One Saw Or Two
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Gooserider
Mod Emeritus
IMHO, two (or more) saws is better than one, but you can get by with just one if you must... However if going with one saw, I'd say that having a spare bar and chain for it is a must...
If doing two or three saws, then having a size range of small to large is good so that you can better match the saw to the task.
Gooserider
If doing two or three saws, then having a size range of small to large is good so that you can better match the saw to the task.
Gooserider
At 72 I have come to appreciate saws that are sized right for the job, cutting down and cutting up the trunk , a 20 in.saw. For limbing a light 16 inch. In the case of a pinched saw or a dull saw it's nice to another to finish the job with.
WoodMann
Minister of Fire
It's my personal opinion based on my subjective experience that a man should have 2 saws. A main unit for the majority of large cutting. Also a smaller unit for trimming and smaller short jobs..............
Jamess67
Feeling the Heat
Wow... Ding Ding...end of round 1
I like to say that 2 is one and one is none. but they have to be the same saw. figure that one out.
I like to say that 2 is one and one is none. but they have to be the same saw. figure that one out.
northwinds
Minister of Fire
Sealcove said:
Same here. Always keep an extra bar and chain close by to swap out if I get stuck.
I have been known to stick 2 saws. Always cut with someone else is the way i go. They usually have 2 saws also. Never know when your gonna hit a fence staple and not be able to file out the damage to chain.
TMonter
Minister of Fire
I'm a big fan of the two-saw setup with a larger big saw for bucking larger logs and a smaller more nimble saw for limbing, and small work. If you have to have one or the other the best crossover saw would be something in the 50 to 60CC range depending on the size of timber you cut.
If you do mostly smaller hardwoods I'd say a good 50CC saw like a Stihl MS260, Dolmar 5100s or a Husky 346XP with a 16 or 18-inch bar.
If you're out west and get into mid to large softwoods then a Stihl MS361, Husky 357XP or Dolmar-Makita 6400/6401 with a 20 inch bar.
If you go to a two saw plan then a 50cc and 70-80cc saw is your best combo IMHO.
If you do mostly smaller hardwoods I'd say a good 50CC saw like a Stihl MS260, Dolmar 5100s or a Husky 346XP with a 16 or 18-inch bar.
If you're out west and get into mid to large softwoods then a Stihl MS361, Husky 357XP or Dolmar-Makita 6400/6401 with a 20 inch bar.
If you go to a two saw plan then a 50cc and 70-80cc saw is your best combo IMHO.
Well, I'm planning 5 to 10 Cords a year. Sounds like alot, but I have a big fireplace, and its going to burn alot of wood.
AOD, you're not on AS. On this site many people get upset with the idea of anyone using a monstrous 61+cc saw... let alone owning more than one or two of them!AOD said:
I hear you though, I was thinking of ordering a 12 pin sprocket for the 3120xp since I have a 16" bar just laying around collecting dust. Grind the bar down to fit the rim, sharpen up some full-comp square ground for it, and let her eat
:coolsmile:Wet1 said:AOD, you're not on AS. On this site many people get upset with the idea of anyone using a monstrous 61+cc saw... let alone owning more than one or two of them!
I hear you though, I was thinking of ordering a 12 pin sprocket for the 3120xp since I have a 16" bar just laying around collecting dust. Grind the bar down to fit the rim, sharpen up some full-comp square ground for it, and let her eat
Who gets upset over this? I for one am just a professional user sharing an opinion; that is what forums are for.
Incidentally I was at a training workshop recently with a number of folks running newly minted 80cc pro-grade saws. Running my 357XP work saw I cut circles around the larger saws. Why? Because I had the appropriate saw for the task at hand, I focus more on technique, and I cut efficiently. In this particular case we were cutting 16-28" mixed wood and an 80cc saw offered zero additional benefit on most of the cuts. On the negative side they were heavier, larger, and the additional torque adds to the energy required from the user to control the saw. This stuff may not matter if you are just cutting for a short period, but over several hours or more the effects become very apparent.
Every saw size has its place. With chainsaws a prudent approach is to use the right saw for most efficient cutting, and a bigger saw does not mean more efficient cutting if the wood does not require it. If someone wants to spend extra money and energy running an over sized saw that is their business, but it doesn't mean it is the optimum choice.
Out of curiosity, what do you use a 3120XP for?
I've found 3 work well. I have a Stihl 210 with a 14" bar that covers about 70% of the cutting I do. I have a little 20 yr old echo (don't even know how big) with a 12" bar and a top (sometimes 1-hand) handle that is great for brushing out the limbs. And I have a John Deere CS46 with a 20" bar that I use occasionally to drop a larger tree or really work through a trunk. I take them all to every project, but a lot of the time only use the Stihl.
Steve
Steve
LOL, recommending any saw over 60cc on this forum typically yeilds an outcry of respones from many members saying you don't need more than a 50-60cc saw.Sealcove said:Wet1 said:AOD, you're not on AS. On this site many people get upset with the idea of anyone using a monstrous 61+cc saw... let alone owning more than one or two of them!
I hear you though, I was thinking of ordering a 12 pin sprocket for the 3120xp since I have a 16" bar just laying around collecting dust. Grind the bar down to fit the rim, sharpen up some full-comp square ground for it, and let her eat
Who gets upset over this? I for one am just a professional user sharing an opinion; that is what forums are for.
Incidentally I was at a training workshop recently with a number of folks running newly minted 80cc pro-grade saws. Running my 357XP work saw I cut circles around the larger saws. Why? Because I had the appropriate saw for the task at hand, I focus more on technique, and I cut efficiently. In this particular case we were cutting 16-28" mixed wood and an 80cc saw offered zero additional benefit on most of the cuts. On the negative side they were heavier, larger, and the additional torque adds to the energy required from the user to control the saw. This stuff may not matter if you are just cutting for a short period, but over several hours or more the effects become very apparent.
Every saw size has its place. With chainsaws a prudent approach is to use the right saw for most efficient cutting, and a bigger saw does not mean more efficient cutting if the wood does not require it. If someone wants to spend extra money and energy running an over sized saw that is their business, but it doesn't mean it is the optimum choice.
Out of curiosity, what do you use a 3120XP for?
The 357xp is a nice saw and excellent for common work. Nothing wrong with it at all. OTOH, a 80cc saw like the 7900 only weighs about a pound and a half more than your 357xp (which IMO isn't much at all), yet has about two more hp. The 357 max rpm is only 500 higher, but in the wood the 7900 will spin significantly faster given the power/torque advantage, not to mention you can put a bigger rim on it for even higher chain speed, so a 7900 will cut a lot faster in all but small wood. I do own many 60cc saws, but they get very little use as I'd rather use something such as the 7900 or 064 which has a much better power to weight ratio and carry a little more weight around... It's just my personal preference. I have no problem doing this when working for hours on end, since I'll use a 192t or a 200t for the small stuff.
I think a lot of it comes down to personal preference. I prefer the more powerful larger saws, but I can certainly understand someone (such as yourself) wanting to use smaller saws for the same job. It's kind of like choosing a hammer... I don't believe saying xyz is too big of a saw for 'x' usage. That's horse poop. I'll always take the most powerful saw I can comfortably use for the task at hand.
The 3120xp is used for cutting large trees/stumps and occasional milling. If there isn't a lot of cutting to be done, I also use it for smaller jobs here and there with a big sprocket on it (high chain speeds) as it's a blast to harness all the power in smaller wood.
Oh gosh, I think there are a few parallel continuums at work here, and the answer depends on a whole bunch of things, and I don't really think any of us has the "right" answer for anyone other than ourselves. How much/what kind of cutting do you do? Are you an amateur wood scrounger/gatherer/woodburner, or are you a professional woodsman? Do you fell your own trees, or buck what someone else has felled? Do you use a chain saw every day, or only occasionally throughout the year? How old are you? Where does chainsaw use fall into a breakdown of how you spend your time? No surprise to me that there would be a somewhat different bias between this site and the ArboristSite. In terms of taking down trees, this site tends toward amateurs, the other toward pros, although I genuinely enjoy the mix of folks here, and learn a lot from the diversity of members. I don't make my living cutting wood. I don't need a pro saw. The saws I have get me where I need to go. If i were a much younger man, depending on my saws to bring home the bacon, then I'd need a whole different stable full of them, I'm sure. Rick
North of 60
Minister of Fire
wendell said:Why is this thread still going? Bigg Redd declared it over 23 posts ago!
YA and he isnt gonna like it . There's probably gonna be hell to pay. BAWHAAAAA
I started this thread almost a week ago. Here is what I have learned, Bigg_Redd is the chosen one, I need not waste my time on just one saw, and all I need is a AXE. The hell with it, I will cuttttt the old fashion way. Here in Nebraska we don't have trees big enough to cut with a CHAINSAW. JUST call me THE AXEMAN.....................
I dropped an 80' loblolly pine today, that had dropped branches on my roof and was leaning over my mobile home. Ran a 100' of steel cable from 24' up the tree to the hitch on my 4x4 truck. I cut my notch and then put some tension on the cable. Started to make my felling cut and the saw sputtered and died. Grabbed my second saw and finished the cut, dropping the pine right where i wanted it. Not the first time a second came in handy. I never cut without at least 2 saws. Changing bars isn't always an option.
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pinewoodburner
Feeling the Heat
Caz said:
Nice pine, hope you are going to burn it.
I have two saws for the reason above. If you don't want to spend the $$, get a second bar and chain.
Do but yourself a pair of chaps, hearing proteciton and eye protection. The chainsaw chaps could save your leg.
Well, the task is a done DEAL. I went with the Stihl Ms 390 w/ 20" bar and a Ms 260 Pro w/ 16" bar. Probably a lil over kill, but I want something that will last and that I can eventually hand down to my soon to be 7 year old son. He likes to get involved in these type of activities. I have had a Stihl blower and string trimmer for almost 20 years and have ABUSED these things for years. Like an duracell battery they just keep asking for more.
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