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New Saw? Husky,sthil, or maybe echo.

Started by PA_LOGGER, March 02, 2009, 08:31:20 AM

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Old_Hickory

gotta love those XP saws

Rocky_J

Hickory, I thought you were going to put that 372 on ebay? You could have sold it by now.

Old_Hickory

Rocky  i  thouht id try here a week I have it posted in the for sale
gotta love those XP saws

ladylake

My 385xp wieght 23# full og gas and oil, a little more than advertised I think, cuts good.  I sure think about the 7900 Dolmar which cuts just as good and wieghts 3# less full.    Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

567paloggger

ladylake this is for you do you know anyone that has that ps7900 dolmar i was thinking on buying that saw but dont know much about it i dont need another saw since i have 5 main saws but nothing else to spend my money on lol

ahlkey

If you want a solid all day saw I would recommend the Dolmar 7900.  I have been using it steady after my recent purchase for the past two weeks and I have been very impressed. This weekend my brother inlaw was using his 066 Sthil (92cc) with a 24 inch bar and the 7900 was close in performance.  Likewise, after half a day he was dragging with the weight and the 7900 was fine.  I use a 20 inch bar which can be changed out with with my larger Husky bars as they use the same mount when needed.  I have used a 372xp at times and it is a great saw but the Dolmar weight/cc ratio was too good not to give it a go.  However, that 372xp from Old Hickory seems a good deal and I also own two other Husky saws and they perform well.  

PAFaller

Love my 7900 too, just make sure you have a dealer around that can get parts. I lucked out that there are a few shops carrying them now so new filters and an occasional vibration mount arent too hard to come by. Bars are same as Husky mount so thats easy.
It ain't easy...

ladylake

Quote from: 567paloggger on March 03, 2009, 11:49:33 AM
ladylake this is for you do you know anyone that has that ps7900 dolmar i was thinking on buying that saw but dont know much about it i dont need another saw since i have 5 main saws but nothing else to spend my money on lol
[/quote

]My friend has one that I've run side by side with my 385xp, cutting speed is real close but at 3# lighter full with the same bar and chain I'd take the Dolmar any day.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

old_hb

Hi,

I've got two 372's an old Stihl 36 and a newer 660. All four of them can cut quite well. I also have medium sized Makita (Sachs Dolmar) and Solo, as well as smaller Echo's and Stihls for limbing and preparing blanks for turning. I would choose one of the Husky's or Stihls depending on where you buy it and whether or not you can get it repaired or serviced easily enough. The larger Solo's are great, but dealers for these and for the Sachs Dolmars are quite rare in my two areas (central SC) and S/Central Virginia. Not being all that mechanically gifted, dealer availability is important to me as well as parts availability.
Good Luck,
HB

jtmccallum

I've got a Husky 372 I run with 20" and 24" bar and a Stihl 361 with a 20" bar.  I am happy with both saws.  Just bucked a 24" white oak for a friend today.  He was impressed, said it would have taken him all day.  We have flat ground so weight isn't a big concern.   I can also quit if  I get tired.   ;D
John M.        '97 WM LT40Super Manual 40HP Lombardini,  XP372,   CASE 1210 W/ Loader

ontariologger

a husky 372 XP with a 20" bar will do you just fine great for topping and with the 20in bar you can still fall up to a 40" tree, i use huskys all day great saw i have 372 xp 20" and 575 xp 20" each a great saw. IF your buying new get the new husky 576 more improved then the 575s

shinnlinger

I am NOT a logger but It has been said that "there aint a tree in Maine that can't be cut with an 18 inch bar" and I cant believe the trees are much bigger in PA.  Since opinions are like well, you know, I will offer mine.

If you want to be safe and get a bigger saw, get the 372 or the JOnsered 2171 (same saw, different handle and color)  I would get a 20 inch bar to start and maybe a 28 inch one for the occasional big job WHEN that big job arrises unless you smell a salesman willing to throw one in(ha!!).

My logic is  the smaller bar will still get it done, but is less teeth to sharpen and less teeth to go into your leg/foot/barbedwire/neighboring tree and kickback/etc  What you lose in cool factor, with a shorter bar, you gain in life expectancy.  I have used a 372 with a 24 inch bar a few times and it is a great saw, but it was overkill for almost anything I used it on around here and sharpening it was not as much fun as my 16 inch Jonsered (which has cut me 30+ inch pine more than a few times)
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

barbender

Go with skiptooth chain on those long bars, my 24" with skip sharpens faster than the 18" full comp. I really don't notice a difference in cutting speed or anything else, it's just fewer teeth to sharpen. One of the reasons I like a long bar is I am 6'5" and I don't have to bend over when I am bucking and limbing.
Too many irons in the fire

indiaxman1

Worked Stihl for several years....now have three saws...like the three bears..small..Husky 40cc.....newest mid-size Dolmer 51cc (a real sweet size)..and my big dog...old 68 cc Sachs Dolmer with 2ft bar...the big one says made in West Germany....but rolls great....truthfully...the mid-size new Dolmer can handle most everything except the biggest diameters.....it do get heavy toting the big boy...so I would suggest compromise with a newer mid-size--18-20" bar.....it will do all you need....a small one is handy for tops and trim....and if you get into big stuff..then add the hoss.....

Banjo picker

My three bears are all Stihl.  The little home owner 180 gets a lot of use around the mill.  The most used is the 460 with 20" bar (man i love that saw)  (Yes I'm the kind of guy that can get romantic about a saw   :D )  Then if you need something split open use th 084 with 36" bar.  If I had the guts to use a powder wedge I probaly wouldn't need it.  But its there if I need it.  Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

VTWOODKID

Quote from: PA_LOGGER on March 02, 2009, 11:30:56 AM
Ive been doing it off and on my life. 18years old now working for a good company the 20" bar isnt bad for most of our trees a little bigger wont heart thats why im thinking 24" or 28" now im not all to sure what CC i should get though my cuz runs a 80cc saw with a 28" bar, but do you need that much?

Ive been looking at 2 huskys a 357xp or 372xp! any thoughts?
I love the 362xp but i dont think its made anymore... i have never ran a 357xp but i like it better than the 372xp.

Engineer

Not from personal experience, but a decent list you can use as a starting point.  Best thing you can do is get them in your hands, running, and see how you like the feel.  Your dealer support is often the biggest selling point, brand loyalty not so much if you have some experience; the antivibe, the handle, the parts availability, even interchangeability with other saws you own (bars and chains) can be pretty important.

These all have decent rep in several forums I frequent:

Stihl MS361-MS440-MS441-MS460
Jonsered 2165-2171-2186
Husky 359-372XP-385XP
Solo 681
Dolmar 7900-7300-6400 (same saw different displacements)
Makita 7901-6401 (it's Dolmar in blue)
John Deere/Efco CS62-CS81

All would do well with a 20" to 24" bar in PA hardwood.    I don't know enough about Echo, Shindaiwa, Redmax or any other brands to put 'em on my list.  It's also a list I've been making for myself when it comes time to buy a new saw. 

Rocky_J

A very good list, engineer.  8)

I will add one small observation. There is very little difference between the 357xp and the 359. The 359 does not have the 'xp' designation indicating the 'pro' designation but there is virtually no difference in quality between it and the xp series. There is a bit of price difference though. Many consider the 359 a bargain pro saw.

John Mc

Quote from: Rocky_J on March 10, 2009, 08:15:52 PM
There is very little difference between the 357xp and the 359. The 359 does not have the 'xp' designation indicating the 'pro' designation but there is virtually no difference in quality between it and the xp series. There is a bit of price difference though. Many consider the 359 a bargain pro saw.

The specs claim a 13% increase in power from the 359 (3.9 HP) to the 357XP (4.4 HP). Is that true in the real world, or is it as optimistic as Husky's weight claims for the 357XP? Even if it is true, does the torque band make more of a difference than this little bit of HP?

I bought a used 357XP, and have been quite pleased with it... but the closest thing I had to compare it with was a Jonsered 2152, so it's no wonder I am impressed with the power increase. I've often wondered if I should have been looking for a 359 instead. If I had been buying new, I probably would have... $150 price difference for the two saws (new) back when I was shopping in the fall of '08.

John Mc
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Rocky_J

In my limited opinion I think they are a lot closer than that. I do know that the guys who do the engine porting on saws can get more power out of the 359 than the 357xp due to the port configuration. But in stock form the 357xp is slightly stronger.

John Mc

Quote from: Rocky_J on March 10, 2009, 09:10:46 PM
In my limited opinion I think they are a lot closer than that. I do know that the guys who do the engine porting on saws can get more power out of the 359 than the 357xp due to the port configuration. But in stock form the 357xp is slightly stronger.

So then the question becomes: How much porting does the $150 difference in price get you?
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

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