big felling saw

[treefarmer87]

im looking to get a big felling saw i have owned all three favorites husky, jonsered, and sthil. i have never had a prob with my jonsereds that i didnt cause. i like the 395 xp, jonsered 2186/88, and the sthil ms660.

[lumberjack48]

I've ran all these saw's, pound for pound the best saw i ran was a 044 Stihl, It comes alive in your hands.

[treefarmer87]

my dad had one when i was younger it was a good saw

[chevytaHOE5674]

What size trees are you dropping? I cut behind a buncher so everything I drop is larger than ~22" and I use a stihl 440/460 with 25" bar or dolmar 7900 with a 25" bar, heck sometimes even a Husky 372XP. I have bigger saws but are just too much for packing around all day IMO/IME.

[treefarmer87]

i am cutting sawlog timber 20" and up. i had a 24" bar on my old 2171 jonsered, but i noticed the power diff than the 20" bar. i want something like a husky 395 XP or a jonsered 2186/88, or stihl 660. i priced the husky at close to $1000, the stihl $1200, the 2186 $830 my friend recommended the 372 XP i like husky but i dont like the chain tensioner. i like where jonsered's tensioner is though. i usually only cut high grade poplar and oak. i think a saw with a 24" bar will do me good if not over do it for me. most guys around here have a 20" bar for pulpwood   

[chevytaHOE5674]

If your going to run a 24" bar I would look at the 44/460 stihl and the husky 372. After you lug them around all day/everyday every ounce you can not carry around is amazing.

[bill m]

Do you really need that big of a saw and bar? I run a 372xp with a 20 inch bar and don't have any problem with 50 inch trees.


As chevytaHOE5674 said every extra ounce you don't have to carry will make your that much easier.

[Mark K]

I like my 385's with the 24" bar's for bigger wood, saw is a little heavier than the 372 but has more torque. I fell alot of trees with a 372 and a 20" bar. 395 is a big saw to lug around all day.

[sawguy21]

Bill, your 372 appears to have a half wrap handle. I know a lot of guys don't like them but I prefer full wrap for cutting larger timber with a short bar. I have an aversion to standing in front of or directly behind a tree I am dropping.

[treefarmer87]

im not a big guy by any means but i think my jonsered 2171 is heavier than a 395 XP i like the way huskys feel far as weight. one of my best friends runs a 372 XP and thats what he recommended to me.

[Rocky_J]

ummm...
The Husky 372 and JonnyRed 2171 are identical saws. 
And your 395 is heavier, unless it's missing some parts.

[Mark K]

I have an old 2071 J-red, I think that it is the same as the 2171. The 2171 is the same size as a 372, I think some parts are interchangeable so you would be getting the same size saw. I know the 395 outweighs my 385. 395 oughta get the job done though.

[chevytaHOE5674]

The 395 is like 4 lbs heavier than a 372/2171. Strap 4 pounds to your saw and carry it around all day and tell us how you like it.

[sepp]

hi I have one question. saw "is" or "not" locked up, what that mean? little OT I know.
Thanks for answer.

[bill m]

Bill, your 372 appears to have a half wrap handle. I know a lot of guys don't like them but I prefer full wrap for cutting larger timber with a short bar. I have an aversion to standing in front of or directly behind a tree I am dropping.

Yes it is a half wrap. I tried a saw with a full wrap and did not like it. I use an open face notch and cut my stumps low. The full wrap handle got in the way.

[ford62783]

i recomend the 576xp husky its a lil heavier than the 372xp but lighter than the 385xp and its power is a lil more than the 372 but if sharp is well capable of cutting any hardwood or soft wood i have cut pine as big as 50" with mine and had no problems power wise

[Al_Smith]

Oh I know I'm fine one to talk having a bunch of large saws .However you can run pretty long bars on medium sized saws and have good luck  with them .

It's not like you can lean hard on them like they were 125 cc but if you let them cut at their own speed they will do just fine .If nothng else run skip chain which helps out a lot .

[Jim H]

It might just be me, but the saws you listed seem like overkill for a 24" bar unless you're bucking a lot of good size firewood. My 046 cuts pretty DanG well with a 24" and a dual port muffler. I've got a 394 but I keep a 36" bar on it for really big stuff and splitting logs that won't fit on the mill. I think the 385 husky or 460 stihl are probably all you need for the 24" bar, but if I had to pick from the saws you listed I'd go with the 660 as it's a bit lighter weight than the others. You could also try opening up the muffler on your present saw.

[John Woodworth]

I run a 28" bar on my 044 - 046 with full skip and no problems at all for want of power, one other reason I like the longer bar other than falling larger trees is when bucking or limbing you don't have to bend over as much, 4'' makes a lot of difference at the end of the day. Unless you are falling old growth and running a bar 36'' or longer your wasting your money with anything bigger.

[quietrangr]

I have run all the saws mentioned in this thread. Back about 10 years ago when I thought I needed a big saw, I ran 660s and 395s. The 660 is a little lighter, but the 395 is smoother. If I had to run a big saw again, it would be the 395, which also has a hair more power. Now I run a 361 Stihl, and routinely cut 36 inch diameter trees. There's a big difference all right, but I don't see any overall decrease in production from the smaller saw. Remember, you're only gaining time in the big cuts. I guess if you're an impatient younger guy like I used to be, you will like the bigger saws. But if you need more sit-down rests from using the big saw, how much time do you really gain? Those bigger saws haven't been modernized like the smaller saws either. I think the 395 still has an outboard clutch, and a front bar adjustment screw.