Buying My First Saw

[Tonty]

I should maybe add that I, together with my two sons, can cut a years worth of fire wood (3-4 cords) in about 1.5 full days of cutting, so we aren’t using these saws day in and day out. Like others have mentioned, if you can afford a pro saw, you should get one.

 

[Moose032]

Buying my first saw and looking for advice.

We use wood as our primary heat source and we go through about 3 chords a year. I'm cutting mostly dead White Ash, but I also get into some Oak (and will actually be felling some old Oak trees on my inlaws this summer) as well as some assorted other hardwoods. Occasionally I get into some Hedge, but I try not to cut much of it because it burns too hot in out stove. Im not great at gaging diameter of the logs I mostly am cutting, but most of it is not much bigger around than a 55 gallon barrel.

I've only ever used Stihl and would like to stick with them. My current saw is actually probably 30 years old and a hand-me-down from my dad but it's starting to fall apart. Budget is "get whatever is best" (wife's words) but id like to stay somewhere around the price of an MS 311. Ive got a buddy who has one and really likes it but i wonder if I really need all the bells and whistles (like the decompression valve) or if a 271 would do just as well at a lower price point. Thoughts?

For cutting 3 chords a year I really don’t think you can beat the Echo CS590 for the price. It is an incredibly reliable saw and it has plenty of power to cut anything within reasonable size. I’ve been using one for about 6 years and I’ve never wished I had a bigger saw. It’s going to be a little bit bigger and have a little bit more power than the farm and ranch saws from the other two brands (although those are both also perfectly fine if you choose one).

 

[Isaac Carlson]

If you are cutting any quantity of wood anywhere near 2 feet in diameter, I would recommend a husqvarna 372. It’s a saw that can easily handle 2-3 ft wood and it cuts a lot of wood on a tank of gas.

If you are accurate about the wood you described, I would stick with a 70cc or bigger saw. Smaller saws might get the job done, but they are going to be working harder to do it. Wood over 18” is best cut with a bigger saw. I have a ported 50cc saw that will happily eat 18” wood, but the 372 is better suited for it.

I have run a few 500i’s and they are not that great. Mostly marketing fluff. Only one actually impressed me, and that one was ported by Scott Kunz. My stock oe 372 will easily beat a factory 500i, and is my choice for bigger wood.

I used to be a “stihl guy” until I started working on husqvarna’s. I own saws from both and they both make good saws. Some models are better than others in both brands.

If you are looking for a solid saw, the 372 has been a well known workhorse for decades and is easy to keep running.