Did I tell you guys...

[burntime]

I picked up a great condition 029 super stihl with an oregon bar and chain and a new stihl chain, case, can of gas, stihl 2 stroke oil, file, 2 wrenchs, and a gallon of bar oil for, ready, $75.00 bucks! I ran it a few times and took a choke cherry down today. It is a clone to mine and I may just switch bars (I have a new 18 on mine and 6 chains) and sell my saw with the 16 inch on Craigslist or ebay... I do like 2 saws though! I may just sell both and get a 361! One suggested a 441. I would need a limbing saw or 026 to go with a 441 or larger. What say the hearth clan?

 

[LLigetfa]

What a steal. Is it hot?

 

[burntime]

No, the guy bought it new, moved to WI. from Mass. He used it for triming a half acre yard and has a condo here. Said his dad got it for him as a present but had to buy a bar and chain. The chain is 3/4 spent and he never used the new 2nd chain. Just happened on CL at the right time. I hit the refresh button, it popped up, I called and ran out the door. Sometimes you get lucky! What about my saw delima. Keep 1 029 super, sell em both and get a 361? Just do a muffler mod? Still am looking for input...

 

[Wet1]

If I only owned one or two, neither would be a 029. Selling both would be my move. The 361 is an excellent choice if you only own one saw. With that said, the 036 and 360 are pretty much the equivalent saw and can be found for less. I have one of these and they are great saws, but I can't image having to do everything with this single saw. Not after having the proper tools for the job available to me anyway. For someone that supplies their own firewood, I'd much rather see them having two saws. Having a one size fits all saw has it's limitations, and is often not optimal for the task at hand (not to mention when it gets stuck, breaks, or some other issue comes up you're SOL without a backup). Having two saws allows much more diversification, optimization, and redundancy. Having a small limbing saw for light work and having a larger work horse to tackle the big stuff does just that.

Which saws would I buy? A 50cc and 80cc class saw would probably be my choice for a two saw plan. I have a lot of saws of all sizes from 40cc to 120cc, from all different manufacturers. If you're a super loyal Stihl guy, sticking with them is not a bad choice. A 026/260 for the small is the obvious choice, and a 046/460/441 would be a good selection for the larger. I'm a big fan of the 064/066/660, but these are more costly and might be a little overkill for your needs (I don't know what you work with).

Having used and own(ed) all of the top dogs, my personal choice would probably be a 346xp and a 7900. These two saws are clearly tops in their class and offer excellent value, power, comfort, and reliability. If on a budget I'd go with the 5100 and the 7900. The 5100 is a close contender to the 346 and 260, but can be had at a much more reasonable price. The 7900 is a no brainer IMO, it's light and will pull a 16" to 36" bar if need be. It's clearly more powerful than all the other contenders in that class, it's smooth and reliable as the day is long, and is much cheaper than the equivalents from Stihl and Husky... It's an awesome saw and a must own IMO.

 

[burntime]

I can get a like new ms660 with a 32 inch bar for 800 new. Guy said he dropped 1 tree with it and cut it up and never used it again. Said he bought the saw for less then the tree service wanted and he just wants to recoup some money. Stihls site says its 1200 worth of saw? What is it really worth used? I talked to him and told him that I am going to look at a ms441 and ms460, he said before I buy come talk to him.... What would be a good price for the ms660? And yes, if I go that rought I would either keep 1 029super or sell it and get a 026...

 

[Wet1]

A like new 660 with a 32" bar is worth $800, and then some, if it's truly in "like new" condition. Although, that one tree could have been 200' and the saw beat up while in use, or it could have been 100 trees, so you'd have to see the saw and go from there. The 660 is highly regarded and sought after, so the price in the used market reflects it.

While the 660 is an awesome saw, and I have no problem using one for hours on end, it might be a little big for your taste for everyday use in the field. This is something you'll have to decide. The 660 will pull a 32" bar no problem, but you'd want to keep something smaller on it for more regular use, something like a 25" is well balanced on that saw and I've run a 20 on mine many times to make quick work of smaller stuff. I could very easily live with a 026 and a 660, but some people would probably want something in between... like a 029 or 036. But then you're looking at a 3 saw plan. I doubt you'll ever need something bigger than the 660, and it will rip through 20" to 36" trees like there's no tomorrow. It's something worth considering if you don't think it's too much saw for you to handle.

BTW, a brand new 660 with a 32" bar is going to run north of $1000 at most any Stihl dealer, even with a "deal".

 

[burntime]

I am 6ft and 275(I am losing weight ;~)). Hunt with a 50 cal upper on my ar, easily shoot 3 1/2 shells out the 870. The 660 should not be a problem. I was thinking the exact same thing about a 25 inch bar. Thanks, I will get to looking in the next day or two and call the guy back. Thanks...

 

[Wet1]

In that case, jump on the 660... that saw is a monster. :coolsmile:

 

[burntime]

Well they guy called me back on the 660, he let it go for 350???? Wow, what a far cry from 800. I called himn the next day and he waited this long to call me back... I think he was going to cry when he asked what I was going to offer and I told him 550 or 600. O'well, I am not out anything. Back to the decision. It was easy at a 50% discount :lol:

 

[LLigetfa]

How do you do it (get those deals I mean)? Do you show up looking like a charity case in a beat up minivan with 12 hungry looking kids and a wife that looks like death warmed over? I bet you "borrow" the neighbor's kids.

 

[burntime]

Pretty funny! Well I did not get the 660, maybe I was not clear. I was going to offer 550 or 600 and he sold it to a neighbor for cheap. I did get the nice 029 for 75 bucks though. That was his asking price and I didn't dicker, it was already cheap! Guess I'm just lucky watching Craigslist. I am laid off right now so I have been doing house projects and check the computer on CL and daytrade stocks here and there. I don't think I will find another steal like that for a while. Everyone and thier uncle will start thinking about wood soon for the fireplace (too late I know). Saws seem to ramp up in price the end of summer and fall.

 

[Backroads]

Pretty funny! Well I did not get the 660, maybe I was not clear. I was going to offer 550 or 600 and he sold it to a neighbor for cheap. I did get the nice 029 for 75 bucks though. That was his asking price and I didn't dicker, it was already cheap! Guess I'm just lucky watching Craigslist. I am laid off right now so I have been doing house projects and check the computer on CL and daytrade stocks here and there. I don't think I will find another steal like that for a while. Everyone and thier uncle will start thinking about wood soon for the fireplace (too late I know). Saws seem to ramp up in price the end of summer and fall.

I was wondering how you were able to score a deal of CL!! You almost have to be at the computer nowadays to get anything off of there.

 

[burntime]

Sometimes you get lucky, most of the time you probably never see the listing cause it sold already.