Cutting White Oak

firecracker_77 said:

I don't know about you guys, but this is the most dense wood I deal with. Cherry is easy to saw through...but those 20+ inch oak logs are so heavy and dense that I have to rock my saw back and forth a little bit and that's only with a 16" bar. This is where the 440 would come in handy. If I go in hard with the whole bar buried, it basically slows my chain to a crawl or complete stop.

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You need a saw with a little more arse.

Turn your oiler up, keep the chain sharp, cut from both sides, and be patient.

If not satisfied, get the 70cc saw.

I hear you. I had a 029 Farm Boss that was stolen in 04. It didn't like getting its nose buried. And it didn't like getting leaned on you just had to wait it out.

The first saw I owned outright was a 290. Because of the exact same issue, I sold it for a 361. But the wood just kept getting bigger, LOL. That's why I have a Dol/kita 7901 and am looking for a good used 660 or maybe a new 661 down the road.

If I had an MS290 as my main saw, I'd be looking for something in the 046 to 066 range to compliment it. With your 192, 290, and something over 75cc... you'd be unstoppable.

You sound a lot like I did. I put off getting a big saw as long as I could. What really pushed me over the edge with CAD was operating that 361. Operating a quality pro saw really is an eye opener.

What made me get the 79cc saw was the realization that I didn't have the time to be patient with the smaller saw. I can be away from family and work only so many hours, so I have to make them count.

TreePointer said:

...Operating a quality pro saw really is an eye opener...

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Ditto that. Got a MS362 and never looked back. Wait, actually I did look back...and couldn't believe I wasted all that time, strength, and effort trying to muscle a MS250 thru 20in+ white oak all those years...

Uh... Guys? MS361/362 are mid-size saws. OP is looking for a big saw to compliment the mid-size saw he already has. Rancher/pro don't matter, when it comes to cutting speed, just weight and durability.

Joful said:

Uh... Guys? MS361/362 are mid-size saws. OP is looking for a big saw to compliment the mid-size saw he already has. Rancher/pro don't matter, when it comes to cutting speed, just weight and durability.

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Maybe look at the Ms461. Seems to make good power over a broader range than the Ms 460 .

I Learned in cooking school to use the right tool for the right job. Get er done...

Firecracker, you think that white oak is dense.....wait till you get into a full day of cutting huge locust rounds up......
That's why the only saws I fell and buck with are all above 70cc.....my vintage Stihl 041AV Super being my saw of choice. Just the torque it has makes me smile every time I run it. Ran it for several hours today and made short work of the gum and hard maple we cut.....

The 029/290 series saws just don't like being "pushed" through the wood....you gotta let it work at it's own pace. You up the ante to a 70+cc saw, you'll be amazed at the difference!

The 290 isnt a bad saw, i dont own one and would'nt for my own reasons. . The muffler on them is very restricted. Ive heard of guys porting the exhaust really helps bring the saw to life.
I believe there a 56.6 cc saw 3.5 HP Honestly that should be enough to go thru 20 inch rounds,yes oak is dense But 20 inch rounds in my opinion are not really that big. Try the muffler port.

JOHN BOY said:

The 290 isnt a bad saw, i dont own one and would'nt for my own reasons. . The muffler on them is very restricted. Ive heard of guys porting the exhaust really helps bring the saw to life.
I believe there a 56.6 cc saw 3.5 HP Honestly that should be enough to go thru 20 inch rounds,yes oak is dense But 20 inch rounds in my opinion are not really that big. Try the muffler port.

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Good point, JB. Muffler ports are really easy to do, if you need a hand we'll help you out. do a search on Youtube and you'll probably find one or two.....

I agree that a 70cc+ is what he needs, but I was making an additional point that even a good (pro) 59/60cc saw can make a big difference over the 290 in hardwoods. I've owned both a 290/20" and a 361/20". Since the wood in question will bury the 20" bar, the 361 with full full comp 3/8 chain on a standard 7-pin rim will pretty much keep its speed, while the 290 with full comp .325 chain will bog down too much on its standard 8-pin spur. The better torque of the 361 combined with the larger bite of the 3/8 chain make a noticeable difference in big wood.

That being stated and money being no object, I'd use a good 50cc saw and a 70cc+ saw for typical firewood need here in PA. 50cc for small bucking and limbing. 70cc for larger bucking, noodling, and stump making. My 361/20" is a great saw, but I take the 346XP and Dolkita 7901 into the woods most of the time.

firecracker_77 said:

I don't know about you guys, but this is the most dense wood I deal with. Cherry is easy to saw through...but those 20+ inch oak logs are so heavy and dense that I have to rock my saw back and forth a little bit and that's only with a 16" bar. This is where the 440 would come in handy. If I go in hard with the whole bar buried, it basically slows my chain to a crawl or complete stop.

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I'd be interested in knowing for sure what you mean when you state you are rocking the saw back and forth! I've seen some folks really go crazy when trying to saw through a log. Never forget, let the saw do the work; that is why you bought it. And a 20" oak is not that difficult to saw through. I even done a few of those last winter with a Stihl 170. It did a fine job but, of course the bigger saw will outdo it too.

288XPW with dual port muffler,high performance air filter & 20" bar.

What chain do you have on that 290? If you're still using the semi-chisel low kickback chain that it came with (RMC3 or RM3), then try a loop of full chisel yellow chain (RS).

I agree with TreePointer on this. A full chisel will work better here.

"Firecracker, you think that white oak is dense.....wait till you get into a full day of cutting huge locust rounds up......"
Cant tell much of a difference for me.