Options for limbing / bucking saw for radiata pine

[ThisGuy]

Hey mates

Ive started moving out of building work and into firewood, which means attention to limbing and tidying up the site (moreso than what I'm used to :D). I dont have a lot of experience with just firewood, and am noticing that prolonged limbing and doing all the small finicky work with my trusty 385XP just isn't doing my body any favours, even with upright posture and a long bar.

So here I am wondering about options for a new saw, with Stihl or Huskie being my preferred brands (due to local support). Have been considering something in the 60 - 70cc range, if that makes sense? Will be mostly working with 18 year old wildling radiata, with an average dia of approx 18". Have a few years worth of trees to get through, so thought I'd make a thread and ask for advice, as YouTube and forums have lead me down way too many rabbit holes 

Cheers!

[barbender]

Husky 562xp, doesn't feel much heavier than a 50cc saw, and almost as powerful as a 70cc saw. I have many saws and that's the one that sees the most use by far.

[Spike60]

I agree with BB on the 562. A 70cc saw is just too close to what you already have, and you'll feel like you missed your target and wasted your money. Going up or down the saw ladder, you always want to go more than one rung in either direction.

[bigblockyeti]

For what you're doing, I would want a 50-55cc saw with a 16" - 18" bar.  Light, and as important, cheap.  A sharp chain is worth more than a big engine 99 times out of 100.  Shorter bars and smaller loops are cheaper too & they take less time to sharpen.  I always keep a few sharp loops with me and change them out when they slow down or visit the dirt.  I don't file either, I only grind and wait until I have to so I can knock out several at once.  A Husky 350 or similar will last darn near forever if well maintained, and based on what I've seen often times when completely neglected and abused too.

[thecfarm]

I have a Husky 450e, a 50cc. Get any 50cc and you should be happy with it.
I had an Efco 50cc for years. I won it on here. I used that saw for years. 
I have a 372,70cc, but gets heavy quick for this 61-year-old man. A 50cc is really a nice lighter saw to use. 
I have used that saw for hours.
Sometimes I use the big saw to cut them down and buck them up. But the small saw for limbing.

[Ianab]

I agree with the 50-60cc suggestions. You want a saw that's noticeably lighter when you pick it up, but still with enough power to do the job. The big Husky is a great saw for bucking logs because you don't have to move it much to do that job, but limbing with a heavy saw gets old fast. Lots of effort waving it around to make dozens of 2" cuts  :-\ A 50 cc will make those small cuts just as well, with a lot less effort on your part. 

When you come across anything where the small saw is going to struggle, well you have the big one on hand. Doesn't matter if you swap saws a few times while working. 

[Old Greenhorn]

I have used a 450 pretty heavily for quite a while and love it. I also have a 372(clone) that I use for big stuff, but not much. If I don't 'need' it, I don't use it. Last Feb. or so I bought a 562 from Spike but didn't get much time with it because work requirements changed. Well I have been using it a lot more in the past week or two for bucking firewood, which is constant cutting and I can tell you that the 562 cut a LOT faster tan the 450, which not only makes my work go faster, but also make the work a lot easier, allowing me to go longer. I have not figured out how much of it it the increased power and how much is that new X-cut chain, but I will soon when I put the X-cut chain on my 450. Boy, I am loving that 562 and the way it is set up.
 I will continue to use the 450 for mushroom trees because they are small and it's lighter to carry around in the woods, but that 562 is sweet and it will be my bucking saw from now on, and for limbing on any trees with larger branches. It's also better for falling, but it chews wood so fast I have to adjust my thoughts so as not to overcut my notches.
 I'd recommend the 562 for your stated needs.

[barbender]

The 562 is the "rappiest" saw I've ever owned, the throttle response is immediate!

[Old Greenhorn]

And then, of course, there is that. ;D

 I will say, I have to wear safety glasses with that saw chain combo, it throws chips EVERYWHERE. Stuff is just a-flyin' around. It makes me smile.

[beenthere]

Suggestions given are why I bought the Stihl MS261c.  Like it a lot, and is a good companion to the MS362c

Doubt any better than the other suggested saws. 50cc and 18" bar is good for a limbing and bucking saw.

[DHansen]

I have to agree with the 50-60cc recommendations.  But if I am cutting firewood and diameter is over 7", the 60cc saws are fast cutting and efficient.  Bars and chains and sprockets being equal and all affect the performance, but I just like that 60cc class of saw.  I have a 550 xp mark ll and it's a great saw. But for some reason I tend to use the bigger 60 and 65cc saws.  Again for firewood.

[Guydreads]

Husky 562xp with light bar (most power, but is a bit heavy and expensive), Husky 550xp (slightly less expensive and good weight), or Stihl ms261 (similar to 550xp, but I prefer the throttle response on 550/562 which = faster cutting). Too bad they don't make a 346xp any more. I think the 550xp could work really well since you're looking for something light, and since you already have a Husky, but I think you'll be happiest with 562xp.

Modified because OP already answered my question lol

[Patrick NC]

I've had a 550xp mk2 for awhile now and it's become my favorite saw for smaller work. I really don't bother with my 372 unless I've got a lot of stuff over 16" to cut. 

[AndyVT]

Another vote for the 562; very fast and powerful and not much heavier than a 50cc saw.

[ehp]

I'm going a different root , Stihl MS 400 with a 20 inch light weight bar setup , I have cut a;pt of bigger timber with this setup , it's very light and good power 

[OddInTheForrest]

I would go down a completely different route here. And go small & ligth.

Get a 194 or 201 rear handle. The 201 is without doubt a beast for its size. Run it with a 12 or 14" bar, a propper Stihl RS chain, with full chissel teeth, and use it for limbing. 

After doing residential stuff for years, and then firewood for the same amount of years, I tend to use my lighter saws more and more. 

Just my few pennies.

[NYH1]

A 550XP/MS261 or 562XP/MS362.  Go handle them and see which one you like the best.  

Just my $0.02, NYH1. 

[ehp]

the 400C is only a touch heavier than the 261 and lot more power and can run a longer bar when needed , I have cut alot of hardwood and pine with a 400C, Keep the chain real sharp and they cut very good

[John Mc]

Unless you are limbing mega-timber like what grows in the Pacific Northwest, it just doesn't make sense to me to use a big saw or a long bar. You might not have to bend as much, but you are working at the wrong end of a big lever. As my physical therapist wife if always telling me, "that's just poor body mechanics". When limbing, small, light and maneuverable is what works for me. I use a 50cc saw with a 16" bar.

This limbing video is old, but I was impressed by the technique Soren Eriksson shows: the body mechanics are good, great efficiency of movement, and he uses the tree to support he weight of the saw and to act as a fulcrum for his cutting motion. He rarely carries the weight of the saw. I used to limb while holding the weight of the saw almost 100% of the time. When I switched to this method, it made a huge difference in the pace I was able to maintain, and how tired I am at the end of the day. I'm by no means as efficient as he is, and I still catch myself carrying the saw through the limbing process when I don't have to, but when I remember to use it, it makes a big difference for me. The technique lends itself better to softwoods such as pine or spruce with the way their limbs are arranged, but I try to apply the basic principles when limbing hardwood as well.

limbing - YouTube

[Gary Davis]

the 500i with a 32 in light bar no bending over same weight as ms390 cuts 2=3 times faster, since I got it I don't like my other saws as much

[celliott]

550xp with a 16" 3/8" or sounds like you're maybe in Australia? If you can find a 560xp (same as a 562 but small mount bar and low air filter) I'd go with that. My jonsered 2260 (red 560xp) is my all time favorite spruce/fir saw. Very quick limbing saw. Maybe put a smaller bar on your 385 for bucking and rock and roll!