Best 70-80cc Saw?

[ReggieT]

Hey guys,
Well I've made up my mind to add ONE LAST saw to my outfit of a limbing saw & 3 midrange runners.
I would like to get 1 solid 70-80cc saw.
I'm definitely going buy a used one & I'm capping myself @ $475-500.

My luck has been close this week on Craigslist, but not swift enough...here's some examples;

1. Sachs Dolmar 143 for $100...drug my feet and I guy beat me by an hour...he turns around and lists it back on CL for $600!!
2. Stihl MS460 that's been straight gassed for $200...missed by an hour...guys driving from Chattanooga to ATLANTA...although I had the choice of buying it fer $350 and he'd call the guy and tell him to get lost! NOT!!
3. Stihl 026 needs choke switch $80...guy is rather iffy and says he must go to bed(it's 6pm) offered the guy $120 but he gave his "word" to this "nice sounding feller"...after we hang-up he relist ze saw for $120...

Anyway back to the main topic...I'm looking close at these suspects "Stihl 038 Mag,044, MS 460 , 372 Husky, 7900 Dolmar."

Any thoughts or suggestion from you guys?
BTW...can anyone ID this Stihl saw???


Reg

 

[duramaxman05]

I like my stihl 441. I have ran a jonsered 2172 and 2166. Dolmar 7300 and 7900 are some good cutters as well. For the money on a new saw i would buy a dolmar or jonsered. Stihl kind of went crazy on prices. When i bought my stihl 441 with 25" bar i paid $699 some years ago. Now that saw costs $950.

 

[ReggieT]

I like my stihl 441. I have ran a jonsered 2172 and 2166. Dolmar 7300 and 7900 are some good cutters as well. For the money on a new saw i would buy a dolmar or jonsered. Stihl kind of went crazy on prices. When i bought my stihl 441 with 25" bar i paid $699 some years ago. Now that saw costs $950.

You're right duramaxman505...Stihls prices are higher than "cat's back!"
If I could find a minty 044 I'd be done with my hunting...

 

[claydogg84]

372xp

 

[woodhog73]

Dolmar is probably one of the best values out there . I'm guessing you could find a new Dolmar 6400 for well under $600 so only a little over your budget. It's 64cc but performance is most likely closer to a 70cc saw than it is a 60cc saw. Just my gut feeling I've never run one.

I'm a fan of the Husky 365 / Jonsered 2166. Take your pick orange or red they are the same saw underneath. They are a great value but more costly than the Dolmar.

Stihls are expensive and the dealers won't negotiate it seems. I personally run a Jonsered 2166 and I've used a Stihl 441 and honestly they cut the same to me. And the Jonsered feels higher quality and better in my hands but that's just my impression.

In the 70cc and up class of saws there are no real bad choices out there.

 

[woodhog73]

Looks like a Stihl 039

Farm and ranch homeowner grade saw not a pro Stihl but I'm sure still a great saw. Know nothing about them though

 

[ReggieT]

Looks like a Stihl 039

Farm and ranch homeowner grade saw not a pro Stihl but I'm sure still a great saw. Know nothing about them though

Never knew Stihl made such as creature as a 039 Super???

 

[highanddryinco]

Reggie, I have to laugh. You actually thought you could post on this sight and get an opinion on a saw. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. It'll never work.

 

[woodhog73]

I think the 039 ( now the 390 ? ) is the biggest farm and ranch saw from Stihl. It's a plastic clam shell , is not constructed with magnesium cases, and I think around 65cc. I'm sure it's got plenty of power and my guess is an excellent firewood and all around saw.

 

[johneh]

Yup your in the right place options around here are like ----- ( insert your own words )
hint butts everybody's got one

 

[heavy hammer]

Just my thoughts if your going to get a 70 to 80cc saw go just a little bigger and look at the 066 or the 660. Saw is the best bang for your buck. Might cost you a little more but it's an animal. I have a few of them and I would never get anything else. It's great for little stuff and the three to four foot diameter monsters. Just my thoughts but it's not much heavier than the 400 series stihl makes and once you run one you want one.

 

[Ashful]

I'm a huge fan of the 064. Seems to be the perfect compromise for weight and power, based on what I'm sawing (mostly oak and ash, 30" to 50" diameter). More powerful than the 044, lighter than the 066. Cited by a few to have the highest power/weight ratio of any saw Stihl has ever made. Truthfully, I have found other saws that tie it on paper spec's, but none that beat it, on that claim.

In any case, worth checking it out. I would've taken an 064 or 066 interchangeably, at the time I was buying, but now I'm glad the 064 turned up first.

 

[heavy hammer]

The 039 my father has that saw. He has had it for over fifteen years I believe a great saw has cut a lot of firewood for the family over the years.

 

[claydogg84]

Just my thoughts if your going to get a 70 to 80cc saw go just a little bigger and look at the 066 or the 660. Saw is the best bang for your buck. Might cost you a little more but it's an animal. I have a few of them and I would never get anything else. It's great for little stuff and the three to four foot diameter monsters. Just my thoughts but it's not much heavier than the 400 series stihl makes and once you run one you want one.

The 660 isn't even close to comparable to a 70cc saw. And I completely disagree that "it's great for the little stuff". Unless you're going to need a saw with a 28"+ bar, the 660 is overkill.

 

[heavy hammer]

I run a 25 and 36 inch bar on mine. I don't think I would just use it for cutting small four inch trees, but you could. For reasonable sized firewood the saw is great. Like I said its just my opinion. The 660 is my little saw when I need something bigger I have its big brother the 880. I don't run anything smaller than a 36 inch bar on that. The 660 is just what I prefer. My 60 year old father can't keep his hands off of it when out in the woods cutting or felling trees.

 

[Ashful]

...the 660 is overkill.

So... you're saying its a good thing? I'm confused.

 

[ReggieT]

Hmm...just saw a 064 for $375 the other day...looked like someone had been tugging on it all the time from getting pinched...monster gap between the AV mounts!

 

[2broke2ride]

Jonsereds 70e....... Old school grunt

 

[2broke2ride]

Or how about a McCulloch?............... It's 80cc's[emoji12]

 

[ReggieT]

Or how about a McCulloch?............... It's 80cc's[emoji12]View attachment 172787

Looks awesome, but...I kinda like my hands!!

 

[Round Stove Guy]

I have a Ms360 and run a 20 inch bar on it. It is a 61.5 cc engine. I also have a 66 Magnum stihl with a 32 inch bar(91.5 cc) and it is a 1997 year saw. The newer stihl saws just don't have the quality as their older saws. I would think an older ms 360 would be a great saw. 360, I think I have rebuilt it twice, the 66 mag- never been opened and just 2 motor mounts and many fuel and oil caps.

I expect to hear other wise but if you run a saw with full skip, semi chisel chain you will gain a few cc's of power, less teeth to pull (and sharpen) and the semi chisel tooth stays sharper longer. I have used full chisel for many years and it simply is not worth it (stihl brand chain). I run 3/8 chain on a 026 stihl and it falls flat on its face unless I run full skip, with that it is a super nice saw (026 is a 1999 saw). Oh, I have a tree company and have cut with and sharpened hundreds upon hundreds of chains. I swear, I get just as much chips from that 66 mag as I do stump grinding! The 66 mag, is absolutely the best saw.

 

[ReggieT]

I have a Ms360 and run a 20 inch bar on it. It is a 61.5 cc engine. I also have a 66 Magnum stihl with a 32 inch bar(91.5 cc) and it is a 1997 year saw. The newer stihl saws just don't have the quality as their older saws. I would think an older ms 360 would be a great saw. 360, I think I have rebuilt it twice, the 66 mag- never been opened and just 2 motor mounts and many fuel and oil caps.

I expect to hear other wise but if you run a saw with full skip, semi chisel chain you will gain a few cc's of power, less teeth to pull (and sharpen) and the semi chisel tooth stays sharper longer. I have used full chisel for many years and it simply is not worth it (stihl brand chain). I run 3/8 chain on a 026 stihl and it falls flat on its face unless I run full skip, with that it is a super nice saw (026 is a 1999 saw). Oh, I have a tree company and have cut with and sharpened hundreds upon hundreds of chains. I swear, I get just as much chips from that 66 mag as I do stump grinding! The 66 mag, is absolutely the best saw.

Great info my friend...makes me want to sling some chips in the dark!

 

[Round Stove Guy]

Great info my friend...makes me want to sling some chips in the dark!

But the 66 mag- is a heavy cow of a saw! But the 360 is half that, 026 I could run all day! I have had really good luck with stihl saws but I use an air compressor and blow the gas and oil caps off before filling and try to check the air filters often. I even blow off the bar and oiler port on the bar when changing the chain, some people don't know you flip the bar every time you put on a different chain (gives even wear to the bar).

There is not a day or an hour I have not ran a saw. I have started tree work at eleven pm. I love running a saw and doing it safely. The best employee I have ever had is myself and I was the only person of my employees that burned wood (if I remember correctly).

 

[claydogg84]

So... you're saying its a good thing? I'm confused.

I love my 660, but I'd much prefer cutting wood that didn't require it.

 

[ReggieT]

HOWS ABOUT THIS---Makita 6401 upgrade to 84cc?