What saws are you running

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I use a Husky 372XP, i love it. It cuts big trees like butter. I have various bars for it, everything from 18-30 inches.
Ryan
 
Dr Bigwood said:
I just bought a 1997 "Husquvrna 55". 18" bar. Found it on e-bay and am waiting for it to arrive from upper Michigan. It supposedly has had a complete tune up with a new sprocket.
I hope to get a a cord of wood delivered this week so I can get it cut, split and stacked. Gotta get crack'in!
The Jotul Castine arrives this week....... Getting ready to convert to wood....... Ah wood is good....
Doc

Hey Doc,

Did you get that via eBay from Dave in PA? How did it work out?

- Will
 
Got a Stihl 029 off of eBay this week (it was selling together with a Husky 55, thus previous query). Has a 16" and new 20" blade. So far looks to be in very good shape and runs/cuts fine. I have to get used to the chain brake, none on the 041, but looks like it will work out fine. The 041 is shared with a close friend, but he's moving north and will need the saw on his new 40 acres.
 
Will
No. I purchased my 55 from fellow who lives in northern Michigan. It seems to be a fine saw. It started on the third pull and idles good. It seemed to cut slow at first but after I switched to a sharper "chisel" chain it cut a lot faster. Brake works. ....I am happy with my purchase but I have yet to put it to the real test though. The cord of wood is scheduled to be delivered on Thursday.....

Doc
 
McCullogh 3516. Not much but free! I stopped to look at the "For Sale" board leaving the grocery store. I see an add "Free Chainsaw in exchange for cut-up & removal of tree" I take the ad, call the guy & go over on my lunch break. The tree the guy wanted cut-up was a branch about 8" round & 15' long. The guy tells me the branch fell over the weekend, he went to Home Depot, bought the saw. Upon reading the owners manual, he didn't feel safe doing the job himself. (Yes, the branch was on the ground.) I cut it up in 10 minutes (including fueling the saw) Loaded the wood into my CJ7. I told the guy I couldn't take the saw. He insisted. Since then, I've cut probably 20 chords of wood with that saw. Surely, I'll upgrade one day, but for now I'm happy with my freebie!
 
I just purchased a Husky 340 today. Is there anything interesting or quirky about this saw not covered in the owners manual? Anxious to fire it up.

Thanks
CB
 
Stihl 260 for me, haven't found anything it won't cut yet w sharp chain.

Scott
 
I'm always surprised at the number of people who run saws I consider to be junk and seem to love them. I think it must be that almost all modern saws are actually pretty good, maybe not as much difference between them as I thought. Maybe time to get my nose out of the air and accept what those who run them are saying. How happy people are may have more to do with how well they keep their chains sharp than the power head. My only caution would be to advise everyone to not operate a saw that doesn't have an inertial chain brake. There is just no excuse for ignoring such a safety feature. Dave Johnson
 
Just got a slightly used Stihl 029 from eBay. It seems pretty capable so far, though I haven't given it a real workout. Before that I've been using an 041 which is an older, though very tough and reliable beast.
 
Dolmar 401, Makita/Dolmar 540, and a Husky 372. All modified to different degrees. Very please with all.
 
Stihl 034 with 16" bar
It's about 20 years old and runs great with regular maintenance. Have a 20" bar for it, but don't need it much.
Also have a Husky 335 that I used to use for climbing, but don't do that much anymore.
 
pinefarm said:
I'm always surprised at the number of people who run saws I consider to be junk and seem to love them. I think it must be that almost all modern saws are actually pretty good, maybe not as much difference between them as I thought. Maybe time to get my nose out of the air and accept what those who run them are saying. How happy people are may have more to do with how well they keep their chains sharp than the power head. My only caution would be to advise everyone to not operate a saw that doesn't have an inertial chain brake. There is just no excuse for ignoring such a safety feature. Dave Johnson

Hi Dave. Ran saws for years that had no safety features at all, and the C-5 (circa 1962, ~80cc) I still use for bigger jobs has no safety features. Given the choice between spending the bucks for it's modern equivalent in order to have safety features or continuing to use it in the manner I have for years (read carefully), I'll keep using it til it dies. With 2 parts saws for it sitting in the basement combined with the fact that I use it very infrequently, it will be awhile. It makes a good mate to my MS260.
 
Speaking of safety features:

Chain saw manufacturers should make a 'left hand' model so the blade is away from the operator when holding the saw. Think about it. And who waits until the blade stops before standing up straight from a bent over cutting position and letting go with the other hand? Some might but I don't. And who holds the saw blade straight away when not cutting and holding with one hand? No one - when you let go with one hand the saw turns 90 degrees. If you are are righty, the blade is on the opposite side of the saw - away from you. So you cut your log and stand back up straight letting go of your right (control) hand. But the opposite if you are a lefty. You let go with your left hand as you straighten up holding the saw with the right - the saw turns 90 degrees and the blade is next to your right thigh. I am a lefty and I've nicked my right pant leg more than once as the blade is coming to a stop(drew a drop of blood once).

Anyway, the design would be the opposite if manufacturers made left hand models. And a lot safer for a lefty.

Oh, to keep with the thread, I run a Stihl (Farm Boss)! But I still like my old Jonsered. Had a 621 that cut and limbed all my cuttable hemlock and built a 40 X 120 barn with the lumber after a portable sawmill came in and sawed the hemlock. Also cut many ash trees to split into 3" X 30" splits to go to Larimore & Nortons in Troy, PA where they would mill the split into a 3" dowl. (Today, a machine reems the dowls out of the log bolt like 6 at a time.) Then they were shipped to Louisville, KY to be lathed down into ballbats, Louisville Sluggers. Also cut many locust fenceposts for the farm and to sell. And in the winter, my Jonsered cut all the firewood for 12 years. That was probably 25 or 30 years ago and when they were made in Sweden - Loggers around here said they were the best at that time. Can't get parts for that model anymore, if I could, I'd fire the old girl up again.
Today, the loggers around these parts say Stihl, Jonsereds and Husky's are good too. The loggers are the guys I like to ask. Heck, what do I know - I'm basically a weekend firewood cutting guy and they use them every day.
 
At home I have a Husky 50 with 18" bar which my dad uses. I also have 2 272's with 24" bars, 1 288 with 24" bar and Husky 335 and 2 Poulan Super 25's. At work I have a Stihl 200T with 14" bar, a 346 with a 16" bar, 2 Husky 372's, a 575 and a 394 all with 24" bars.
 
Husky 55. I bought it from a guy for $150. He used it to cut 2 cord of wood 3 years ago and then stopped burning wood. It powers through everything I need to cut. Nothings as nice as cutting with a brand new chain, It is like butter
 
This is what I use.

Stihl MS460, 20" bar, 72CK chain 3/8x8 sprocket
Husky 372xp 16" bar (most of the time) 72CK, 3/8x8 sprocket
Husky 268 (same specs as 372)

Stihl MS200 (climbing saw I hope I never use again)
 
Husqvarna 346XP 18" bar 2001 model
Husqvarna 346XP 18" bar 2005 model
Husqvarna 359 20" bar 2006 model
Husqvarna 372XP 18",24",28",32" bars 2005 model
They get the job done.
 
John Deere CS56, 16" cut. Has been the best saw I ever had....starts every time with no problems, unlike my old Stihl.
 
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