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Need a saw with a 28 inch bar. Which one?

Started by ukwildcat53, October 06, 2016, 04:19:14 PM

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ukwildcat53

I have a farm in Georgia.  I heat with firewood in the winter but only cut for myself.  Often I will have trees down around the farm that I will remove.  I have a Husqvarna 346XP that I have had since 1999 and love the saw.  I am looking to buy a new saw and would like to have something with a 28 inch bar and would like to stay around $600.  I have checked out the Husqvarna 645 Rancher online and it looks interesting.  The specs say up to 28 inch bar but I wonder if it will really be able to handle it.  Looking for advice and suggestions.  All help will be greatly appreciated.

jdonovan

I'd consider a 24" bar. Unless you have a specific need for a 28, you're much more likely to find 24" bars/chains in stock at a local shop than you are to find a 28".

I assume you mean a 465 rancher?  If so that's a 4.29 HP saw. I run a 372, which is a 5.5 HP saw, almost 25% more power, and when I've got all 24" in oak, I'm wanting for more power. I can't imagine 25% less power, and 4 more inches of bar would be a happy combo.

If you want the longer bar so you don't bend over as much, but don't expect, or want to have all 28" in a tree, then I think your expectations can be met.

Greyhound

70+cc territory.  Husq 372XP/576XP, Stihl MS461, Jred CS2172, Dolmar/Makita 73/79cc.  If you plan to use it mostly with a 28" bar andchain, then go for the higher cc models (upper 70's into the 80's) rather than the 70-72 cc models.  You can get away with the 28" bar for occasional use on the smaller 70cc ones.  Saw won't be real happy, but it will survive.

Ignore the "recommended" bar length on the Husq website.  It recommends 28" for the 562XP (60cc, 4.7hp)  and the 576XP (74cc, 5.7hp) and the 390XP (88cc, 6.5hp), but somehow recommends 32" for the 576XP AT (74cc, 5.6hp).  That is totally nonsensical. I would never "recommend" a 28" bar on any stock 60cc saw and somehow adding the auto tune to the 576 adds 4 inches to the "recommended" bar length.

Unfortunately, none of the new saws in this size range is in your budget.  So, I would recommend rethinking your needs, rethinking your budget and/or considering a good used saw.

HolmenTree

Yup, when you get into 28" b/c territory your no longer into home owner saw class.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

ukwildcat53

jdonovan you are correct, it is the 465 Rancher I was talking about.  The problem I have is that quite often I encounter trees in the 26 to 36 inch diameter range that I need to remove and with my Husqvarna 346XP and a 20 inch bar and chain it is an impossible job.  Even though Husqvarna says max 20 inch bar for my saw that is really pushing it with a large oak tree.

4x4American

Greyhound nailed it.  If it was me, I would be looking for a saw in the upper 70cc class, namely a 460 Stihl, or, if you can find a decent used one, a 660, 066, etc.  I bought an old 066 off a logger for $300 and it's been one of my favorite saws.
Boy, back in my day..

HolmenTree

Or with a little patience you can run a 1970's Echo 30 cc saw with a 28" b/c

Unfortunately Falleri died 5 years later at a young age 62 in 1979.


  

  

  

  

 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

DDW_OR

how about the Echo cs=800
36 inch 80.7cc, and between $800 and $900

I have the cs-310, 14 inch 30.5cc, lots of power
"let the machines do the work"

HolmenTree

DDW_OR,
Good choice with the  800, I believe the Echo saws are still manufactured in USA.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

sandsawmill14

i run a 28" on my stihl 441 mag and it does fine  :) it aint no racehorse but has plenty of power to do the job  but again it is above your price point  :-\ but if your trees are under 46" shouldnt have any problems getting by with a 24" bar :) and its fewer teeth to sharpen ;)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

HolmenTree

Making a living with a saw since age 16.

square1


Ianab

Quote from: HolmenTree on October 07, 2016, 12:04:20 AM
20" b/c is all you need.  Trust me
:)

Agreed, but maybe on a saw with a bit more grunt. A good ~60cc saw with a 20" bar is a good combo and can handle the occasional 36" tree just fine. The 20" bar on a 45 cc saw is a bit more than it's really happy with if the bar is buried in hardwood. To happily run a 28" bar and cut with the full bar you want a 70-80cc saw.

I run a 28" on my Dolmar 7900, which was one of Greyhounds suggestions. That's nicely balanced and has plenty of power. But then I've used that on trees up to ~50".

That 465 would cut good with a 20" bar. If you make a habit of cutting big trees, then a bigger saw is justified.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

ladylake

Quote from: HolmenTree on October 06, 2016, 10:47:14 PM
DDW_OR,
Good choice with the  800, I believe the Echo saws are still manufactured in USA.

  Echo saws are either made in Japan or the USA. As with most saws now days the limiter caps need to be pulled and tuned for your gas, elevation and temp ( either by you or a good dealer).. Also Echo saws really respond to a muff modd, with that done they  run  right with the best of them. I think Echo clogs them up to get by regulations.  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

jdonovan

Quote from: ukwildcat53 on October 06, 2016, 09:56:58 PM
The problem I have is that quite often I encounter trees in the 26 to 36 inch diameter range that I need to remove

ok your statements aren't lining up... if you're just cutting a bit of firewood for personal use. You are in Georga, so its not like you have a 6-month long -20 winter that a guy from Maine would be facing. I'd guess your not burning much more than a few cords a year unless you're living in a really drafty ol' house, and trying to keep it at sauna like temps.

A 24" oak should net you 2-ish cords, and a  36" oak should net you 4-5.  So 1-2 24-36" trees a year, is just fine on a 20" bar saw.




4x4American

Thanks for that articale HolmenTree, that's a goodun.




Personally I prefer a 2' bar on a 70cc saw.  20" on a 60cc.  And 18" on a 50cc.  Then I have 28, 32, and 36 for the bigger saws (056 mag II, 066, 660)
Boy, back in my day..

ukwildcat53

jdonovan the problem is not cutting firewood.   I can do that just fine with the Husqvarna 346XP.  The problem is that with the drought conditions we have had here in the last 10 years there are trees going down constantly which I need to remove.  Many of them are very large trees.  My saw is a 50cc saw and I can use a 20" b/c but it is really lacking the power to cut when you are using the full bar in an oak tree larger than 20".  I can still cut from both sides and get it cut but it takes forever to get one cut and when the trunk is 15' long we are talking a massive job.  Maybe I just need something with more power and a 24" bar. 

ukwildcat53

The $600 price is not in concrete.  If I need to spend more money to get a really good saw then I will do so.  Whether it is a longer bar or more power I have to do something other than what I am doing now.  From suggestions here I have looked at the Dolmar 7910 and the Echo CS 800.  They both look like really good saws with plenty of power.  Is one saw better than the other? 

Walt

I not a Pro as so many here are but on occasion I like to stand on one side and cut with one cut, all from the same side. The last several tree's I fell'd were about 30 inches chest height. I bought a 461 with a 28 inch B/C for felling, haven't regretted the purchase. The saw is a beast. I since added in a 20 inch bar for cutting up fire wood. A longer bar for me adds in a comfort zone that I can't use as an option with a smaller bar, but then again I ain't a pro, but I'm very careful...Regards Walt
MS461R, MS290, MS170, Homelite XL, Dirty Hand Tools 27T splitter, Kubota B20 FEL&BH, Timberjack Woodchuck, US Stove Co. 2421 for heat. Too many Wheel Horse Garden Tractors..

SawTroll

Quote from: DDW_OR on October 06, 2016, 10:38:57 PM
how about the Echo cs=800
36 inch 80.7cc, and between $800 and $900

I have the cs-310, 14 inch 30.5cc, lots of power

No Echo saws have "lots of power" for their size, that's the main weakness of the brand. Mostly the power rating is shockingly low, which likely is the reason they keep the numbers secret in North America.

The power of the CS-800 (-8002 by now) barely is on level with 70cc saws from the major brands (lower than all current ones), and it is a larger and heavier saw. That doesn't mean that it won't handle a 28" setup though, I'm sure it will.
Information collector.

sandsawmill14

the dealer should make more difference than the brand if i were you  :) the 460 is  great saw but so are most other saws BUT BUY ONE FROM A LOCAL DEALER that KNOWS how to do the service work instead of tractor supply or online or something like that  :) talk to some of the loggers in the area and see which dealer they recommend :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

ladylake

Quote from: ukwildcat53 on October 07, 2016, 11:40:01 AM
The $600 price is not in concrete.  If I need to spend more money to get a really good saw then I will do so.  Whether it is a longer bar or more power I have to do something other than what I am doing now.  From suggestions here I have looked at the Dolmar 7910 and the Echo CS 800.  They both look like really good saws with plenty of power.  Is one saw better than the other?

  I have both a 7900 Dolmar and Cs8000 Echo. Real close to the same cutting speed, the Dolmar revs higher but is more finicky, the Echo is lower RPM with lots of grunt that can pull a aggressive chain.  I'd go with the Dolmar as its a couple pounds lighter.  I'd take a 80cc Dolmar over almost all 70 to 85 cc saws.   Some on here only go by paper specs.  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

sandsawmill14

and the paper specs are like the bdft per hour rating in the sawmill ads  its in there if you can figure how to get it out  ;D
none of the companies say anything false but all tell it a little bigger than it is :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

4x4American

I agree with Sands, find a good dealer and buy that brand of saw.  I have a Stihl 461 and it is a beast, I don't think you'd regret buying that saw.  Just get it with a 28" bar and then have a 20" bar as a spare if you wanted.  I have a friend who keeps a 20" bar on his 460 and loves it.  I know a logger who's 67 years old, and ever since the 046 came out, them are the saws he's been running, with a 20" bar, day in and day out.  He works by himself, skids with a 640 john deere.  He says the 460 balances perfect with a 20" bar
Boy, back in my day..

HolmenTree

Quote from: SawTroll on October 07, 2016, 03:02:04 PM
Quote from: DDW_OR on October 06, 2016, 10:38:57 PM
how about the Echo cs=800
36 inch 80.7cc, and between $800 and $900

I have the cs-310, 14 inch 30.5cc, lots of power

No Echo saws have "lots of power" for their size, that's the main weakness of the brand. Mostly the power rating is shockingly low, which likely is the reason they keep the numbers secret in North America.

The power of the CS-800 (-8002 by now) barely is on level with 70cc saws from the major brands (lower than all current ones), and it is a larger and heavier saw. That doesn't mean that it won't handle a 28" setup though, I'm sure it will.


You can't beat Echo's 5 year warranty.
Like ladylake said they really perform with a muffler mod.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

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