Lets talk Chainsaws

[3325]

I don’t have any experience with the specific saws the OP mentioned, but I’m predisposed to pick a Stihl.

I’ve used both Stihl and Husky. In addition to farm and ranch labor and personal fire wood cutting, I climbed professionally for about three years. Arborist was the preferred high falutin’ term for this but before that we were called tree surgeons. I used both an 020 Stihl and a 335 Husky as climbing saws. I like Husky but I prefer Stihl.

 

[makinmeat]

I own 25 acres in MN and cut wood for supplemental heat in the winter (usually a full cord or two). I have a stihl that runs great and is very easy to work on, but I'd like to buy a Husk rancher to compare side by side. A sharp chain is really the only thing you need to worry about.

 

[abilliott]

I have a Stihl MS362 and it’s been a favorite. It’s plenty powerful to do almost anything without feeling like it’s overkill.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Steve300xcw]

I was thinking of getting a 20 “ bar?

isnt that what most the smaller saws come with?

24" seems to be the sweet spot for reach yet still able to stash the thing, just about anywhere. Last bar I bought was a 28" and thats notta bad size either.

 

[JoeK]

20" bars suck. 24-28" make things easier to reach and there is less bending over.

I do not understand the 50-60cc saws. Either get a dinky lil thing or a 70cc.

I'm not a fan of the husky's though lotta folks like them. I also wouldnt overlook the echo's. I have a 40cc echo and that lil pos just works

Follow a guy on YT, a logger.
He answered a question about why he does pretty much all his, felling, cutting and limbing with no less than a 20” bar.
So he doesn’t have to bend over as much and can have some distance when cutting.
Seems to make sense.
Of course I’m no saw guy. I can stsrt one and use it. That’s bout it!
I was thinking of getting a 20 “ bar?

There's a use case for each size of saw and bar. I find 20" to be a very capable and versatile size for general use. But my idea of "general use" might be quite different than yours.

If your felling, limbing, and bucking long straight trees like Buckin Billy Ray (I love his channel too) then it absolutely makes sense why to choose the longer bar. He's also had gnarly back injuries IIRC car wrecks or tree accidents or maybe both. There's definitely an ergonomic case to be made for a long bar and the "stand up and buck" motto. Especially true if your cutting logs day after day.

I have more pain in my shoulder, elbow, or wrist than my back and generally prefer to tote a lighter weight saw around my jobsites (CS-400) with an 18" bar for limbing, and definitely for low height trimming. I do WAY more low height mesquite trimming than I do falling limbing and bucking logs. Heck for all the saws I own no question i run the pole saws (HT-131) way more than any other saw. hence the pain in my left arm joints. Most of the time I don't have enough space to fell the tree so i have to piece it down hanging from a rope, maybe rigging pieces down. So I usually have a log limbed before it's ever on the ground. I more often find myself with a collection of 6-8" limbs to "buck" into firewood after the brush has been chipped off and there's lots of bending and one handed wood manipulation no matter what size of saw I'm holding.
So I like to hold a little saw for that. bigger than 8" wood or so and that little echo is just too slow for productivity. 50cc at 20" fills that gap for me before I need to step up to a big bucker around 15" Diameter.

If I was a logger or cutting firewood off a woodlot It'd be totally different. Running a 24, 28 maybe even a 32" bar and a heavier saw with more horsepower gets through big buckin much faster. In fact I do run 24" most when I do get to fell a tree with the limbs on. my 28" saw (MS460) is heavy enough I only want to pick it up to buck logs. the 362C pulls 24" like a hoss.

Generally if your using more than 3/4 of your available bar you'd be much more productive stepping up to a bigger saw with more power, and usually that means a bigger bar, but it doesn't have to. It definitely means more weight in your hands. for some 50cc and a 20" bar is no man's land, for others it's the go to do all.

 

[fsr731]

Have you considered putting a ported muffler on the 500i? Should make quite a difference at your elevation

Interesting. Never thought about it. Looked it up after you mentioned it. I think I’m going to call west coast saw and talk to them about it. They have a “bark box” for $80 but say it only adds 6-10% power. IDK, maybe at my elev I’d get more. That would be great. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[ColeyG]

Interesting. Never thought about it. Looked it up after you mentioned it. I think I’m going to call west coast saw and talk to them about it. They have a “bark box” for $80 but say it only adds 6-10% power. IDK, maybe at my elev I’d get more. That would be great. Thanks for the suggestion.

The folks at West Coast are great. Everyone I've spoken with there has been super knowledgeable and helpful. I have a couple of their Bark boxes and universal exhaust ports installed. If they offer an air filter upgrade kit for your saw that can help add some power and performance as well.

Several companies will port the cylinders on your 500i as well, which, at normal elevations, turns it into a fire breathing dragon. I would go with Ripsaw to get that done. Quite a bit more expensive than a ported muffler though.

Mail Your Saw - Ripsaw Chainsaw Porting - Select a Saw

CNC Performance Port Work for your chainsaw. Mail your saw to Ripsaw to reliably increase your saws performance. All Mail In Chainsaw Porting now receives a Ripsaw Signature Series Exhaust (when available for your model saw).

ripsaw.shop

 

[Sunshine40]

I ran a Stihl saw shop for a while and have always been partial to Stihl.

Pro saws are more $ up front but cheaper to repair.
homeowner saws are less $ up front but more $ to repair.

the ms250 and 391 are the only homeowner saws I can recommend based on repair frequency/longevity and those two models make good power for their class.

the 261 is the pro version of the 271.

the 360/361/362 and 400 are 65+cc pro saws and are excellent "homestead" saws.

The 400 with exhaust or a ported 362 are wicked little firewood saws.

Always, always run non ethanol fuel if you can get it.

It is expensive but the canned mix gas is no joke. it is different than pump gas. I've tested it extensively and saws run better and have fewer issues, especially if the saw sits for months between uses.

Where was your shop at? I was a rep for Stihl for a few years.

 

[Sunshine40]

The folks at West Coast are great. Everyone I've spoken with there has been super knowledgeable and helpful. I have a couple of their Bark boxes and universal exhaust ports installed. If they offer an air filter upgrade kit for your saw that can help add some power and performance as well.

Several companies will port the cylinders on your 500i as well, which, at normal elevations, turns it into a fire breathing dragon. I would go with Ripsaw to get that done. Quite a bit more expensive than a ported muffler though.

Mail Your Saw - Ripsaw Chainsaw Porting - Select a Saw

CNC Performance Port Work for your chainsaw. Mail your saw to Ripsaw to reliably increase your saws performance. All Mail In Chainsaw Porting now receives a Ripsaw Signature Series Exhaust (when available for your model saw).

ripsaw.shop

West coast saw parts are great, performance fit and finish are stellar. Im a huge fan of their after market clutch covers. I have a ms660 with pretty much everything they make on it along with a port and polish and smaller head gasket. The saw pretty much cuts as fast as gravity will pull it. Warning though, those bark boxes truly are loud!

Also up vote on the 271. Of all my saws that one gets the most use.

 

[longrangelead]

Where was your shop at? I was a rep for Stihl for a few years.

it was in Plains MT. Danny is the area rep.

 

[Steve300xcw]

The old man stole my 462 because his battery saws are just so awesome...

So drug up the ol echo from the shed, to use as a road saw. Not sure how many years old the gas is, nor the last time it was started. Yet 4 pulls an its ready to go.

 

[Geewhiz]

I have a ms 180 w/ a 12" bar for the little stuff and a 391 for the not so little stuff. They both are great saws. The 391 is a great saw but I expect that of it. The 180 really impressed me for what it is. That little bugger rips.

 

[Kodiak55]

I have used Stihl for over 40 years, have a MS261C now, great saw. I have also used Husqvarna in the past, prefer Stihl.

 

[wowzers]

Interesting. Never thought about it. Looked it up after you mentioned it. I think I’m going to call west coast saw and talk to them about it. They have a “bark box” for $80 but say it only adds 6-10% power. IDK, maybe at my elev I’d get more. That would be great. Thanks for the suggestion.

Jason Egan does some similar work. He ports saws too.

Egan Performance Saws

Buy the famous Egan Performance "straight shot" mufflers to unleash the potential in your Stihl chainsaws, improving their power/torque, decreasing the engine temperature and add the wow factor to your chainsaw.

eganperformancesaws.com

 

[longrangelead]

Interesting. Never thought about it. Looked it up after you mentioned it. I think I’m going to call west coast saw and talk to them about it. They have a “bark box” for $80 but say it only adds 6-10% power. IDK, maybe at my elev I’d get more. That would be great. Thanks for the suggestion.

a Max Air Air or West Coast Air filter help too. more air/fuel in, more exhaust out=more power.
more power means you can upsize the drive sprocket to increase chain speed.

more chain speed = faster wood removal out of the cut.

if you do exhaust and or air filter, go through the recalibration procedure. it makes a difference.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Who's messed with changing out sprockets? Seems that'd speed one up a bit as well?

 

[longrangelead]

Who's messed with changing out sprockets? Seems that'd speed one up a bit as well?

if you have the power, yes.
I have Bark Boxes on all my pro saws, 8 tooth sprockets(7 is stock) and full comp chain.
full comp at high speed is FAST cutting.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I have not really messed with the 462 yet. But more is better...

 

[longrangelead]

Bottom-Bone stock 400c in a green Fir, I think it had skip chisel at the time.
vs
Same saw with Bark Box, air filter, 8 tooth sprocket and full comp chisel chain in a 27 inch Larch.

exhaust and air filter are huge upgrades that let the saw actually run like it should.

 

[longrangelead]

I have not really messed with the 462 yet. But more is better...

462 responds well to exhaust/air filter/sprocket change.

if you're only cutting 24" and smaller mostly, 8 tooth will be a big improvement even without exhaust/air filter.

not everyone can tolerate a loud saw for the performance.