Best two saw combo!!!!

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north of 60 said:
north of 60 said:
Ive never ran a new saw so I wouldnt know what to choose. Iam happy with my 25+year old combo. I do wonder what the equivilent saws would be to replace them. Maybe one of you saw buffs could tell me. The models are in my signature.
N of 60

Can anyone take a stab. smokinj,sealcove?
The 028 would be the same or close to the new ms280 I think its a 55cc saw the husky I have no clue on
do you know what cc the husky is?
 
See unlike Sthils Husky numbers mean somthing.
Its a 66cc saw, one of Husky's best saws. I have neighbor that runs 266s and 262s only.
 
TMonter said:
I think it also depends on how you run the two saw combo. Bone stock Dolmar has the edge, if you prefer a two-saw combo that is eventually going to be ported or modded Husky or Stihl is the way to go, although Husky takes a mod better from my understanding and experience.
I think the problem when you get into porting aside from it voiding a warranty is that it is hard to quantitatively say ok I am making this much hp now and the saw weighs this much so it is harder to compare. I have heard good things about porting and bad as well. Some say it helps the saw run cooler, some say it burns them up?
 
north of 60 said:
north of 60 said:
Ive never ran a new saw so I wouldnt know what to choose. Iam happy with my 25+year old combo. I do wonder what the equivilent saws would be to replace them. Maybe one of you saw buffs could tell me. The models are in my signature.
N of 60

Can anyone take a stab. smokinj,sealcove?
ok then the answer would be ms 280 and the husky would be either a 570 or 372xp both very close
 
I have yet to talk to someone who likes the 570 or 575 over the 372s.
 
Dill said:
I have yet to talk to someone who likes the 570 or 575 over the 372s.
ok "NORTH OF 60" there your answer, ms280 stihl and the 372xp husky !
 
I think the problem when you get into porting aside from it voiding a warranty is that it is hard to quantitatively say ok I am making this much hp now and the saw weighs this much so it is harder to compare. I have heard good things about porting and bad as well. Some say it helps the saw run cooler, some say it burns them up?

Porting is all about the quality of the job and the proper tuning of the saw. I know many people who have woods ported saws for 15+ years that work fine. My take is to do the porting after the warranty is up.
 
Thanx smokinj and Dill for your efforts. Now I know what to get for Christmas to get up to date. Actually both saws are still running fine. Thanx At least now I can compare the weights to see what technology has done. I do wish I could find out what the peak RPMs of the old saws are. Thanx again.
N of 60
 
TMonter said:
I think the problem when you get into porting aside from it voiding a warranty is that it is hard to quantitatively say ok I am making this much hp now and the saw weighs this much so it is harder to compare. I have heard good things about porting and bad as well. Some say it helps the saw run cooler, some say it burns them up?

Porting is all about the quality of the job and the proper tuning of the saw. I know many people who have woods ported saws for 15+ years that work fine. My take is to do the porting after the warranty is up.
What means this "woods porting". I see it advertised a lot. Is that the shop that does it or the way the engine is ported?
 
It's usually a term for a more mild port job intended to give power not for competition sawing but day in and day out sawing use where the saw will hold up after multiples hours of use. It's typically far less aggressive than a competition style porting job.

Woods ports in general are meant to improve lower end torque and widen the overall powerband of the saw.
 
We're talking dream saws? It would be a dream to me to be able to buy two at a time! However down here, most my cutting is left over from the big boy's. Only burn about 3-4 months a year. I have heard that Dolmar has new models 350-380 with 14 to 16 inch bars that you have to stand on to stop. Same thing with the 420> Just hear-say you know. "DREAM" 5100 and the Makita 6400 so that later I could bolt on I believe a 7200? Wouldn't never use it much, but power to weight;...i'd like to try
 
ml said:
We're talking dream saws? It would be a dream to me to be able to buy two at a time! However down here, most my cutting is left over from the big boy's. Only burn about 3-4 months a year. I have heard that Dolmar has new models 350-380 with 14 to 16 inch bars that you have to stand on to stop. Same thing with the 420> Just hear-say you know. "DREAM" 5100 and the Makita 6400 so that later I could bolt on I believe a 7200? Wouldn't never use it much, but power to weight;...i'd like to try

IMHO the Dolmar 5100 from all reports is an ideal "do it all" saw - if my Pull-on dies, it will be on the very short list as a replacement, with either a 16 or 18 inch bar (per the 3cc's / inch rule of thumb) I think it would go great w/ my Dolmar 7900 - which is the same crankcase as the Dolmar / Makita 6400's and 7200's, so you can do the bolt-on upgrade from a 6400 to a 7900... However if I had a 5100, I'd probably go straight for the 7900 as the second saw, since I feel there wouldn't be enough of a power jump between the 5100 and the 6400...

On the other hand, given my belief in the 3cc's / inch standard for bar sizing, I'm not convinced that there is a lot of benefit to going much under 50cc for serious cutting, unless one is climbing or doing other work that really demands an ultra-light short barred saw... Taking my 36cc Pull-on from the stock 16" bar down to a 12" bar was a big improvement in making it cut well, but I find that when I'm using a short barred saw, I have to bend over a lot more, and / or work at full arm extension in order to reach the cuts - the 7900 with a 20" bar is much heavier, but I can reach a lot more stuff holding the saw comfortably at waist level and just moving the bar up and down - net result is that both saws are about equally tiring to use, just in different sets of muscles... I suspect that a 5100 would be a good compromise, light enough to be easy to manuver, but with enough power to swing a bar long enough to reach the work without bending or going to full arm extension.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the 4-digit Dolmars are what they call the Pro-grades, while the 3-digit models are the "non-professional" models - arguably still better than the Husky/Stihl homeowner grades, but not up to pro-grade standards for design and build - i.e. aluminum crankcases instead of magnesium, etc.

Gooserider
 
I am running an 036 and an 066,nothing I can't do with this combo
 
Loggie,
What are you running for bars on those? Could be a very good pair if running something in the 16-18 for the 036 and a 24 on the 066. Still really like the smaller saw for the real small stuff. But for only two saws, I could be inclined.
I'd still have a 28" if needed on hand for that 066, still cut hard.
Good advise even in older saws.
Chad
 
Hi chad3,yes I like the 18" bar on the 036 with the .325 chain although I do have a 20" for it.I bought my dad a 270 a couple years ago and it is a nice little saw,but feels close in weight to the 036 with less power.The 066 I run the 25" bar most of the time as it balances well and I also have a 32"bar which is nose heavy and makes the saw feel alot heavier but is great for the big stuff.I use the 066 most of the time.
 
my weapons of choice are a 357XPG 20" and a 346XPG 16"

but when i go out to cut,this is the "heard"
245 SE
242 SE
340 LATEST DESIGN PLASTIC
141 LDP
41 LDP
357XP
357XPG
346XPG
i can most always make it thru the whole day,but sometimes not!
the more you have the longer you can cut.the better luck you have.
 
Just as a side, after talking to loggie, he may have the best 2 saw I've seen yet. BUT as a side, if you go with the Solo 681 you will have a bit less power but the cost difference will be much greater. So to that end, I may have to go with a 681 Solo and a 361 Stihl. Sure I have both, but may be a good purchasing 2 saw deal.
 
north of 60 said:
Ive never ran a new saw so I wouldnt know what to choose. Iam happy with my 25+year old combo. I do wonder what the equivilent saws would be to replace them. Maybe one of you saw buffs could tell me. The models are in my signature.
N of 60

I have to hang out with "N of 60" on this one. I like the Stihl 028 for all the little stuff. In fact it winds up cutting most of the stuff. Then I like a good 20" saw for the bigger stuff. I had a J-red 625 that did the trick for years. Now I have Stihl 441.

Once in a while I could put a bigger saw to use but it is hard to justify the cost of a Stihl 660. When all else fails the old retire around the corner has a Stihl 880 with a 60 inch bar. He likes to watch somebody else run it. Cuts like that are normally in conditions that require a winch truck and sometimes a tractor to make the cut safely.

I'll stick with a 280 or 028 super and the 441.
 
I just spoke to a friend of mine who has a logging business up in Maine. He has all sorts of equipment from skidders to a cord king 48. Anyway I asked him what saws he uses and he said 90% of the time he runs a 346XP, he has a couple of them. When he gets into big stuff he reaches for his 266's. Funny how the pros tend to like the smaller saws at least on the east coast that is. I am sure the guys on the left coast wouldn't have much use for a 346 and a 18" bar when cutting up a red wood.
 
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