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How large of a chainsaw does an average ....

Started by Randy1949, May 16, 2020, 08:09:07 AM

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Randy1949

I live in north Al. and have 10 saws with a new Stihl 462 with a 24 inch bar being the largest.  Being an average home owner with 10 acres of land, I am wondering if I need a larger cc saw, like a Husky 395 or Stihl 661.   Can average person even handle a larger saw or can a 462 cut anything a 395 or 661 cut even if slower?  Any comments or opinions will be appreciated.
Randy

lxskllr

A 90cc saw is gonna get heavy, and make a long day if you don't absolutely need something that big. You need to figure out what size wood you're cutting, and how much, then go from there. I started all this with a 362 and a 25" bar. That worked fine for what I needed at the time. If I had to cut all day with a 25" bar, a 462 would be a better fit.

Stihl specs a 28" bar as the maximum for the 462. If I had the 28" bar frequently buried in hardwood, I think I'd want to step up to the 661. OTOH, if I very infrequently needed something big, a 32" bar and a skip chain should do the job on a 462. On the long end of the bar scale, you'd do yourself a favor getting an ES Light bar. Balance is more important than weight imo, and the lighter bar will balance better.

gspren

I've been living on our farm for over 30 years and my big saw is an 044 with a 20" and 24" bars and anything bigger would have been for the "neatness" of a big saw and there's nothing wrong with that.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

doc henderson

Well, if you have 10 saws and 10 acres, you are not an average homeowner.  I am sure you can handle a bigger saw if you do well with all the others.  So you need a bigger saw for something?  do you just want one.  I have an 880 with a 5 foot bar.  I have used it with that bar twice, and it cost as much as a used car.   :)  .  I run it to exercise me and the saw. we have big elm and cottonwood here.  I had bought a 661 and it had problems the dealer could not seem to fix, so I went on up in size.  got full credit for the 661.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Real1shepherd

Not to be argumentative/disrespectful but if you have 10 saws, you should have covered yourself with every conceivable cutting scenario on your place. But given CAD and all that, nothing wrong with just collecting.

If you had a 372XP it could be setup to cut anything you had. I'm sure there's a similar Stihl model. A 395 would be a waste of a larger saw....you don't say the size of the timber on your place? Bigger cc saws can be somewhat dangerous for amateur cutters.

Kevin

doc henderson

The first real saw I bought was the 046 and it was the only saw I had for 20 years.  I had 5 acres but in ks. not as many trees.  It was great with a 24inch bar, had a 3 foot just in case.  now I have many but the 261 and my old 046 mag are my most often used.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Al_Smith

Just depends on what you want to do with them  I guess .I have saws from 1.9 cubic inch up to 7.5 cubic inch .The two I use  the most are an 024 Stihl at 42 cc and a modified 038 Magnum .The later at 72 cc because it's modified can very easily handle a 32" bar . 
The rest of them,maybe 45-50 are just a hobby thing which is not for everybody .Any more if the saw is not rare or has the ability to be modified into a really fast saw I'm not really interested in them .I've got two 99 cc saws right now I'm restoring .However after I'm done with them  I don't see using them that often .

Pine Ridge

I have three 372 Husqvarnas that i use for logging with 20" bars on them. I have a 288 Husqvarna with a 28" bar that i only use for bigger trees when needed. The downside for me with the 288 is that it may sit for a few months between use, its hard on saws sitting for periods of time not being used, kinda like extra vehicles that don't get driven alot. I can run a 28" on the 372s, but the 288 handles it much better. 
Husqvarna 550xp , 2- 372xp and a 288xp, Chevy 4x4 winch truck

homeheater

All depends on your land and trees.  I have 38 acres and am cutting on about 18.  I have probably 20 face cord on the ground and in the wood shed.  Have a 6400 with a 24" bar that will sit unless it has to be used.  It made 8 cuts in all this wood.  There is a reason I have 6 saws from 43-52cc.

Patrick NC

I've always had a 50cc and a 70cc saw. Currently they are a 550xp mark 2 and a 372xp. The 550 runs an 18" bar and the 372 has a 28". I have a 36" for the 372 but I've only ever used it once.  I only cut part time to supply my mill, but I've never felt like I needed anything bigger.  
Norwood HD36, Husky 372xp xtorq, 550xp mk2 , 460 rancher, Kubota l2501, Case 1845 skid steer,

thecfarm

Sorry all those numbers don't mean nothing to me. I only know what a husky 372 and a efco 152 is,because that is what I have. Husky is a 70cc and the efco is a 50cc.
Just like the models numbers on tractors, I have no idea. I only know about 4 models. ;D
That 372 can get heavy at the end of the day. Did a number on my shoulder until I started to use that efco saw. I did a lot of sawing with that efco.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Tacotodd

Your 462 should do anything you need. With proper technique you can do a lot. I do most everything with a 50cc and the remainder with a 70cc. The 50 wears a 16" and the 70 swaps between my 20" and 28" for everything else and I have yet to find anything around here that people want/allow me to cut that I can't handle. I want it for my own firewood so dropping them in a safe direction is the most difficult part. I wouldn't mind having that 661cm, but reality tells me that it wouldn't be a financially good decision. Just my 2 cents. My biggest yet to approach has been 40" at the stump and if the person wanted it lower, then I would have to get a stump grinder involved. If you drop it at belt height first, you would be 10 steps ahead. You just have to remember that this is on your own land.
Trying harder everyday.

Real1shepherd

A lot of good advice here for the homeowner with more than an acre.

Having been a logger for part of my life, I adapted what I already had in saws to move forward into new venues. I can tell ya though, there's some real BS out there about chains and saws. One of the dumbest 'absolutes' out there is that skip-tooth square file chisel chain gets dull easily and is only suited for PNW softwood, like Doug Fir.

After I quit loggin', I moved into farming and raising sheep. Eventually I bought two farms in central MO and joined them as one. I had about 500 acres. 120 of those acres were woods. I was able to immediately put to the test skip-tooth, square file chisel chain against walnut & oak. Granted, you need 80cc or more to run this .404 chain. It cut like butter into anything I put it in and it stayed sharp like in the PNW wood.

Moral of the story is; don't accept 'absolutes' from the Internet....go with experience and everyday practicality. Consider boards like these as an exchange of ideas based on real time experience. If you're buying and using things just based on what others have 'heard' or tried one time, that's a bad rabbit hole to start down.

Two saws should be enough to service anything you have on acreage. Even one saw with different bar lengths is the most economical way to go. Having a big cc saw sitting around only for the occasional task is not smart usage of a tool. Conversely if you cut/buck large stuff with any regularity, why stand there and gnaw on it with a smaller saw/bar?

Tree services do this and it drives me absolutely crazy. They could cut their time in half by using the right sized chainsaw for the task. They're often tasked to cut/remove large old tress from someone's property and they send the guys out with undersized limbing saws. Sometimes I just have to turn away........

Kevin


Real1shepherd

Quote from: thecfarm on May 17, 2020, 08:30:20 AM
Sorry all those numbers don't mean nothing to me. I only know what a husky 372 and a efco 152 is,because that is what I have. Husky is a 70cc and the efco is a 50cc.
Just like the models numbers on tractors, I have no idea. I only know about 4 models. ;D
That 372 can get heavy at the end of the day. Did a number on my shoulder until I started to use that efco saw. I did a lot of sawing with that efco.
Nobody ever mentions this because as guys, we assume that everyone is big and macho. But the truth is, many homeowners are physically limited into what they can use all day. And also, some homeowners have old injuries and/or are not in very good physical shape. With a chainsaw, you just can't will yourself through the day because you think you ought to be able to do everything the other guys brag about online.

Know your physical limits when buying a saw; if it feels extraordinarily heavy or hard to pull start for you because of a shoulder injury or your physical stature, consider something else. It's really easy for someone to hurt themselves with a saw larger than they can handle.

Conversely, don't take on a large job at hand with a little termite saw. At the end of the day, you'll be more tired then you need to be, considering the original task.

Kevin

longtime lurker

Look I still kill about 500 ton of log a year just to keep in practice logging and put about 1200 ton a log a year through a sawmill, which involves a lot of crosscutting because we buy our logs at tree length. So in terms of time on a saw per annum I am a long way from the 10 aces of woods to keep tidy class, but no-where near where I used to be as a serious pro logger.

I have 5 saws. A pair of 395's, a pair of 461's and a little top handle saw that gets started about once a year. As I get further away from being a serious pro logger that will drop back to 3. One day that little top handle will break and then I'll be down to two. I'll stick with 2 because you cant be stopping a sawmill because 1 saw is sick.

If I ever change careers and just go back to being a guy with a couple acres I'll only own one. Because I have but two hands and I (mostly) keep them both on a running chainsaw. 1 chainsaw that gets used regularly is a better bet than half a dozen sitting around with the carby's gummed up because they arent getting enough fuel go through them to keep them healthy.

The quickest way to make a million dollars with a sawmill is to start with two million.

Ed

I'll run a 36" bar and full skip chain on my 046 if I need it....no issues at all. Much easier on my walking corpse than the 084 and 36" bar.
Really need to rebuild the 066 though.

Ed

celliott

I'd guess 90% of people could cut anything they ever wanted (or should) with a 70cc saw. No, make that anything that will handle a 20" bar. At some point, for personal homeowner use, you have to question if a huge tree is worth your time and physical effort. Because it's usually way more than the saw effort on big trees, regardless of what you're doing with them.
I used to buck up yard maples with a 357xp and 20" bar, cutting from 3 sides. Takes time. 
70cc will get anything done. More than that, if you want more power, that's another deal. And yeah, probably a lot of folks who don't run a saw very much would have a hard time running more than a tank or two through a 90+cc saw, physically.
Chris Elliott

Clark 666C cable skidder
Husqvarna and Jonsered pro saws
265rx clearing saw
Professional maple tubing installer and maple sugaring worker, part time logger

sablatnic

How large I need, don't know.
Have a 100cc with 48", that I use maybe every ten years.
A 80cc with 28", that I use about every two years.
A couple of 70cc with 20", maybe used once a year.
A few in the 50 - 60cc range, 15 - 18 range, used a few times a year.
Some in the 40 - 50cc range with 12 - 15", used whenever I need something cut.
A couple sub 40cc for climbing or clearing of bushes and small stuff.
How large is needed and how large is for fun - I don't know and don't care, they were cheap / free.
A 70cc with 24" / 28" would cut almost all what I have cut yet. But it is fun pulling out the bigger stuff.

Eddie Southgate

Quote from: Randy1949 on May 16, 2020, 08:09:07 AM
I live in north Al. and have 10 saws with a new Stihl 462 with a 24 inch bar being the largest.  Being an average home owner with 10 acres of land, I am wondering if I need a larger cc saw, like a Husky 395 or Stihl 661.   Can average person even handle a larger saw or can a 462 cut anything a 395 or 661 cut even if slower?  Any comments or opinions will be appreciated.
I live in Minor Hill TN , not far from you . I have 36cc ,50cc 60cc , and 72cc saws running right now . Truth is unless you have a lot of large wood to cut and plan on doing so on a regular basis you will not NEED a larger saw than you already own . The saws I use the most are the 36 and 50 cc saws .
1997 Husqvarna 272xp 24"
1998 Husqvarna 136 12"-14"
2019 Stihl MS261 CM 16"-20" wearing an 18"
1966 ? Remington Super 754
2019 Stihl MS261CM  20"
Stihl 0041av 20"
Stihl 041av Electronic 20"
Stihl 044av
Stihl 056 Magnum II
1963 Ford 2000
801 Ford
Woodchuck

Haleiwa

Quote from: thecfarm on May 17, 2020, 08:30:20 AM
Sorry all those numbers don't mean nothing to me. I only know what a husky 372 and a efco 152 is,because that is what I have. Husky is a 70cc and the efco is a 50cc.
Just like the models numbers on tractors, I have no idea. I only know about 4 models. ;D
That 372 can get heavy at the end of the day. Did a number on my shoulder until I started to use that efco saw. I did a lot of sawing with that efco.
Husqvarna uses the first digit to designate the series and the following numbers and the approximate size of the engine.  Thus, a 55 Rancher and a 455 Rancher are the same size, but the 455 is newer.

Stihl uses odd numbers for farm duty saws and even numbers for professional saws.  The older models started with a zero, then the zero was moved to the end of the number, then higher numbers indicate later series.  Thus, a 046, 460, 461, and 462 are all similar size, but the 462 is the latest version.  The big Stihls are the 66 and 88 models.   A 462 Stihl and a Husqvarna 372 are similar sizes.
Socialism is people pretending to work while the government pretends to pay them.  Mike Huckabee

Magicman

Quote from: Haleiwa on May 23, 2020, 06:38:31 PMStihl uses odd numbers for farm duty saws and even numbers for professional saws.
So my MS362 is a what?   ;)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

longtime lurker

Quote from: Haleiwa on May 23, 2020, 06:38:31 PM
Quote from: thecfarm on May 17, 2020, 08:30:20 AM
Sorry all those numbers don't mean nothing to me. I only know what a husky 372 and a efco 152 is,because that is what I have. Husky is a 70cc and the efco is a 50cc.
Just like the models numbers on tractors, I have no idea. I only know about 4 models. ;D
That 372 can get heavy at the end of the day. Did a number on my shoulder until I started to use that efco saw. I did a lot of sawing with that efco.
Husqvarna uses the first digit to designate the series and the following numbers and the approximate size of the engine.  Thus, a 55 Rancher and a 455 Rancher are the same size, but the 455 is newer.

Stihl uses odd numbers for farm duty saws and even numbers for professional saws.  The older models started with a zero, then the zero was moved to the end of the number, then higher numbers indicate later series.  Thus, a 046, 460, 461, and 462 are all similar size, but the 462 is the latest version.  The big Stihls are the 66 and 88 models.   A 462 Stihl and a Husqvarna 372 are similar sizes.
Stihl numbers have never made sense to me. Back when I started the pro Stihls available here were 056/076/070 and 090. Then they discontinued the 056/076 series for the 066 and 088 but the 66 was smaller than the 56 and the 88 was bigger than the 76.
Then emissions regulations came along so they turned the 088 into the 880 and the 066 into the 660 and dropped the 090 out of production worldwide.

Today I can buy a MS 660 or MS880 in whatever version they are on now.
But I can also buy a 651 which is the old pre EPA 066 or a 780 which is the old pre EPA 088 if my government hasnt agreed to the EPA restrictions.
And could get a brand spankin' new in the box MS720 (which will run rings around the lot of them in big wood)  which is a 50 year old 070 with updated anti vibration mounts - if my government didnt make chain brakes mandatory.
And if you put a gear drive on an 2020 MS720 (because the 50 year old part you have in a box on the shelf fits) than it becomes an 090G circa 1976.   ;D ;D ;D

Yeah... Stihl numbers: I luv them.
The quickest way to make a million dollars with a sawmill is to start with two million.

ehp

the older I get the smaller the chainsaws get  Im not sure because Im getting smarter or lazier ;D. Now I pretty much run 462's , I have ran the ported 372 abit but not much , big saws sit in the shop around here , I got a real good ported 3120 sitting in the shop that I have not started in I guess 2 years and its even got a pipe if I want to run that , I sold the 395 and 661 as I just never use them . If I need to run a 36 inch bar I got a ported 461 that will run one but its going to need to be over a 5 ft diameter butt for me to even think about running that long of a bar , not many trees I cannot cut with a 28 inch setup on a saw

Haleiwa

Quote from: Magicman on May 23, 2020, 07:22:31 PM
Quote from: Haleiwa on May 23, 2020, 06:38:31 PMStihl uses odd numbers for farm duty saws and even numbers for professional saws.
So my MS362 is a what?   ;)
Stihl's website lists the 362 as a professional saw 
Socialism is people pretending to work while the government pretends to pay them.  Mike Huckabee

doc henderson

I was told my 261 is a pro saw.  best power to weight ratio.  for a smaller saw.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

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