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Stihl 064AV opinions

Started by barbender, October 17, 2017, 05:30:48 PM

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barbender

I saw an 064 for sale on the local CL, and I've been thinking about a beast saw for, gee I don't  know I just want one. I don't know anything about the 064 so I thought I'd look for the opinions of the experienced😊
Too many irons in the fire

Texas-Jim

tThey are great saws but my goodness they are heavy to tote around.
What we do in life echoes through eternity.

Canadiana

My only reservations on a saw like this would be: 1) how old are the rubber seals, lines, and diaphragm 2) availability of parts 3) piston n ring wear. If you're ok with these then we might be good friends
The saw is more fun than the purpose of the wood... the forest is trembling 🌳

HolmenTree

Quote from: Texas-Jim on October 17, 2017, 06:59:44 PM
tThey are great saws but my goodness they are heavy to tote around.
No Jim the early 064's were lighter then the MS460.
Now toting a 066 was heavy and more bulky.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

ZeroJunk

I had one for several years. Sold it like a dummy. They are a 10 on the cool saw scale IMO.

630red

a great saw saw back in the day and still a great saw today ;D

knuckledragger

I'm in the process of a total restoration of a 064AV. I love the saw. It has provided me with over two decades of absolute power over any tree I've stepped up to.

barbender

Someone else must've shared you all's high opinion of the saw, as it was gone after about 2 hours😊
Too many irons in the fire

knuckledragger

If you want a beast of a saw barbender the 064 is as good as you find. I know there are saws out there that are just as good but few and far between.

welderskelter

I have an 066 and I wont part with it. Yes its heavy and a real bear at times but I love it. AN  064 is just a wee bit smaller but I doubt lighter. But one thing to do. If it is a newer saw it wont have a hole in the front of the muffler. EPA got them. Drill a half in hole in it and she will really cut.

knuckledragger

Very correct, an 'ol logger suggested that very thing to me after bout ten years of owning my 064AV. That little hole made a notable difference. When it was time for a new muffler I drilled the hole before installing it. Great point, don't know why I didn't throw that one in myself.

HolmenTree

Ever since I remember back to the early 1970's in our logging camps, the first thing you would do to a brand new saw is punch a couple of holes in the front of the muffler with the screw driver end of the scrench.
The early 064AV is quite a bit lighter and alot less bulky then the early 066.
I can say that with certainty as I made a living with them both......swinging them 8 hrs a day 5 days a week.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

Al_Smith

 :D Reminds of a book called "endless tracks in the woods" ,a story of tractor logging .For years in the PNW they used Caterpilar 60's,gasoline version of what became the Cat D7 .When some of them got replaced with IH TD 14's and 18's the first thing the old "cat skinners " did was take an axe to the mufflers .By that time they all were probably half deaf anyway  from listening to those big gasoline engines with no mufflers .

HolmenTree

Quote from: Al_Smith on November 12, 2017, 04:17:34 PM
:D Reminds of a book called "endless tracks in the woods" ,a story of tractor logging .For years in the PNW they used Caterpilar 60's,gasoline version of what became the Cat D7 .When some of them got replaced with IH TD 14's and 18's the first thing the old "cat skinners " did was take an axe to the mufflers .By that time they all were probably half deaf anyway  from listening to those big gasoline engines with no mufflers .
I can relate Al about those big John Deere twin  gas tractor engines.
I always had hearing loss in my left ear from looking over my right shoulder towards the draw bar.
Duck and goose hunting with a 12 gauge didn't help either  :D
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

ehp

the stihl dealer gave us 3-064's and a 084 to run and see what we thought , we kept the stihls and parked the huskies , 064 had more power, better on fuel and just felt better , we were running 181's .I was running 2100's . I never looked inside that 084 but I can tell you it was far from stock and came direct from Stihl, Pretty sure John Curry may have had something to do with that  8).

HolmenTree

Yep John Curry from Stihl Canada sure liked to go the extra mile with those saws. Those were the glory days and Husqvarna sure didn't like it .
1986 to 1996 were the years Stihl capitalized on and now are doing it again.. ;D
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

Al_Smith

I have only seen inside one 084 in my life and was surprised at how small the transfer ports were in comparison to the bore size .
As for hearing I have a little bit of a ringa ding in my right ear .However combine almost 50 years of industrial noise ,operating  straight pipe diesel bulldozers shooting firearms and having two batteries explode it all adds up .Then of course come the chainsaws into the mix .

ehp

John was a great guy and a good friend , he would port saws in hotels when he was on the road sells stihls to his dealers . Was sure shocked when I was told he passed on from cancer . He was just at my place 7 days before that and said nothing about it

HolmenTree

Quote from: ehp on November 13, 2017, 07:54:54 AM
John was a great guy and a good friend , he would port saws in hotels when he was on the road sells stihls to his dealers . Was sure shocked when I was told he passed on from cancer . He was just at my place 7 days before that and said nothing about it
Yeah sad alright . He must have went quick though, saved him alot of suffering.
A member here nitehawk55 used to work with John. Hopefully he can chime in about John.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

knuckledragger

Bought my first Stihl in '84 or '85. O28 super been a Stihl guy ever since. What I really stepped in to say is I enjoy listening to you older folks reminiscing. It's good just good stuff.

Maine logger88

What are the cc of a 064 and a 066? I wonder why they would stop making a saw with such a good power to weight ratio?
79 TJ 225 81 JD 540B Husky and Jonsered saws

HolmenTree

Quote from: Maine logger88 on November 14, 2017, 08:32:50 PM
What are the cc of a 064 and a 066? I wonder why they would stop making a saw with such a good power to weight ratio?
Lots of reasons Maine,
064AV is 85cc. 066 is 92cc.
Since before the 064 was introduced in January 1986 the top dog in that saw class was the 94cc 056 Magnum ll introduced in February 1985.
At that time Stihl heavily field tested these saws in the PNW and that huge market area needed a saw to handle a 32"-36"....even 42" b/c in the rugged big timber  country.

Husqvarna was stealing the show with their big saws since the mid 1970's.
The early 064's were built so light at 14.1 lbs that they weren't holding up with the long b/c so the 056 Mag ll was still the preferred reliable production saw.
In my area where I sported a 18"-20" b/c on my 064 it wad super reliable with no crank and other breakage problems.
The 064 was beefed up eventually with a extra lb of weight. The 056 Mag ll was eventually discontinued 8 months after the 066 was introduced in March 1991.
The 064AV still had a good run right up until December 2002. Shortly replaced by a MS640 in other parts of the world outside North America. 
Then the MS650 joined the MS660 in 2003.

056 Mag ll.  94cc Feb. 1985- Nov.1991.
064AV  85cc  Jan. 1986- Dec. 2002
066 92cc  March 1991- Sept.2002
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

Maine logger88

Ok thanks for the info! Is that also the reason the ms460 and 461 is heavier than the 046 for reliability reasons?
79 TJ 225 81 JD 540B Husky and Jonsered saws

HolmenTree

Quote from: Maine logger88 on November 14, 2017, 10:49:59 PM
Ok thanks for the info! Is that also the reason the ms460 and 461 is heavier than the 046 for reliability reasons?
No not so much reliability reason. More about EPA rules turning them into a strato charge saw with all the extra bells and whistles. :D
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

thecfarm

Hey Al,I have that book. Really enjoy it. I bought it for my Father in '94. He only got to enjoy it for a few years.  :( Kept it right by the table. I can see it there now.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

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