I will start by saying I had Three . Number 1 is the early 90's version husqvarna 262 xp 4.8HP in a 12.4LBS package , It would out cut the 268Xp hands down in 18" wood and under all day . I still have a dozen of them in near perfect condition that run everyday . I ahve amased enough parts to make them out live me . Number 2 would be the early husqvarna 372xp's great for bigger wood and you could get them with the 72cc cylinders . Number 3 was the husqvarna early 357xp's , a carb change made them run almost as good as the 262xp's . 8)
1) My Homelite xl925. Lots of history. Not about its specs or performance. BUT it is still a lot of saw.
2) Jonsered 920. Again nothing logical other than I had and still have a lot of fun with those sleepers.
3) Husqvarna 555/562. Does what I want. Starts easily at any temperature. And because its so smooth, I can get a days work done even at my advanced age and with "Arthur" setting up shop in every joint I have. My absolute favorite because it has allowed me to continue living a life style I really enjoy. A game changer of a saw for me.. :)
1: 372xp/2171 early edition- I cut my teeth tinkering on this series of saw and have lots of parts and know them real well. Plus I love how they run and are so versatile. 20" bar to block firewood fast and fell trees, or can run a long bar pretty decent, and just a tough rugged saw.
2: Jonsered 2260- my newest saw, it's just a mean thing in a compact package that hates wood. Love to run it.
First two are stratos, third is cat.- helps with air quality for us aerobes.
All can be worked hard without complaint, and for relatively long time on a tankful.
RedMax GZ4000. Great machine for hiking off-road, light, smooth, powerful. Limbing specialist. 18" no prob.
Dolly 6100. Powerful, smooth, ferocious cutter, great for much felling/bucking. 24" no prob.
Tanaka TPS-260PF polesaw. Sweet 25 cc engine. Safe way to cut stuff above you. Handles 18" 3/8"LP bar.
There are others held in high esteem.
Any 10 series McC. Especially the RH start 10-10's and those SP81E's gotta love them things!!
Husky 61, my first pro saw, it still runs great ! :)
my absolute favorite was the old 1050 super homelite dad let me start cutting with when i was about 13-14 yrs old ;D i hd been cutting firewood with a 150 and a xl12( the blue one) for about 2 years so the 1050 was quite a step up for me :) and at 100cc and just a little over 22 lb :o i loved it the biggest problem i had was "dogging" the cut to hard and breaking the chain :-[ but once i got it figured out i had no problems. we also had a 1020 but i didnt like it near as well. i have heard alot of people talk bad about the old homelites but dad had a friend that competed in the "hot saw" contests and every new saw we got went to see him before it went to the woods so i dont think i ever ran a stock one i dont know what he did but they would cut and held up pretty good :) i know they wouldnt cut with these new saws but it doesnt seem that way from remembering them as a kid compared to the new saws i run now :)
I remember when Homolite and Mac's were king , and I even ran a David Bradley cutting firewood when I started , that thing was tough on a 9 yearold . :D
My first brand new 1986 Stihl 064AV at 14.1 lbs
Lighter and way more power then the 046 that was introduced many years later.
Homie xl360 grew up cutting fire wood in NE TN. Not that it's the best saw ever, but it never let me down. Still got it and it still runs.
1970, Craftsman Lite weight with a barracuda chain and sharpener. I was 14 years old, bought it new with moneys from mowing lawns, I thought it was so cool. I think it was a direct drive. Broke the crank on the first one and Sears replaced it with a new saw. My favorite cause I was a kid, was my first saw and I still remember the feeling of having it.
This stuff brings back memories . My first new saw was a poulan , I paid a 100.00 for . My dads friend gave me a 48 ford snubnose dump truck with a flat head six in it , no windshield in it , I work on the thing for a couple weeks it ended up with a snowmoble gas tank and a milk crate for a passenger seat . I registered it with farm plates at 16 , it had a straight pipe for exsaust . Me and a buddy delivered cordwood cut split delvered and stacked for 35.00 bucks a cord . We used to go by the local cops and they never said a word to us , try that now , you would get life in prison around here .
P41 Pioneer. Bought it new when Pioneer was going out of business and is still running flawlessly to day. At 65cc with a 20" bar it has a decent power level and is the right size for most jobs. Runs consistently without any fussy carb stuff and is real easy to service. All these P-series saws were the best saws Pioneer made and in my opinion, were as good as any other saw at the time.
Quote from: old2stroke on May 09, 2016, 05:26:44 PM
P41 Pioneer. Bought it new when Pioneer was going out of business and is still running flawlessly to day. At 65cc with a 20" bar it has a decent power level and is the right size for most jobs. Runs consistently without any fussy carb stuff and is real easy to service. All these P-series saws were the best saws Pioneer made and in my opinion, were as good as any other saw at the time.
A friend of my uses a p41 for everything. He has three now. I got him one from a forum member and the other two came from D&D in Salem IN. His first one was ported by them.
CTYank, I sold two g3800's and bought a gz4000 about two weeks ago. I am still getting familiar with it. I will use it to cut easter red cedar. A 50cc saw is unnecessary for that task.
My second saw was a Holmilite xl 123 . I ran it till the crank seals were doubled and would'nt hold anymore . I bought my Husqvarna after that , the model escapes me , but it was in 1979 , I think maybe a 480 . I have been hooked ever since . The dealer I bought it from , had just got the dealership and let me demo it because , I had bought all my saws from him . He had gotten the Stihl dealership at the same time , I guess , I should have tried it also , but the husky was amazing . I've have had both since and will buy either , depending on the power to weight ratio .
I probly would have bought a partner but we never had a dealer that lasted long enough to have a following , but there was no dealer support .
10mm Stihl 044. The worlds perfect chainsaw.
Yep the Stihl 044 was a good saw alright. It took Husqvarna about 3 - 4 years to match it with the 272 XP.
266 Husqvarna . Its the best balance and was a great saw. The 272 was awesome too very great saw. The 372 and 365 are great saws with better anti vibe. But in no way compare the balance of the 2 series husky. The 262 was a great one also fast light with super balance. No new saw will ever replace those ones.
Timbercruiser , that is why I go to great lengthes to buy all the 262xp parts , I can find to refurb and build those saws . I believe they were one of the best all time saws , Husqvarna ever built , they would run with any saw in 20 plus inch wood . and were always atleast a pound and a half lighter , with a higher chain speed . I would still put them up against any 70cc saw to date .
Yep those were great saws . New ones are not as good. 262 had great anti vibe system too
I like my p52 that i bought nos ! I like it cuz it is simple and old school. Easy to fix and a very distinct sound ! Next would be a toss up between the 266 and jonsered 630, both great saws. Then my tiny husky 141 just because its tiny and never lets me down - its a very underrated saw !
Stihl MS 362; because it was a "quantum leap" from all my previous saws I had that were designed for occasional use. It's my daily saw; only a gummed-up spark arrestor and a warranty-replaced control module in 3 years of work.
All it asks of me is that I buy clear (non ethanol) fuel; no sweat, a burger joint (Burgerville) is right across the street from the gas station where I buy the fuel.... ;D
Man , if we could buy no ethanol fuel in RI , Thast why I run aviation fuel in all my saws . It's a hundred octane and remains so at 12,000 ft . LOL ! Yes I have paid as much as 5.50 a gallon , but what is your saw worth to make money . You can leave one set for over a year and it will Start as good as the day you stopped using it , I know , I had back surgury just over a year ago and did'nt get the go ahead from the Dr for 15 monthes . Now they are talking 15% ethanol in the US . No saw will run for long on that . I know there are states that have no ethanol fuel , but not RI .
1 Homlite XL 12. My Brothers saw that I got to run. 2 Johnsred 70E. First new saw I could afford. 3 Stilh 044 second new saw I bought.
Quote from: motohed on May 10, 2016, 09:37:51 PM
Man , if we could buy no ethanol fuel in RI , Thast why I run aviation fuel in all my saws . It's a hundred octane and remains so at 12,000 ft . LOL ! Yes I have paid as much as 5.50 a gallon , but what is your saw worth to make money . You can leave one set for over a year and it will Start as good as the day you stopped using it , I know , I had back surgury just over a year ago and did'nt get the go ahead from the Dr for 15 monthes . Now they are talking 15% ethanol in the US . No saw will run for long on that . I know there are states that have no ethanol fuel , but not RI .
Have you tried marinas in your area? They often have non-ethanol gas. You can also try pure-gas.org (http://pure-gas.org/), though they don't show many options for non-ethanol gas in RI right now.
I'm a pilot, and have easy access to AvGas, but I won't burn it in my saws. It's a leaded gas, and the exhaust on a chainsaw is just a bit too close to where I'm breathing for me to feel comfortable using it.
Back in the 80s-90s my wife's relatives were local Stihl dealers, and they recommended and gave me a good deal on my 044. So far after trying friends saws of all the major brands I've still never felt another saw that just felt "Right" like the 044 does.
I still have my first original 1989 044AV (10mm)
Next winter project doing a complete restoration on it.
i run the ethanol blend in all my saws and in the mill and everything else and i cant tell a difference other than a little better gas mileage in my truck when i tried the pure gas but not enough to justify the price difference only about 1 1/2 miles per gal more :-\ BUT my equipment DOES NOT SIT and i suspect my luck would change if i was letting it sit around without using for months at a time :) far as my saw goes some days i will burn 5 gallons of saw gas and some days i wont even burn a full tank but it will be run at least 6 out of 7 days year round :)
Old thread, I know. But I just bought a new Stihl MS500i, so I was curious. I think hte 500i will be my favorite, based on performance (fast, but with a wide torque band so it has no problem in big wood). It is also light and narrow. Time will tell on reliability. Up till now, my favorite was my Stihl MS441C, which wore out. Prior to that, I had a Stihl 038 Super, some kind of little Echo saw for limbing, and before that, I had some model of Remington. I just do firewood, so usually I run a 20" bar, though I have a 25" in reserve if I need it. But I cannot lift stuff that big, so I would only need it to get a larger tree bucked for moving it out of the way.
Necrothread and subjective. Depends on the actual usage and even how you acquired it, price paid, provenance etc. Sometimes people inherit a saw and take it to heart, warts and all.
For me it's the Husky 2100, then the Jonsereds 80(bought one completely rebuilt and hopped up over 40yrs ago) and then the Jonsereds 90. And last but not least the Jonsered 2094. I don't have enough time in with the Jonsereds 910 to make a judgement call yet.
All pro saws and pro application. YMMV.
Kevin
My first and favorite is the Stihl 361. It's the perfect saw in power and weight. My second is the Stihl 461. I don't run it as often, but it's got to be one of Stihls best made saws ever.
I actually think this is a good thread. I'm not 100% sure how liking something can be subjective- you either like it or you don't....
I have a non-CM 362 that is my favorite. It has the best power/weight feel of anything I've run, but in fairness to the Husky brand, I've really only run Stihl. I would like to try a couple the Husky or even Jonsered models.
Now, I will also add that my favorite saw to hate was also a Stihl. I was an 18 year old greenhorn working in the early 80's, and my boss had an old Stihl 051. I've driven Buicks that were lighter. Took about a 1/2 hour to start. It was an absolute horse. I was using it for bucking and limbing, and it was our backup falling saw. Our main faller guy got a brand new 056 Super, and I remember thinking that saw was the bomb. It only weighed as much as a Ford Pinto.
My second, but favorite saw is my Stihl 024 that I bought new. I still use it almost weekly. It's compact with a 16' bar, so it fits neatly in my cross span tool box in my truck. So, it's always ready to use. If it hasn't been cranked for a while, maybe a month or more, it will need 3 to 4 pulls to fire it up. I use it for about 95 percent of what I do.
Quote from: JJinAK on July 02, 2021, 11:33:08 AMI actually think this is a good thread. I'm not 100% sure how liking something can be subjective- you either like it or you don't....
Well, liking it or not is pretty much the definition of subjective:
"
subjective adjective - based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions."
Quote from: JJinAK on July 02, 2021, 11:33:08 AM
I actually think this is a good thread. I'm not 100% sure how liking something can be subjective- you either like it or you don't....
I have a non-CM 362 that is my favorite. It has the best power/weight feel of anything I've run, but in fairness to the Husky brand, I've really only run Stihl. I would like to try a couple the Husky or even Jonsered models.
Now, I will also add that my favorite saw to hate was also a Stihl. I was an 18 year old greenhorn working in the early 80's, and my boss had an old Stihl 051. I've driven Buicks that were lighter. Took about a 1/2 hour to start. It was an absolute horse. I was using it for bucking and limbing, and it was our backup falling saw. Our main faller guy got a brand new 056 Super, and I remember thinking that saw was the bomb. It only weighed as much as a Ford Pinto.
I had to laugh. :D I started working in a Stihl shop in 1975 and probably saw more 051's than any other model because that is what most of the loggers ran. You are right, they weighed almost as much as a small car and like the last girlfriend were high maintenance. The 075 was worse, I
hated them.
Quote from: John Mc on July 02, 2021, 11:52:17 AM
Quote from: JJinAK on July 02, 2021, 11:33:08 AMI actually think this is a good thread. I'm not 100% sure how liking something can be subjective- you either like it or you don't....
Well, liking it or not is pretty much the definition of subjective:
"subjective adjective - based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions."
^^^This!
Kevin
Quote from: sawguy21 on July 02, 2021, 12:30:14 PM
Quote from: JJinAK on July 02, 2021, 11:33:08 AM
I actually think this is a good thread. I'm not 100% sure how liking something can be subjective- you either like it or you don't....
I have a non-CM 362 that is my favorite. It has the best power/weight feel of anything I've run, but in fairness to the Husky brand, I've really only run Stihl. I would like to try a couple the Husky or even Jonsered models.
Now, I will also add that my favorite saw to hate was also a Stihl. I was an 18 year old greenhorn working in the early 80's, and my boss had an old Stihl 051. I've driven Buicks that were lighter. Took about a 1/2 hour to start. It was an absolute horse. I was using it for bucking and limbing, and it was our backup falling saw. Our main faller guy got a brand new 056 Super, and I remember thinking that saw was the bomb. It only weighed as much as a Ford Pinto.
I had to laugh. :D I started working in a Stihl shop in 1975 and probably saw more 051's than any other model because that is what most of the loggers ran. You are right, they weighed almost as much as a small car and like the last girlfriend were high maintenance. The 075 was worse, I hated them.
I started out with an 075. Then an old faller who was teaching me, put an early production Husky 2100 in my hands. I wanted to throw the 075 in a deep lake.
Kevin
My 2511t, cause it's always there. It lives in my truck, and gets pulled out to modify stakes or make some quick cuts. It'll hang fairly comfortably off my pistol belt, or go up a tree on my saddle. Starts easily, and runs reliably. If it disappeared right now, I'd have another one before I got home from work today.
Quote from: Real1shepherd on July 02, 2021, 01:31:00 PM
Quote from: sawguy21 on July 02, 2021, 12:30:14 PM
Quote from: JJinAK on July 02, 2021, 11:33:08 AM
I actually think this is a good thread. I'm not 100% sure how liking something can be subjective- you either like it or you don't....
I have a non-CM 362 that is my favorite. It has the best power/weight feel of anything I've run, but in fairness to the Husky brand, I've really only run Stihl. I would like to try a couple the Husky or even Jonsered models.
Now, I will also add that my favorite saw to hate was also a Stihl. I was an 18 year old greenhorn working in the early 80's, and my boss had an old Stihl 051. I've driven Buicks that were lighter. Took about a 1/2 hour to start. It was an absolute horse. I was using it for bucking and limbing, and it was our backup falling saw. Our main faller guy got a brand new 056 Super, and I remember thinking that saw was the bomb. It only weighed as much as a Ford Pinto.
I had to laugh. :D I started working in a Stihl shop in 1975 and probably saw more 051's than any other model because that is what most of the loggers ran. You are right, they weighed almost as much as a small car and like the last girlfriend were high maintenance. The 075 was worse, I hated them.
I started out with an 075. Then an old faller who was teaching me, put an early production Husky 2100 in my hands. I wanted to throw the 075 in a deep lake.
Kevin
I don't have the hands on experience with a lot of saws But I had a bad experience with a new 034 Stihl back in 95 and ended up trading it for a new Husky 262XP in 96. Gotta say that thing has been a rock star and still is to this day. That said, since starting my collecting hobby the big cube saws are the ones that have taken the focus and desire. 394's, 2100's 185, 181SE etc. Top shelf stuff and once fired up, just nice to listen too! :D
Mine will get a snear from most but one must realize what I was forced to use prior. Grew up on a farm and Dad had a gear drive David Bradley and an assortment of used junkers that caused more trouble than good. Cutting wood was a dreaded chore with that assortment of junk. Dad passed too early and after that on one glorious day I ran over the David Bradley with the truck. The co-op had a saw shop and sold Macs. Demoed a 610 and bought it. That saw is still here. The 610 Macs certainly are no saw board favorite but they sold them by the truck load around here and it's amazing how many are still around. They had reasonable power, started easy and oiled the chain. I still like the sound of mine and use it now and then,, funny how it doesn't have amazing power any longer,,,, now that I have a 461 and a 660 ,LOL
first pro saw was an O51 stihl, graduated to the O75 then jumped ship to a husky 2100 and never looked back!!!
Quote from: ButchC on July 03, 2021, 06:33:25 AM
Mine will get a snear from most but one must realize what I was forced to use prior. Grew up on a farm and Dad had a gear drive David Bradley and an assortment of used junkers that caused more trouble than good. Cutting wood was a dreaded chore with that assortment of junk. Dad passed too early and after that on one glorious day I ran over the David Bradley with the truck. The co-op had a saw shop and sold Macs. Demoed a 610 and bought it. That saw is still here. The 610 Macs certainly are no saw board favorite but they sold them by the truck load around here and it's amazing how many are still around. They had reasonable power, started easy and oiled the chain. I still like the sound of mine and use it now and then,, funny how it doesn't have amazing power any longer,,,, now that I have a 461 and a 660 ,LOL
Great story about my provenance theory and what you started cutting with, warts and all. Easy though to jump ship when something better is put into your hands. But with a lot of folks, the 'better' never happens and blind loyalty sets in..... 8)
Kevin
In the mid 80s I broke in on the landing with the bosses 056 Stihl. What a pig. Ended up getting a Husky 181 which was lighter and cut circles around the 056. I still have an original 266 from the mid 80s as well. A backup to the backup. My favorites are my 288 purchased in late 80s and that old 266. Running a 372 now and just bought a 550 yesterday for thinning projects. Will see how it works out.
I started out with my dad's Mac 15, that saw was more trouble than it was worth and soured me on two strokes. I got into small engine repair and went to work in a Stihl shop, got to really like the 041 Farm Boss. We also sold Frontier and that became my favourite, light simple and reliable as gravity. I still have the last incarnation, a Husky 35.
When I went to work for a gold mill in CO as a journeyman mechanic....I was fresh off of loggin'. We needed a saw for clearing and making some roads right at timberline. Trees weren't very big. I made us buy a little Husky. No way was I bringing my saws to get trashed by others.
For life of me I can't remember what model Husky it was, but it was all orange and not a white top. Bought about 1981. 22"-24" bar I suspect. Tough saw and yes, they tried to destroy it. I was only there on day shift, so swing and graveyard had access to it. Some nitwit tried to retune it....had it way too lean. Caught that in time.
Kevin
My favorite saw is whatever I am using at the time . If I am using it , it means it is running, and a working saw is all I desire.
Stihl MS200T top handle. Love the balance, power and ability to easily use it one handed (not recommended by Stihl)
Doug in SW IA
That set the standard for arborist saws, others tried but never came close. You are right, one handed operation is NOT recommended. :o
I won't say it was a favorite because of the weight. I started in the early 80s with my dads 050 Stihl. I think it weighed close to 25 LBS before the bar and chain were added. It did seem to out cut the 051 he bought next. The next one he bought was a 044. I almost chunked it over my shoulder the first time I picked it up.
I'll just take my 372xp xt all day. I started with a box store all yellow (I think it was a Mac), sold it, bought a Husqvarna 351, it died after 18ish years. Now I have that 372! What a dream. Definitely can't complain.
I would have say Efco 152. I won it right on here!! Not the favorite because it was free, but it solved my shoulder pain. I used a 372 Husky for years, Shoulder hurt so bad I would roll over on it in the night and wake me up. Spent a chuck of change on that shoulder running to the doctors to found out what was a matter with it. So after a few months of using a smaller saw, that Efco, my shoulder started to feel better. Took me a while to come to. I never realized that 372 was causing me all that trouble. I still use the Big saw to cut down the tree if the trees are good size and cut up the logs. But for limbing and small trees I had that small saw in my hands. It did die on me last year, the part that ran the chain, broke clean off. I bought a 450 Husky to replace it, another light saw.
free saw (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=52379.0) 8)
I am not a "chainsaw" person. To me they are tools and I just want them to do the job that needs doing. My first two saws were Homelite XL12's
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/2410/DSCN0568.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1267041274)
and I still have the scars from 18 stitches on my upper arm proving why chainsaws should have a chain brake, especially when you hit some hidden fence wire. Shortly thereafter I parked both of them.
My handiest and most pleasant saw to run was/is a Stihl 028AV even though it now lives at the farm.
The bitty MS170 loves to do trim work and the MS 362 (not C-M) gets er done at the sawmill.
Quote from: motohed on May 08, 2016, 08:57:10 AM
I will start by saying I had Three . Number 1 is the early 90's version husqvarna 262 xp 4.8HP in a 12.4LBS package , It would out cut the 268Xp hands down in 18" wood and under all day . I still have a dozen of them in near perfect condition that run everyday . I ahve amased enough parts to make them out live me . Number 2 would be the early husqvarna 372xp's great for bigger wood and you could get them with the 72cc cylinders . Number 3 was the husqvarna early 357xp's , a carb change made them run almost as good as the 262xp's . 8)
Have a 1995 357 xp its my go to middle weight saw ! :) however Pioneers put firewood in the shed . P-61 , 11-60 & P -20. Made in Peterbough Canada in the 60' s .
My all time favorite would be my 266xp. My first saw that I bought new. Still have it and still use it. Not my biggest nor smallest, but just right for my firewood needs and storm clean up. Not too heavy. Always easy to start, when needed easy to work on. Maintenance is easy and parts have been available. So it's a complete package for me, and MY favorite saw.
My favorite saw is typically my newest one, which right now happens to be a Husky 562xp.
Another Homelite XL-925 fan. My first saw when I started logging. Saws are much improved but I really miss the manual oiler pump on the old 925. Todays saws all have issues with longer bars and dry ash.
I was seriously looking forward to buying a new Stihl 500i, but last year I got side tracked when I found a 1988-'89 Stihl 044 with only a few tanks through it. :D
Three years ago I sold my old worn out 1989 044 and this new 044 sure brings back good memories of its power to weight ratio of 71cc and under 13 lbs.
This year in my tree service the 044 only cuts hardwood, the old 562XP cuts the sappy wood like spruce, balsam fir and pine. I favor the crisp throttle response of the 562 but has way less power and heavier then the 044.
Last year my 1989 Stihl Canada branch manager Steve Meriam who recently retired as Stihl USA's national sales manager and prior was their product research and development manager said the earliest 044AV and 500i share a razor edge comparison of power to weight ratio.
Top handle saws I have owned a couple of 35cc Stihl MS200T but my favorite is my old Husqvarna 39cc 338XPT New Edition with a muffler mod.
Great little ergonomic high P to W ratio saw.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21589/20200909_141336.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1599703160)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21589/20200910_185435~0.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1629551496)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21589/20200910_185842~1.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1629551541)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21589/20210502_081829.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1629551576)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21589/20210502_081848_resized_2.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1629551395)
My most nostalgic saw is my old Stihl 028. I cut more than a couple trees with that one. I still have it but it hasn't run in years. I bought a carb kit for it and even that's been in its box for years. Even if it ran, I probably wouldn't use it anymore.
My favorite right now is a toss up between my old Stihl 661 and my brand new Stihl 500i, although when I reach for a saw, my hand just seems to keep picking up the 500i.
Aside from getting into the collecting aspect with saws and leaning to the big CC saws as what does it for me these days, my favorite is my 262XP I bought new in 96 and still runs strong and reliable. I'm not a professional logger or such but have done a lot of cutting and this saw stands out for me.
I am getting some favorites within the collection though for sure!
I'm not really "brand loyal " and have many brands .I suppose of all saws my favorite is a Stihl 038 magnum .While some say they are heavy I disagree as I'm 73 years old and even at not be as strong as I was at 30 they don't bother me .Reliable ,easily modified with plenty of power even in stock form and still with plenty of parts both OEM and after market available .
Think I always go back to the Homelite 925 series, 562/555 series. Now maybe the 372 to push the 920's aside. Just have too many good experiences. Think that is a sign of age and pain. Loved the big iron, hurts too much to run them for long now.
026 hands down!!!!
The best stories in this thread are the saws that go back some years to saws that may not measure up to well to all the new stuff. But they were what you had, and that's what you ran, and they got it done for you.
I've posted this somewhere before, and nobody would guess this one, but for me it's a Solo 651 Pro. Had to sell my first budding saw collection 25 years ago when I got divorced. Business was only a couple years old, and like many shops, we started with second tier brands when we opened up. Solo, Olympyk, Dolmar. It was the year we got Jonsered and 2 more years until we got Husky. Sold the saws that would bring the most cash, and of course that meant the larger ones. Sold about 20 saws and the one I wish I still had was the Olympyk 970. And obviously in hindsight, it would have made sense to also have a larger saw. But the reality was, and still is, that 50cc's can get it done for most guys.
Kept the 651 for firewood, and it was my main saw for about 5 years until the "collection infection" returned. Also kept a similar Solo 644 as a back up, but hardly ever ran it. The 651 did 95% of the work. A bigger tree and off came the 16" bar for an 18". Always thought it was a comfortable saw to operate, handled great even though by today's standards the anti-vibe isn't that great. Power about like a 51 or 350. Still got it, and still run a tank or two through it every year. And as it was the only saw I ran for those 5 years, I'm sure it will forever be the "run time" champ for me, because I'll never put that much time on any one saw again.
Still hoping to run across a nice 970, but I kind of got the last laugh: The mint and NOS saws in my collection are upstairs in the walk in closet where she used to keep God knows how many pairs of shoes. 8)
Would have to be my EHP 2159. Just a great all around saw. Fell, buck, limb, it does it all.
Interesting you should mention Olympic and Solo. I think I might have ever seen one Olympic in the almost 50 years since I started in this racket, Solo sprayers were popular with the orchardists but the supplier didn't carry saws. Apparently they built the 47 and 54 for Homelite, good saws for the weekend warrior/farmer/orchardist but they weren't around long.
Like that pro, big cc saw that Dolmar had. Nothing at all wrong with it.....just came out at the end of large scale PNW loggin' and found no market. Disappeared almost as fast as it came out. Heck of a saw, but oh well. I think somebody figured its piston would fit a Jonsereds 111S Holy Grail saw with some minor modification.
Speaking of which....I have 111S in a box with two pistons and two jugs. I'm to take the best of the lot and install. Not on the top of my to-do list as I suspect the late 60's design of the 111S is not going to knock my socks off....at least compared to a 2100/2101.
I paid a lot more for that saw than Don did on his recent 2100 beauty. I had to have one....regrettably.
Kevin
Quote from: Real1shepherd on August 25, 2021, 09:26:10 PMSpeaking of which....I have 111S in a box with two pistons and two jugs. I'm to take the best of the lot and install. Not on the top of my to-do list as I suspect the late 60's design of the 111S is not going to knock my socks off....at least compared to a 2100/2101. I paid a lot more for that saw than Don did on his recent 2100 beauty. I had to have one....regrettably.
Open up that box and maybe you'll fall in love with it all over again:)
Quote from: donbj on August 25, 2021, 09:36:55 PM
Quote from: Real1shepherd on August 25, 2021, 09:26:10 PMSpeaking of which....I have 111S in a box with two pistons and two jugs. I'm to take the best of the lot and install. Not on the top of my to-do list as I suspect the late 60's design of the 111S is not going to knock my socks off....at least compared to a 2100/2101. I paid a lot more for that saw than Don did on his recent 2100 beauty. I had to have one....regrettably.
Open up that box and maybe you'll fall in love with it all over again:)
But that's just it....there is no attraction....yet. I got caught up in all the pseudo hype of the Internet about that saw. I never watched a YouTube vid on that saw working that impressed me. On the contrary, they seemed slow to rev and their WOT speed was slow like you would expect from a 60's saw. No doubt the low-end torque is there in spades......or should be.
I'm told they make superlative milling saws. But you've got ZERO parts support. Good luck with that....I've seen 'collectors' wait yrs to find parts on that saw.
Kevin
Quote from: Real1shepherd on August 25, 2021, 09:42:47 PMI've seen 'collectors' wait yrs to find parts on that saw.
Maybe you can get your money back in parts
Quote from: donbj on August 25, 2021, 10:02:11 PM
Quote from: Real1shepherd on August 25, 2021, 09:42:47 PMI've seen 'collectors' wait yrs to find parts on that saw.
Maybe you can get your money back in parts
I've watched this model sell for yrs & yrs on eBay. I could probably double my money for a running saw with a vid or close to triple my money to part it out....in this case piece by piece. But I courted the seller for a very long time and feel like I'd be cheating him to part it out, ethically. I'm sure he'd be OK with it if I sold it running, but I didn't like the saw itself.
Kevin
Without ethics a man ain't got NOTHIN!
As far as obsolete parts for anything you might wait decades for them to show up .One example I can think of is the cylinder head for a 1940 Caterpillar D4 7J series .90 bucks to buy it and 90 bucks to ship it from Maine. fleabay .That was over ten years ago and I still haven't installed it . :D
Waiting for it to ripen? :D
Quote from: sawguy21 on August 25, 2021, 08:23:35 PM
Interesting you should mention Olympic and Solo. I think I might have ever seen one Olympic in the almost 50 years since I started in this racket, Solo sprayers were popular with the orchardists but the supplier didn't carry saws. Apparently they built the 47 and 54 for Homelite, good saws for the weekend warrior/farmer/orchardist but they weren't around long.
Olympyk never did that great anywhere. Had some presence in the markets where Tilton was strong with Jonsered. Some Jonny dealers signed on just so they could get the 999. (103cc). Other dealers were mostly those who couldn't get one of the top lines. Jonsered was certainly one of the top brands back then; equal to, if not better than Husky or Stihl in many markets. Have to wonder why Tilton ever bothered messing with Olympyk when they already had the Jonnys.
The saws were like most second tier brands of the time. They worked fine for general use and firewood folks, but always lagged behind the top brands, so the pro guys never warmed up to them.
"Have to wonder why Tilton ever bothered messing with Olympyk when they already had the Jonnys."
Showcase the best and sell lesser saws if you have to. Or maybe an especially aggressive Olympyk rep who was giving Tilton fishing poles/tackle and or guns to carry them. :D
Kevin
My favorite saw is the Jonsered 2071 Turbo. Can't beat a saw that you could literally throw off a plane and it would still run. Close second is a 2150 with muffler mod. Extremely responsive, sounds mean, and has monster torque for a 2150. My first saw was a Partner 500 and it is tied with the 2150 as far as how I like it. Not as responsive, but is a pro saw, and I have run that thing with no oil for the chain (didn't realize it at the time) and have just beat this saw up. Doing a bit of restoring of it soon, paintwork on the cover is in bad condition, maybe I'll post some pics once I paint it. Anyway I love all my saws, they're great.
Quote from: Guydreads on August 28, 2021, 01:24:29 PM
My favorite saw is the Jonsered 2071 Turbo. Can't beat a saw that you could literally throw off a plane and it would still run. Close second is a 2150 with muffler mod. Extremely responsive, sounds mean, and has monster torque for a 2150. My first saw was a Partner 500 and it is tied with the 2150 as far as how I like it. Not as responsive, but is a pro saw, and I have run that thing with no oil for the chain (didn't realize it at the time) and have just beat this saw up. Doing a bit of restoring of it soon, paintwork on the cover is in bad condition, maybe I'll post some pics once I paint it. Anyway I love all my saws, they're great.
I have a 2065 Turbo in like new condition. Awesome saw!
And the Jonsered 2094.....first saw I ever pitted against the venerable Husky 2100/2101. Amazing 14,000rpm screamer with some serious butt. ;D
Kevin
The mention of the 999 brings up by far the most talked about saw on the internet .It belonged to John Lambert AKA "Gypo Logger ",Franks Planks and Yukon John I'm not certain where it came from but at least 4 or 5 people had worked it over . I saw it once and it actually ran pretty good then big Dave Neiger had a go at it and it ran even better .He worked that thing over with a die grinder and never took one measurement and drank wine while he did it in about 15-20 minutes .
My favourite saw is... I don't have one, hate all of the things to be completely honest. But I've made some dollars with them over the years, and if I'm a whole lot happier with my lot now I stay in the mill and don't go logging except for a couple of hundred tonne a year to keep all my certifications up, well... they are still a necessary evil.
So for me it's not about having a favourite saw so much as the saw I hate the least... and that would be the 395 Huski's. Before that it was the 066 Magnums, before that it was the 056 Magnum II's, before that it was an 076, and I came into the industry hanging off one of dad's big yellow things.
That 90cc mark is about right for most of what I do I guess. But there's no way I can look back at an older saw with worse AV mounts that weighs more and feel a blast of nostalgia... I miss feeling like I could swing them like a toy all day, I miss the big logs and the big machines and the men I worked with. But miss the saws themselves - no way!
I guess my Stihl 036 Pro is my favorite saw for the time being. I haven't worked my newer saws enough to see if one of them might bounce the 036 Pro off of the throne. Time will tell...
Quote from: Al_Smith on August 26, 2021, 02:00:24 PM
As far as obsolete parts for anything you might wait decades for them to show up .One example I can think of is the cylinder head for a 1940 Caterpillar D4 7J series .90 bucks to buy it and 90 bucks to ship it from Maine. fleabay .That was over ten years ago and I still haven't installed it . :D
Try findin' sprockets for an early JD 2010 crawler. :(
That's were you might need to get creative .I'm not familiar with them but it might be such a thing you could weld in "Dakota " sprocket caps if they even make them any more .That would be a lot of work though .
This is off topic but at one time there was a bone yard in North Dakota with a lot of old obsolete stuff .Some old some after market .I used to get their catalogs but it's been years ago . Old machinery just like old chainsaws are not for everybody .
Mine will always be the Stihl 10mm 044. I used it today and it still puts a big smile on my face
Stihl 046 mag. fist prosaw, after some of the cheap big box store Macs, poulons, and Homelite. got it in 1994 just out of residency.
Although I have no real "favorites" I'll put a plug in for the 044 and 046 .Fact any of that basic design .Usually dependable with plenty of power plus you can still get parts for them .Although I've operated them I've never owned one .Of that basic design the only model I own that is running is an 024 which was the smallest so called pro saws during that time period .I saved that one from a dealers "dead pile " it wasn't dead BTW. It's been a good one .
Mine is my current Jred 2149. Not so much because it's the greatest design of all time...although it is remarkably sound for it's purpose...but because of how I acquired it and what I've done with it over the years.
It came into my life when I helped my brother haul some junk to his city's recycle day. There was a little red saw in the scrap motor pile. I knew nothing about the model, but knew the name and the size by the model number. Pulled the cord and it appeared to have compression, and if nothing else the bar and chain were good and would fit my current Husqvarna (forgot the model number, a very forgettable small saw), so I threw it in the truck. Dumped out the "gas" in the tank, and it wouldn't even burn in my fire pit. Pulled the fuel filter and soaked it in straight gas, and filled the tank half with straight gas also. Gave it a good shake and dump, put the fuel filter and mixed gas back in, and with a little dash of fresh gas in the carb, it was running clean after only a few pulls!
Since then, I've purchased my own hunting/forestry land, and that saw is my all purpose clearing, firewood, and light logging saw when I'm felling trees in the winter and need to pack light. It also goes with on the trapline or backcountry snowmobile/fishing trips. I've probably cut over 100 cords of cut to length firewood, and God knows how much brush, poles, hinge cuts, camp wood, ice blocks and other odd tasks. I run over 10 gallons of gas a year through this little guy and it keeps on performing. Relatively light but good enough power for occasional heavy cutting. Compact body, well thought out controls, and most importantly rock solid reliable in any conditions. Just an all around bullet proof saw that does exactly what I ask it to and then some!
I've worked on exactly one J-red in my lifetime and it was some model of 49 cc's. A carb rebuild and a dull semi chisel chain and a choke lever linkage that needed a little bend or two .What ever model it might have been I thought it was pretty snappy for it's size .
New here, but been lurking for a while. I have a special place in my heart for the 041 farm boss (non-antivibe version). It was the saw I grew up with. Dad bucked who knows how many loads of firewood with it when I was a kid. Later when we moved off the farm we'd still help family and friends in the fall with wood cutting. When my brothers and I became boy scouts and dad the Scout Master we'd spend a couple of weekends a year clearing trees at some of the council properties. The saw never did die. just got lost. Dropped it off to have the chain sharpened, and the guy went out of business. When my dad was helping me with my first milling project a couple of months ago. He mentioned he'd like to have an 041 again. So I found a couple that were in rough shape, spent a week or two putting them back together and got them running decently. Dropped the nicer of the two off to him. He was pretty thrilled to have an 041 again. Until about a week later when an 041AV fell in my lap lol. I offered him a 262xp if he wanted it. No, he'd rather have the 041AV. So I'm going to swap it with him.
@jweier80 (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=58164) welcome aboard. Good stuff awaits you!
@jweier80 (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=58164) Welcome aboard! Pour a coffee and pull up a stump. I started working in a Stihl shop in the mid seventies, the Farm Boss quickly became my favourite. Light (for its time), easy to work on compared to some Stihl models and reliable as gravity. I picked one up recently, DanG it needed to go on a diet. :D
I bought a new 041 FarmBoss with no AV and still have it, it still runs but because of the no AV I don't use it much. I've kept it thinking it was the perfect power head for a Lewis Winch but never found a deal on one.
My 1st and favorite was a Stihl 028 Super AV Woodboss. Purchased it somewhere in the early 80's I think. I used it for many years at my hunting camp with no problems at all. I cut all kinds and sizes of firewood. Then in 2016, a shoulder injury and surgery ended using that saw. I switched to an MS192T. It was lightweight, didn't bother my shoulder, and had enough power and bar length to handle the firewood I needed. Still missed that 028, so when I had a chance to buy a like new MS270 last year for $200 I jumped on it. It reminds me of the 028 size-wise and has the same power. I'm able to use it now, because the shoulder is all healed up. Still wish I'd kept the 028.
My favorite saw was my first one, a 3-25 McCulloch, gear drive but the best one I have owned was a 385 Husky and also a 2100 husky, have had a pile of saws oh and I forgot a 285 Husky ( I have 3 of them)
029 million miles on it
Current saw MS260pro because it's kept me warm for 13yrs
Scottiechop, welcome to the forum. You will like it here.
My 372XT. I've learned WAAAYYY more about the workings of saws from it than from the few saws that I had before. It's a 2018 but I don't think that it's going to be the same now as it's going to be in a few years. I've got some plans for it to return to non XT status but that's for when I have to dive fairly deep into it (degree wheel, grinder & tooling...). But for now, it's juusst fine with my leetle muffmod ;D
Got a Dolmar 166 that milled a pile of wood for me over the years. The manual oiler was nice on the 36 inch bar. Found it pretty fussy to keep in tune but every now and then the stars would align, the chain would be sharpened just so and it would eat up what ever got put in front of it.
Day to day I ave a 266XP and an 026 that just keep going and going and going.
My favorite is the 394/395. 25 years ago there wasn't anything that could compete with their spring suspension and air filtration, that I knew of. I'd like to try a 592.
It's got to be my 346XP. It was my first pro saw and got me started in my logs business. Still, regularly used and rarely misses a beat
Quote from: Beau Woodworks on November 13, 2021, 12:47:17 PM
It's got to be my 346XP. It was my first pro saw and got me started in my logs business. Still, regularly used and rarely misses a beat
Never rebuilt or tinkered with?
Quote from: HemlockKing on November 13, 2021, 01:16:08 PM
Quote from: Beau Woodworks on November 13, 2021, 12:47:17 PM
It's got to be my 346XP. It was my first pro saw and got me started in my logs business. Still, regularly used and rarely misses a beat
Never rebuilt or tinkered with?
The biggest thing its needed is a new ignition coil.