Best size chain saw/s "set ups" for over all wood cutting.

Mixture ratio depends very much on the oil. As mix oil quality has evolved, saw mfgs have changed mix ratio for a given saw, depending on the oil in question. Meaning, Quadra called for 16:1 for their 33 cc saw; for later oils, Husqvarna changed that to 50:1.
Yes, the oils have changed that much, especially in the additive pack.

All my saws got fed 50:1 from the day it was available. No lube probs whatsoever, exhaust passages clean, minimal chamber deposits.
Scratch one issue.

I doubt you will get even one person to agree with another's on this.

I know for the wood we deal with in this area a large saw isn't really "needed".

I have a MS290 with 18" bar and it's worked great for my needs.

For me it's about the best "in between" saw. It's light enough that limbing isn't too bad but still has enough power to buck and fell.

My brother runs a 460 and he's now looking to get another smaller saw for limbing. AND that's fine too, but for me... I cut just a few cords a year so there is no point to spend that kind of money on a saw. Even the 290 was a stretch, a $100 saw from Sears probably would have been fine.

I too have been convinced that 50:1 works for all the new and old saws, but I only use the Stihl and Husky oils. For the small cost, I don't trust the TSC or Wally world mix oil.

If you want something small and light for limbing and as a backup, the Stihl MS170/180 go for $180 and are lightweight and cut decently. The standard 14" works well. I've used them for years as the primary saw but they didn't seem to hold up well enough for primary duty.

I agree with your desire to have the safety chain and chain brake.

Ken

BogyDave;

Before we moved here I had a small homelite 240 without a chain brake, bought the 310 stihl then decided that the chain brake was nice, ended up buying the 390 which is the saw I use the most.

The 310 & 390 will take care of 90 percent of what I cut.

zap

bogydave said:

I fell & cut, usually in a remote location, logging road or trail by myself. 7 - 10 cords per year
Most times I take the ATV into the woods to the trees & drag the log to the road/trail.
I just upgraded to a Husq 359 - 20" bar (old saw is Husq 61, 20")
I have a 40 yr old 16" Craftsman, pre-chain break, I use for liming & a back up saw. (runs most of the time, cantankerous sometimes.)
Which means I have 2 separate fuel mixtures, 2 gas cans.

Have thought about: "What's a good set up" for this type of wood gathering?

My thought are;
1. upgrading the 16" for: safety reasons, same gas mixture, reliability & (the proverbial "I want a new saw" syndrome)
Going with a light weight saw like the Husq 334T @ 7.7 lbs .

2. Chain type, a safety chain (fast cutting for liming & pruning is not as important)

3. I'd have the 359 for bigger cutting & a small, maneuverable, light weight, saw for liming & small stuff.

4. Sell or give away the old saws, maybe use for hunt camp saw.

5. Save money & use what I have, which works.

Feel free to "shoot holes" in my reasoning.

What "saw set ups" work best for felling, liming & bucking.
Is it reasonable to think about a 2 saw strategy for wood processing?

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Lot's of reasons to upgrade from the Craftsman - A.) Won't cost you much to pick up a clean used MS180. Under $150 should do it. B.) Anti-vibe and power:weight ratios have improved exponentially since 40 years ago. C.) Big improvements to safety with chain brakes, hand guards, and better handle positioning. I don't like top handle saws for limbing personally but love top-handle saws that are converted to back-handle versions. (Think MS192T C-E -> MS192 C-E and MS201T -> MS201 C-E).

Safety chain won't improve safety conditions with an experienced operator while limbing IMO but it prolly won't hurt either. Stihl makes some very good "green" chain for all saw sizes. Avoid anything with raised tie-straps.

The one-two saw combination usually is more than adequate for firewood processing needs.

Old saws create an interior decor for the garage or office that gives off a feel that most of us would love to spend time in. If it's too dangerous for you to keep operating it, do you really want to give it to someone else? Depend on how much you like "someone else" I guess. ;-P

And that keep what you have mentality has to go. That's just crazy talk.

No reason you can't go to 50:1 for everything with a quality oil. It's the oil in the mix that matters far more than how much of it is there. Run the oil as it was designed for the cleanest burning fuel. Many of the old 16:1 or 24:1 or 32:1 recommendations were from the days when it was recommended you mix straight 30wt in your fuel. Modern engines won't tolerate that for long but old engines run just fine on modern fuel.

Don't discount fuel consumption in the decision either. These smaller cc saws eat less. No need to use an F350 to tow your 12 ft aluminum boat right? Match the saw to the wood at whatever level is justifiable. I just added an MS211 to the 359 I have. Have not really used the 211 much, but I will. FYI, I have used the 24 inch bar on the 359 with great success. Cutting Oaks and Hickory with ease. Sharp chains are critical, but they should always be that way anyhow.

2 saw will work if your trees stay under 20". If you will need to fell and bck 24s+ very often then 3 saw is best IMO. 0-35 limber. 40-60 mid range for larger branches. 70-90 for large felling and bucking. A 21" bar on a 80cc saw makes an awesome getter done saw. I keep a 21" on my Solo681 ad its unreal performance.

I was thinking about getting a Stihl 201. I currently use a 390 for everything. I have a 16" bar on it, as I rarely cut anything that is bigger than that. It flies through anything. But flipping that saw around for limbing makes my arms burn after doing it for an hour or two.

14lbs vs 8... hmm...

Hass said:

I was thinking about getting a Stihl 201. I currently use a 390 for everything. I have a 16" bar on it, as I rarely cut anything that is bigger than that. It flies through anything. But flipping that saw around for limbing makes my arms burn after doing it for an hour or two.

14lbs vs 8... hmm...

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Ouch, yes, that sounds like overkill for limbing unless your "limbs" are at least 8".

Your other approach might be to get something in the more moderate size and weight category that would handle 95% of your cutting and use the 390 for backup only. FWIW, I find that I use the Husky 353 (52cc, 11#, 18" bar) for almost all my cutting including limbing unless I only have a lot of small stuff to cut then I'll start up the 435 (41cc, 9#, 16").

Ken

wkpoor said:

2 saw will work if your trees stay under 20". If you will need to fell and bck 24s+ very often then 3 saw is best IMO. 0-35 limber. 40-60 mid range for larger branches. 70-90 for large felling and bucking. A 21" bar on a 80cc saw makes an awesome getter done saw. I keep a 21" on my Solo681 ad its unreal performance.

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This imho is a very good plan, & wkpoor cuts more than I do, so his advice is taken seriously by me, I run a 192 T 14" lo pro chain or 026 16"3/8 full chisel for limbing, & then the 034 super18" 3/8 full chisel or 064 20" or 24" 3/8 full chisel for the bigger stuff. I prefer the top handle for light limbing, & dense brush conditions. The small saw. short bar, & lo pro chain are safer in the thick crap & much easier on the body, top or rear handle is a preference thing imo. Once the tree is limbed & out in the open, I want all the power & speed in the cut I can get for production purposes. Hang the old craftsman on the wall as MM said, & call it nostalgia, other than @ GTG,s or antique shows, I want a chain brake. I like my fingers, & my face ain't all that pretty as it is, so I try & keep the chains in the wood & away from the body any way I can. A C

I run my Husky 350 for most stuff...certainly for limbing and felling smaller stuff (12" and down). The 372XP comes out for bigger bucking and bigger felling.

I did buy a little 40cc model husy...thought that might be even better for limbing...especially when I was cutting down a couple hundred spruce tree's to build the house. I never use it....and I know I have told myself to never buy "small" again. Personally, I wouldn't want less than an 18" bar on anything.

I'm happy with the 350, more happy with the 372XP...and when it comes to a 20" red maple or something, it is quite amazing how much faster the 372 will buck everything up. It's quite significant....probably not a factor of two....but sometimes it seems close.

The new husky 362XP ( I think that's right) looks pretty nice...but no doubt pricey. Is it worth the extra dollars for an XP? One thing is....once you do it, you have it.

Given how far you sometimes go for firewood, I think there is an argument for getting something only slightly smaller than the 359. While the 50cc saw isn't my primary bucking saw, it is more than capable of knocking a cord down if something happens to the bigger saw and isn't bad for limbing. That said, I'd like a little screamer some day too.

7-10 cords a year I would go as big as you can handle. For me it stops at a 460. 60-80 cc and your in the ball park playing to Win! ;-)

smokinjay said:

7-10 cords a year I would go as big as you can handle. For me it stops at a 460. 60-80 cc and your in the ball park playing to Win! ;-)

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I think it depends on what size trees you are cutting and how branched they are. Tall, slim, wide trees, I agree. However if one is getting their wood more from smaller, heavily branched trees, then a lighter saw would probably be more appropriate.

Ken

Ken45 said:

smokinjay said:

7-10 cords a year I would go as big as you can handle. For me it stops at a 460. 60-80 cc and your in the ball park playing to Win! ;-)

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I think it depends on what size trees you are cutting and how branched they are. Tall, slim, wide trees, I agree. However if one is getting their wood more from smaller, heavily branched trees, then a lighter saw would probably be more appropriate.

Ken

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10 cords big # big saw! 60 or better!

The obvious answer is you need to pick your two saws for the day from your fleet of saws. Just buy one from each row now and get it over with.

MS200T with a 12" bar
Inexpensive 40cc Efco/Deere/CubCadet, Poulan, Ryobi/Redmax with a 14" lowpro bar.
346xp / Dolmar 5100 with a 16" .325 NK bar
562xp / MS361 with an 18" .375 bar
372xp / MS460 / Dolmar 7900 with a 20" & 24" .375 bar
390xp / MS660 / Solo 690 with a 24" & 32" .375 bar
3120xp / MS880 with a 36", 42", and 60" bar


If you like buying new saws, I suggest the above. If you don't, I think your age should play some part in the choice it as well. My late 60s dad has a 40cc and a 70cc saw. He'll keep using the 40cc saw up to 14" stuff because he doesn't have to go to work and waiting on the little saw makes it easier to get out of bed the next morning. Ten years ago he probably would have switched earlier.

KarlP said:

The obvious answer is you need to pick your two saws for the day from your fleet of saws. Just buy one from each row now and get it over with.

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But then they sit and develop problems if not regularly exercised

I know....cut more wood! LOL

Ken

Gotta agree with smokinjay here...go bigger...372/576...make your 359 your small saw. It's not funny how much faster the bigger saws drop through wood. Doing 7-10 chord a year will be much easier with the big saws.

I've got a 385 and picked up a nice used 357 two years ago for my small saw. Lately I've been thinking of getting rid of the 357 as it is like watching paint dry after runnning the 385. I'm going to try my father in laws new 562, but really think my next saw will be no smaller than 372.

After using a ms390 for everything for a couple of years i suggest having a light and heavier saw. If your looking to get a good upper body workout go w/ just the larger saw its all you really need but the smaller/lighter one sure is nice for limbing! The ms 362 would serve you well for all of your needs and then some!