New saw. Is upgrade worth it?

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MICHAEL H

New Member
Dec 24, 2009
41
se indiana
Three years ago when i installed my PE Pacific insert. I decided to cut my own wood. To see if was for me. I purchased an Echo CS400 saw. I have to honestly say after three years and @14 cords of wood it has been stellar. Now that I am cutting bigger rounds and have acquired the wood bug. I am thinking of moving up to say a Stihl ms 362 or maybe a 441. To the experts who know. Will my cutting times improve enough to justify the cost? Not to say save my ailing back. Or, should I look at the Stihl midrange line of saws and save a few dollars?
 
I'd try for a 460 over the 441, same powerhead weight, big power difference. I have no experience with the 362 but the 361 it replaced was an awesome saw as well. I like Stihl for the fact that even their "home-owner" or "farm" saws are all outstanding products that you should be proud to own. That said, there is no comparison. I run a MS390 at work from time to time and it certainly is capable in medium sized (under 24") wood. But I'd pick up my 034 or either of those two saws before pulling the rope on that 390. Cutting times are just a part of the upgrade to a "pro" saw. Vastly improved anti-vibe systems and ergonomics, much more durable clutch/sprocket setups, higher capacity oiler (to run bigger bars), are all there to round out the package.

BTW: What part of IN are you in? (if you don't mind) Most of my family is in Washington.
 
I live in SE Indiana. Near Cincinnati and Northern KY. But. To make it a small world. I lived and worked in Vincennes for 12 years. I am more than familiar with Washington and the surrounding area. Thanks for the reply!
 
MICHAEL H said:
Three years ago when i installed my PE Pacific insert. I decided to cut my own wood. To see if was for me. I purchased an Echo CS400 saw. I have to honestly say after three years and @14 cords of wood it has been stellar. Now that I am cutting bigger rounds and have acquired the wood bug. I am thinking of moving up to say a Stihl ms 362 or maybe a 441. To the experts who know. Will my cutting times improve enough to justify the cost? Not to say save my ailing back. Or, should I look at the Stihl midrange line of saws and save a few dollars?

Yes

IMO a 40cc isn't enough saw if you cut most or all of your firewood. In fact, a 50cc saw is barely adequate (my opinion).

I went from a 290 to a 440 this summer and love it. I dunno if I cut any faster on the smaller stuff but the bigger stuff (24"+) is considerably faster and easier. While any saw can be made to work I recommend a saw that'll run a 24" bar for anyone cutting their own wood.
 
I have a similar story....

A few years ago we installed our insert and I had to purchase my first saw. I decided to go with the echo CS 400 (had some HD gift cards) and went over to my parents to start processing some wood. Long story short, after bucking around 1 cord, I started to think I should have bought a larger saw. The next day I took the echo back and picked up a 361 at our local dealer.

Night and Day difference - I'm not sure what your specific time savings would be between the two, but its significant and well worth the upgrade - trust me!
 
Night and day difference is a good way to describe it.

The 441/440 is supposed to be a fantastic saw. So it the Husky 372XP (and I have to agree). I see both for sale in my local Craig's List every so often. I have to echo Big_Redd: the 70cc saw with a 24" bar is where it is at. Keep your smaller saw for cutting yourself out and limbing.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/tls/2596542853.html
 
I have a ms290 and love it. That being said I bought a ms361 and all I can say is WOW! Its worth the money. I picked up a ms440 in new condition cheap and although it was equally impressive or more, the extra size was not needed. I still climb trees and limb with my 361, the 440 magnum was just a little too heavy. Now if you are always doing ground work then it would work well.
 
I started out with an 031AV and cut about 8 cord with it. Seemed fine but a little slow. Then I picked up a used 361. Wow. I used the 031 yesterday and it felt like a complete dog. There is a huge difference between these saws.
 
Gas prices I would buy a 441 its not faster in the cut over a 460 but you can win the race in the pits! (And save gas over the long haul to pay for its self) ;-)
 
smokinjay said:
Gas prices I would buy a 441 its not faster in the cut over a 460 but you can win the race in the pits! (And save gas over the long haul to pay for its self) ;-)

That is true about the CPG (Cords Per Gallon, har har har) of the 441. The saw was built from the ground up with fuel economy in mind for people who cut everyday, all day. It's probably as good or better on fuel than my 034, which for it's size, gets pretty thirsty in the heavier wood.
 
MasterMech said:
smokinjay said:
Gas prices I would buy a 441 its not faster in the cut over a 460 but you can win the race in the pits! (And save gas over the long haul to pay for its self) ;-)

That is true about the CPG (Cords Per Gallon, har har har) of the 441. The saw was built from the ground up with fuel economy in mind for people who cut everyday, all day. It's probably as good or better on fuel than my 034, which for it's size, gets pretty thirsty in the heavier wood.

That kinda goes with out saying.lol Try it with an 880 42oz per load. After buying the 880 the only thing I would change is the 441 over the 460. Without the 880 it would be the 460.
 
I upgraded from 029 to 036 this summer because I got the deal of a lifetime on the saw. It sure is a night and day improvement. Although I can cut faster, I still carry, load, unload, split, load, and stack the wood at the same speed. If I had to pay fair market value for a pro saw, I would still be doing just fine with the 029 that my father bought in 1996.
 
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