Help finding a new saw, please.

400 bones will get you a good used 361 that can run a 25" bar well enough to make big jobs doable. My biased opinion.

lukem said:

400 bones will get you a good used 361 that can run a 25" bar well enough to make big jobs doable. My biased opinion.

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Yep.. I agree with the above statement. If you buy used, there are a few things that should be looked at. If buying a Good Pro Saw in that cc range (036,361,362) then it should do any and all needs. Even a something with a 026/260 badge would be nice..

I own both a 455 Rancher and an 036. Night and Day difference. For $400, you can get a very nice saw....

Not to be the contrary sob here, but........if you can be patient & diligent. I would suggest maybe even a 70cc class saw. 65 to 75cc + the 345 would make a very nice 2 saw combo. I picked up a very nice 064 a few years back for $400.00, that's actually 85cc, but you get the idea. 044 or 046 is a real nice saw with good power. Also check at Home Depot on their rental Makita saws, they sell them every so often, & they get really good reviews. An 036/360 series is a very good saw, but I wouldn't want to tackle 3' oak with it. All that being said, I like as much power as I can reasonably sling in any particular situation. Watch craigslist & the local want ads, & you'll find something in time in your budget. A C

Patience on Craig list. Every now & then you see a 455 on there for around $300.
That said:
Saw shop here recommend a 60 cc (4 hp) for 20" & a full chisel chain.
Sell a couple cords of wood & swing for the saw you want. You'll be using it for many years

In 2010 I went thru the same, selecting a new saw, I got the Husq 359, 20".
Sold some stuff to make a few extra buck so it didn't hurt so bad.
Narrowed it down to 4 or 5 saws (Stihl & Husq) & bought lighter weight & mid range in price.

Now the 562xp with a 24" bar has me dreaming again. But am real happy with the 359 as my choice.

Good luck

The best advice I can offer is either look hard for a 60cc pro saw on the used market:

Stihl: 034 Super, 036, MS360, MS361, MS362
Husky: 262XP, 357XP, 562XP

or

Find a way to swing for a new saw in the 60cc+ category. The 455 Rancher ain't gonna be a huge improvement (certainly not $400 worth) over your 345. Nothing that says Rancher (or FarmBoss) is going to eat big wood like you're expecting. Yeah the $700 is hard to swallow at first but you'll wind up with a saw you can own for a lifetime and it will pay back far more than that over it's life. I liked Dave's suggestion of selling a couple cords of wood to cover the difference.

Watch the classifieds over at arboristsite. Lots of good stuff popping up lately. Just saw a used Dolmar 7900 on there for $400, which is a beast of a saw. I just bought a new in box 365x-torq for $500. It's the second saw that I have bought off of there. No issues yet. There's a rebuilt 365 on there right now for $275 with a new p & c. If you could swing another $100-200, you could get a really nice 70cc pro saw. Check often though. I watched an almost brand new 562xp go pretty cheap, and it only lasted about 12 hours. Good deals move quick over there.

There's a really nice Makita (rebadged Dolmar) 6401 with the HD air filter setup for $400 over there right now. It's very light used. Basically looks brand new.

I like AC's advice for a 70cc saw

and Kingquad is right on the arboristsite classifieds. There is a rebuilt 365 on there (not quite 70cc I know) for $275 from a member that rebuilds and knows saws. I bought my 372XP 5 years ago for $350......... like has been said, in the used market, you just have to be patient.

Makita 6410... ~$400. I have a Dolmar 5100, Great saw, a light sabre for the woods. However the 64cc saw makes quick work of anything I ask it to do. The pair is tough to beat.

I found the bigger saw soon paid for it's self.

There is nothing wrong with the 455. You can get a refurb for under 300.
The 290 Farmboss is a nice saw too.

Of course a nice pro saw would be sweet.

On CL in my area there is a 391, 044, 041AV all for around 325. an 029 for 200.
Of course those prices are negotiable.

Depends on what you are expecting.

First look and see what dealers/repair shops are in your area, what they carry/service is the brand to purchase. I run all Dolmars, thay can be a little tough to get service on as the dealer network is not that big. They are great saws though. Husky and Stilh have spread into the box store markets with lower end home owner saws so you have be a bit careful on the model to get a pro quality saw. The Makitas are Dolmars in blue window dressing, at least as far as the gas saws go. The peoples republic of Kalifornia EPA rules are playing havoc with saws and most small gas powered Equipment. I picked up a 6400 and a 7900 Dolmar last spring for 1/2 price each ( brand new) due to those new regs.

I also agree with many of the above posts. I have a 33cc 16" Poulan that I use 75% of the time for 10" wood or less. I also have the 455 with a 20" bar that, in my opinion, is too large for the saw. I purchased it from a dealer who buys back refurbished saws from home depot. I picked it up for just under $300 OTD. Bar didn't have a scratch on it. I use the 455 for anything 10"-18" and use it I'd say 20%. Anything 16"+, I prefer to use the 395xp. I know it's overkill for most of the wood I cut but with a 24" bar, it cuts wood 18"-24" wood in 1/3 the time of the 455. The 36" is nice to have but has only been used once in the last year. If your dead set on the 455, stick with a 18" bar and keep the 345.

Agree with the 3-4 posts above.

There is nothing wrong with the 455 'til you pick it up... Then it is either heavier and slower than better saws. It is durable no doubt. It is HEAVY every time you're cutting, for years.

My heavy saw is a Makita (Dolmar) 6401. at $300 used it is 13.6 lbs & 4.7hp. 455 Farm Boss is 13.2 lbs but only 3.5hp wit less fuel/oil capacity. I've used 455's clearing fencerows and they are fine until larger wood 16" plus? is plentiful.

I guess it boils down to wieght sensitivity and how big the wood is where you are. I know I get called fairly often because folks liked the speed and sent work to me. You might check the HD rental dept. for used Makita 6400's or other 60+cc and keep 345.

I picked up a Home Depot 6401 last fall for <$200. It was marked down twice because it wasn't selling. Turns out it was straight gassed, and rented twice since coming back from the shop. Runs perfectly. One of the best deals going for a used pro saw, IMO. They usually sell for right around $200. You can run it as is, or pick up a big bore kit from Bailey's, or an OEM 79 cc p&c for another $200. Junk the cheesy laminated bar and safety chain, and you have a kick @ss saw for less than $500. But, they aren't always easy to find.

blades said:

First look and see what dealers/repair shops are in your area, what they carry/service is the brand to purchase. I run all Dolmars, thay can be a little tough to get service on as the dealer network is not that big. They are great saws though. Husky and Stilh have spread into the box store markets with lower end home owner saws so you have be a bit careful on the model to get a pro quality saw. The Makitas are Dolmars in blue window dressing, at least as far as the gas saws go. The peoples republic of Kalifornia EPA rules are playing havoc with saws and most small gas powered Equipment. I picked up a 6400 and a 7900 Dolmar last spring for 1/2 price each ( brand new) due to those new regs.

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Sorry but I gotta call you on that one. Stihl will probably be the last brand to ever set foot in a box store. They do sell through some ACE Hardware stores (locally owned) but they don't sell via a national contract like the big boxes prefer. They do their best to protect their dealers, for better or worse.

If you want new, and $4hunj is your budget, a 290 is the saw to get.

If you don't mind buying used $4hunj will buy lots of saw.

I ditto on getting a 6401 (used the best deal you will find anywhere) or something larger. Stepping up to 455 or 290 isn't a big enough difference to justify the cost.

For what you are going to spend (or just a little more) you will be able to find a 70cc pro saw like a 372xp that you will love.

Look for a used 036!