20 inch saws ?

[Wilmar]

Hi

I am looking for advice on a 20 inch chain saw for light to medium duty work ?

typical homeowner type stuff  and  about 2 cords of firewood per year

[Tom]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Wilmar.  We have some very opinionated folks that will be along shortly.  They like these kinds of questions. 

[Al_Smith]

Opinionated,balderdash.Why for heavens sakes,nothing could be further from the truth.

Now then,that over,get a refurbished McCulloch super Pro 125 with a 101 AA kart engine and a 36" bar,that would make short work of those two cords.

Pay no attention to my ramblings,just the mumblings of a lunatic.

Seriously,for just puttsing around,trim the trees or do a little firewood about any 50 cc sized saw would work.Pick your poison,Poulan/Craftsman,Dolmar,Husqvarna,Stihl.

The last three on the list are better quality but that comes with a price.Somebody else will be along soon with a different view point of perhaps spending 7 to 8 hundred for a saw that will last you the next 50 years ,with your work load.

[beenthere]

Opinion:  I like the 20" bar size for firewood. I can cut using the tip and not have to bend over (5'9").  Mine is on a Stihl MS361 which is a lotta saw for 2 cords, but will handle it quite well. There are other choices as well. My dealer and years of Stihl performance causes me to have such an "opinion"    I'd suggest picking the dealer first who'll work with you, and then you work with him. It's the best of both worlds. 

[thecfarm]

Welcome to the forum.I only run a 18 inch on my 372 husky.I would think the 18 or a 16 would do you just fine.I cut about at least 30 cords this year,so far.

[Part_Timer]

Hi

I'm partial to my 290 Stihl with the 20"bar.  I have several sizes but the 290 seems right to me for firewooding.   The reason I picked stihl is because of the service I have gotton from our local dealer.

I'm with beenthere.  Find a good dealer then get your saw.

[Kevin]

I would be looking at what local dealer is available and a saw from 60-70cc range.

[sawguy21]

My flat out favorite is the Husky 55R and with a 20" bar, I don't need to bend over so far for limbing and bucking. Not so young and bulletproof anymore.

[SawTroll]

Hi

I'm partial to my 290 Stihl with the 20"bar.  I have several sizes but the 290 seems right to me for firewooding.   The reason I picked stihl is because of the service I have gotton from our local dealer.

I'm with beenthere.  Find a good dealer then get your saw.

Forget the MS290,. even if your needs are not that demanding - it is a heavy plastic "pig" with bad air filter system and lots of vibes - and far too little power for the weight...

The MS 361 is great, but your needs are pointing me in the direction of the Husky 359 or 365, for (hopefully) less money....

[rebocardo]

I like my Husky 365 with the 20" bar because it is light and still able to cut fast through 18-20" oak like butter. I frequently run it with a 28" bar in the same type of wood.

If you buck a lot of 20" hardwood, I would probably opt for the Husky 372 at Bailey's for $550 because for $50 more you get a lot of saw for the money and it is not that much heavier.

I have noticed the used Husly 365s sell on E-Bay now for $200-250.

I guess my question is how much money are you willing to spend and what kind of wood do you cut? How wide are your normal firewood logs?

For only two cords a year (16 hours of use) I would seriously consider a Poulan Wildthing (2375) with an 18 inch bar. It is a great saw for $150.00 with a carrying case.  I got about 200 hours of use out of mine in one year and it died because I was abusing it (using it to quarter/rip firewood)

Husky 365/372 = $550-$600
Poulan 2375 = $150

With care the Poulan should last at least 100 hours.

Which one will offer the best Return On your Investment? Husky/Stihl are repairable out of warranty, the others are basically not and are throw aways.

[Don K]

I ordered a new Husky 359 with a 20 inch bar from Bailey's earlier this year to replace a old but not worn out Husky 66/77? that my grandfather left me. The 359 has not disappointed me yet on anything I have touched it to.     

[limbrat]

Earlier this year i got a dolmar ps 510. It is a 50cc saw that turns about 13500 rpms and has excelent vibration control. You can clean the air filter without pulling any screws and the chain tensior is side mounted for easy access. I have nothing but good things to say about this saw. I got mine on sale for 300 but the regular list is about 350. If you wont something hotter it has a faster and more powerful twin(same weight) called a 5100. If you have a local dolmar dealer a 510 is worth a look.

[ComputerUser]

What are you cutting, mostly?  What sort of work constitutes "light to medium duty work"?  If you can give us a better sense of what you're going to be asking the saw to do, it will be easier to know what you'll need to get it done!

I'll go out on a limb and assume that you should be able to easily get by with a 55-65cc saw ("60cc class") to meet your needs.  You might even be able to get by with less than that, depending on exactly what your needs are.  But you definitely can't go wrong with a 60cc saw as an all-around saw.  Here are some thoughts:

If I was limited to one saw for firewood and general use, I'd probably go for a Stihl MS361.  An excellent all-around saw with pro-grade construction (magnesium case, superb anti-vibration and air filtration) and a great power-to-weight ratio.  You can run up to a 28" bar with skip chain and be satisfied with the performance, and be thorougly impressed with a 16" or 20" setup.  $570 is the going rate in most neighborhoods.  This is one of the few saws that leaves a smile on my face when I use it.

If that's a bit pricey for your needs, Stihl's MS290 and MS310 are good, solid saws that will get the job done.  They are homeowner-grade saws, with plastic cases and relatively inferior anti-vibration, air filtration, and power-to-weight ratios.  But they are reliable as can be and will get the job done.  I ran a 290 for years before the saw addiction kicked in and it always did what I asked of it.  Expect to pay $330 for an MS290 and about $50 more for the 310.

On the Husqvarna side, your best options would be the 359 or the 357XP.  The 357XP is roughly equivilent to Stihl's MS361, with a price to match (though one online retailer is currently moving them for $449...heck of a dea!).  The 359 is also a magnesium-case saw, but lacks the XP designation; it also comes with a non-pro price, $410, which is nice.  The only caveat is that if you get the Husqvarna 359, do yourself a huge favor and immediately retrofit an earlier non-catylitic converter muffler!  It is a $40 part that is a direct swap, though it will compromise your warranty (oh well...).  Just make sure you retune your carb afterwards so you don't burn it up, which may require removing the adjustment limiter stops to get enough fuel into the saw.  You'll get an increase in power (back to that of the earlier non-cat 359s), a marked increase in acceleration, and it will get the heat the heck away from the engine faster, leading to longer engine life.

Husqvarna also offers the 455 Rancher and the 460, which are analagous to Stihl's MS290 and MS310.  They're not bad saws by any measure, but they suffer from the same overweight issues of their Stihl counterparts.  For the cost of either of 'em you might as well go for the 359 and markedly get a superior saw, in my opinion.

Slightly smaller in displacement and preferring a shorter bar (16" is about perfect), the Husqvarna 353 is a magnesium-cased pro-grade saw that would be a good choice, especially because it is so light (10.6lbs) and can be had for about $360.  The plastic-cased 350 is also a good choice, albeit with a plastic case and a $300 price tag.  It doesn't have the overweight problems that plague the 455/460 or Stihl MS290/310, and seems to hold up very well in serious use for a "plastic" saw.

Whatever you choose, happy cutting!!

[ex-Engineer Wannabe]

I haven't used a Husky for many a year, so I can't comment on their current quality level.  I can, however, give you my thoughts on certain Stihl products.  Given what I read in your original post, I'd agree that a 60cc class saw is a good choice.  I'd also agree with a couple of my fellow board members that a 20 inch bar is a great way to go. 

I recently purchased a Stihl MS 361, for example, which is in this class.  As the shop chose to display the saw with a shorter bar, I negotiated to have the tech change mine to a 20" Rollomatic E.  They did this free of charge and threw in an extended bar cover to boot. 

Since the purchase, I've been involved in extracting an urban legend -- a HUGE sprawling oak that's situated in the middle of several types of expensive structures.  Anyway, the tree died some time ago, so it's pretty darn hard at this point.  As I've been so impressed with the MS 361 during this job, I never even thought to grab another saw -- and that includes pulling it up into the tree for cutting rigged limbs. 

Although it may read like Mr. Stihl himself wrote this, I can tell you that this particular saw is certainly the best all-arounder I've ever used.  I'm not affiliated with Stihl in any way and I've got nothing against any other brand -- I'm just very happy with my saw.  I figure, if you've got no qualms with complaining about inferior quality, you should also take the time to recognize folks when they produce a great product too.
       

[fishhuntcutwood]

Two cords a year isn't very much, which is good because you don't need a super timber saw.  But for the 20" bar that'll bump ya up a bit.  For what you're looking for, I'd also look at a 60 cc or so saw.  The 361 comes to mind.  I love mine.  Very versatile saw.  You get what you pay for, but for two cords a year, it may be more cost effective to forego alot of the pro saws and be fine with something like a Stihl 310 or 390.  They're heavier, but will each pull a 20" and not break your bank.  Taken care of, and maintained, they'll last you a long time under the conditions you mention.

Jeff

[Wilmar]

Thanks  for the answers

I am leaning towards Husky  but Dolmar is also a good choice

the local dealers  are no help  it will be an internet purchase and a few local guys who do not sell saws could fix anything ...  waiting for parts is no problem as it is not used every day

thanks again

[ehp]

of the saws listed I would go with the 359 , its a very good saw and if you get one do yourself a favor and get it muffler modded . It night and day difference in them,

[SawTroll]

What are you cutting, mostly?  What sort of work constitutes "light to medium duty work"?  If you can give us a better sense of what you're going to be asking the saw to do, it will be easier to know what you'll need to get it done!

I'll go out on a limb and assume that you should be able to easily get by with a 55-65cc saw ("60cc class") to meet your needs.  You might even be able to get by with less than that, depending on exactly what your needs are.  But you definitely can't go wrong with a 60cc saw as an all-around saw.  Here are some thoughts:

If I was limited to one saw for firewood and general use, I'd probably go for a Stihl MS361.  An excellent all-around saw with pro-grade construction (magnesium case, superb anti-vibration and air filtration) and a great power-to-weight ratio.  You can run up to a 28" bar with skip chain and be satisfied with the performance, and be thorougly impressed with a 16" or 20" setup.  $570 is the going rate in most neighborhoods.  This is one of the few saws that leaves a smile on my face when I use it.

If that's a bit pricey for your needs, Stihl's MS290 and MS310 are good, solid saws that will get the job done.  They are homeowner-grade saws, with plastic cases and relatively inferior anti-vibration, air filtration, and power-to-weight ratios.  But they are reliable as can be and will get the job done.  I ran a 290 for years before the saw addiction kicked in and it always did what I asked of it.  Expect to pay $330 for an MS290 and about $50 more for the 310.

On the Husqvarna side, your best options would be the 359 or the 357XP.  The 357XP is roughly equivilent to Stihl's MS361, with a price to match (though one online retailer is currently moving them for $449...heck of a dea!).  The 359 is also a magnesium-case saw, but lacks the XP designation; it also comes with a non-pro price, $410, which is nice.  The only caveat is that if you get the Husqvarna 359, do yourself a huge favor and immediately retrofit an earlier non-catylitic converter muffler!  It is a $40 part that is a direct swap, though it will compromise your warranty (oh well...).  Just make sure you retune your carb afterwards so you don't burn it up, which may require removing the adjustment limiter stops to get enough fuel into the saw.  You'll get an increase in power (back to that of the earlier non-cat 359s), a marked increase in acceleration, and it will get the heat the heck away from the engine faster, leading to longer engine life.

Husqvarna also offers the 455 Rancher and the 460, which are analagous to Stihl's MS290 and MS310.  They're not bad saws by any measure, but they suffer from the same overweight issues of their Stihl counterparts.  For the cost of either of 'em you might as well go for the 359 and markedly get a superior saw, in my opinion.

Slightly smaller in displacement and preferring a shorter bar (16" is about perfect), the Husqvarna 353 is a magnesium-cased pro-grade saw that would be a good choice, especially because it is so light (10.6lbs) and can be had for about $360.  The plastic-cased 350 is also a good choice, albeit with a plastic case and a $300 price tag.  It doesn't have the overweight problems that plague the 455/460 or Stihl MS290/310, and seems to hold up very well in serious use for a "plastic" saw.

Whatever you choose, happy cutting!!

That was one h*ll of a good post!

[rebocardo]

>  it will be an internet purchase

I have been pleased with my Internet and mail order purchases from Bailey's, plus, they can service what they sell.

[fishhuntcutwood]

That was one h*ll of a good post!

He is known for that.

[rebocardo]

Agreed, good post by ComputerUser.