw to do limbing work.
Let's say 40 feet up and limbs 12"-16" in diameter. And keep in mind I'm a big boy (6'2" 250lbs) and can handle a good saw up in a tree.
Looking for something powerful, light, not too bulky and most of all reliable!!! Stihl first, husky second choice. Will have dual exhaust and carb work done for extra get up and go. Probably gonna go with a 16" or 18" bar depending on the saws power. Don't wanna over work it. Prob a 16" bar. Lets go one further and say money isn't an issue (probably going to be sorry I said that...). By the way I can get the 260pro for $480.00 with the dual exhaust and carb work.


OK guys...let's hear it!!

Thanks
Jay

 

[j.p.landscaping]

WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT A TROLL IS???????

 

[sedanman]

A troll is someone who posts a thread looking to start a fight, maybe fight is too strong of a word, controversy is better. I am not saying this is what you are doing, I am only answering one of your questions. I'd get an 025 to bring into the trees and something bigger to keep on the ground.

 

[j.p.landscaping]

I do landscaping as a part time business. I'm a state correctional officer full time. I love a good argument. Bring it on.....lmao

Thanks for the info bro.......