regional saw and bar size preferences

[Native Cutter]

JohnG28, that does sound like a fun lil project and i can imagine that thing being a lil animal now! Once I get mine back over here and tear it down to see whats what I will let you know what the verdict is and we can go from there. Thanx.  Im pretty sure itll be rebuildable but ya never know.

Grassfed, how do you like that 575? how does it compare to ur 372?  I been curious about the 575/6 for a bit now, theres a guy sellin his over this way. I read somewhere the 576 was replacing the 372 at some point?? Hope not, its a bunch heavier on the spec sheet.

[grassfed]

I have the old original 575XPG. It is the one that everyone hated when it first came out.

People complained so much that Husky decided to keep the 372XP around.

It is noticeably heavier and it has a very different feel to the power then the 372.

It is really better balanced in that it pivots right between the two handles. By that I mean that if you want it to pivot up you push down with your right hand with the same force that you pull up with your left hand. I may not be explaining it well but it basically feels like you can be more precise with the 575.

It is not a bad saw to work with if you are good at resting the saw on your body and or the tree when limbing and work with the natural balance of the saw. If you tend to just hold your arms out and cut the weight will kill you!!!.

Power wise the 372 is "pipeier" By that I mean it revs quicker and has more power at the top end. But the 575 is much smoother and has more lower end torque . The power is smooth throughout the rpm and it feels like it has more flywheel weight. Almost like an electric motor or maybe more 4 stroke like.

I really do like the fact that the 575 smokes much less as I get tired of breathing exhaust all day . It also gets much better "mileage" and that is nice because running out of fuel in the middle felling a tree is no fun and you can carry a smaller amount of gas with you.

My saw has been very reliable. I pulled out the carb adjustment stops and made some tubes with 1/4 inch copper so the carb is very easy to adjust. It drop starts well; the saw weight and "flywheel" weight make it less jerky to start than the 372. I rarely change starter cords; not so with the 372 or the 262. It idles much better than my other 2 saws.

I do like to swap saws during the day and I will change to the sharpest saw and then stop for a break and sharpen them both. All in all I like having a different feeling saw I think that the same saw uses the same muscles and you get a "cross training" effect by switching every hour or so.

[Native Cutter]

Grassfed, what an excellent review!. Ima hafta give that model a seriouss look now.!!

[Dixon700]

Dixon700, thats a nice versatile combo. I could live with that if need be, personally I like a lil more weight out front and reach for that size/weight but thats just me.  And yeah i bet that saw does flat out stack up the firewood.

Do you run full comp or skip tooth on er?

I run full chisel 33 84 rs chain.   I normally touch the chain up after every tank of fuel with a 13/32 file.  Solid cutting a tank of fuel is about 15-20 min, but it'll make a lot of firewood in the time as long as I keep up. Lol

[yamaha605]

So my father owns a 290 farmboss with an 18 bar and a full chiz chain.  I recently traded a $400 gun for an 034 av super and a 290 farm boss in excellent shape.  both are running 20 inch bars.  034 is running a 3/8 full chiz and the 290 is running a .325 full chiz.  I like the 20 inch bar on my 290 better then my fathers 18 on his.  but the 20 in oak seems to bog he farmboss.  with a port job on the muffler done by myself it eats the 20 inch bar in white oak now.  I loved the 034 super more the the farmboss when I got them.  but am leaning more towards the 290 now with the muff modded.

[JohnG28]

If your father's 290 is running a 3/8" setup that might be why yours seems better with the .325. The muffler mod doesn't hurt either I'm sure.  ;) The 034 is a good bit older as well. Could need some maintenance to freshen it up, carb rebuild, fuel/impulse lines, fuel/air filters, cleanufdler screen if in place, possibly a new ring on piston to bump compression back up if it's getting worn. If you check that look the piston over for skirt wear. A new Meteor piston and ring could bring the performance right back up. Good luck with it.  8)

[Native Cutter]

dixon, thats the same chain i run on my ms390, cuts nice. i had to look it up because all the guys i know just call it by the type,  when i hear the number codes i gotta look em up lol.

yamaha605, i agree with JohnG28 that 034 should walk all over that lil saw. must be its age and also the chain diff. The 034s ive ran all had 24's on em, aand i know of a couple 28's, put sumthin like that on that 290 and there will be no doubt what saw has more grunt lol. 

a lot of the the pro saws can be outran by smaller saws when in smaller wood and smaller bars but hang a lil bigger setup on em, especially in lil bigger wood and the power and torque take over.
Good tradin by the way!    

[yamaha605]

johng  my fathers saw is running the same chain my 290 is .325.  the 034 seems to run good ill compression test it and see.  but the 290 will out cut it.  I had them both in an 18 inch oak yesterday.  Any ideas on what compression should be  150??

[JohnG28]

Somewhere up around there is decent. It's a good bit older saw but performance wise I'd think a good running 034 should be a better cutter.

[HolmenTree]

I've been impressed with the cutting capacity of some of Stihl's consumer grade saws. The 039 is a good example . Even the little MS250 motors good for its small displacement.
The 034 is probably a little tired, nothing a little work can fix. But that full sized 3/8 chain will suck power out of it easily too. If it was my 034 I'd run .325 chisel on it .

[yamaha605]

its bout time for a bar on the 034.  its a 034av super so it has the 036 cylinder piston in it.  may look into putting a 20 incher back on with a .325 chain.  also thought about an 8 toother with it.

[HolmenTree]

I had to edit my last post about the rim size as to avoid confusion about the clutch drums on the early 034 mini splined rims and the later standard splined rims .
As what has been talked about earlier.

[Real1shepherd]

Nice thread....loved the lit on the 2100....that would be me cutting out that jack door for my Silvey(not literally). The root masses were so big on the Dougs we were taking, we used six ft bars with nothing but muffler mods(2100). Exclusively Cannon & General bars(made in OR).....many times springboards.

I can tell you there is such a thing as muscle memory. I ran the 2100 so long that even to this day when I pick one up, it just feels natural and balanced to me...not too heavy. I hate that Husky doesn't support this saw and hasn't for a very long time. They weren't made to sit on a shelf in a collection, as they were made to WORK. Even when I reduced 'down' to a J'red 80 as a back-up saw, I kept a 28" bar on. Walking down the top of a log with caulks, it's a lot easier on the back all day if you don't have to bend over too much.

In those days it was about power/torque. If you complained about a saw being too heavy you were a pussy and would be laughed off the site. Since then I've come to realize that the smaller cc saws have filled a real niche and need.

Kevin

[WV Mountaineer]

I didn't read all the posts but, here is my take and experience.  I'm not a logger.  But, I have logged a bit.  More importantly, I am a forester that spends 25 or so hours a week supervising log jobs in Southern WV.  There are a couple reasons in my experience for this phenomenon.

It is steep here.  70-80% slopes on the sides with the bottom foot hills 40-45% slope.  All my guys run between 20-24 inch bars most time.  We cut hardwoods and they mostly run big 80+cc saws.  Some split it up with the 70+ cc offerings from Stihl and Husqvarna but, by and large most run a 56 mm saw.  Most are Stihl's as they have much better representation here.  These hardwoods simply demand it.  Boring and cutting a Hardwood tree versus a coniferous tree are two totally different animals.  And, when we cut, we put the stumps on the ground to maximize tree sprouting from them.  No high stumps here.  Therefore, we run short bars on big saws that develop the power to cut these trees on steep slopes, close to the ground. 

I suspect the reason you see long bars out west are due to the fact that most of the trees are cut with a high stump in comparison.  The trees are bigger around.  The saw will run through them much easier versus an eastern hardwood species.  And, it is what is easier for the circumstances.

I see videos that shows guys running a 28 inch bar on eastern hardwoods from time to time.  But, they are mostly cookie cutting and firewood sawing.   In steep ground while timber felling hardwood timber, where stumps have to be cut low, you make the difference of a shorter bar up by boring the face cut.  So, you get to run shorter bars, which means a lighter saw with more power.  It is what works best here.

Hope my explanation helps. God Bless 

[SW Oh Logger]

I feel that I need to "represent" another part of USA; we've heard a lot from the PNW, from the NE, from the SE, and the mountains such as  the Carolina mtns. However, in the Midwest USA are many smaller "woods" as they are called in this area that have generally rich soil and grow many large species of hardwoods, such as Ash{being steadily decimated by the E.A.B. bug}, hugh Burr oaks, Red oaks, and White oaks. Also,in this mostly flatter but some hilly terrain are some poplar, many valuable Black Walnut, some Black Cherry, and quite a bit of Hard Maple. Many of these trees can be very high value, and need to cut carefully. I'm now 66 yrs. young, logged since the late 70's on my own with 1 or 2  other part-time workers as needed, but finally "retired" in 2006. However, my youngest brother, with whom I am very close, has a business partner who wanted to log with draft horses! So, to make a long story a little shorter I' m back doing most of the cutting for them, and for some other smaller outfits as well when I have time. To say that most people in the USA outside of the PNW have no need, or usually don't need anything bigger than a 20" bar isn't always quite accurate. I run 2- 390XP Huskys-- 1 modded, and 1 stock, usually with 24" or 28" bar depending on the timber size in that particular stand. We do cut very low to the ground, I do bore cut a lot--particularly on high value veneer Walnut, and White oak, or even others that the need calls for. Trees are much like people--each tree and situation can be very different depending on terrain, value, degree of difficulty, directional falling necessary, etc. I am not good with the picture -taking and posting aspects, but it "did still happen!"  Lyle

[Real1shepherd]

Basically, you go with what works in your area. And if it doesn't, you try something else. Since I'm near retirement and I got a lot of jobs falling 'problem' trees, I can afford to run 'antique saws' (as Bailey's phone guy called them). To me an 'antique saw' is a gear drive saw but whatever. If I was still everyday in the woods, I would be with all newer stuff or at least saws that the manufacturer still supports. Parts, service and support are key if you're doing anything professionally.

SW Oh logger, that's an ideal scenario! I'm jealous as hell...lol. I dream about some guy coming up to me and saying, "I have about 5-10yrs worth of fallin' and buckin' if you're interested." I'd be there the next day. I went up to Ashton, ID in my 20's and met that guy famous for his draft horse loggin'. I can tell ya from my two farms and using horses, they are a hell of a lot of work. It's a real love/hate thing. Given the choices between turning a key and walking out horses after you work them, all the gear and their personalities...most people take the key route. However I'm told that back here in the PNW, if you do have all the equipment for horse loggin', you can get into timber sales that mechanized loggin' can't. So that's kinda cool.....

Kevin