one and only one

[arrow]

I checked the archives for this question but could only go through two pages before I lost patience. This is a hard question for all of us chainsaw junkies. I have owned and sold a bunch of chainsaws stemming from my professional days and then from my chainsaw addiction days but I asked myself this question the other day when I was using my old and trusty 257 with a MM. For all of us guys cutting 5 to 10 cords per year: If you had to own just one chainsaw and it had to do all your duties from felling,bucking, limb removal etc, what would it be.?Let me start out by saying this is an impossible question for me to answer. No one felling and cutting should own just one chainsaw even for safeties sake where one chainsaw gets stuck and needs to be rescued with another. Lets just say the chainsaw you would always grab first and use for the entire harvesting process whether you were taking down and cutting up an 8"- 24" tree to limbing these babies and slicing rounds from them.

 

[Bluegill2]

For me, it'd be a 346xp and I did just that from 2001 until 2010. 10-20 cords of oak per year, small time logging and a lot of logging road maintenance.

And for the record I rarely cut anything over 20-24". If I was into much larger wood, the 562xp would be my saw of choice.

 

[Bota4me]

I have always had just one saw for all my felling and bucking until last year. Ive owned husky, stihl , jonsered and poulan and my vote goes for my stihl ms361). Cut hundreds of cords 8"-24". Its been powerful , pretty light and trouble free. Now it has a little brother for limbing an ms180.

 

[bobmisi]

I have always had just one saw for all my felling and bucking until last year. Ive owned husky, stihl , jonsered and poulan and my vote goes for my stihl ms361). Cut hundreds of cords 8"-24". Its been powerful , pretty light and trouble free. Now it has a little brother for limbing an ms180.

038 Magnum for sure. Best saw ever made in my opinion. Stihl 361 is a good saw as far as current saws go.

 

[arrow]

For me, it'd be a 346xp and I did just that from 2001 until 2010. 10-20 cords of oak per year, small time logging and a lot of logging road maintenance.

And for the record I rarely cut anything over 20-24". If I was into much larger wood, the 562xp would be my saw of choice.

I'm surprised BG you didn't give the nod to the 357. I do suppose that would be my choice with an 18" bar. I have a proclivity to my 257 as well. Haven't met anything that would not cut either. I have/had all of the saws in your present arsenal with the exception of the 562. The 346 is a handy dandy saw but I have half of my stuff between 18 and 24" and is why I give the nod to the 57's.

 

[IndyIan]

For firewood production in 18-24" hardwoods I think I would stick with my 372 as doing a cut every 16" down a tree has the saw in the wood most of the time. But for all sorts of cutting, like doing cedar posts and firewood in smaller trees, I would get a 357 size saw as the 372 is overkill and gets heavy too fast.

 

[murphy1244]

Echo cs370

 

[Natureboy]

Echo CS520 is my saw of choice.

 

[kco]

My area was logged 30 years ago. So I leave most of the largest trees. The ones I cut range between 5" and 20", with the majority in the 6" to 12" range. I cut 5 to 6 cords of my own plus another 2 or 3 helping a neighbour. I have a 20 year old Stihl 028 with 18" bar that often seems to out cut my neighbour's larger saws. I think because I sharpen mine more.

I have cut a few 24" trees with no problem. I have tried friends' larger saws and prefer mine. I may eventually get another saw. If I do, I'll look for one no heavier than mine and perhaps even lighter.

The main reason I'd like another saw is that I could use it for dicier work such as trimming out stumps, clearing brush for paths, etc,. I try to be careful doing that kind of work but it really is disappointing when I inevitably make that one strike in the dirt.

My conditions aren't too demanding so I can easily get by with one relatively small saw.

 

[jefwyn]

stihl ms 361 for me, good all around saw.

 

[Bluegill2]

I'm surprised BG you didn't give the nod to the 357. I do suppose that would be my choice with an 18" bar. I have a proclivity to my 257 as well. Haven't met anything that would not cut either. I have/had all of the saws in your present arsenal with the exception of the 562. The 346 is a handy dandy saw but I have half of my stuff between 18 and 24" and is why I give the nod to the 57's.

The 357xp would do fine! I have used mine a lot and really like it! But the 346xp is just special to me, guess I have spent too many hours using my old one and it just gets it done in a small, light, explosive, little package. I actually have a newer 346xp just because I like the one so much.

The 357xp would have been my second choice if I'd never ran a 562xp. The 562 is just the most impressive stock saw I've ever run. More power, super smooth, uses less fuel and no heavier than the 357.

I have no need or want for 70cc+ saws. I enjoy running high performance small saws!

 

[RobertN]

Stihl 090. Could cut anything.

 

[Fifelaker]

Ms440 it was my only saw for a few years. less work using a big saw in small wood than a small saw in big wood.

 

[arrow]

Stihl 090. Could cut anything.

Hold on Robert. You mean to say you would use this saw as your all around saw? I'd like to see you limb with this for even 15 minutes

 

[arrow]

The 357xp would do fine! I have used mine a lot and really like it! But the 346xp is just special to me, guess I have spent too many hours using my old one and it just gets it done in a small, light, explosive, little package. I actually have a newer 346xp just because I like the one so much.

The 357xp would have been my second choice if I'd never ran a 562xp. The 562 is just the most impressive stock saw I've ever run. More power, super smooth, uses less fuel and no heavier than the 357.

I have no need or want for 70cc+ saws. I enjoy running high performance small saws!

I've got the old 346 w/o the compression release. It simply screams but not torquey enough to bury. I'm wondering if the new 550 wouldn't fit perfectly into my "one saw" criteria. How is it no one has mentioned the Dolmar 5105? LD1 mustn't have seen this thread.

 

[Bluegill2]

I've got the old 346 w/o the compression release. It simply screams but not torquey enough to bury. I'm wondering if the new 550 wouldn't fit perfectly into my "one saw" criteria. How is it no one has mentioned the Dolmar 5105? LD1 mustn't have seen this thread.

The New edition 346xp (50cc) as some decent torque for a high rpm screamer. But you're right, the old edition 346xp (45cc) isn't very torquey. I learned to let the saw cut at the rate it wanted. Worked great for 9 years! Then I learned about porting saws and all **** broke lose!

I ported the old 346, bought and ported a 357xp, had Stumpy build me a ported 75cc 365, bought and ported a 359 (very good saw there). My only stock saws now are the newer 346xp and the 562xp. The 562 does not need any mods, it's perfect as is! Husky did a jam up job here. I still use the stock 346xp as is and it does a fine job.

Now for the 550xp, I have heard it has gobs more torque than the 346 it replaced. Several of the saw nuts that have run a 550 say it doesn't need porting, but a MM makes it even stronger. One guy said it cuts like a strong 60cc, but in a 40cc size package. I'll probably have to get one at some point.

 

[2458n]

038 Magnum for sure. Best saw ever made in my opinion. Stihl 361 is a good saw as far as current saws go.

This would be my choice- the 038. Still in the drag everything home stage. Maybe six running and another 8 projects or gifts sitting around. Fuel lines are the biggest offending things currently.

 

[RobertN]

No, really I just want one... But, my favorite saw is the Stihl 024/026/260 series. I have a bigger, early 70's Husky that will take a much larger bar, but I have done most everything I need with a 024AV and a 18" bar. Never had to do anything with bigger timber.

I wouldn't turn down an 041 or a 044/440

Hold on Robert. You mean to say you would use this saw as your all around saw? I'd like to see you limb with this for even 15 minutes

 

[arrow]

It is surprising how much a bar can effect speed of cut. My modded 257 with a 16" bar is not much slower if any to my 372 with a 24" bar when cutting say a 12" round. Where the 372 shines is when this bar is buried. The 57's just cannot keep up at all in this scenario.

 

[arrow]

No, really I just want one... But, my favorite saw is the Stihl 024/026/260 series. I have a bigger, early 70's Husky that will take a much larger bar, but I have done most everything I need with a 024AV and a 18" bar. Never had to do anything with bigger timber.

I wouldn't turn down an 041 or a 044/440

I've seen the 4 series Stihls outcut a 372 with the same length bar. I've also seen a 5100 series Dolmar outcut both of these in a 14" piece of wood. Torque is king in thick wood.