Closing in on a 044, any advice?

[Ashful]

So if you had to buy one, 044 or 064? I see 044 for sale sometimes, rarely see 064. That's one I'd like to have, the 064, just because... Not exactly apples to apples, just thinking the "holy grail" aspect

I have the 064, which has a great power to weight ratio, among the highest of all Stihl saws. My opinion on it is this:

If you want to carry only one saw, buy an 044. It's possibly the perfect compromise of power and weight, for most guys headed into the woods. If you don't mind carrying two saws, the 064 paired with an 036 is the sweet spot, IMO. That's what I chose to buy for myself, along with a little top-handle saw.

I'm a fan of the two-saw plan for many reasons, not the least of which is I can keep cutting if one breaks, or I get a saw pinched in a log.

 

[Jazzberry]

I got the 064 for the alaskan mill. My go to saw is an 026. I have a 360 with a 25" blade that was like Jon and D8 said, big enough for anything I wanted to wrestle with. My son on the other hand loves the 064 and won't use anything else. Around here you get a permit and go into the forest to cut your wood. Big trees are often passed over and sometimes they are right next to the road. A big son with a big saw comes in handy then. Another plus is I can keep a 20" bar on the 360 and a 16" on the 026.

 

[woodhog73]

My go to saw is an 026.

Same here I find myself reaching for my 50cc saw 95 percent of the time if I'm cutting in the woods. At home near the garage I use my bigger saw to buck logs sometimes but rarely carry it in the woods these days.

I don't have an 026 it's a Jonsered but same size and weight as an 026 and the 260 I used to run, and I have to say the older I get I hardly ever use my bigger saws. You can process a lot of trees with a 18 inch bar on a light powerful 50cc saw and my back doesn't ache nearly as much afterwards

Back in my 20s my go to saw was my Stihl 056 ( which is a non runner now ) I used to carry and use that thing all day. I would drop trees then keep limbing and bucking to log length or firewood length all with that way too heavy beast. I don't know how I did it. Getting older means working smarter and sometimes less is more

 

[Jon1270]

I have way too many saws, and am forever trying to decide which to keep and which to sell. I'm probably most attached to the 026 and 044, using the former more often but glad to have the latter when the need arises. For firewood those two are more than sufficient. I also have a lovely rear-handle MS200 that barely gets used but is nice to carry around and SO MUCH FUN when I find an excuse to get it out. And then I need a big guy for milling, which is a whole 'nother decision. Currently I have a running Homelite 1050 Super Automatic (100 cc), but that thing weighs twenty-some pounds PHO, dry! That's a bit much for me, so my desire to go lighter has led me to pick up a few 90ish-cc projects saws -- an MS660, a Jonsered 920 and a Husky 394. In theory I'll only keep one of those, but the choice isn't easy.

 

[Jazzberry]

I have bought and sold a few 020ts and ms 200ts but have never come across a rear handle yet. It will be a keeper for sure if I do because I think the muffler ported 200t is the saw that brings the biggest smiles. Too bad they make so much profit when you sell them or I would have a few. That and worry about my son getting careless with it.

 

[Jon1270]

I have bought and sold a few 020ts and ms 200ts but have never come across a rear handle yet. It will be a keeper for sure if I do because I think the muffler ported 200t is the saw that brings the biggest smiles. Too bad they make so much profit when you sell them or I would have a few. That and worry about my son getting careless with it.

Surprisingly even to me, I've found and bought three rear-handle 200's in the last couple of years, and still have two because one was quite recent. None of them had been used more than a handful of times, and in fact one was brand-spanking new. Like you say, they're so valuable that it feels foolish to run it rather than sell it, but it's so nice and light that I keep wishing it could replace the 026. It can't, but I keep trying to convince myself.

 

[Ashful]

One other factor to consider, for those of us who cut on others' land: Folks know I have the 064, so they often call me when they have a tree larger than they want to tackle themselves with the average 50cc saw. That means lots of free wood for me, with the penalty that it's usually inconveniently large stuff.

 

[maple1]

I think if I only had to have one, it would be my 360. But a lot of the times, I go for the 250 instead. Really like the lighter weight & easier to handle. But it comes down to what you're cutting - the 250 doesn't get touched when making rounds out of bigger stuff.

I got an 044 basket case here 3 or so years ago, and it's still in boxes. It came with no top end at all (supposedly the guy had his girlfriend throw some of his more important parts in the garbage - or that was his story), so I immediately went about & rounded up the parts I thought I'd need. That included aftermarket P&C kit. OEM was big bucks then. Not sure how much these days but I think Stihl put their parts prices down since. Likely whenever I do get around to it, I will try putting it together with what I got, and see how it shakes down. There could be other stuff wrong with it that won't show up until I try it, and I can always swap in the right stuff after a shakedown if I want. Too many unfinished projects around here...

 

[woodhog73]

90ish-cc projects saws -- an MS660, a Jonsered 920 and a Husky 394. In theory I'll only keep one of those, but the choice isn't easy.

Come on You know you want to keep all of them !!

Well let's see here's how I would rationalize it. Not that anyone cares just what I would keep of those 3......

The Stihl 660 would be sold. It's likely going to bring the most money because it's the newest of the 3 and in most areas of the country is a more well known model than the Husky394 although where I live it's probably about equal. Plus my buddy has a few 660s in his fleet for his tree service business I can borrow anytime if I found a tree I couldn't handle with my 70cc Jonsered (hasn't happened yet I'm in Midwest not too many trees I can't drop with a 28 inch bar)

The Husky I'd sell simply because in my market Husky ( and Jonsered ) have probably equal market share with Stihl among people who run and/or need a saw over 70cc. Not that i think we have huge trees that actually require a saw that big more so just to cut big trees quicker. Lots of 90cc saws still wearing 20 to 24 inch bars especially the couple of loggers I know they run short bars on these big saws to increase production. So anyways to my point the Husky would do ok on resale in my area if it were clean and rebuilt etc so I'd sell it if it were me.

The Jonsered. Unless I'm wrong the 920 is a real Jonsered not a rebadged Husky XP like the new ones. The 930 that came after it I believe was at the time Electrolux became involved. I'm not completely sure I'm guessing based on memories as a kid growing up around this stuff but this is what I believe to be true. There is no Husky counterpart with the 920. A great old Swedish saw made I believe by Jonsered and not Husky.

So if you are collecting the saw that's the one I would keep. But I don't collect saws although I keep my 031 because of no logical reason ( I have no use for it, it's slow, heavy, no working chain brake, did I mention it's slow and heavy ?? ) and I'm going to rebuild my 056 one of these days . It's on the list. It's been on the list for a decade ! Perhaps I should sell it as a parts saw.

Now I have no idea on parts availability for a 920. Figure it's atleast 30 years old ??

If I was going to be milling wood all the time in high numbers I'd go straight to an 880 or Husky 3120.

 

[Timberwolf530]

The Stihl 044 is perhaps the last saw I'd like to own and looks like I'm pretty close on one.
Talked with an owner for about 20 minutes on a saw he had listed on Craigslist for $450.
He says it registers about 180 on compression, has new seals, rings, new piston, rebuilt carb...said he used it mostly for blow-downs and firewood duty.

Very knowledgeable and courteous guy...who use to run a small engine shop yrs ago and still does some tinkering & rebuilding.

From the pics it looks average...supposed to go take a closer look this weekend.
He will drop the price to $350 minus bar & chain...PHO.

Anything in particular to look for on an 044?
My Stihl experience has been a couple of 034's, an 025 and a smooth/reliable MS 390.

Thanks
Reg

In addition to OEM vs. Aftermarket Parts, I would also be asking WHY is was replaced. On CL and Ebay, it's common for guys to take a saw with a scored P&C, slap $30 Chinese kit on it without researching why it seized, and sell it as "rebuilt". On a saw that old, it's common for the case seals to go bad, which will just cause the new one to do the same thing. I would make him pressurize it before I bought it.

 

[woodhog73]

In addition to OEM vs. Aftermarket Parts, I would also be asking WHY is was replaced. On CL and Ebay, it's common for guys to take a saw with a scored P&C, slap $30 Chinese kit on it without researching why it seized, and sell it as "rebuilt". On a saw that old, it's common for the case seals to go bad, which will just cause the new one to do the same thing. I would make him pressurize it before I bought it.

You bring up a great point. Really in a saw of that age if you are going to run it a lot and rely on it I'd completely tear it down, split the cases, and rebuild it from the bottom end up. It's at that age when doing a top end rebuild mine as well go further and split the cases and do it right. Then you know you have a solid saw regardless of it's age.

 

[Jon1270]

Well let's see here's how I would rationalize it. Not that anyone cares just what I would keep of those 3......

Your rationalization is pretty good, though there are variables I didn't mention. The 660 is rather rough, but has the advantage of using the same bars as my other keepers, i.e. the 026 and 044. I agree it would bring the most money if all else were equal, but all else is not equal.

The 394 is in darn near mint condition despite being 20 years old. Observable clues suggest someone ran it lean and scored the piston on about its third tank of gas, then stuck it on a shelf occasionally stole small parts off of it. I threw in a Meteor and replaced a bunch of fasteners, and it looks like it belongs on on a dealer's shelf of new saws. Spring AV makes it attractive, but it clearly has the highest resale value so...

The 920 has a reputation for excellent torque, which should make it a good milling saw. It's harder to find parts for than the other two, but not terribly so at this point.

I don't expect to make lumber frequently, and if I did then I'd be investing in something more efficient than a chainsaw mill. I'd just like to have the ability to do it on those occasions when an especially nice log presents itself. The choice of powerhead probably doesn't matter too much.