Hello guys, how's it going? I'm looking to start a small firewood operation to make a little extra cash on the side. I've got saws already but I'd like to pick up a new one for firewood. In everyone's opinion, what's the best firewood saw on the market?
Thanks
Opinions are like armpits, everyonne has them and they all smell. :D Are you looking new or used? What length of bar? Are you wanting a pro model or a farm/ranch saw? Do you have a servicing dealer with competent people and a good stock of parts nearby? Stihl, Husqvarna or Makita will serve you well if you pick the right model for the job. A 50cc with 16 or 18 inch bar would be my choice for firewood, I don't want the weight of anything larger and it will all be smaller deadfall.
Quote from: sawguy21 on May 06, 2020, 06:22:24 PM
Opinions are like armpits, everyonne has them and they all smell. :D Are you looking new or used? What length of bar? Are you wanting a pro model or a farm/ranch saw? Do you have a servicing dealer with competent people and a good stock of parts nearby? Stihl, Husqvarna or Makita will serve you well if you pick the right model for the job. A 50cc with 16 or 18 inch bar would be my choice for firewood, I don't want the weight of anything larger and it will all be smaller deadfall.
Preferably new. I never seem to have much luck with buying used saws. I'd like something with a little more torque than a 50cc saw. Thanks for your input.
How about money? The obvious choices are Husky/Stihl if money isn't a problem. If you're on a budget, an echo 590 would be a good choice imo.
Quote from: lxskllr on May 06, 2020, 07:05:58 PM
How about money? The obvious choices are Husky/Stihl if money isn't a problem. If you're on a budget, an echo 590 would be a good choice imo.
I don't want to break the bank with a $1,000+ saw, but I want something quality. I've already got the 60cc pro saws from both the big manufacturers and an echo 590. I like all three of them, but I'm seeing if there's something better out there. I don't need a new saw, but I'm always looking for an excuse to buy one.
Ms291 is a nice firewood saw for the price when they go on sale, but if you have a 60cc pro saw id use that. If you wanted to spend a good chunk a ms362 would be an awesome saw for firewood production
Doesn't sound like he would be happy with a 291. The next step up would be an MS462 or Husky 575 XP with a 24" bar, now we are getting into serious power
You don't have your age available.
I myself would have a 50 cc and a 70cc. I had both for years. I won a Efco 50cc chainsaw on the FF. I had no idea that 70cc was the reason for my sore shoulder. ::) Shoulder hurt for years, dummy me, kept swinging that 70cc saw. Used the 50cc for limbing and took a while but the pain started to subside. Took awhile for it to sink in why too. ::) I use the big saw to cut down anything big and the small saw for limbing. All was good until the crank broke off on the Efco. Need another small saw again. Might even drop down to a 40cc this time.
Since you already have 60cc pro saws you will need to give more info like you want bigger or smaller or just want permission to get a new saw.
Was looking at the saws you have listed, you already have the best firewood saw, 562xp, set it up with whatever length bar you need for the size wood your cutting. Light, very nimble and great power for a 60cc saw, with an 18" bar they cut fast.
Stihl MS 261 C-M . Less than 11 pounds , 50 cc , 4.2 HP , does well with 16"-20" bars . With the RS chain they are cutting demons . Under $600.00 .
Also depends what you are lopping up for firewood. Many folks are slicing up 12" dia thinnings and tops and a 50cc saw does that just fine.
Locally you might expect to be slicing up 3-4ft dia Eucalyptus, and a MS660 isn't a silly choice.
Gman, If you're gonna be blocking firewood off a log pile, to sell, you want something fast. You already have the 60cc choices. You will be disappointed doing this with a 50cc. I'd say 372/572 or stihl 462.
But honestly if I'm cutting on a log pile I prefer my 2188 jonsered. 20" bar, cuts real fast. A 372 may not be that much of an improvement over a 562, 20" bar, purely log pile blocking.
My 2 cents, get a 390xp and rock and roll 8)
Thanks for the replies guys. I guess I should have added some more details. Like celliot mentioned, it'll be piled tree length or semi tree length wood. I have a 562xp and 362 right now, but I was wondering if anyone here knew of a better option. I'm doing firewood part time on nights and weekends, so I don't have a lot of time to cut. Therefore I'd like something with some power.
Thanks
sounds like fun. You have 3 great saws. are you missing a size? are you going to be a one man show, or is the additional saw for employees of family to use. how big an operation are you planning, or is this just to bring in some extra cash. I like my 261 pro saw. light and powerful. I use it on the mill. I assume you are talking about hardwood. what size logs. I occ. split up old elm, that is 36 inches round. I use a crane on my track loader to get it on the splitter. I have an older 046mag, and an 880 for really big stuff. If you have all the saws you need, maybe a good sharpener to keep the chain sharp.
The 60cc saws you have are good ones. If you want faster, then you need more cc's, and that means more money and weight.
I'd throw a Makita / Dolmar 790x into the choices, just because it's a 79cc pro grade saw that doesn't weight a lot more than a 60cc saw.
But saws in that cc / power range are all "pro" grade, and cost accordingly. They will all "get the job done" too.
You have fine choices in 60cc saws. "Firewood saw" is a term with so many variables. 60 is almost all I ever need to get the job done. Can get by with 1-2 tanks per year on my 24" saw. I would think you are getting awful close to the $1k you don't want to spend for a significant upgrade to what you have to get one new. I could very well be wrong though because I am not in tune with the big saws. I am loaded at 50-55cc and that's just what I need.
Get a 261C-M from Mastermind.
First of all you'll never get rich by selling fire wood .That said every chainsaw ever made will cut the stuff .A 70 cc saw is a nice mid sized saw .For all intents they all cut about the same regardless of what anybody brags them up .Then it's how much you want to pay and how available is service for one .
Gman,
When I started firewood about 15 years ago, I was using a 455 husqvarna, then about 9 years ago I stepped up to a 372xp, and this past few years I have been using a 395xp husqvarna. I cut and drag tree length to my processor and cut everything on the landing. If I had to pick just one saw, it'd be the 372xp, but the 395xp really speeds up the whole process. As a background I'm cutting dead standing lodgepole pine, 35 years old, 6'5" and 235lbs.
Levi
You already have some of the best firewood saws already. I'd second the idea to lay hands on a Dolmar or Makita 79XX. Put a 20" or 24" bar on it and have at it. They have a good power to weight ratio and can lay waste to a pile of logs.
I like a $1000 saw (Cdn dollars), that's when you get more than a plastic saw. It has a magnesium case. I use a Husqvarna 555 with 16" bar. Cuts faster than the lower end saws I used for years. It's 60 cc.
Husqvarna Chainsaws 555 (https://www.husqvarna.com/ca-en/products/chainsaws/555/966451902)
Great saw for firewood. I don't have big wood since it's 30 year old second growth Acadian mixed wood forest, but I keep thinning the ground for firewood. She all burns and she makes heat. ;D
Quote from: SwampDonkey on May 10, 2020, 08:10:12 PM
I like a $1000 saw (Cdn dollars), that's when you get more than a plastic saw. It has a magnesium case. I use a Husqvarna 555 with 16" bar. Cuts faster than the lower end saws I used for years. It's 60 cc.
Husqvarna Chainsaws 555 (https://www.husqvarna.com/ca-en/products/chainsaws/555/966451902)
Great saw (https://wisepick.org/best-chainsaw-for-firewood/#product3) for firewood. I don't have big wood since it's 30 year old second growth Acadian mixed wood forest, but I keep thinning the ground for firewood. She all burns and she makes heat. ;D
Hm... Thinking about exactly this model or 460 Rancher. What do you think about Makita's saws pals? In comparison with Husqvarna
Dolmar is a good saw. I dont think dolmar makes any homeowner junk but husky does.
Husky's cheap homeowner saws were made by their Poulan division which is gone. The Swedish built product is very good. Unfortunately Makita (Dolmar) is moving out of the gasoline power market so only Stihl, Husky and Echo will be left to meet professional needs. Due to environmental concerns and changing needs the market for saws is dying.
My vote would be the Echo CS-7310 in the appropriate bar length. Great price compared to the other pro saws its size and an Echo entering into the pro arena. There's nothing that saw won't do for you in cord wood tasks.
Kevin
I say cut firewood with a saw in at least the 70cc to 80cc range . I really favored a 046 or 460 stihl to fall and buck saw timber. never could understand why guys wanted a slower less powerful saw to cut firewood. way more cuts per tree when bucking firewood vs saw logs . Sure the small saw will be lighter but its going to take alot more time to buck up a tree.
the MS 400 is just over a grand Can. so less than that in the USA, very good firewood saw in my books
Maybe a slower less powerful saw does not cause so much pain and discomfort to use it. ;) And some may not have the the money for a big saw. I just bought a husky 450, 50cc, I have not started my big saw for about 3 months now. Shoulder feels great. I use to roll over in the night and the pain would wake me up.
Firewood all looks the same when it's split and stacked, but the size it started out can be almost anything. Even "cutting on a log pile" can mean wildly different diameter logs. Timber prices are another variable as grade B logs can be worth more at the mill or in the firewood pile depending on the market. And some areas are just going to produce more small or "pulp" logs. I've seen log loads that don't need anything bigger than a 50cc saw, and others that will need 70cc or better.
The OP when this thread started had 3 of the best firewood saws you can get for most typical log loads. Most loggers don't deliver wood that the average guy, (or processor), can't handle. (If you ask for a load of big stuff that most guys won't want to mess with, you can usually get it at a discount.) Around here, most log loads will be in the 8" to 14" range; nothing that a 60cc saw can't handle with ease. And I don't think the additional power of a 70cc saw means much in that size wood.
That's what I can't understand.....he has saws that with the right B&C, will cut any firewood to speak of.
I'm not sure adding another saw here is the prudent way to go. My vote is still the new Echo pro saw with the appropriate B&C if he's trying to have one saw do everything. Unless prices have changed, you can get into one for $800 with the B&C.
Kevin
Yeah, that was the context of my answer. With the 3 saws he has, and just starting out, plus only looking to do it part time, the last thing he needs is to invest in another saw. Just spend that money on the first log load and get going. He's more than got it covered on the saw side.
All of us know that need is usually not a factor in getting a new saw on chainsaw threads.
Part of the fun.
We do usually have to have an excuse (self imposed or otherwise) at times though.
For me a 372 or ms462 would be minimum 390 661 would be even better. I personally don't care for anything smaller than 70cc I'm sure 25 or 30 more years will change my mind on that lol but for now that is my answer. I tried running a 562 awhile back actually I had 3 of em but ended up going back to the bigger saws
I like my 70cc class saws don't get me wrong, but as of late I've really come to appreciate my 50cc Echo. I choose that being a 1st! If I don't carry any other saw with me, people seem to be expecting me with that more than anything else. Yes it's only got a 16" bar, but 50cc will easily pull 16". My 372's are 20" & 28". I tend to keep those in reserve most of the time. If I cut down a big tree then the 28" comes out. Medium 20", small and Echo shines!
gman98, sounds like you are at the verge of needing a Firewood Processor.
Live deck that can handle LONG logs
Conveyor to stack the finished firewood
maybe IBC metal frames to hold the Firewood
or a dump truck, or trailer to haul to customer site.
For the price / performance category two saws come to mind. Husqvarna 555 and 565. A 565 can handle a 28 inch bar in hard wood for those who may deal with that from time to time. Anything in the 20 inch & down a 555. And it is a tough call. For the best all around saw for the money, the 565 got my bet.
Preferences are determined by conditions, so there's no such thing as a wrong answer here. I'm with cfarm and Todd on running the lighter 50cc saws as well. They are FAR more capable than generally given credit for on these sites. Seems like guys are often hesitant to admit that in these discussions as they aren't as macho as the 70cc and 90cc saws are. Hey, I don't need to be macho, but I need to sign up for medicare by July. LOL
Going up to Walt's place requires a different choice of weapons than working at home. At home, I'll run 50cc saws up to 12" wood. And in my smaller woods, I break down the entire top and pile the brush. No need to swing a 372 while cutting up the top. As can be seen on his videos, Walt never drops a small tree. :) The blocks often need to be halved or quartered in order to pick them up. And a lot of the top stays where it lands. So, 70cc saws get the bulk of the work up there.
Guys selling wood also have different parameters and "get 'er done" speed is more important. There again, 70cc is the rule with most of my customers cause we're talking production. When I'm cutting at home, it's as much recreation as work. If cutting off the log pile I'll often process just a couple logs at a time. Last 2 logs were 10"-11", and I did them with a Jonny 49SP. I'm not in a hurry; just having fun, but the wood shed is filling up. :)
spike ,theres nothing wrong with using any size chainsaw that you have to cut firewood ,especially if your just doing it for fun or a hobby . You really don't even need a chainsaw. Axes and crosscut handsaws actually work pretty good. But the original poster ask about recomendations on a faster more powerful saw so he could make some money ,not just because he wanted to be macho. I'm just glad there are still a few people that wan't to be out in the woods or around a sawmill, it seems like its a dying hobby and /or profession around here in my neck of the woods.
I second Bob's commentary, there really isn't a wrong answer here. Of course he's also the one where we were going to have an easy hour or two of firewood cutting and it tuned into a 4 hr marathon of 4ft diameter wood! ( 565 pulling a 28inch setup was doing fine until I rocked a chain, then a 395 finished .. Bob's "Firewood" saw for the day) Point for me is I never know what I'm going to run into as my "firewood" can be anything from a blow down that can't be predicted to a pre determined set of tree's that CAN be. So for me the "lowest" common denominator concept works. Every year for the last 20 the answer changes based on another factor....what I WANT to run. Hobby fiddles with logic.. I guess the other concept that has taken over with me is we can over analyze anything based on everything from brand preference to hobby saws. A Stihl guy will argue for that, a Husqvarna guy something else. A person into "efficiency" based on their world yet again a third set of priorities. SO All I can do is say what's right for me and my world. Maybe "salt" that with some insight from the guys I support who do it for a living. But at this point for me the take away is there are many ways to skin a cat! ONE of my favorite "Firewood" guys with a processor and all the related toys just ... happens...to like BIG old Husqvarna's. Ask him and the only answer will be 394's....had them for decades and that's it...best firewood saw in existence. Wants me to "freshen" up his favorite tool. For MY part I see an older dude....has me beat by ten years so I would think he HAS to be feeling the aches and pains. SO I lend him my 562HTSS with a 24 inch Bar & chain. He brought it back...still waiting to see the fall out :) Bob has literally 100's of folks who are similar. I consider myself one. At THIS point in my "saw life", one of three saws boil to the top for ME as the "best" firewood saw concepts. A 562 based saw with HTSS tweaks, 365/372 tweaked 48mm hobby saw....but you can't buy them for a reasonable price. SO the one I would recommend is the 565. Cheap. Enough Power. Available. Reliable. Less hassle with the Autotune. Less up front cost than just about any saw in it's class. And dealers are around for parts. The DEALER with a good inventory in stock is part of the equation that should be the deciding factor for most if there are a few saws of different brands on that "perfect" spec list. I have a really good one 15 minutes down the road, and another even better a couple hours away if I need something right now the first one has to order :)
Quote from: grabber green on May 21, 2021, 07:40:08 AM
spike ,theres nothing wrong with using any size chainsaw that you have to cut firewood ,especially if your just doing it for fun or a hobby . You really don't even need a chainsaw. Axes and crosscut handsaws actually work pretty good. But the original poster ask about recomendations on a faster more powerful saw so he could make some money ,not just because he wanted to be macho. I'm just glad there are still a few people that wan't to be out in the woods or around a sawmill, it seems like its a dying hobby and /or profession around here in my neck of the woods.
I'm with ya there GG. I did address the OP's situation in some earlier comments. But the thread moved in a direction of more personal preferences so I went along with that as well. Now if you want to add hand tools, that's cool too. I do sometimes use an axe to strip off the small limbs; say an inch or less. Sometimes it's nice to work in the woods
without the noise of a chainsaw. Have some old crosscut saws, but my attempt to put an edge on one of them was a comical flop, so no crosscut action for me. :)
To me if you're bucking logs on the ground you need a 70+ cc saw with a 25+" bar. Lots of power and less bending. Unless you're at the stage in life of your physical ability doesn't allow you to hold the extra weight of a bigger saw. If you're only cutting smaller stuff and you have equipment that will lift the logs up for you then a smaller lighter saw will work but I find once you get used to the speed and power of a bigger saw it's hard to go back. I have a 462c and 362c. I usually use the 462c but was cutting with the 362c and the difference was very noticeable.
@Dave12 (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=49624)- I agree with your thinking on bucking with a longer bar and a 462, but my back is on the other side of the argument!
Quote from: Old saw fixer on May 23, 2021, 11:36:55 AM
@Dave12 (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=49624)- I agree with your thinking on bucking with a longer bar and a 462, but my back is on the other side of the argument!
I watch guys on YouTube bucking logs on the ground with a 261 with a 18" bar and they're bent in half and taking a longer time getting through a log because of lower power output on the saw. It hurts my back watching them. To me the perfect set up would be something that could get the log between knee and waist height where you could let your powerful heavier saw just melt through the wood....Lather, rinse, repeat. ;D
Been a stihl guy my whole life, got 021,210,029,029 super, and a 066. Just bought a husky 572.. love it.. man is that thing smooth