Brush saw recommendation?

[John Mc]

I've got a friend considering buying a brush saw / clearing saw. He's battling buckthorn. Had a commercial pesticide applicator come in and do basal bark treatment on the larger stems, but he's cutting the smaller ones himself.  Most of what he's cutting will be 2" and under, but it would be nice to be able to handle the occasional larger tree. (for those of you who haven't dealt with it, buckthorn is a HARD wood.) He was planning on doing this with loppers, and coming back with a chainsaw for anything the loppers wouldn't handle. When I told him there's a better way, he sounded very interested.

This is for personal use, not commercial. He owns 450 acres, but only a portion of it is infested. This is not something he's doing full time, but he does put in some solid time working on his land.  He's willing to spend enough to get quality equipment that will last, but is not one to simply buy the biggest and best simply because he can.

I've got a Jonsered GR 2036 (36cc) that I'm going to let him try out. It's been a solid unit for me, and meets my needs for similar applications to what my friend has. My thinking is that something like this is the small end of the range he should be considering.

It's been a long time since I was shopping for something like this, and I'm really not up to date on them. He's likely to go with Husky or Stihl, though if someone has other good suggestions (and we can find a good dealer in our area) we'd consider them. In the Husky line, the range I'd think he should consider would be the 336FR (35cc, list price $600), 345FR (46cc, list price $780), and the 555FX (53cc, list price $1200). Personally, I think the 555FX is overkill for his needs. I'd lean towards the 345FR, and if that seemed a bit pricey, he might consider the 336FR.  The similar range in Stihl equipment appears to be the FS 360/460/560 models.

I haven't researched actual street prices yet, but my impression is that the Stihls are significantly more expensive as compared to similar size/quality of Husky (at least they are when I'm browsing chainsaws at local dealers).

I'd appreciate any thoughts from users with experience in this area. I'm really not interested in the 3 word opinions ("get a Stihl FS 560), or another round of "brand wars". I'd appreciate hearing a bit about WHY you think it's a good fit for this application.

Also looking for comments on saw blades.  I've been using the Husqvarna branded "Scarlet" blade. It looks a lot like a circular saw blade.  I tried one that looked like chainsaw chain wrapped around the edge of a disk. I only used it briefly, but was not all that impressed with it (not sure if the saw I was using - similar to mine - was underpowered for it?).  This is rocky, uneven ground here, if that makes a difference in the recommendation. I do occasionally ding the blade up on the rocks.

[chester_tree _farmah]

PM Swamp Donkey. He knows brush saws and blades and techniques well. Just post it here so we can know too. :-)

[pine]

I have both a Stihl FS-450 and a 250.  Stihl has updated both models but the basics are the same. 
I have had good luck with the 250 but it is lower in power but also lighter in weight.  The 450 (460) is not quite as large as the 550(560) but does a fantastic job.  If I could only have one of mine it would be the 450, the power makes it superior even though the weight is higher.

If money was no object and weight was not an issue the 560 would be my go to saw.  I just felt that the tradeoffs for me make the 450/460 the best choice.  Get a good blade.  The standard Stihl blade in the US is not as good as the ones available in Canada or the aftermarket one in the US.
Swamp Donkey has a good link for it

[pine]

Found the older post here is a quote from it.

Stihl are usually made in Japan, but I have seen some batches from Sweden in a bronze colored carton instead of the usual grey. All brands I see here other than Stihl are all from Sweden. I wouldn't doubt, although I don't know, they come from the same plant. But yes they are all the same profile, not just similar looking. These blades are used all over Europe and Canada. But we all thin (PCT) a lot more land to. Can't imagine a liability issue. Never heard of anyone cutting themselves thinning unless they were dumb enough to stick their hand in the blade while it was spinning to remove a stick. ;)

Amazon.com had them. I know there was a recall last year, so maybe theirs were in the recall. I have not stopped by the dealer yet to see if they have new stock.

http://www.amazon.com/Stihl-Brushcutter-Blade-Model-Chisel/dp/B00FOF9B06/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

[Ken]

Although I haven't been around the newer models I have owned 550 Stihls for years and they are basically bulletproof.   The big Huskys are also a great saw although a little heavier and harder on fuel.  They are also a bit stronger in big wood.  With 450 acres to work on I think a full size saw would be a better fit.  Learning how to properly file will also be the key to any saws performance.

[CTYank]

I've found that once the stems get bigger than 2", I should put down the brush-cutter and fire up the pole-saw. Had a few serious clearing projects recently, keeping a Morbark 8 chipper chipping for maybe four days total. That was my conclusion.

Besides, the longer reach of my Tanaka pole-saw is a plus, enabling rapid removal of stems at ground level and overhead limbs. D-handle front grip, like on Tanaka 260, is much preferable to wrapped tube, as on Stihl HT56C- no torsional twist on accelerating engine.

[enigmaT120]

I have a Stihl FS 360 and like it.  And deducted it on my taxes, and I only maintain 32 acres....  I mostly use it for Scotch Broom and small fir trees.  Some of the big broom is pretty tough but I don't think it would be as tough as Buckthorn.  I use the chainsaw type blades when I know I'm cutting wood, though I have some other attachments for grass and weeds.

[VT_Forestry]

Having never run anything other than a Stihl, that's about all I'm qualified to comment on.  I use an FS460 at work and really like it - lots of power, not overly heavy for running all day, the new M-Tronic carb is sweeeeet.  Most of what I'm cutting are pines up to 4 inches, and it zips through those no problem with the chisel blade (20-22 teeth that sharpen with a 7/32" round file).  Last weekend I was helping Dad clear some autumn olive with my FS450 - again, plenty of power and no problems with the larger AO stems.  I've always been partial to Stihl and have been extremely pleased with my experience using them over the past several years.  They are durable and dependable.  Bottom line with a brush saw is the same as any other cutting tool - keep the teeth razor sharp and properly set and you'll get the job done.     

[SwampDonkey]

If using the 9" chisel tooth blade, ask the dealer for the "maxi-blade". Like here on Amazon or Here. However, you'll need a 3/4" hole in the blade for a Stihl. Any more than $24 for a blade and it's time to find another source. ;) I've used regular chisel blade. And they didn't work for me in bigger wood, like 5 or 6 inch fir. Hard maple and beech and ironwood are pretty hard stems, if your blade is the least dull you will find out just how hard real quick.  I hit enough rocks in a week that the blade is destroyed before any time is spent worrying about set of the teeth. :D I like spacing sugar maple, nice tight crowns, can see under the canopy for several feet, they drop nice when snipped.  :D ;D

I bought the new Stihl 560 this spring. First order of business was to get some air to that sucker, which meant a muffler screen modification.  ;D Them screens are just too fine to get any work done.  ;) I get 1-1/2 -2 hours per tank depending on how tough the cut'n is. Lots of snap behind the trigger. ;D I musta cut a couple truck loads of 5-6" but fir last week on 2 ha (5 acres). They call it plantation, but I only saw a row of planted spruce along the ditch, the rest was fir and maple. :D

I would think the Stihl 460 would be just fine if your into stuff up to 3 or 4 inches. Keep the blade sharp. If your ground is not rocky than the blade will go a long way.

What Ken referred to about the Husky being stronger in big wood no longer applies. The newer saws have the same power as the Stihls. I work with a lot Husky owners on blocks and I outcut them all. Not bragging, just fact. ;)

[John Mc]

S.D. - do you find you have to use a tooth-setting tool on your blades very often?

[SwampDonkey]

No, as I said above, I destroy blades on rocks long before they need to be set. But, if you get the Stihl file guide, it has a tooth set buit in. The set guides (either on the file guide itself or the stand alone one) make it pretty simple.