"Pro-grade saw"

[Mooseherder]

The echo 590 will wear a 20" bar nicely, and a 24" bar satisfactorily. If you're looking to do it without double cutting, you'd probably want a 90cc saw from Stihl or Husqvarna. They're a lot of saw to carry though, and very thirsty. I have a 661 mainly for milling, but it's nice to have for the occasional big wood. It's a lot of money if you aren't always doing big trees.

I have the cs590 saw also but put an 18" bar 3/8 chain and use a stihl 241 with a 20" bar.   I'm happy with both saws.

[beenthere]

My Pro saws don't leak oil. just sayin...

[barbender]

Mine do. Just sayin'😁

[Mooseherder]

Bar oil wars, If a saw leaks oil on the floor when the lights are off, did anybody see it? :D

[Magicman]

I'm thinking a 32" or 36" bar is probably what I need for the big stuff

For those bar lengths you might as well go ahead a get an MS661 or better still an MS MS500i.

It's fun spending your $$.  ;D

[barbender]

Yeah if you're running bars that long you want a big saw.

[sablatnic]

Do the pro saws leak bar oil when not in use like the Joe home owner saws? :D
"

In my experience, yes, most likely.

[teakwood]

I have 5 stihl pro saws and not one leaks bar oil

[lxskllr]

My only leakers are the PoulanPros and the fake McCulloch. None of my echos(correct pluralization for a proper noun?) or Stihls leak. All my saws are newish though. No classics aside from my sick 026 that's waiting for me do something with.

edit:
RetiredTech... You need to decide what the budget is for a new saw. The 590 I suggested is a good ranch saw at a good price. With a 24" bar, you're most of the way through a 30" tree. It's barely double cutting. If it were me, and 90% of the trees I was cutting were ≤28" with the occasional 36", I'd be looking at 60cc-70cc saws with a 24"-28" bar. The 400cm splits them, but comes at a fairly steep price. Big saws are a hassle to carry, and the fuel consumption is appalling, but if you need one, you need one.

[Magicman]

I found one for you Wes:


 
But do not call on me to help you.  :

[TroyC]

Wow MM, you can really reach out and touch someone with that one! :D

[Al_Smith]

Much ado about a little bar oil dribbling .I think eventually they all drool a little bit .Just don't store them on the coffee table in the living room .Another variation of the never ending great oil debate .---great sport --- 8)

[beenthere]

Store mine like this, and no leaking oil. 


 

[RetiredTech]

I found one for you Wes:

 Uhmm, Thanks for looking out for me MM. But that may be a bit too much for my taste. And my back.lol I bet it would make one heck of a chainsaw mill.

Looks like most people here are in the Stihl camp. Anybody want to weigh in on the bigger Husqvarnas? The Husky 390xp looks interesting. I've got two of the home owner grade 136's that have been rock solid. The oldest one from the late 1990's is pretty much done now. It needs a complete rebuild. I just don't know if it's worth the price of the parts to rebuild a saw that old. I paid less than $200 for it when it was new.

I'm watching a lot's of saw reviews when I have a few minutes. Not much free time lately. Our neighbor donated some oak he had cut for firewood a couple years ago. It's too big for him to split so I volunteered to move it for him. It filled my 16' trailer twice. Most are 2' to 3'+ in diameter. Some of it is rotted about 2" in from the edge but the center is solid and well seasoned. I'm still working on fire wood for the other two houses. Being down during the cooler weather has really put me behind.    

[RetiredTech]

With a 24" bar, you're most of the way through a 30" tree.

 That's a good point. I have a tree near my house that has to be removed. The price of paying for someone else to cut it will more than pay for the saw. But I don't want to get a saw so heavy or hard to start that I dread to pick it up. The Stihl 500i looks to be the weight to power winner, but all those electronics in a chainsaw? I'm not convinced that's a good idea. The Husqvarna's look like they're a few coins cheaper. So I don't know.
 I do my own repairs so I don't mind carbs. I've been dealing with them all my life and understand how the work fairly well. A well adjusted saw is easy enough to start and will idle when I set it down until I come back to pick it up again. I don't think I need the fuel injection.

[Skeans1]

I found one for you Wes:

Uhmm, Thanks for looking out for me MM. But that may be a bit too much for my taste. And my back.lol I bet it would make one heck of a chainsaw mill.

Looks like most people here are in the Stihl camp. Anybody want to weigh in on the bigger Husqvarnas? The Husky 390xp looks interesting. I've got two of the home owner grade 136's that have been rock solid. The oldest one from the late 1990's is pretty much done now. It needs a complete rebuild. I just don't know if it's worth the price of the parts to rebuild a saw that old. I paid less than $200 for it when it was new.

I'm watching a lot's of saw reviews when I have a few minutes. Not much free time lately. Our neighbor donated some oak he had cut for firewood a couple years ago. It's too big for him to split so I volunteered to move it for him. It filled my 16' trailer twice. Most are 2' to 3'+ in diameter. Some of it is rotted about 2" in from the edge but the center is solid and well seasoned. I'm still working on fire wood for the other two houses. Being down during the cooler weather has really put me behind.    

I use to run the husky 385/390's and still do from time to time with 32/36" bars sometimes if I'm lazy I'll throw my 42 on them if I don't want to dig my 395 out. Anymore I run a 500i with those same bars it's lighter to pack around and is about the same power as the 390. Here's a 500i with a 36 in second growth far side had an old stump that had to be sawed off and I hit something well doing it. https://youtu.be/TNpfSpr0Uk8
Same patch of timber a few years earlier here's a 395 with a 36 the tree is a little smaller as well.
https://youtu.be/96RzYkOD4M0
Here's the best question are you falling with this saw?

[Magicman]

That's a good point. I have a tree near my house that has to be removed.

Which is why I mostly use a 20" bar.  It's much handier plus sawing from both sides will cut through almost anything that I may come in contact with.  I have the 25" bar in reserve.

....... but all those electronics in a chainsaw?

Also the electronics is why I went with the MS362 non CM.

Regarding brand/manufacturer, a reliable and convenient saw shop should be the deal maker/breaker.

[barbender]

I have a 390xp, good saw. No electronics😊 But then I have a Stihl 500i as well. I really haven't even ran it enough to do a fair comparison, but like Skeans says it feels like 390 power in a lighter saw. Those 500's are spendy though. They're still running around $1500 on this area. A 390 will likely run $1100-$1200😬 I got my 390 for under $900 iirc.

[Skeans1]

I found one for you Wes:


 
But do not call on me to help you.  :

Those bars are fun to look at but suck to run all day.

 

[RetiredTech]

  At first I thought that was another picture of Magicman, but the darker hair and suspenders gave it away. ;D

[Magicman]

At least he can hold it horizontal without his hind legs coming off of the ground.    :D

[Al_Smith]

The novelty of a long bar and a 100 CC plus saw is short lived .The longest I have is a 48" and it's a hand full with either 114 CC of Homelite 2100S or 123 CC of a Mac 125 . The 084 also has a 42" and it's no light weight apple tree pruner .BTW they don't see much action .

[doc henderson]

 

 

prob. take two passes. :D :D :D

[barbender]

Yeah Doc, I was going to say it doesn't matter how long of a bar you put on your saw. There's always going to be that one tree😊

[rusticretreater]

Those bars are fun to look at but suck to run all day.

Sharpening is also something that would be quite tiring.