again which saw

[loneeagle15]

I can not make up my mind on which chain saw to purchase so here is the purpose of the saw
1-The mountain stove guy has my same stove and basically the same weather told me I will burn @ 5 cords a year

2-the area that I can cut wood in is all pine

3-Diamatesr range from 4" to about 20"

4- I will be hauling the wood mainly by myself (can not use ATV's and is @ 100 yrds. from the road) the wife will help so I will more than likely limit my size to @12"

6-I have decided on a Husky

7-As a side note at what diameter would you want to start splitting (I am new to wood cutting and wood stoves)
Thanks JD

 

[TMonter]

I would say a Husky 359 or 357XP from the sound of it.

If you think in the future you may end up cutting more, you might go with the 372XP.

Can you use cables when cutting wood? I cut in national forest and have a couple lengths of soft drawn cable we use to haul logs out onto the road.

 

[Eric Johnson]

You might get by fine with a somewhat smaller saw, given that you're cutting all pine.

I would buy a saw from a local dealer and see what they recommend for your area and conditions. You might pay a little more if you buy from a dealer, but it's worth it, IMO.

It depends on the stove, but for purposes of quicker drying, consider splitting everything six inches and larger. Again, pine dries faster than hardwood, so if your stove can take 8" rounds, you might consider going that big before splitting. I'd say it mostly depends on how much drying time you have before you need to burn it. Split wood dries a lot faster than unsplit wood. And it shouldn't be a hard-and-fast rule. I've found it's nice to have some variety in your wood inventory when it comes to size.

 

[bruce56bb]

jd, take a long look at the 346xp. i have one with an 18" bar and am tickled sh1tless with it. it is lightweight and
is a very capable saw. i realize in a pros hands it is a limbing saw but is plenty of saw for the average wood burner.
call around to dealers and find one you're comfortable with and see if they have one to demo.
my 2 cents

 

[Eric Johnson]

I also have a 346XP and would highly recommend it. I cut hardwood up to 24" in diameter with a 6-inch bar and I've used it with pine. Cuts and runs like a dream.

 

[carpniels]

Hi Eric,

6 inch bar? I hope you forgot to type the 1 and you really mean 16 inch bar.

Thanks

Carpniels

 

[Eric Johnson]

Or 60.

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

I'd go with a 353 if I knew it was all soft and I knew I'd be hauling it by hand. It's light and plenty of saw. The Dolmar 5100 is also a great choice.

ATB,
Mike P

 

[loneeagle15]

Thanks to everyone for the replies.
Just wondering no one has said anything about the 455 rancher is it not a good saw? All of the saws mentioned are within $100. of each other so cost is not a factor so please keep the suggestions comeing. I would like to have a good selection in mind when I go to the dealer (Shiptons Big R in our area staffed with high school kid. I like advice from experienced people thats why I came to you guys) and get the feel of them.
So thanks again and please keep the sugesstions comeing

 

[JayY]

The 455 doesn't get much respect. It is heavy homeowners (plastic) model. The consensus is any saw that heavy should have more power. The fact that everyone runs it with a 20 + inch bar probably doesnt help the situation any. There are more 'refined' saws in its price range.

 

[bruce56bb]

jd, spike is the resident husky guru. he'll probably peruse the boards and chime in shortly.
i have never ran a 455 but i do own a 51 that i have had since the mid 90s. comparing the
51 to the xp series is like comparing an impala to a Z06 corvette. they do the same thing, but
one does it a lot better.

 

[TMonter]

I ran a 455 for three seasons and it's a good saw, but it's very heavy for the amount of power it has. There really isn't a comparison between it and any of the husky "professional" saws. I found I got really frustrated with my 455's power on bigger logs so this season I upgraded to a 372XP.

 

[Roospike]

Hi jd , If your new to chainsaws but not new to power tools and safty then with money not being a big factor and on pine i would look at the

#1 346XP Husqvarna
#2 357XP Husqvarna
#3 5100 Dolmar

If your new to chainsaws and haven't had a lot of experience with power tools and safety then i would look at...

#1 353 Husqvarna
#2 359 Husqvarna

If your looking at a set of saws ( i feel every one cutting firewood needs 2 , 1 for limbing and small trees and 1 for bucking and logs and larger trees )

346XP & 372XP

If your thinking about 2 chainsaws i would start off with just a Husqvarna 346XP or 353 being great saws and lighter weight and then as you get used to the saw and get a wood lot established then if you feel the need for the bigger saw or get an idea of how much bigger saw you need then pick up the larger saw .

Make sure you pick up some safty gear .......chainsaw chaps , logger helmet / ear muffs / saftey glasses .

 

[loneeagle15]

Thanks again to all so I will get the 346xp to start. Roo thanks for the concern over my safty I am going to get all the ppe gear it's always better to be safe than sorry I am also familar with tool safty as I build custom furniture on theside (you can only fit so much i your own house) So all of that said 1 more question (Ijust thought about or I would have asked earlier) which bar?
Thanks JD

 

[carpniels]

I read Dave Johnsons book on woodcutting and he uses a 346xp with a 13 inch bar for pine on his plantations. But then again, he is a pro.

As soon as I order my new 346xp, I will order it with 14 inch. That is plenty large for me and with the right technique you can still cut up to 32" diamtere trees. The largest I will ever find is probably 24, so I am good.

Most guys would probably order 16 or 18 inch. I would suggest 16.

Carpniels

 

[JayY]

Good Choice. I think the 346xp will always be a useful saw to own even if you decide you need a more powerful saw some time in the future.

I used a 346xp breifly with an 18" bar and I cant imagine that setup would have any trouble with pine. However, I have read that the 346XP is happiest with a smaller bar. This makes sense given its CCs and HP. If you can get away with using a 16" bar, that's probably the best bet. If in a few months you decide you made the wrong choice, replacement bars and chains are easy to get and the price wont break the bank. Keep us posted.

 

[Roospike]

Good advise . When starting off and only with 1 saw ya might want to go with the 18" bar , if you get a larger saw in the future you can drop down to a 16" or 14" bar on your 346XP .

A 18" bar came with my 346xp's and i have larger saws too but just kept the 18" bars on the 346xp's

If you go with the 18" bar and feel the need for a 16" bar you can always pick up a new 16" Husqvarna off Ebay for around $20. or so and have some links taken out of your chains for just a few $$.

Some owners like like longer bars and some like shorter bars . The BEST size bar is the one YOU like best and fits your needs.

*****************************************************************************

I totally hear you on building custom furniture , Every one in my family ( mother , dad , brothers , uncles ..ect..) are wood workers and build custom stuff / custom furniture and have houses full of great custom items. some do custom furniture on the side and some just remodel homes / woodwork.
I was the odd ball of the family , i fell into metal work and metal fabrication .

Be Safe .

 

[loneeagle15]

Everyone thanks for your help
JD