Another chainsaw recommendation thread firewood/slabs

Husky 372 xp unless you go used. Used my choice would be a Stihl 044 in good shape around $450 to $500. For slabs I would look for a used Stihl 064 or 066 if you would be slabbing a lot, but you could get by with the first 2 above choices.

black_sab said:

One log in particular is a 42" wide 12' long maple, but that is an outlier.

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None of the saws you listed will cut boards from a 42" log, but for firewood duty you've chosen some good machines. How big are the logs that aren't outliers?

black_sab said:

I'd say biggest is ~30" which i could cut from both sides .. the "outlier" tree split off into two giant limbs... 30" and maybe 24". All the others are small... 8" - 24" from my quick measurements.

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Okay, well, the 362 will be right at home with a 20" bar, as would the stock Makita, and both could be pushed to 24" occasionally if you're patient. The 372 will be comfortable with a 24", and can be pushed to 28". If you were to upgrade the Makita to 79cc or 84cc then it's range would extend to 28-30".

Since it sounds like you've got lots of fairly large trees, I'd recommend something over 70cc.

... And having said that, I'm thinking I should also say that you'd get along fine with a 60cc saw. The 30" tree would give it a workout, but if there's only one of those then so what? But I wouldn't pay $900 for 60cc. I know the 362 is expensive, but that doesn't sound right.

Edit: yeah, my local dealer's price on the 362 is $760 with a 20" bar.

black_sab said:

husky 372xp $850
makita 64xx $580 (future upgrade to 84cc for cheap money is tempting)
stilh ms362 $900 (?)

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First off I know nothing about making slabs / milling with a chain saw. However if I were using a chainsaw to regularly rip cut wood to make boards I'd want the biggest saw possible.

Anyways I have to say that unless weight is a concern I'd take the ms362 off the list. The Husky 372 and Makita Dolmar you reference will far out perform the Stihl 362 . I liken it to a small block chevy vs a big block. Ones a " big small saw" and the other is a
" small big saw " .....then when you consider the price of the Stihl it becomes more clear for me. To me
a no brainer unless dealer support is an issue or the user wants light weight.

I like the Stihl 362. It's an awesome one saw plan for fire wood and land management and storm clean up. But it falls short of the other 2 saws you listed when price is factored against performance . Lastly while I'm sure the Stihl is a solid saw , the Husky 372 has been around on the same chassis for many, many, years so it's more than proven. I know guys who have cut many thousands of cords of fire wood with 372/365 Husky.

Hope this helps

If you do go with a MS362, and a 24" (think they are now all 25" if you buy a stihl bar), buy a full skip chain (RSF) and the mighty little 362 will be very happy pulling a 25" bar. If you can find a used 038 mag (made in Brazil, have a dealer check the serial number to confirm its a Mag) and its in good condition, buy it. The 038 mag is more saw then I personally can haul all day, but man do they pull a chain! If you plan to pick away at this for three, four hours, you can likely use a bigger saw, but if your planning on running a saw all day, you might find a 75cc saw more then you want. Just my 2 cent.

372XP with a 24" bar is about as sweet as it gets.

black_sab said:

thanks for the replies. I really wish there was a way to rent stihl/husky saws so i could judge what my needs are.

I'd rather go bigger and have no regrets.

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Find a good pro saw shop if possible. The dealer I go to has demo saws in most all sizes with wood out back to cut. Perhaps I'm fortunate to have that resource but if you can find a dealer with some demo saws it will help.

However I think you answered your own question. You state " I'd rather go bigger and have no regrets"

If you want to go big for me it would have to be a 066 / 660 Stihl especially if you plan on slabbing. Anything bigger would be too heavy for me but I would bounce it off Jon1270. He gives good honest advice.

More options: Husqvarna 555 = nice performing 60cc saw, lower weight and costs less than 562XP or Stihl 362.

If you are going to be heating with wood or expect to be a long term firewood producer, don't be afraid to plan for multiple saws. There's always the "classic" 50cc/70cc firewood combo (50cc's for smaller bucking and limbing; 70cc's for larger bucking, felling, stumping, and noodling). Buy the 372XP now and add a 545 or 550XP later when funds permit (or vice versa).

Jazzberry said:

If you want to go big for me it would have to be a 066 / 660 Stihl especially if you plan on slabbing. Anything bigger would be too heavy for me but I would bounce it off Jon1270. He gives good honest advice.

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Aww, thanks. There's lots of good advice here. I would forget about slabbing the 42" monster, and just aim for a good general-purpose firewood saw for now. I think a 660 would be a poor fit -- heavy and clunky and overpowered for the vast majority of available wood. As TreePointer suggested, my 50cc 026 and 70cc 044 are what I reach for most often, and would buck every tree the OP has mentioned. Only the 42" maple would require cutting from both sides.

OP, if you're really excited about milling, I'd say skip the Makita and go straight to a Dolmar 7900. It won't slab the monster tree, but really, whatcha gonna do with 12' by 42" slabs that weigh several hundred pounds apiece? Planning to make a corporate conference table or stage a medieval feast? Slabs of that size are gorgeous and impressive, but also difficult to handle, transport, dry, store, and machine, and you'd probably end up cutting them into smaller pieces anyhow. The 7900 would let you get your feet wet milling stuff in the 18"-24" range, and do firewood duty as well. When you get tired of toting it around to cut smaller trees, pick up a Husky 545 or similar as a companion.

Another vote for the Dolmar 7900/7910. I first ran one last Spring and told myself then it would be my next saw. I was lucky enough to get a burnt up Makita 6421 from HD to rebuild/upgrade to a 7900 and am one happy camper now. While not the case for me locally, I have heard Dolmar does not have the dealer network that Stihl/Husky/Echo have, so something to consider as well. Too bad you are not closer to me - my local Dolmar dealer has a really nice low hour 7900 sitting on his shelf for $575.

Jon1270 said:

When you get tired of toting it around to cut smaller trees, pick up a Husky 545 or similar as a companion.

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I agree with Jon a 70cc / 50cc is a perfect combo and also what I use for processing firewood.

As for the Husky 545 if your considering a 70/50 set up that's an awesome saw. I have the Jonsered version the 2252. Best 50cc saw I've ever run. Not because of the power ( which is good enough) but because of the handling. It's a very modern and futuristic design the way the weight is distributed. The outboard clutch also does something with how the saw handles as it relates to hand feel. I would have dismissed this until I ran the saw. Makes limbing big stuff especially when your reaching and over head stuff a breeze. I've run a lot of 50cc pro saws and the Husky 545/550 Jonsered 2252/2253 saws are simply amazing.

Clyde S. Dale said:

my local Dolmar dealer has a really nice low hour 7900 sitting on his shelf for $575.

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That's an awesome deal. Does that price include the bar and chain ? That's like half the price of a Stihl or Husky saw in the same size. And every bit as well made. Wow

Edit....I just realized it's a used saw. Still a great price. If that were new at that price I was going to contact you to get the dealer info to buy it myself and have it shipped.

woodhog73 said:

That's an awesome deal. Does that price include the bar and chain ? That's like half the price of a Stihl or Husky saw in the same size. And every bit as well made. Wow

Edit....I just realized it's a used saw. Still a great price. If that were new at that price I was going to contact you to get the dealer info to buy it myself and have it shipped.

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It has a 20" Oregon Bar, not sure chain brand. I did not take a close look but from 5 ft. away it looked practically new. Don't knock used saws, especially if a it's a reputable dealer and they have gone over it thoroughly.

Clyde S. Dale said:

Don't knock used saws, especially if a it's a reputable dealer and they have gone over it thoroughly.

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I agree and have no problems buying used. I just don't need a new saw but if it were new at that price I'd have a hard time not buying it. I know that sounds crazy

black_sab said:

thanks for the replies. I really wish there was a way to rent stihl/husky saws so i could judge what my needs are.

I'd rather go bigger and have no regrets.

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As long as your arms don't regret it...haha

As the years creep up on people I find that for my firewood needs a 40-45cc saw for most of my needs and I have a 60cc saw for larger stuff. I had older big saws but the weight will fool lots of people that haven't ran the heavy saws, they get heavy really quickly.

three feathers said:

As the years creep up on people I find that for my firewood needs a 40-45cc saw for most of my needs and I have a 60cc saw for larger stuff. I had older big saws but the weight will fool lots of people that haven't ran the heavy saws, they get heavy really quickly.

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Agreed. I have a half dozen chainsaws in the stable right now, but the 50cc 346XP is the first one I pick up if the wood isn't too big. I'll jump to a 60cc saw before using the much heavier and bulkier Makita 7901.

So, going from a BB gun to a BAR or howitzer? Those saws you want not need, are all big boys for pros with experience. No offense, but what PPE do you have ? Ever felled and cut with a full size saw, and long bars ? Its another world from that 240.
Most non-pro chainsawing can be done with much lighter, smaller saws, with 16-18" bars. A 16" bar with a strong 50cc driver will,with skill ,do wood in the 36" range. It's firewood.

DUMF said:

So, going from a BB gun to a BAR or howitzer? Those saws you want not need, are all big boys for pros with experience. No offense, but what PPE do you have ? Ever felled and cut with a full size saw, and long bars ? Its another world from that 240.
Most non-pro chainsawing can be done with much lighter, smaller saws, with 16-18" bars. A 16" bar with a strong 50cc driver will,with skill ,do wood in the 36" range. It's firewood.

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I agree this is a valid point and another way to look at things. Folks who run saws a lot either for work or for their personal land management , and are used to bigger saws , take them for granted.

I still make a part time living with a saw on the side, but it's not my main job, but still for me speed and efficiency counts. Time is money. On the one hand running a bigger saw than one needs is faster , and can actually be less fatiguing . For example if you can buck big oak in half the time running a 70cc saw , although the saw is heavier than a 50cc, your using it for less time cause it cuts quicker than the smaller saw. So you may be less tired. But if your inexperienced that bigger saw will get " heavy real quick " and you would probably enjoy running the smaller 50cc saw more and get more done with it.

But what DUMF is saying I think is to get skilled enough to use the small saw before getting the bigger saw. And lots of people who's job involved running a saw would agree with this. So true with skill one can do a lot with a smaller saw and 16 inch bar. In fact you can fell and buck trees in the 30 inch range with a 16 inch bar no problem. But for an experienced user they will produce more with a bigger saw and bar on those same 30 inch diameter trees. Cutting trees, logging and forestry work with a saw is a skill only learned with time spent running saws.

I'm glad you mentioned PPE. That's more important than anything in my opinion.