New Chainsaw Question

[MiserableOldFart]

Hi All,
I am considering upgrading my 25+ year old Echo CS500VL, which is about as good as new and a fantastic saw to something a bit more modern with a longer bar and a chain brake. I was impressed by the Husqvarna XP372 I looked at today. It isn't overly heavy (except on the wallet!) and it's the lightest saw that they make that they recommend for a 24" bar, which is what I want.

I have been very happy with my two Echo saws, and the new Echos are quite a bit less expensive than the XP372, but they do not seem to me to have the look and feel of ultra high quality that my CS500VL has. Echo rates saws much smaller than 70cc class for 24" bars, and I'm wondering if there's anyone out there with experience with the 60cc class Echos and the 24" bars. It seems also that the Echos are a bit heavier than the Husky's.. We have a local Husky dealer, and the closest Echo dealer is about 20 miles away, but I've never needed a dealer in the 25+ years I've owned the Echo saw or the 9+ years I've owned the little CS300.

There is also a deal going on for "refurbished" Husky 455's at the very attractive price of $300, but they only have 20" bars and that's the max that they recommend.. though for a $500+ savings I might be tempted to go that route.

Given that I have the Echo 300 for my small work, is the XP 372 a proper choice for "everything else?" I have some very big maples that are going to have be felled (by professionals) and then bucked (by me) and several big downed hemlocks that will provide me with late fall and early winter fuel before I need the good stuff. No Stihl dealers nearby. Is the XP372 a $300 better saw than the Echo CS-600P? Are the new Echo's up to snuff?

Any opinions would be appreciated..

 

[TCowner]

I have an Echo CS670 with a 20" bar that I bought new 4 years ago. It gets a lot of use and the only problem I've had was the chain tension adjuster broke. The repair was about $40. Other than that its been great saw with good power. I bought a 27" bar for the big stuff but its too much bar for the saw. I'm sure it would handle a 24" nicely though.

For the money I think Echo makes a good saw.

 

[Egon]

No knowledge of the Echo saws but have several Husky saws which preform well.

In our area the Husky 372 is quite popular.

 

[Dmace]

Our "big" saw is a Husqvarna Rancher 460 (60cc, 24" bar) that I got at the beginning of the year for the big stuff and it works great.

The XP series is for everyday use by professionals, I only use this saw a few times a month. If you do this for a living, the XP is the way to go but for a homeowner type saw, I think the Rancher is more than enough. It's lighter than the XP also (12.8lbs vs 13.4).

Plus about half the price, $450 vs $850. I got it at Tractor Supply with a 10% coupon for just over $400.
HUSQVARNA 460 Rancher - Chainsaws
HUSQVARNA 372 XPｮ W - XPｮ saws

 

[Baby Grand]

About 7 or 8 years ago, while walking through our local Home Despot, I saw a header display with Echo CS305 14" saws boxed for $95 each. I was living on a 1/2 acre property at the time and the deadwood was starting to get a bit much for the Sandvick bow saw, so it came home with me. That saw is near indestructible. Always starts with 1 or 2 pulls. I have cut many cords of limbs and up to 4" trees with it. The perfect limber/companion to my Stihl MS361. If I had known that they make large displacement saws I would have considered one during the Husky-Stihl-Jonsered compare-o-rama 2 years ago.
-Jim

 

[LD1]

I posted a reply in the other thread you asked this question in. So I'll just copy and past my thoughts instead of re-typing everything.

My question basically boils down to this: Is the Husky 372P really a $300 better saw than an Echo CS 600P? My 500VL is a wonderful saw, as good as new, but I wonder if the current Echos are built as well.

Short answer is yes to some people and no to others. It depends on how often you use it. You aren't really comparing apples to apples.

The echo is just under 60cc's and only 4.0 HP The 372 husky is almost 75cc with 5.4 HP. Weight is about the same.

So you either need to decide weather the 1.4 HP (which is huge in the saw world) is worth the extra $$$ OR you need to compare more similar saws.

In order to get to the HP of the 372, you need to look at the CS8002. And that puts you about 3lbs heavier and who knows how much more $$$.

The appropriate husky you should be comparing the cs600 to would be a 357xp, which is a few hundred dollars less than the 372, about a pound lighter than the echo and still about 0.4HP more, OR the 359 husky which is about $300 less than the 372 and specs comparibally to the cs600.

When it comes to saws, for the most part, you get what you pay for. You need to look close at the specs (just like when buying a tractor). All the big saw companies prices are similar for similar models. you HAVE to compare apples to apples.

And as with buying a tractor, don't forget about dealer support. And test each saw BEFORE you decide on one. You may hear nothing but good things about a certain saw, but it just might not feel right in your hands.

And I will also throw out dolmar for you to look at if you have a dealer nearby. Their PS6400 puts out 4.8HP (0.8 more than the cs600) and weighs about the same, and can be had from a good dealer in the $500-600 range.

If you havent noticed, the echos are typically a little underpowered in their classes when compaired to the respective Dolmars, Husky's, and Stihls. But they are still a great saw and a great warrenty.

Sorry for being long winded and good luck with the purchase.

 

[sixdogs]

We lived in Maine for many years and I have had a number of saws and cut a lot of hard/soft wood. Today, I feel the typical guy/farmer would do best with a Stihl or an Echo. Presently I have a (Sachs) Dolmar, which is owned by Makita and made in Germany. Great saw and starts easy and cuts hard but pricy. Also have a Stihl that starts every time and I can get parts everywhere--if I ever need any. You'll likely never need much anyway. Stihls are known for easy starts and you do not want a hard starting saw.

Huskvarna used to be great--and maybe their big saws are still, but something is wrong across the board. I have heard nothing but complaints of hard starting, bad quality and poor service on their stuff for a couple of years. Search the web.

If it were me I'd look hard at a regular Stihl and maybe a big Echo.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

Thanks, folks. The weight differential between the Husky and Echo saws in the same class is very much a concern, and I have noticed it. I don't see the hp ratings on the Echo site, and couldn't find them, so I wasn't sure about that. The reason I compared two different sized saws is that each is the lightest made by the company for which they recommend a 24" bar.

Maybe if I ruminate on this long enough, We'll get snowed in so I can put off the decision and the expense for a few months. Right now, except for an annoying 2 inches of snow on the ground, we're getting pretty good weather for going into the woods. Just ordered a pair of NEOS boots with studs to make it a bit easier. The bug has hit me though, and it's driving me nuts. Poring over the data and specs on the things..

I don't use a chainsaw every day, and I'm at an age where I shouldn't really be concerned about the longevity of a saw, but I do like quality equipment and I take pride in the fact that my stuff gets used heavily in spurts and lasts a long time. The 372 XP is a very nice looking saw, and feels good in the hands. It is probably at about the limit of the weight I can handle comfortably as well. Still, the reconditioned 455's at $300 are tempting, though the 20" bar is a little small for what I want to do. A new saw will be, along with the tractor, splitter and various other toys, hopefully appreciated by my heirs, else they'll just have to get an auctioneer up here when the time comes..

Why can't they make an 8 pound saw that can handle a 28 inch bar, lol??

 

[LD1]

Thanks, folks. The weight differential between the Husky and Echo saws in the same class is very much a concern, and I have noticed it. I don't see the hp ratings on the Echo site, and couldn't find them, so I wasn't sure about that. The reason I compared two different sized saws is that each is the lightest made by the company for which they recommend a 24" bar.

Maybe if I ruminate on this long enough, We'll get snowed in so I can put off the decision and the expense for a few months. Right now, except for an annoying 2 inches of snow on the ground, we're getting pretty good weather for going into the woods. Just ordered a pair of NEOS boots with studs to make it a bit easier. The bug has hit me though, and it's driving me nuts. Poring over the data and specs on the things..

I don't use a chainsaw every day, and I'm at an age where I shouldn't really be concerned about the longevity of a saw, but I do like quality equipment and I take pride in the fact that my stuff gets used heavily in spurts and lasts a long time. The 372 XP is a very nice looking saw, and feels good in the hands. It is probably at about the limit of the weight I can handle comfortably as well. Still, the reconditioned 455's at $300 are tempting, though the 20" bar is a little small for what I want to do. A new saw will be, along with the tractor, splitter and various other toys, hopefully appreciated by my heirs, else they'll just have to get an auctioneer up here when the time comes.

Why can't they make an 8 pound saw that can handle a 28 inch bar, lol??

A bit of advise, Dont get hung up on what the MFG's reccomend for max bar length. You can put a 20" on a 40cc saw if you wanted to, it will just cut slower.

Instead, look at the HP ratings and let that be the deciding factor on how much bar you want to pull. My dolmar 6400 currently wears a 24" B&C, and at 4.8HP, I personally wouldn't want any LESS power with a 24" for hardwoods.

Echo's site lists the power in Kw's. The CS600 you mention is 3.0Kw which is 3000 watts. divide that by 746 to get the HP equivellent, or 4.0HP.

Husky lists the 357xp for a 13"-20" bar. But If you were to put a 24" on it, it would still pull it better than the CS600, simply because it has 4.4HP as opposed to 4.0. So take the max bar length with a grain of salt. Look at the HP and weight of the saws because those are the two specs that matter the most.

 

[LD1]

We lived in Maine for many years and I have had a number of saws and cut a lot of hard/soft wood. Today, I feel the typical guy/farmer would do best with a Stihl or an Echo. Presently I have a (Sachs) Dolmar, which is owned by Makita and made in Germany. Great saw and starts easy and cuts hard but pricy. Also have a Stihl that starts every time and I can get parts everywhere--if I ever need any. You'll likely never need much anyway. Stihls are known for easy starts and you do not want a hard starting saw.

Huskvarna used to be great--and maybe their big saws are still, but something is wrong across the board. I have heard nothing but complaints of hard starting, bad quality and poor service on their stuff for a couple of years. Search the web.

If it were me I'd look hard at a regular Stihl and maybe a big Echo.

Sixdogs:

Where abouts in central OH are you, and what model Sachs dolmar do you have??

I LOVE to older ones. especially the SI's. The 116si and 120si are two of the best saws I think I have ever ran

 

[sixdogs]

Sixdogs:

Where abouts in central OH are you, and what model Sachs dolmar do you have??

I LOVE to older ones. especially the SI's. The 116si and 120si are two of the best saws I think I have ever ran

Mine's a 115 and I think is the same as yours but a 15" bar.That's all I ever needed in Maine for firewood or farm/woods work. Sachs are very popular there and are probably the number one saw with Stihl comfortably behind. Husky was #1 15 or 20 years ago.
My introduction around here was watching a guy standing on a shaky folding ladder cutting a "widowmaker" limb way over his head. No gloves, helemet or chaps. Must have never seen a chainsaw cut. I could write a book on my observation of the woods industry and countless incidents in the big woods. Lotsa characters.

I'm on the flat ground to the west and my only non-planted tree (planted 550 around the house) is a single big walnut line tree. I scrounge for firewood but propane at age 62 has merits.

 

[LD1]

Mine's a 115 and I think is the same as yours but a 15" bar.That's all I ever needed in Maine for firewood or farm/woods work. Sachs are very popular there and are probably the number one saw with Stihl comfortably behind. Husky was #1 15 or 20 years ago.
My introduction around here was watching a guy standing on a shaky folding ladder cutting a "widowmaker" limb way over his head. No gloves, helemet or chaps. Must have never seen a chainsaw cut. I could write a book on my observation of the woods industry and countless incidents in the big woods. Lotsa characters.

I'm on the flat ground to the west and my only non-planted tree (planted 550 around the house) is a single big walnut line tree. I scrounge for firewood but propane at age 62 has merits.

Flat ground to the west but still central ohio????? Marion county?????If so, howdy neighbor, I am in morrow county.

The 115 is a little different than the 116. It has a 2mm smaller bore and a 2mm smaller stroke. The 116 is 60cc and the 115 is 52cc. But other than that, the way they are made, ported, and tuned are the same. And they will really scream. The sachs dolmar saws of the mid 80's thru the mid 90's still will hold their own cc for cc when compared to the current 20+ year newer designs. You'd probabally be hard pressed to find a current 52cc class saw that will keep up with your 115, except for maybe just a few

 

[arrow]

A bit of advise, Dont get hung up on what the MFG's reccomend for max bar length. You can put a 20" on a 40cc saw if you wanted to, it will just cut slower.

Instead, look at the HP ratings and let that be the deciding factor on how much bar you want to pull. My dolmar 6400 currently wears a 24" B&C, and at 4.8HP, I personally wouldn't want any LESS power with a 24" for hardwoods.

Echo's site lists the power in Kw's. The CS600 you mention is 3.0Kw which is 3000 watts. divide that by 746 to get the HP equivellent, or 4.0HP.

Husky lists the 357xp for a 13"-20" bar. But If you were to put a 24" on it, it would still pull it better than the CS600, simply because it has 4.4HP as opposed to 4.0. So take the max bar length with a grain of salt. Look at the HP and weight of the saws because those are the two specs that matter the most.

I'll add to this. Don't get hunk up on bar length vs. tree diameter. For what your needs are, you'd be much better off with a 357. A 16" bar will easily buck a 30" tree and if truth be known, I prefer the shorter bars for bucking. You start at the top with the saw horizontal. Then pivot the saw to almost vertical with its cut. Bring the saw back to horizontal as you move down the cut to you are almost at bottom of the stem. Do this all along the buck line for each cut. Get a peavey or some type of cant hook or your tractor and roll the log to make the finish cut with an upper cut. The beauty of the short bar is that you can bury it with the bar to vertical and still not hit the ground even with something as small as a 17" stem if you have a 16" bar. If you are looking for an all around light saw that will do this also, take a look at the Husky 346 with an 18" bar or sthil 280 pro or the Dolmar (if you have a place to buy it) 5100. A longer bar does save your back when limbing but what good is that if your chainsaw gets too heavy after a couple of hours. If you were doing this often, one can get used to any weight saw but that's almost every day use day in day out. For your type of use, you'd be much happier with a more all around saw like I mentioned above. Believe me, any of these saws I mention will do what you are asking with a shorter bar and do it with alacrity.

 

[LD1]

Dolmar (if you have a place to buy it) 5100. A longer bar does save your back when limbing but what good is that if your chainsaw gets too heavy after a couple of hours.

They did discontinue the 5100 so if you dont see it on their website, thats why.

They replaced it with the 5105. Same basic saw, but de-tuned just a tad. They were having some issues with the 5100 burning up piston and cylinders.

Rumor on the street is that dolmar had to set the saws lean to pass EPA regulations. They assumed the selling dealers to tune the saws before they left the shop and their not be any issues. Well, we all know what assume means. There are also some rumors about the ethanol in the gas, users running cheap 2-cycle mix, etc, etc.


PS. Excellent point about bar length. You don't need a 24" bar to buck up 24" wood. Although I think it is easier. If you will rarley see wood that big, I agree to go smaller. Bars and chains are cheaper and less teeth to sharpen as well.
This is not to sway you away from dolmars, because they make an excellent saw. Just as good as stihl, husky, etc. But I would reccomend staying away from a 5100 unless you know how to richen it up yourself. But the 5105's have been out about a year now and I havent heard anything bad yet.

 

[Egon]

A bit of advise, Dont get hung up on what the MFG's reccomend for max bar length. You can put a 20" on a 40cc saw if you wanted to, it will just cut slower.

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Steve C]

Hi All,
I am considering upgrading my 25+ year old Echo CS500VL, which is about as good as new and a fantastic saw to something a bit more modern with a longer bar and a chain brake. I was impressed by the Husqvarna XP372 I looked at today. It isn't overly heavy (except on the wallet!) and it's the lightest saw that they make that they recommend for a 24" bar, which is what I want.

I have been very happy with my two Echo saws, and the new Echos are quite a bit less expensive than the XP372, but they do not seem to me to have the look and feel of ultra high quality that my CS500VL has. Echo rates saws much smaller than 70cc class for 24" bars, and I'm wondering if there's anyone out there with experience with the 60cc class Echos and the 24" bars. It seems also that the Echos are a bit heavier than the Husky's.. We have a local Husky dealer, and the closest Echo dealer is about 20 miles away, but I've never needed a dealer in the 25+ years I've owned the Echo saw or the 9+ years I've owned the little CS300.

There is also a deal going on for "refurbished" Husky 455's at the very attractive price of $300, but they only have 20" bars and that's the max that they recommend.. though for a $500+ savings I might be tempted to go that route.

Given that I have the Echo 300 for my small work, is the XP 372 a proper choice for "everything else?" I have some very big maples that are going to have be felled (by professionals) and then bucked (by me) and several big downed hemlocks that will provide me with late fall and early winter fuel before I need the good stuff. No Stihl dealers nearby. Is the XP372 a $300 better saw than the Echo CS-600P? Are the new Echo's up to snuff?

Any opinions would be appreciated..

I have an Echo 6700 that was used in a commercial firewood operation for about 10 years. It has seen several lifetimes worth of use. It still runs like a new saw. I bought a Husky 372XP a couple years ago to replace a old 70cc Poulan that got burned up when my barn burned down. I sold it because I just didn't like the bulk and balance of it. It is a great saw but it was not for me. It was way more saw than I need now that I am 61 years old.

I also have an old Echo/John Deere 602 that is older than the hills and still runs like a new saw. I think Echo builds a great product.

If I didn't already have a 6700 I would buy a CS-600 in a heartbeat. For a slightly smaller saw I bought a Efco 152. It has amazing build quality, fit and finish. 10.7 pounds and 3.4 H.P. Double felling dawgs, solid metal clutch cover/chain brake, side mounted chain tensioner (very nice feature) and compression release. It is my number one go to saw. Very light and good power. A member on the Arborists site has a commercial wood operation and he is doing a long term test on the 152. He has put over 420 tanks of fuel through his and it still performs like new.

If I was only going to have one saw it woud not be a 372, not because it is a bad saw, it isn't it is a great tool but it way larger than what I need for 95% of what I need. The 600P or the Efco 152 would be the saw I would buy.

I have a lot of saws. I am old. I Like powerful 11-12 lb saws.

If you go to Chainsawr you can get a new 152 shipped to your door for $350 and there is a $75 rebate on it making it $275
That is a lot of saw for the money.

 

[mountainlake]

From reports from people who own both a MS361 Stihl and a CS600 they cut at the same speed so either the 361 4.4 hp is overrated or the CS600 hp is underrated. Published numbers are just published numbers. Why does the 3.2hp Stilh MS260 cut just as fast as the 3.8 hp MS290 and a Husky 346xp and Dolmar 5100 cut faster with the same hp . Believe published numbers if you want, too me all they are is a selling point. The CS600 can be bought off Ebay for around $400 right now, the best buy out there. No it won't cut as fast as a 372 but it won't be a long ways behind and I'd bet on a good scale it will be 2# lighter ready to cut on a good scale. Being a old fart those 2# make a hugh difference. Also the Echo quality is every bit as good as Husky or Stihl and as mentioned Echo saws hanlde the best. This is coming from someone that owns at least 20 saws , all brands. My 2 favirites are my CS520 and CS400, with a muff modd it cuts right with a lot of 50cc saws and wieghts 13# ready to cut. One more thing about a prievious post my CS8000 and 385xp Husky wieght the same on a good balance scale and they cut the same, the 385 rev higher but I can lean on CS8000 and it just keeps cutting. The 385 has good torque also but not even close to the 8000, my 7900 Dolmar is the one lacking torque, have too keep the RPM's just right to cut good. Steve

 

[dfkrug]

There is also a deal going on for "refurbished" Husky 455's at the very attractive price of $300, but they only have 20" bars and that's the max that they recommend...

Hmmmm. I bought my 455 Rancher new from a big internet dealer, and I
got it with a 24" bar, and 2 chains for $342 about 3 y ago. I don't recall
if the manual said a 20" bar was the max, I thought 24" was optional.
Anyway, the dealer charged no more for the upgrade, and I did not have
to buy the bigger bar separately.

Anyway, this saw works fine with the OEM type chain, and I need all 24
inches as I have some logs that are over 36" diameter.

I agree with LD1 that even if 20" IS the recommended max, that's not
gospel. At 55cc, the Rancher is not going to have as much power as
other saws, but it has been enough for me.

BTW, this is my big saw, which replaced my Echo 451VL, an excellent
unit. My small saw is a Makita (Dolmar), also a nice unit.

 

[mountainlake]

I'd have to ask why there are so many refurbished Husky saws showing up. Steve

 

[Steve C]

I'd have to ask why there are so many refurbished Husky saws showing up. Steve

Probably because they are sold to people who know nothing about chainsaws at big box stores and farm supply stores. They take them home, abuse them and then return them or send them back for warrentee work. I don't see many of the XP series saws probably because they are only sold by servicing dealers who take the time to show the buyer how to use and care for the saw.

You will see a lot of Poulans and Cheap homelites for the same reason. The little Poulans and Husqvarna's are nice little saws and they can cut a lot of wood but they need to be tuned and cared for. The average homeowner never worked on any kind of a motor much less a 2 stroke kind of guy isn't going to get all the life out of them that was designed into them.

I have a few that I play with.