Need some expertise from some experienced guys with 100cc saws

bornwithnoname · January 21, 2015, 09:13:01 PM

Ok so i posted over in the sawmill section already and was debating the husky 395xp vs the 3120xp and now am convinced i want the more cc's and hp. But someone said they would get the stihl ms880 over the 3120xp because it will last longer and most likely have less problems... i have a stihl dealer one town away and all of my family and everyone i know locally run stihls unless they are homeowners with home depot saws. so if anyone that has long term experience with those saws and has good or bad to report any input would help thanks. i have the money to buy either but the husky will be about $300 less i know this is like the age old ford chevy thig but im not into brands only the best product for my application... I know they are both good saws but i just torn on witch to buy.

clww · January 21, 2015, 09:19:44 PM

What are you going to be cutting with this saw?

ohiowoodchuck · January 21, 2015, 09:55:01 PM

I'm having doubts about my 3120xp. It didn't have to many hours on it after it blew up on the original owner. Husqvarna dealer rebuilt it under warranty, he used it for about four more hours then I bought it. I've put about three days worth of work on it plus a couple large tree jobs. I took it out of the truck a couple weeks ago to buck up some large white oak for firewood and when I started it, the saw was idling with the chain moving really fast. I tore it apart and the carb diaphrams look questionable. I suspect the crank seals are out of it, but I haven't got the carb rebuilt because I'm waiting on a kit.

Andyshine77 · January 21, 2015, 10:02:05 PM

Well the 3120 has a fixed jet carb, and you always want to run milling saws rich to keep heat down. Now you can send the carb off and have a high speed needle installed for about $30. Or you can buy an 880, remove the limiters and go to work.

I like the 880, but both saws have been around a long time and are quite durable.

celliott · January 22, 2015, 08:43:44 AM

3120 also has a push button oiler like on older saws, in addition to the automatic oiler.

bornwithnoname · January 22, 2015, 05:08:52 PM

Quote from: clww on January 21, 2015, 09:19:44 PM
What are you going to be cutting with this saw?

oak, pine black locus, cherry, elm... and hopefully lots of other species some day but the sizes will be from 20in buts to 48in but most will be around 30-36

Quote from: Andyshine77 on January 21, 2015, 10:02:05 PM
Well the 3120 has a fixed jet carb, and you always want to run milling saws rich to keep heat down. Now you can send the carb off and have a high speed needle installed for about $30. Or you can buy an 880, remove the limiters and go to work.

I like the 880, but both saws have been around a long time and are quite durable.

i will take that as another vote for 880 then

Quote from: ohiowoodchuck on January 21, 2015, 09:55:01 PM
I'm having doubts about my 3120xp. It didn't have to many hours on it after it blew up on the original owner. Husqvarna dealer rebuilt it under warranty, he used it for about four more hours then I bought it. I've put about three days worth of work on it plus a couple large tree jobs. I took it out of the truck a couple weeks ago to buck up some large white oak for firewood and when I started it, the saw was idling with the chain moving really fast. I tore it apart and the carb diaphrams look questionable. I suspect the crank seals are out of it, but I haven't got the carb rebuilt because I'm waiting on a kit.

hmm maybe another vote for 880

Quote from: Andyshine77 on January 21, 2015, 10:02:05 PM
Well the 3120 has a fixed jet carb, and you always want to run milling saws rich to keep heat down. Now you can send the carb off and have a high speed needle installed for about $30. Or you can buy an 880, remove the limiters and go to work.

I like the 880, but both saws have been around a long time and are quite durable.

more and more im thinking the 880 is the way to go... how hard is it and safe is it to take of the limiter?

Quote from: celliott on January 22, 2015, 08:43:44 AM
3120 also has a push button oiler like on older saws, in addition to the automatic oiler.

yea that is one of the features i saw on that saw that i really liked i don't think the stihl has that but i will be putting a aux oiler on the saw when its in the Alaskan mill and dont really need that feature

Andyshine77 · January 22, 2015, 06:49:48 PM

The push button oiler on the 3120 is just an override, it sets the automatic oiler to it's maximum setting, it does nothing if you have the oiler already maxed out.

You have to remove the carb to delete the limiters, It's a simple process, and from that point on you have a fully adjustable carburetor..

ohiowoodchuck · January 22, 2015, 06:52:13 PM

I'm having the worst time getting a carb kit also. It's been two weeks and I have one ordered from two different places. I called the nearest full service husqvarna dealer today and they said 10 days or longer for a kit. I'm glad I don't make a living with it as I go hungry real fast.

Andries · January 22, 2015, 07:01:40 PM

My experience is with the Stihl 660 and 880.
The 880 is mounted on an Alaskan Mill and gets a lot of work done at the log cabin and timber framing place that I work. I own the 660 and had it on an Alaskan for a while - until I got the LT30.
My brother and FIL run Huskys and I've used them a fair bit as well.

My vote goes to the Stihl. They cost more, but if you're looking at long term value or re-sale value holding, they are well worth it.
Best wishes with your decision making.

Andyshine77 · January 22, 2015, 07:12:23 PM

Quote from: ohiowoodchuck on January 22, 2015, 06:52:13 PM
I'm having the worst time getting a carb kit also. It's been two weeks and I have one ordered from two different places. I called the nearest full service husqvarna dealer today and they said 10 days or longer for a kit. I'm glad I don't make a living with it as I go hungry real fast.

Dealers do this some times, the wait until they have enough items to cover shipping. I find it faster and easier to simply order parts from online retailers. What carb kit are you looking for? http://www.jackssmallengines.com/Jacks-Parts-Lookup/Model-Diagram/husqvarna/23036/491

ohiowoodchuck · January 22, 2015, 07:24:58 PM

I got one ordered locally and another ordered through a large small engine parts store. The carb is a wg7a there's only a few revisions of it. It was put on three saws the 3120xp the 088 stihl and I believe a 999 Olympia. It was the go to carb in the two stoke racing go kart days. It's just a old design with not a lot of uses anymore.

celliott · January 22, 2015, 07:30:53 PM

Quote from: Andyshine77 on January 22, 2015, 06:49:48 PM
The push button oiler on the 3120 is just an override, it sets the automatic oiler to it's maximum setting, it does nothing if you have the oiler already maxed out.

You have to remove the carb to delete the limiters, It's a simple process, and from that point on you have a fully adjustable carburetor..

I didn't know that, I thought it was a manual oiler in addition to the auto oiler. Thanks.

HolmenTree · January 22, 2015, 07:32:42 PM

This is one use I had with a 084 carb I put on my 064 over 27 years ago..

bornwithnoname · January 22, 2015, 07:45:34 PM

Man everyone is making me want to get the stihl i guess since i just got a check for $3900 what the hell why not... the thing is the saws going to be like 4x the cost of my truck which was $450 i guess my priorities are a little diffident from most normal people but i suspect a lot of people hear don't think im crazy because everyone here also seems to be addicted to making sawdust too

ohiowoodchuck · January 22, 2015, 07:52:46 PM

I'll give you three reasons to buy it. 1. If you don't spend it somebody else will. 2. You can't take it with you. 3. What's the point of working if you can't buy what you want. Hope that made you feel better and less guilty of the purchase.

bornwithnoname · January 22, 2015, 08:21:21 PM

Quote from: ohiowoodchuck on January 22, 2015, 07:52:46 PM
I'll give you three reasons to buy it. 1. If you don't spend it somebody else will. 2. You can't take it with you. 3. What's the point of working if you can't buy what you want. Hope that made you feel better and less guilty of the purchase.

"whats the point of working if you cant buy what you want." exactly I say that all the time im young so if i treat the saw well it will last a long time so.. either tomorrow or sat i will go order a ms 880 because i am pretty certain my dealer wont have one in stock im getting really excited word of mouth is starting to spread in my small town that i save trees from the fire and mill them up i already have a pile of about 10 to cut right now two were dropped off today. soon i will have a stack of wood. defiantly made me feel less guilty the thing is this is the most expensive thing i have bought in my life so i don't want to have any regrets but i don't now. You never know what will happen, i like making sawdust, cuting anything wood, wood working and making stuff, so that's what im going to do! Thanks everyone for your opinions and i will keep you updated and maybe soon i will post a picture with a huge smile on my face and a huge new saw in my hands.

CX3 · January 22, 2015, 08:34:18 PM

I sweated the purchase of a log cutting saw almost 7 yrs ago. Glad I did it, ive made a few green bananas with the little baby. Good Luck.

mad murdock · January 22, 2015, 10:01:55 PM

Quote from: bornwithnoname on January 22, 2015, 08:21:21 PM

i like making sawdust, cuting anything wood, wood working and making stuff, so that's what im going to do! Thanks everyone for your opinions and i will keep you updated and maybe soon i will post a picture with a huge smile on my face and a huge new saw in my hands.

8) 8) 8)

bornwithnoname · January 24, 2015, 12:27:30 PM

Quote from: CX3 on January 22, 2015, 08:34:18 PM
I sweated the purchase of a log cutting saw almost 7 yrs ago. Glad I did it, ive made a few green bananas with the little baby. Good Luck.

Hopefully i will make some green bananas because i just spent a pile of them on the ms880. I am super excited i ordered it with the 41in bar...

So when i was in the shop the guy behind the counter was setting up a saw for some one who just bought one. He said to them some guy called and is going to buy a 880! he said thats a 120cc saw witch cost almost 2 gran. i was over in the corner just looking at some other saws and i said that's me, they all look and sort of smile and look confused... i said im the one buying the 880 then they were all like are you serous why would a person need a saw that big! then i explained to them i have a csm and showed them some pictures of logs i have pilled up but they still thought i was insane a 18 year old buying a saw like that. They asked me why wouldn't i just call someone with a portable sawmill i said some day im going to be that guy with a portable band saw mill now i will have 2 portable csm. I cant wait till wensday that's when im probably going to pick it up

HolmenTree · January 24, 2015, 12:53:35 PM

Reminds me when I bought my first brand new Stihl 090AV when I was 21 years old. I was quite the celebrity at the local Saskatchewan prairie town Stihl dealer. :D
We were though situated on the timberline of the world's largest forest....the Boreal Forest, you can drive for hundreds of miles through it and not see civilization whats so ever.
Most people who have driven the hundreds of miles to cross Saskatchewan through the bald flat prairie in the southern half never knew about the forest. ;D

sawguy21 · January 24, 2015, 01:13:52 PM

Know what you mean, I have driven across southern Saskatchewan too. :D I sold a Husky 2100 with a 42" in Edmonton, you should have seen the looks it got.

bornwithnoname · January 30, 2015, 07:45:14 PM

Got the saw in my hands today. I own a 880 now! the blizzard delayed the delivery it was suppose to come on Tuesday but it didn't arrive until Thursday and i was busy working but was able to pick it up today. I went out early this morning to pick it up and got about 1/4 mi from my house and my truck started having problems I was able to turn around and get a few hundred feet from our drive way and it died. So my dad towed it home and I went to work. I called the dealer and asked if he would stay open a little late so i could pick it up. The guy who was working was the mechanic and was in total awe of the saw because he had never seen or sold one. Im pretty excited

I want to cut some wood with it but all the logs are under snow and there is supposedly more coming. I will put up some pictures in the mourning and want to thank everyone for persuading me to buy it and giving me valuable advice. 8)

ehp · January 30, 2015, 08:42:33 PM

make sure you get that carb set right if your putting in on your mill, I would go and block some smaller logs or whatever you want to help break the 880 in first , Around here lately the stihl dealers have had alot more problems with the 880 with the main problem being breaking the crank , dealer besides me has sold 4-880 in the last couple months , 3 of them broke the crank but everyone of these were guys trying to run 48 inch plus long bars . I was not there so cannot say if they were doing something wrong to the saws or not but I do know that every new 880 that goes out now gets 2 tanks of fuel put threw it before leaving the dealer

JohnG28 · January 31, 2015, 10:50:09 AM

Might be a good idea to run it at 40:1 instead of the suggested 50:1, or even lower ratio if you choose. Most people running more oil see less problems and greater longevity. ;)

HolmenTree · January 31, 2015, 11:56:53 AM

On the subject of edgers I don't use one. I just take 2 slabs off the log 90° to each other with the slabbing rails. Then if I want 2x6" for example I'll rip off 6" cants , then stand them on edge and rip off 2" with the mill .
Years ago I had a homemade mill permanently set at 2"on my Stihl 066 to take off 2" lumber, with a second man helping we could keep both the 090 and 066 mills working. I was running 3/8 Picco chain on the 066. We could do a 1000 b.f. of 2"x6" a day starting with felling, limbing, bucking and milling the trees right on the spot where the trees were felled.

Here I'm milling up 16 ft 10"x14" timbers for my chainsaw speed cutting competition last year....-40 below wind chill.

In a couple of weeks will be doing it all over again.