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Stihl 460

Started by DonT, December 29, 2009, 08:00:12 PM

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DonT

Greetings to all,and happy new year in advance.Now down to business,I have the oppurtunity to purchase a very lightly used(two tanks of gas) stihl 460,I have read a few reviews and owners seem to like them.I currently run a 372xpg and love it.I own both husky and stihl so brand loyalty is not an issue.Can any one tell me how the vibration on a 460 would compare to a 372.Would it handle a 36inch bar?  Thanks in advance i appreciate the input.  DonT

bill m

 I have been a Stihl man for the past 25 years and was not impressed by the 460. It does not have any noticeable increase in power over the 440. I have run a 36 in. bar on a 038,036, and 440. Do you have a lot of cutting to do with a 36 in bar? That 372 would handle that bar. Just keep the chain sharp and let the saw cut.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

DonT

Thanks for the reply.No I would not use the 36inch bar that often, Probably 8-10 times a year,for larger take downs.I can not say enough good things about my 372,I have a 28" for it and full comp it is a little slow,but it works,it usually carries an 18".I have the oppertunity to buy this stihl but have not used one so I thought I would look for some input on them.Yhanks again for the reply.  DonT

Mark K

I think that 372 would have a hard time pulling a 36" bar in hard wood, in soft wood it probably would be fine. I've always had huskys, we use the 372's for bucking and run bigger bars on 385's for falling. We do have 3 stihls, 044,441 and 046. I think the 441 will keep up with the 046 until you get in the bigger wood, then the 046 will eat it but the 046 is milled and ported which ads a little more power. It is alot heavier then the 372. I think if you can buy it reasonable enough I would go for it or run full skip on the 372.
Husky 372's-385's,576, 2100
Treefarmer C7D
Franklin 405
Belsaw m-14 sawmill

Rocky_J

The 046 is 79cc and compares more closely with the 385 than the 372. I think that the 460 is one of Stihl's best saws currently in production and would make a fine 'big brother' to the 372. It would probably be happier running a 28"-32" bar rather than a 36" though. If you want a saw to run a 36" bar full time then consider a Stihl 660 or Husky 395. The 460 will pull it just fine on a part time basis though.

bandmiller2

Don.if you have a 046/460 and a 372 you climbed the mountain man, and seen the truth,I consider them best of breed.Buy all means if you can get that 460 do it,you'll still have to break in ,that Stihl its almost new.Don who bought the saw a professional in need of cash or a weekender,a saw like that can frighted a pilgrim.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

paladin

 I have a 046 mag and it is my favorite saw. It will run a 28" bar in oak no prob. If I was going to run a 36" bar I would try skip tooth chain,it also depends on the wood you are cutting and how much you are doing it. The ms 660/066 would be better choice for running 36" bar full time. The 460 is 76cc and 372xp is 72cc but some of  the later  372's are 75cc I have heard. There is not much difference in displacement. I have run 372's some and they are a great saw,but I still love my Stihl. If you can buy it for a good price I would.

ErikC

  I have a 460 and use a 36" now and then on it. No problem at all, but a little end heavy. I have a 044 also, and although that is a great saw as well, the 460 will eat it's lunch in bigger  wood. I like it best for balance and speed with a 32" bar though. Full chisel full skip (like oregon 72) chain at all times. :)
Peterson 8" with 33' tracks, JCB 1550 4x4 loader backhoe, several stihl chainsaws

ehp

The 460 is quite a common saw around here and a good strong saw to run, The 372 is easier on your hands that is forsure but then again the 460 has stronger mounts . One thing if you can do is buy the dual port outer part for the muffler . That does make quite the difference in power with giving your saw more torque  just make sure you set the carb afterwards but all pro model stihls should come with this instead of making you buy it , On bar length 36 inch is pretty long but if you watch what you doing the saw can get the job done . Also you can run skip tooth chain on the longer bars to help on having enough power . I have one tree guy that will run up to a 48 inch bar on a ported 7900 with a 7 pin gear and skip tooth , its not the fastest but gets the job done and does not have to buy a bigger saw that sits around most of the time

DonT

Once again thanks for all the replies,some great information here.To clarify a little on the intended use, I own and operate a small tree service.The reason i asked about the larger bar is that once in awhile i have a larger takedown to do and a longer bar would be nice.I recently did a 36"dbh black locust and a 42" maple.These trees are not the norm but the do come up regularily enough to warrant a new saw ;D.The particular saw i am looking at was purchased by an individual he needed money and sold the saw to a friend.The friend tried it and found it to much saw for him so he is getting rid of it.



Ianab

You could certainly run a bigger bar on that saw, especially if you went with a skip chain. That way you only have the same number of cutters in the wood at the same time. There is a little more drag from the longer chain and bar, but most of the load is the cutters. Each cutter needs a certain amount of power to drag it through the cut properly, when you dont have enough power for all the cutters in use, either the saw bogs down, you have to lift off the pressure to keep the revs up. When you do that you start making dust, not shavings and your cutters are not working efficiently.

So 36" of fulll skip chain probably only loads up the saw the same as 20" of full comp. OK it only cuts 1/2 the rate but you have it in a 30" log, not an 18" long, so thats to be expected. Each cutter is still making good chips and working properly.

But the occasional 40" tree, I would just cut from both sides with a 24 or 28" bar. Sure it's two cuts, but I find it easier to match up two shorter felling cuts than manhandle an unbalanced saw to make one big cut accurately. I have had to pull out a tape measure to work out if cuts with a 28" would meet in the middle of one tree, but I did have about 3" of overlap  ;)

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

385XP

A460 is a fine saw i dont think you would be disappointed at all. will vibrate a little more than a 372 but not bad.

windthrown

The 460 has considerably more vibration than a 372xp. There is also the issue as to which 372xp you are comparing the 460 to? The 70.7cc (same as the 371xp, really) or the 74.7cc? This is my brother the 372, and this is my other brother the 372... The 460 is a good saw, and will drive a 28 or 32 inch bar with authority. I much prefer the 044 though, which when modded (factory DP muffler and light porting) is about the same power as the stock 460, but its lighter and has less vibration. I sold my 460 and run the 440 when I need a longer bar (28 or 32 inches, but typically I run it with a 25). The 440 was king of logging saws around here until Stihl stopped selling them. Guys have mostly opted for the 460 or the 372xp to replace them. Not many liked the 441. 

The two 372 saws compare similarly to the 440 and the 460 Stihl saws in size and power. Some numbers on the 440, 460 and 372/372 vibration from the factory web sites:

440: 70.7cc left/right, 4.2/4.5 m/s²
460: 76.5cc left/right, 4.2/6.0 m/s²

372: 70.7cc: front/rear, 3.5/4.0 m/s²
372: 74.7cc: front/rear, 3.6/4.1 m/s²

To make matters more confusing, Husky is designing a new 372 now with a strato type air-injected engine to meet new strict USA EPA standards. Husky sent a letter out to dealers a few months ago saying that only the saws built as of now (new year) is all that there will be available in the US for the 'old' style 372 saws. The future is here and many older good saws are going the way of the dodo bird. The 460 will no doubt be next. The 361 is gone, the 440 is gone, the 372 and the other 372 is gone.
Stihls: 440R, 361, 360, 310, 260, 211, 020T. Husky: 372xt.
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Al_Smith

To cut to the chase and not go over nonesensical  stuff like a few pounds heavier and such ,it's a good saw . It will handle 36" of bar with no problems, not as a good as an 066 size but good enough .

If a person could warrent it and especialy for a good price ,I'd say go for it .

madhatte

I usually run 25"/full-comp RSC on my 460, but often use a 32"/full-skip RSK, which it pulls with authority.  36"/full-skip RSK is do-able, by all means, but not preferred.  It's nose-heavy and at the outside of its power envelope.  If you're gonna run that setup only once in awhile, go for it.   Otherwise, you'll be happier making the jump to the 660. 

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