Which Size Bar?

[amateur cutter]

You guys are funny. 16" bars... ...20 inch bars......

42" bar, .404-.063 full chisel full skip.

Go big or go home.......

View attachment 76376

I just re read this thread, & noticed that scotty's saw is a left handed model, very rare. Explains a lot though. A C

 

[corey21]

My 18 inch bar suits me just fine for what i cut.

 

[firecracker_77]

Indeed it is ! I can remember a time when I was running a craftsman saw and totally happy . Even bought a bigger one .... Was happier ! Then I bought the 044 ...... That saw has cost me a lot of money !

I don't doubt you guys are right, but with everything, you can always have more. At some point, I want to be happy with less.

 

[onetracker]

I got a little baby girl that is going to cost me a gazillion dollars to raise. I have high hopes for this one. That means, daddy is going to need a few bucks in the bank. I can't be spending her college money on a fancy saw. LOL

just to state the plainly obvious:

pro saws hold their value (good investment)
AND
they make alot of firewood.

firewood is cheaper than oil or gas or electric so every time you are cutting wood with your saw you're saving money.

 

[Nixon]

I don't doubt you guys are right, but with everything, you can always have more. At some point, I want to be happy with less.

I've done the same . Instead of an 880 , I went for a 460 , instead of a 3120 ,I went 390 ......
I have more examples of my sacrifices to the less is more mind set as well !

 

[firecracker_77]

just to state the plainly obvious:

pro saws hold their value (good investment)
AND
they make alot of firewood.

firewood is cheaper than oil or gas or electric so every time you are cutting wood with your saw you're saving money.

I'm not burning so much to save money as to enjoy the fire. Although, I would never keep a space as warm with a furnace as I would when I'm burning. It would cost alot to run a furnace at 75 + degrees in the dead of winter.

 

[ScotO]

I just re read this thread, & noticed that scotty's saw is a left handed model, very rare. Explains a lot though. A C

?? I'm amber-dextrious, A.C.!

 

[firecracker_77]

I just re read this thread, & noticed that scotty's saw is a left handed model, very rare. Explains a lot though. A C

Or go to the hospital or morgue if I tried to handle that beast

 

[amateur cutter]

Or go to the hospital or morgue if I tried to handle that beast

Nah, you lay that puppy in a nice big round & pull the trigger, you'd grin from ear to ear. A C

 

[firecracker_77]

Nah, you lay that puppy in a nice big round & pull the trigger, you'd grin from ear to ear. A C

Yeah....it takes time though. Maybe someday....want to get used to the little ones first.

You don't go right at a supermodel the first time. You practice with some of her less attractive friends till your confidence is up.

 

[Spikem]

just to state the plainly obvious:

pro saws hold their value (good investment)
AND
they make alot of firewood.

firewood is cheaper than oil or gas or electric so every time you are cutting wood with your saw you're saving money.

Excellent post!

 

[StihlHead]

Now my second saw in life was a 029 it work for years but had to pass on the bigger stuff. Now if he had a lot of experance there would not be a thread asking about the 290.

029 is not the same as a 290 though, it has the same frame but a smaller engine. The 290 has the same engine displacement as the 029 Super. I had an 029 once, and even modded it was a dud, so I sold it. I had a 290 for a long time and ran a 20 inch bar on it, no problem. Not the fastest saw, but it worked. They are heavy and vibe prone, but wake up nicely with a simple muffler mod that takes all of an hour to do right. 290s are the workhorse saws around here, they are used by many county and road crews and beaten to death. I prefer the 310 for the power and lower vibe in that series. My simple mod 310 runs a 20 inch 3/8 std. bar with no problems. I still run mine even though I have better saws in my collection.

For the OP: Now that you have the 290 you can modify it, but that will violate the warranty. Even still I would modify it anyway. Put a stock Euro/early US 4 hole muffler on it and reset the carb richer and you will get 10% more power out if it (the original design power at that, so you are not stressing the saw doing it). It will run cooler and last longer that way. Once it is modified you cannot take it to a dealer to get fixed though, as they are required by the EPA to restore it to its factory crappy lean settings.

 

[StihlHead]

This is good advice. Theses guys are Hard Core. Nothing wrong with a 290.

You can fell and buck a big Tree with a 290. Hang out with some people who are doing it.

+1...

 

[smokinj]

029 is not the same as a 290 though, it has the same frame but a smaller engine. The 290 has the same engine displacement as the 029 Super. I had an 029 once, and even modded it was a dud, so I sold it. I had a 290 for a long time and ran a 20 inch bar on it, no problem. Not the fastest saw, but it worked. They are heavy and vibe prone, but wake up nicely with a simple muffler mod that takes all of an hour to do right. 290s are the workhorse saws around here, they are used by many county and road crews and beaten to death. I prefer the 310 for the power and lower vibe in that series. My simple mod 310 runs a 20 inch 3/8 std. bar with no problems. I still run mine even though I have better saws in my collection.

For the OP: Now that you have the 290 you can modify it, but that will violate the warranty. Even still I would modify it anyway. Put a stock Euro/early US 4 hole muffler on it and reset the carb richer and you will get 10% more power out if it (the original design power at that, so you are not stressing the saw doing it). It will run cooler and last longer that way. Once it is modified you cannot take it to a dealer to get fixed though, as they are required by the EPA to restore it to its factory crappy lean settings.

I just wore mine out. It was a x-mass present when I was 14 years old. (One of my favorite xmass ever) I gave it to my high school shop class far as I know there still rebuilding it every year. For me and never had a 290 but the 029 done well but after about 10 years with me on I wore out the rings. I then move on to a 026. This was over 20++ years ago. I since in 2006 went with a 192t,260,361,460,880. I down sized and run a 460/192t. (Money now is the homestead as a whole)

 

[HDRock]

All depends on , depends

 

[fabsroman]

I only intend to buy one saw, and no money has been spent yet. If you were looking to split logs, not necessarily drop trees, exactly what saw would you buy? Money is not the limiting factor, although I am not looking to go overboard. I want to know I got the perfect saw for what I need and I will never be tempted to upgrade. $100 today is better than buying a second saw later. I keep the things I buy a long time and take very good care of them. Quality doesn't need to be replaced saving money in the end.

Look at the MS261 and compare it to the MS290. That is what I did and then ended up getting the MS261. They have the same power, can run 16, 18, or 20 inch bars, but the 261 is 2 pounds lighter and it is a pro saw. Had been debating if the extra money was worth it until I cut all day with a buddy that had a 290. I got my saw stuck pretty good and the 660 was at home, so I grabbed his to get mine out. Yeah, the thing felt like a brick.

Like you, I keep the things I buy a very long time and use the heck out of them while maintaining them. Problem is this thing called Chainsaw Addiction Disease ("CAD"). Now, I want to add a MS362 and MS201 to the "collection" which currently consists of the MS261 and MS660. Sadly, with gun control going into effect here in the People's Republic of Marylandistan, funds have been diverted away from the chainsaw fund and other funds, and into the 2nd Amendment fund. New chainsaw maybe for Xmas for me, but surely after next tax season.

 

[tekguy]

i will put it out there, I have a MS290 with a 20" bar, i have zero complaints as a guy that only cuts up 3 cords give or take a year, if you cut a lot of wood then I could see how a pound or two might make a ton of difference

but to the average guy looking to upgrade from a low end saw, the farm boss is a good choice with tons of parts availability

i have had a few throw away saws over the years and they always had 14-16" bars, i like the added reach of the 20" bar, with a sharp chain i haven't had any real issues with it, I buy logs and rock maple and oak are usually the hardest thing i get with nothing really big in diameter in the mix, i cut them up with 10X more ease then my old Homelites or McCulloch ever could

 

[fabsroman]

i will put it out there, I have a MS290 with a 20" bar, i have zero complaints as a guy that only cuts up 3 cords give or take a year, if you cut a lot of wood then I could see how a pound or two might make a ton of difference

but to the average guy looking to upgrade from a low end saw, the farm boss is a good choice with tons of parts availability

i have had a few throw away saws over the years and they always had 14-16" bars, i like the added reach of the 20" bar, with a sharp chain i haven't had any real issues with it, I buy logs and rock maple and oak are usually the hardest thing i get with nothing really big in diameter in the mix, i cut them up with 10X more ease then my old Homelites or McCulloch ever could

No doubt about it. I too would pick the MS290 over a Homelite or McCulloch. Just not over a MS261.

 

[tekguy]

No doubt about it. I too would pick the MS290 over a Homelite or McCulloch. Just not over a MS261.

no doubt, for the guys who dont have the extra cash or dont want to spend it for the 261, the 290 is a fine choice

 

[jlightning]

I had an ms 390 w/ a 20" bar and it was a fine saw but traded up to a pro 460 and now see what all the fuss over the pro saws is about. It is also nice to be able to put on a 32" bar if I feel the need! Here is a pic of my 460 w/ a 20" bar just before I decided i needed a 28" bar. If I were you I would save up for a 362 then all of your needs a covered.

 

[fabsroman]

View attachment 99383
I had an ms 390 w/ a 20" bar and it was a fine saw but traded up to a pro 460 and now see what all the fuss over the pro saws is about. It is also nice to be able to put on a 32" bar if I feel the need! Here is a pic of my 460 w/ a 20" bar just before I decided i needed a 28" bar. If I were you I would save up for a 362 then all of your needs a covered.

Yep, if I could only have a single saw, I think the 362 would have to be it. Going to buy a 362 next even though I have the 261 and 660. Figure I'll put a 20" on the 362, keep the 18" on my 261, and go with a 36" on my 660. I'll take the 25" that is currently on the 660 and swap it back and forth between the 20" on the 362. If we are cutting something really big, we can run the 362 with the 25" and the 660 with the 36".

Might not be cutting anything this summer though. Just talked to a buddy and he has 8 truckloads of already bucked wood, half of which has been split and all of which is from last year. Told him I would be over on the 16th to pick it all up. Only problem I have now is where to stack it all. Good problem to have I guess. Heating is taken care of until 2016/2017, maybe longer.

 

[firecracker_77]

I don't cut enough wood as it turns out that a 362 would really matter that much. If I was processing more than 4 cord a year, I could see spending the extra $$$. A sharp chain is the bigger issue for me. Once dull, no good output.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Mr. Firecracker we are waiting for the pics or it didn't happen!!