# New Big Saw



## StihlKicking (Jul 14, 2016)

It's about time to pull the trigger on a new saw. Before i do I wanted to get everyone's opinion one more time. I'm considering either the MS 461 or the MS 661. Please let me hear your thoughts, opinions and experiences. Thanks


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## Jon1270 (Jul 15, 2016)

What size bar do you want to use regularly?  What's the longest bar you'd hope to be able to use once in a while?


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## StihlKicking (Jul 15, 2016)

@Jon1270 32"-36" very few trees over 3 feet here.


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## Jon1270 (Jul 15, 2016)

In hardwoods that's probably 661 territory.  I think a 461 would be happy running 24-28".


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## Jon1270 (Jul 15, 2016)

(I'm assuming those lengths you gave were for regular use, not exceptional situations)


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## D8Chumley (Jul 15, 2016)

I'm from the school that having more power than you need is always better than not having enough. That said, I've only used my 460 with 25" bar a handful of times, I usually have a 20" on it and even then it doesn't see much use. Everything I cut anymore can usually be handled by the Echo 590 or the MS261 both having 18" bars, but I'm not willing to part with the 460/25". Anything bigger my buddy has an 066 with 36" I could borrow


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## Ashful (Jul 15, 2016)

461 is not a "big" saw.  I'd not even think of putting any bar in the 30's on a saw that small, unless all you cut is western soft woods.

I've found a 28" bar is just about right on my 85cc 064, buried to the nose in oak.  I'd be running 25" on a 461.  If you want to run over 30" in hardwood, think 660 or larger.

My cutting partner just bought a 46x saw, and he's also running 25" on it, FWIW.


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## Lakeside (Jul 15, 2016)

Ashful said:


> Sent from my toilet using crapatalk



Thanks for today's laugh  !!


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## johneh (Jul 15, 2016)

Love it


Ashful said:


> Sent from my toilet using crapatalk


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## StihlKicking (Jul 15, 2016)

I went with the 661 this morning and am very happy so far. I got a 36" roller tip and a 20"hard nose to play around with. I put two tanks through it this morning. The 36" bar chugged right through the big piece of poplar you see it setting on sunk to the tip. The 20" is ridiculously fast sunk to the tip. The saw shop i use had a brand new 660 still on the shelf that I considered but for the same money I went with the newer saw. Thanks for all the replies and discussion. 


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## blades (Jul 16, 2016)

For my large saw I run an 084 with a 42" bar, only comes out of hibernation  a few times a year  everything else is taken care of by the 79xx& 64xx series Dolitas with 18-32" bars


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## Ashful (Jul 16, 2016)

blades said:


> For my large saw I run an 084 with a 42" bar...


That, my friends, is a "big" saw.  I borrowed an 084 from my local saw shop, while contemplating whether or not I'd buy it.  Not a fast saw, but power like no other I've run.  Makes a 660 look like a kids toy.


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## mass_burner (Jul 16, 2016)

Every time I bring out my 390 with 24" bar, the neighbors ooh and aw.   Not very saw sophisticated round here.


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## BrotherBart (Jul 16, 2016)

mass_burner said:


> Every time I bring out my 390 with 24" bar, the neighbors ooh and aw.   Not very saw sophisticated round here.



A few years ago after a big storm I heard a lot of buzzing saws down by the road. I finally put Old Yaller, my pre-consumer 72cc five horse Poulan 455, in the back of the truck to go down and take a look. There was a pretty damn big oak laying over my neighbor's driveway. I stood for awhile watching the boys with their little toys trying to wear their way through the thing and finally walked back to the truck. I pulled out Old Yaller and as I walked back I drop started it. When it fired off one of the neighbor's kids yelled "Yes! A real chainsaw."

Made short work of the tree bucking it and went home while they stood back and watched. Sure glad I had that new chain.


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## mass_burner (Jul 17, 2016)

Whoa! I wouldn't try drop starting while walking, a sure embarrasment there. [emoji15]


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## 7acres (Jul 21, 2016)

BrotherBart said:


> A few years ago after a big storm I heard a lot of buzzing saws down by the road. I finally put Old Yaller, my pre-consumer 72cc five horse Poulan 455, in the back of the truck to go down and take a look. There was a pretty damn big oak laying over my neighbor's driveway. I stood for awhile watching the boys with their little toys trying to wear their way through the thing and finally walked back to the truck. I pulled out Old Yaller and as I walked back I drop started it. When it fired off one of the neighbor's kids yelled "Yes! A real chainsaw."
> 
> Made short work of the tree bucking it and went home while they stood back and watched. Sure glad I had that new chain.



Awesome story!


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## woodhog73 (Jul 27, 2016)

Haven't been here in awhile. The 661 is an awesome saw the mtronic simply works as advertised. My biggest problem is I rarely encounter wood big enough for this saw it's a beast


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## StihlKicking (Jul 27, 2016)

Yep it's pretty hefty in hand and on the pocket book. I will probably use it a dozen times a year to stump something with a 3' plus bar. Having this saw though has gotten me to try my hand at chainsaw milling and it's fun to put a 20" bar on it every now and again and tear through a few 18" logs while bucking. Honestly I could have probably been well served with a 461, 441, ect but at this point I'm glad I splurged for the 661. Also I'm digging the M-tronic after being leary of it all this time.


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## Diabel (Jul 27, 2016)

woodhog73 said:


> Haven't been here in awhile. The 661 is an awesome saw the mtronic simply works as advertised. My biggest problem is I rarely encounter wood big enough for this saw it's a beast



Recently I came across an ad for a 660 for $600
I was tempted!
But as you said, how often will I use that beast? 
My 360 seems very comfortable in all the wood it encounters. Granted, it will not break any speed records....
But I have time....


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## Ashful (Jul 27, 2016)

Diabel said:


> Recently I came across an ad for a 660 for $600
> I was tempted!
> But as you said, how often will I use that beast?
> My 360 seems very comfortable in all the wood it encounters. Granted, it will not break any speed records....
> But I have time....


Buy it and use it every day.  I use my 064 more than my other two saws combined, and it ain't much lighter than a 660.


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## blades (Jul 28, 2016)

Ashful - my primary saws are 64xx and 79xx Dolmars- when stuff gets over 30" dia. wise I hall out the Stilh 084 ( 122cc), 42" bar  .404 chain ( not for the faint of heart) which makes quick work of those - further size reduction is then accomplished with the smaller saws.


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## sportbikerider78 (Jul 28, 2016)

Maybe I'll drop big money on a big saw after my home projects are done...or in 5 yrs when my wife goes back to work.  lol


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## 7acres (Jul 28, 2016)

sportbikerider78 said:


> Maybe I'll drop big money on a big saw after my home projects are done...or in 5 yrs when my wife goes back to work.  lol



Haha, exactly! In the meantime we will have to live vicariously through StihlKicking! Running the 661 with a 20" bar sounds like just pure showing off! And I could see myself justifying the purchase by getting into milling too. When I'm bucking beautiful oak trunks I really have to block out all thoughts of what beautiful wood I'm wrecking. Like when I skin a deer. I'm usually queasy around blood, etc. Hate doing it. Knuckle down and get the job done. Then forget about it. 

I've almost convinced myself! Buying a 661 and a Granberg milling rig might just be the only way to atone for my firewood scrounging sins!


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## Ashful (Jul 28, 2016)

I use my 064 for bucking anything over 20" diameter, which is basically 99% of what I bring home.  Further size reduction happens on my splitter, or by noodling with same 064.  I have an 036 Pro that I can use on smaller stuff, but the owner of the property where I cut keeps most of the small stuff for himself.

I've used an 084.  It's a beast, but definitely slower than the 064, until you get into monster stuff over 40" diameter, due to the reduced chain speed.  The 084 would be real fun if you swap the stock sprocket for something larger/faster, but then that would somewhat reduce its ability to keep churning steady with 42 inches of .404 buried in the log.


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## StihlKicking (Jul 28, 2016)

I'm sure most of you have handled a 064, 066, 660, 661 at some point. The thing that surprises me with the 661 is how comfortable it is to use. I'm a small guy at 5'10" 165#. Don't get me wrong it's not as comfortable as a 261 but it's no where near the bulk class of an 880. I hear a lot of people's opinion that the 661 is a giant of a saw in the hands compared to a 461. I can't tell very much difference except the 661 feels smoother and more powerful than the 461. 

Also my 661 feels slightly, very slightly less bulky in my hands than the 660 i often use at work. Is this just in my head or is the 661 a little better balanced? Opinions?


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## woodhog73 (Jul 28, 2016)

StihlKicking said:


> Also I'm digging the M-tronic after being leary of it all this time.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I hear ya my first experience with auto tuned saws was on a husky ( jonsered) product and now a Stihl same as yours I'll never go back to a manual tune saw.  My auto tuned saws always seem to put out just a tad more power and scream just a tad more than my older saws


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## woodhog73 (Jul 28, 2016)

Ashful said:


> Buy it and use it every day.  I use my 064 more than my other two saws combined, and it ain't much lighter than a 660.



You must be strong like hulk hogan or some other famous muscle dude ! I'm fairly strong still in good shape but if I had to run my big saws all day on the job I'd be whooped.

I run my ported 50cc jonsered probably 80 percent of my work day. In 18 inch wood ( again 80 percent of what I cut) it's really close if not equal to my big saws in performance without wearing me out.


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## heavy hammer (Jul 28, 2016)

I only have a 660 and an 880.  The 660 is my every day cutter I usually run the 25 inch bar on it.  I have a 36 inch bar for it, but if I need more saw I pull out the 880.  I love my 660 easy to run all day plenty of power.  When I run the 880 with a 36 inch bar all day your back feels it a little, but worth it for cutting through big wood with no issue.  I think you will love the 661 great saw, a work horse!


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## StihlKicking (Jul 29, 2016)

First few boards with a new mill


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## Ashful (Jul 29, 2016)

woodhog73 said:


> You must be strong like hulk hogan or some other famous muscle dude ! I'm fairly strong still in good shape but if I had to run my big saws all day on the job I'd be whooped.
> 
> I run my ported 50cc jonsered probably 80 percent of my work day. In 18 inch wood ( again 80 percent of what I cut) it's really close if not equal to my big saws in performance without wearing me out.


Not really.  I'm fit for one with a desk job, but only 175 lb. and 5'-11".  I'm only lifting the saw between cuts, the rest of the time the weight and power of the saw is helping me work less.

I find cutting with my 63cc saw (Stihl 036 Pro) is much more work than the 85cc saw in anything larger than maybe 20", because it just doesn't have enough power to get thru the cut as quickly, and requires more fiddling to keep the chain spinning at top speed in the cut.  I got rid of my 50cc saw, for the same reason.  I watch guys with little 50cc saws work for minutes at a cut that would be made in seconds with the 85cc saw.  You might want to give it a try!

FWIW, I don't use the 064 for limbing, just felling and bucking.  I have a T435 that's used for limbing and other light work.


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## woodhog73 (Jul 29, 2016)

Ashful said:


> Not really.  I'm fit for one with a desk job, but only 175 lb. and 5'-11".  I'm only lifting the saw between cuts, the rest of the time the weight and power of the saw is helping me work less.
> 
> I find cutting with my 63cc saw (Stihl 036 Pro) is much more work than the 85cc saw in anything larger than maybe 20", because it just doesn't have enough power to get thru the cut as quickly, and requires more fiddling to keep the chain spinning at top speed in the cut.  I got rid of my 50cc saw, for the same reason.  I watch guys with little 50cc saws work for minutes at a cut that would be made in seconds with the 85cc saw.  You might want to give it a try!
> 
> FWIW, I don't use the 064 for limbing, just felling and bucking.  I have a T435 that's used for limbing and other light work.



I respect your opinion but for me it's opposite. I work labor all week in tree service. Been doing it on and off for years but this season I seem to have gotten roped into it more that I wanted to at my age ( mid 40s) because my usual way of making a living took a dump.

Anyways My recently acquired Stihl 661 collects dust most days and I'm still wondering why I bought it. Back in my 20s I used to run my Stihl 056 which I still have and I would run it the majority of my work day, even to limb tops, but looking back I don't know how I did it. I'm faster and more efficient in my 40s with my 50cc just because I'm not fatigued. Getting old sucks. My Jonsered 2172 gets about 20 percent use.

I rely on my 50cc saw almost exclusively.  I've got a Jonsered 2252 that I had ported ( because I use a small saw so much I wanted to make it as strong as possible)  and at around 10 lbs is hard to beat in wood 20 inches or less. I get up in a bucket once in awhile and the 50cc is easy to handle when the top handle saw is too small. I've used my 70cc saws at heights before and it just plain sucks.

But if your ground cutting logs and don't have to deal with limbing and over head cutting, just bucking logs, ya I completely see your point. In that case give me the most horsepower in most cases.

Btw the 661 is a hell of a saw. I just never encounter wood big enough to use it.  If I'm cutting a cotton wood which seems to be 1 or 2 a month those around here can be up to 4 to 5 feet in diameter at the base, I'll use it though.


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## mass_burner (Jul 30, 2016)

StihlKicking said:


> View attachment 182507
> 
> First few boards with a new mill
> 
> ...


Wow, that's amazing. Will that add-on fit any stihl saw?


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## Jon1270 (Jul 30, 2016)

mass_burner said:


> Wow, that's amazing. Will that add-on fit any stihl saw?



It will fit pretty much any saw.  Those milling attachments just clamp to the bar, so they're not brand-specific.


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## Ashful (Jul 30, 2016)

woodhog73 said:


> I respect your opinion but for me it's opposite. I work labor all week in tree service. Been doing it on and off for years but this season I seem to have gotten roped into it more that I wanted to at my age ( mid 40s) because my usual way of making a living took a dump.
> 
> Anyways My recently acquired Stihl 661 collects dust most days and I'm still wondering why I bought it. Back in my 20s I used to run my Stihl 056 which I still have and I would run it the majority of my work day, even to limb tops, but looking back I don't know how I did it. I'm faster and more efficient in my 40s with my 50cc just because I'm not fatigued. Getting old sucks. My Jonsered 2172 gets about 20 percent use.
> 
> ...



Good points, esp. your last one.  I am on the ground bucking logs, not in a bucket or climbing a tree.  My process is simple:

1.  Clear around tree and drop it with 064.
2.  Mark off 17" lengths with measuring stick and T435 top handle saw.
3.  Buck trunk on closest mark in lengths appropriate for skidding (8' - 16', depending on diameter).  Leave tree top behind to return to nature, fertilize the next generation.
4.  Skid logs out of woods to staging area with Ford 3000 and choker chain.
5.  Buck to 17" lengths with 064.
6.  Roll into trailer, haul home.
7.  Wonder why I bothered bringing my 63cc saw, again.

I don't think anyone here was talking about pruning trees for a tree service, woodhog.  We're making firewood, the fastest way practical on a homeowner scale.


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## woodhog73 (Jul 30, 2016)

In regards to the milling thing, and using the 661, I didn't think of this earlier but wondering if there's a way to richen up the air/fuel ratio for milling despite the Mtronic ? I'm guessing no ? I don't mill wood personally but if I did I'm thinking id run my premix a tad heavier on oil and want the saw to run air/fuel ratio a little rich just because milling is harder on a saw.

With the Mtronic it's probably running as lean as it can without actually causing power loss or being dangerous to cause it to burn up. It's the only concern I've ever had when running my auto tune saw some days it seems almost too lean to be safe for the saw but it's never let me down.

But for the milling crowd I wonder if an adjustable carb is better in this case?

Just wondering.

Ashful.....I hear you and agree on the making firewood homeowner thing you mentioned. I too burn and heat with wood I'm on the same page as you.  I use my 70cc saw a fair amount when I have a load of logs sitting in the yard to be bucked up. As for your 60cc saw it's still nice to have a back up rescue saw if you get your other pinched or just incase. I once traveled an hours drive to friends mothers house to cut up a downed tree and my saw wouldn't start. Days like that you are glad you have your back up saw with you I suppose.


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## StihlKicking (Jul 30, 2016)

mass_burner said:


> Wow, that's amazing. Will that add-on fit any stihl saw?



Yes they make lots of different ones for different length bars. This one will fit a 36" bar maximum but can be adjusted down from there. It can be powered by any power head regardless of brand. I will say that I am just getting started milling with it but the piece of advice that I got over and over in the forums was mill with the biggest saw you can. I now understand why. If your interested check out granbergs website for the complete line up. I purchased mine through forestrysuppliers.com because they had them in stock. A lot of places that sell them were on an 8 week back order. 


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## heavy hammer (Jul 30, 2016)

I like the saw.  Everyone has there personal preference for what they like to run, you just need to find what works for you.  It's a good saw so if you don't end up liking it you can always sell it.  But for now enjoy.


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## 7acres (Jul 31, 2016)

StihlKicking said:


> View attachment 182507
> 
> First few boards with a new mill
> 
> ...



Beautiful! Cedar?


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## StihlKicking (Jul 31, 2016)

7acres said:


> Beautiful! Cedar?



Yep


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## Ashful (Jul 31, 2016)

woodhog73 said:


> . As for your 60cc saw it's still nice to have a back up rescue saw if you get your other pinched or just incase. I once traveled an hours drive to friends mothers house to cut up a downed tree and my saw wouldn't start. Days like that you are glad you have your back up saw with you I suppose.


Yep, and that's why I bring it.  I was half kidding in my other post.  While, I don't find the 036 very useful with an 064 in the arsenal, I keep it as a back-up for when the big saw pinches or fails.


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## Jazzberry (Jul 31, 2016)

Ashful I feel the same as you. Since I got my 064 the 360 doesn't get used at all. I go from my 026 to my 064. Think I will sell the 360 this fall and try to score a 200 rear handle for a trim saw. I should add the 360 is a great saw and probably all I really need. But theres a huge difference with the 064.

Edit 08/11/16 Just put the MS 360 Pro away after cutting a cord or so and it aint going nowheres. Forgot how cool the 360 was.


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## woodhog73 (Jul 31, 2016)

Jazzberry said:


> Think I will sell the 360 this fall and try to score a 200 rear handle for a trim saw.



The 200 is a great climbing saw/ top handle saw how soon you looking ? I've got one I use occasionally when I get in the bucket , love it. My buddy has a couple in his business fleet for his tree service I know at least 1 is going to be replaced at the end of the season for a new saw I'm guessing around $350 but it's very heavily used. But gets used every day and runs great.  If your interested I can ask him if he wants to sell it early and would be willing to ship it ?

Edit..... I just saw you said the rear handle version I was thinking top handle 200 which is a pretty well known climbing saw never mind sorry


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## Jazzberry (Jul 31, 2016)

Ya rear handle. I have bought and sold several 020T / 200T top handles and it is by far is Stihls coolest saw to play with. I make so much profit off of them I can't keep one around. That and I have a son that worries me when he's using them. I figure if I could get a rear handle he won't one hand everything.


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## SCOTT S. (Sep 4, 2016)

My personal experience here, I had an 460 for years and found a 661 for a very good price. More power what's to think about right. Well I sold the 460 and just before I went to pick up the 661 a buddy who owns both said let's cut side buy side with  25" bars on each in a oak roughly 22" they were side buy side no discernible difference since a 25" bar is all I will ever need I ended up back at a 461. If I needed a bigger bar my choice would have been different. To me the weight savings and no difference in time to cut a stick, it was a no brainier.


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## woodhog73 (Sep 4, 2016)

SCOTT S. said:


> My personal experience here, I had an 460 for years and found a 661 for a very good price. More power what's to think about right. Well I sold the 460 and just before I went to pick up the 661 a buddy who owns both said let's cut side buy side with  25" bars on each in a oak roughly 22" they were side buy side no discernible difference since a 25" bar is all I will ever need I ended up back at a 461. If I needed a bigger bar my choice would have been different. To me the weight savings and no difference in time to cut a stick, it was a no brainier.



Scott S I understand what your saying.

I added a 661 to my work bench a few months back. It pulls very long bars better than any saw I've ever owned. Including my Stihl 056 that I've owned for more years than I care to remember. I didn't think I'd ever own another saw that powerful until I came across a great deal on a 661. My 056 is bigger and heavier, and lower reving. It's also pretty darn strong but it won't match my 661.

But I've got a Jonsered 2166/2172 ( 70cc pro saw) and I usually keep a 24 inch bar on it. When I run a 24/25 on the 661 and compared to the Johny 2172 with 24inch inch buried in oak it's about dead equal. Neither saw really outcuts the other.

I keep my 661 around for those occasional cotton woods that are close to 60 inches in diameter. I'm a saw geek that's my excuse for owning the 661 cause honestly I probably don't need it. It really is probably a west coast felling saw and logging saw not a mid west firewood saw but it's still nice to own it. In that situation my 661 stomps on my 2172 and would equally put to shame any 70 to 75cc saw

But 95 percent of what I cut is easily handled with a 24 inch or much less smaller bar.  So my 661 gets very little use.

And honestly my ported and muffler modded 50cc a Jonsered with 18 inch .325 bar and chain buried in say 18 to 20 inch hard wood can no doubt keep up with both my 2172 and 661. At 10.5 lbs it gets used almost exclusively these days cause most everything I cut lately is small or medium trees


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## StihlKicking (Sep 4, 2016)

woodhog73 said:


> Scott S I understand what your saying.
> 
> I added a 661 to my work bench a few months back. It pulls very long bars better than any saw I've ever owned. Including my Stihl 056 that I've owned for more years than I care to remember. I didn't think I'd ever own another saw that powerful until I came across a great deal on a 661. My 056 is bigger and heavier, and lower reving. It's also pretty darn strong but it won't match my 661.
> 
> ...



After spending a few months using this 661 I agree with most of what you guys have said. The 661 really doesn't go to work for you until you put at least a 3 foot bar on it. When you strap a 36" bar on it and bury it in solid hard wood you definitely understand where your money went. In smaller wood with smaller bars, say 18" I really can't see any advantage over a 440. I don't use any ported saws, but to say that any stock 50cc saw with any size bar in any size wood would keep up with the 661 might be a bit of a stretch. My 261 or 026 with 16" bars on them won't compete with my 661 with a 20 inch hardnose in 10" wood. In smaller stuff though I definitely pick up the 261 or the 440, I would rather use the lighter saw than save a few seconds per cut.


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## Ashful (Sep 5, 2016)

I think you guys running 25" bars just need to move to a place with real trees!  Then you'll have justification for those 661's.  [emoji12]

I keep a 28" bar on my 064, and find myself having to work both sides of most trees I take down.  They're oak, not cottonwood!

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## StihlKicking (Sep 5, 2016)

Ashful said:


> I think you guys running 25" bars just need to move to a place with real trees!  Then you'll have justification for those 661's.  [emoji12]
> 
> I keep a 28" bar on my 064, and find myself having to work both sides of most trees I take down.  They're oak, not cottonwood!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I keep a 3' bar on my 661, it's mostly used for the 10 or so oaks a year I get into that require something that size.


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## woodhog73 (Sep 5, 2016)

StihlKicking said:


> I don't use any ported saws, but to say that any stock 50cc saw with any size bar in any size wood would keep up with the 661 might be a bit of a stretch. My 261 or 026 with 16" bars on them won't compete with my 661 with a 20 inch hardnose in 10" wood. In smaller stuff though I definitely pick up the 261 or the 440, I would rather use the lighter saw than save a few seconds per cut.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I know it seems hard to believe I'm talking small wood 12 to 18 inch oak rounds honestly my 661 is no faster cutting cookies or blocking logs that are 12 inches around than my ported 50cc. If it's faster we are talking a couple seconds not enough that I generally notice. In bigger wood obviously much different story.

Never done timed cuts or anything just gut impressions. My 50cc was ported and muffler modded and compression was bumped up, and it replaced a Stihl 260 and ( no timed cuts like I said) but I'd swear it's twice as fast in hard wood as my old 260 was. Again just impressions nothing scientific. Obviously probably not twice as fast but sometimes I got that impression.

That said I'll be keeping my 661 around. It will last forever cause it gets limited use. Plus it's the only saw I have that can pull bars over 28 inches without breaking a sweat


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## Jazzberry (Sep 5, 2016)

Ashful said:


> I think you guys running 25" bars just need to move to a place with real trees!  Then you'll have justification for those 661's.  [emoji12]
> 
> I keep a 28" bar on my 064, and find myself having to work both sides of most trees I take down.  They're oak, not cottonwood!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



The four year drought and a huge bark beetle invasion here in CA has killed millions of Pine and Fir trees. Felling crews all over the place on the government nickel. I check on their saws every time I see em at the store or restaurant etc. The felling crews are almost exclusively using 460s with one 660 in their crew cab trucks. Big blades on the 660s maybe 36" and looks like 25 to 28 on the 460s. Skip tooth blades and no small saws at all.


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## woodhog73 (Sep 5, 2016)

Jazzberry said:


> T The felling crews are almost exclusively using 460s with one 660 in their crew cab trucks. Big blades on the 660s maybe 36" and looks like 25 to 28 on the 460s. Skip tooth blades and no small saws at all.



Got me to thinking about new saws. Most of those fellers you mention are sub contractors ?

Stihl is notorious for pushing newest product on large tree service companies, cities organizations, state organizations etc. Both Stihl and Husky offer dealerships to tree service companies and other organizations if they are big enough to qualify and purchase enough saws. And they ( stihl and Husky) push to get saws replaced every couple of years.

A buddy of mine I used to work with is a foreman with a large tree company that is national they do right of way clearing , power line clearing for utility companies ,  etc. Several million in revenue a year and a couple thousand employees across the country. 

So they qualify and have a dealership code for both Stihl and Husky. They buy the saws the same way a dealer does . At the same dealer price or less based on dealer status ( more saws you buy less you pay per unit) directly from the manufacturer .  He tells me they are hounding them to buy new 461s and 661s ( and 261s etc )  and threatening to pull the dealership rights if they don't purchase new saws. 

Husky is the same way.


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## Jazzberry (Sep 6, 2016)

woodhog73 said:


> Got me to thinking about new saws. Most of those fellers you mention are sub contractors ?
> 
> Stihl is notorious for pushing newest product on large tree service companies, cities organizations, state organizations etc. Both Stihl and Husky offer dealerships to tree service companies and other organizations if they are big enough to qualify and purchase enough saws. And they ( stihl and Husky) push to get saws replaced every couple of years.
> 
> ...





Ya they are all private tree companies. Most of the 660 saws I seen were old not new. I called them 660s but most of them were 066s. Also I am sure several of the 460s were 046s cause they were also mostly older saws. During the big fires we have had around here you will see some Husqvarnas used by government agencies but most all the private pros around here use old beat up looking Stihls.


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## Ashful (Sep 6, 2016)

Jazzberry said:


> Ya they are all private tree companies. Most of the 660 saws I seen were old not new. I called them 660s but most of them were 066s. Also I am sure several of the 460s were 046s cause they were also mostly older saws. During the big fires we have had around here you will see some Husqvarnas used by government agencies but most all the private pros around here use old beat up looking Stihls.


Pros around here are almost all Stihl, as well.  I asked the owner of one tree service around here, who operates about six small crews at a time.  He used to buy Husqvarna, but switched to Stihl about 5 years ago.  He said the Husqvarnas cost him less, and had equal performance, but used to break too easily in the hands of his crews.  He got tired of constant repairs / replacements, and hasn't had the same issue since switching to Stihl.

I own both, so not a die-hard fan-boy of either brand.


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## woodhog73 (Sep 6, 2016)

We have a few brands in service in my buddies tree service company. We have 7 full time guys give or take 1 during the season, and just 3 in winter. A good month is 60,000 in business.

Over 20 saws in the shop. 14 Stihls, rest are Husky and 1 Dolmar.

In my neck of the woods Stihl is a solid 50 percent or more . But Husky and Jonsered have a very strong presence. Within 1 hours drive I've got 3 Husky Dealers and 2 Jonsered Dealers. Very good shops that I would call pro shops

With Stihl there's atleast double that amount of dealers but most have no clue about the products. Most carry only homeowner and farm models. One actually carries vacuums, dishwashers , and refrigerators in one room, and a bunch of Stihl 250s and 290s etc in the other room along with string trimmers, blowers, and a bunch of Stihl marketing stuff showing happy people using a 170 to cut branches in the yard.

Stihl is no doubt the current market leader in saws. Doesn't mean their products are superior. I'd put a Husky 372/ Jonsered 2172 on the exact same pedestal that I would put a 460 / 046 on. Been around as long, equal reputation for durability. Very similiar in power, feel, mostly comparable saws honestly. Non autotune, and built very robustly. But on resale I'd give the nod to the 460. Just because of the a stihl brand.

That said I own 3 Stihls, 2 Jonsereds, and 1 Husky. I love running all of them


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