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Stihl 066 = old iron = good iron

Started by rebocardo, July 10, 2008, 10:29:16 PM

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rebocardo

I been thinking about buying an 066, I really don't know the difference between that and the 660. Looking it up, I guess they stopped making them about 1999 and it is 90cc. Been thinking of buying one and out fitting it with a 20" and 32", though they seem to come a lot with a 24" or 25" bar.

Just wondering if there is anything bad to look for in the saw or anything really good about the saw. It is either that or a Husky 385/395.



footer

I do not see any reason not to get one. I have 026, 036 and 034. All of the same model line. Great saw. Although if buying used, make sure it is not wore out.

Weekend_Sawyer

I like my 066, I don't use it as much as my 044 anymore but it still starts and runs fine.
I have bars from 24 to 36", used it a couple of times to mill lumber. THAT is alot of work!

Jon
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

Sawyerfortyish

I have 3 066 saws they are good running saws. But have gone to a 460 because the 66 is just to heavey to carry all day in the woods. There is no differance between the 066 or the 660 they are the same saw. I run all 25" bars on my felling saws. If I need bigger I have an 084 with a 36" bar. That one needs a set of wheels mounted to the bar so you can just throttle it to the next tree it's so heavy. :D

Cut4fun

The early red light 066's had different cranks and no-decomp button then later 066's. Checking flywheel type will tell you a little about the age of the 066 Aluminum or Plastic type.

Here is some reading on the 066 cranks and difference in crank bearings below in link.

066 crankshafts old and newer link. http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu.1Slm.../066/02_96.pdf

oldsaw

I love mine.  Most of the time it carries a 25" bar, but the 36" can come out on occasion, and I had to break out the 42" milling bar for a white oak the other day.  Can't say it was happy, but it pulled it okay.

Absolutely love it with a 25".  The 372 gets the most use anymore though.  Much lighter.

Mark
So many trees, so little money, even less time.

Stihl 066, Husky 262, Husky 350 (warmed over), Homelite Super XL, Homelite 150A

Sawyerfortyish

My one 066 has the red light and is the better running saw of the three I have.

Red 93 L1 #3383

I have two 064AV's and love them.  The 066 for the most part is the same saw with a larger bore from what I can tell.  My 064's are happy w/ my 25" bar.  I also have a 310 w/ a 18" bar that I do alot of my cutting with.
Stihl's: 2-064AV's, 020T, MS 310
'93 Ford F-150 Lightning, '94 F-150 4x4, '92 F-150 4x4 '80 F-150 EFI 7.5L, '04 Expedition (Wife's)

jokers

The 066 is a great saw but too heavy for all day use unless you do that everyday and you`re conditioned to lug that heavy saw around. If you go for a husky, look at the 394 or 395. The 385 is a disappointing comparison to the other saws mentioned here and it weighs almost as much. I`ve also heard alot about the crank bearings in the 385s coming unglued unless you run a richer fuel/oil ratio and don`t let the saw rev wildly.

rebocardo

Thank you everyone for the advice, I decided to buy the used 066 I saw for sale. I should say what I think is the 066. The case had a slight crack at the top, looks like the pop on label is gone. Guy had a bunch of other Stihl and Huskys and is a tree climber so I see no reason he would lie to me.

It is a Stihl and weighs 18.0 pounds, just the powerhead without any oil in it. I compared it with my full Husky 365, powerhead only, and that is 15.6 pounds. So, the roughly 3 pound difference shouldn't be that bad just for 4-5 hours.

I have to admit something and come clean, one of the main reasons I ditched my Husky 3120 with the 36" bar was it was too awkward and scary making low open face cuts with it. After almost doing a dutchman and munging the notch because I couldn't keep the thing level while cutting, the Husky 365 started to look like a much better saw  ;D I guess I was not man enough to run with that saw even though I had always wanted one  :-\ :D

The seller bought it from my local dealer and when I bought in the saw (had their service decal on it) they knew who he was and they didn't tell me it wasn't a 066 when I asked for new oil and fuel caps for a 066.

$200 for the saw and $25 for the caps. I am going to test it for a while with the 20" bar and then order a 32" from Baileys. I hope I am man enough for this one  :-[  If not, there is always E-Bay  ;)




jokers

What would make you think that your new saw isn`t an 066?

Don`t feel bad about your 3120 experience, it`s very common. Those 3120s are heavy and awkward with a long bar.

rebocardo

> What would make you think that your new saw isn`t an 066?

I had no idea what a 066 was until I looked it up, then I looked at some E-Bay sales, and posted here. Never made the connection between MS-660 and 066. If the guy had not posted it was a 066, I wouldn't even know what it was, except heavy, if I dropped it on my foot since there are no labels anywhere  :D

I did find some letters on the underneath of the saw handle that say "pa66" and that is about the only thing that that says 66 anywhere.

Luckily it came with a 20" bar, 3/8 x .050 and 72 drive links, same as my Husky 365. So I took one of my chains I just used on the Husky and gave the saw a run. I can now state it is certainly a "tad" faster then my 365 cutting red oak whatever it is  ;)

It weighs 21.8 pounds with the 20" bar, chain, and filled. Not too bad, just about the ideal weight.

Looking at the Baileys catalog, it appears the saw is suppose to come with a .063 bar. The guy is keeping his two Husky 372s, but, I bet he changed the Stihl over to the same sized bar and chain (has a Stihl rollermatic bar) as a Husky so he could easily use chains between the two brands since 20" bars on both take the 72 drive links.

I am just trying to decide if the saw might be too much for a 32" 3/8 x .050 bar and chain combo and if I should go with what looks like the standard .063 stuff for the Stihl.  I had chains break only a few times and luckily I escaped with no injuries, it is something I would like to avoid.

Guess I have to download an owner's manual.  If chains interchange between my 365 and 066 if they are the same bar length, I just might go with the 28" bar on the Stihl since I try to keep my trees to under 30" DBH anyways.

Sucks down the oil and gas pretty much, I can tell that much. Though I can't believe it is easier to start then the MS-250 and requires less pulling.  ???







lancek

I run a 660 all day long and love it ! your right the 066 is an older modle but not much differance, but if you want a real saw try one of the old 090 if you get a chance it will take for a real ride ! I use to use one with a 36" bar back in the 80s, you could stick it in a 40-50 inch oak tre and snip it of in just seconds!

jokers

Actually with the shape of the plastic covers it looks like either a late model 066 or 660 although I`m no expert on the differences in appearance between the 650 and 660.

Your saw looks like it`s been worked a bit but not smashed and abused. Not really dirty and caked up either, which is a good sign. 3/8x.050 will be fine on a 32" bar. You probably already know that there is no easy way to make a Husky bar fit the Stihl but that you can use spacers to make the Stihl bar fit the Husky, or as someone, I think it was Cut4fun mentioned turning down the Stihl bar studs so that you can use a Husky pattern bar.

The 066 is a heckuva good saw, it`s where you start to get into the "big block" performance range IMO. Maybe a little too heavy to want to carry all the time but sure nice to have when you need some grunt.

rebocardo

> no easy way to make a Husky bar fit the Stihl

Yes, but, no big concern. The 32" is just for occasional use and there is no way I would run a 32" on the 365. My major investment is in chains. When I start a job I like to have 4-6 fairly new ones for each bar size, I go through a lot of chains, and to have at least two chainsaws  (one as a backup) running when doing the felling cut.

I am going to order the parts and go find a customer with a suitable tree to pick on  :D



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