Acreage in the Pacific NW, on the North Oregon Coast. We have trees blow down every winter. Current slash heap after three truck loads of 32' logs has a couple center-rotted 42" diam. sitka spruce. There are other trees that need limbing and cleaning up, alder 12" dia. and conifer in the 20" dia. realm.

My 20" bar Craftsman isn't making it. It's old, tired, hasn't been maintained. I bought it used.

Looking at a Stihl, 361, 59cc 4.4 hp on a 28" bar -- which is pushing the bar length 3" past the factory spec of 25".

OR --

Stihl 441 magnum, 70.7cc 5.5 hp, which runs a 32" bar per factory spec.

I tend to go with "big bore" items -- .458 Win. Mag. for example, 44 mag. handguns. I really don't need a 5.5 hp chainsaw, most days, but it seems there's nothing like enough horsepower to get the job done.

Local power equip. co. handles Stihl. Same guy who handles my John Deere, and Honda products. So I get reliable customer service.

Any reason I should look at Husky or Poulan? Do I want the bigger saw? Or am I getting in over my head?

Either Stihl would be fine. A ms390 would be plenty too. A longer bar makes it easier on the back, less bending over. Unless you're real tall a 25 inch bar is plenty. I'd stick with Stihl or Husky, pick the best dealer. Don't run old gas, keep the bar dressed or replaced as needed, run sharp chains and the stihl will last a lifetime for your particular use.

Yeah, I have a Craftsman 20" 46cc saw now. Bought it used. I've never maintained it, cleaned it. I need to get my act together on chainsaw maint.

Anyways -- I was just out in the shop cleaning up the Craftsman. It runs, and is fine for backup, but it's seen better days. Reading a few reviews on this saw, it's apparent that this is a "home hobby" saw -- cut down the plumb tree that blew over, or limb the maple in the back yard so you can hang a swing for the kids.

It's not a "workhorse." Underpowered, under-engineered.

I think the 361 will do me. READ the instruction manual, buy it NEW. Take care of it. It's a commercial grade "workhorse" -- which is what I need.

I like Stihl's reliability, but for flat out cutting action you need RPM's, Husky or Jonered's

I have switch from 084's and 088 Sthils to 395XLP Huskys they will cut and hold up better then a Sthil none of those rubber bushing that are always going out . Huskys are all springs and cost alot less my last 088 was $2000.00 and these 395 Huskys will be around $900.00. We run long bars with 3/8inch chain instead of the 404. Good luck Bill

I just relaced my older sthil with a new ms361 If you need a longer then say a 25 inch bar go with the 441 you will need and enjoy the extra power to effitively use the longer bar.

Iam running only a little 18 inch bar on mine but then I am not cutting real big stuff mostly red oak up to about 24 in dia for fire wood. Iam think about going to a longer bar to keep the bending over to a mimumum.

IMO stihl is the best saw there is. i've got them from little 14" bars to a 14 HP monster. They just keep working with no problems. One thing about big saws. They get heavy after a bit. Cut like mad, but tire a guy out. Since the 441 is still a rather small saw, that's what i'd go with, but watch out for long bars. They have caused a lot of accidents over the years.

I got the 361 w/ 25" bar. That's all I need for 95% of what I cut. Use the 20" Craftsman as a backup saw -- beater. It's in OK shape, reliable.

What I'm cutting is conifer under 24" dia. Sometimes alder in the 12" dia. realm. Limbing, blow down -- I should get a wood stove for the house. Wood is mostly free locally, if you have a saw and a truck.

People even pay to have it hauled off.

STIHL RULES!!!

The owner of stihl company Hans Peter Stihl is a hunter too.

Stihl is a good saw, but most of the men who make their living cutting big stuff tend to use Huskys. I use Stihl's around the ranch, and the older I get, the lighter and smaller I like them.

My suggestions for saws is to buy whatever the local guy carries, most likely either stihl or husky. The fact is you'll need a local dealer to service it, so don't buy something you need to drive 40 miles to get parts for.

This is a big issue with me with Stihl, as the local place can be slow to get parts (only order on thursdays) and as we all know when your saw is down you usually need it fixed fast. A couple years ago had an oil pump go out on a 39 and took almost 2 weeks to get the part. That was a long 2 weeks with an oil can!

I used to work for a non-defunct chainsaw company, Homelite. For the record, both Stihl and Huskys are fine. Weight and power come with trade-offs. If you are older and tire easy, be careful. The more tired you become the more opportunity for an accident. The bigger the saw, the more weight, the more risk. I talked to a lot of sawyers and they were usually pretty tough guys. The one thing they wanted was chain speed and torque. Big motors and smaller bars were their solutions. They would use saws with long bars, but they usually were careful about how they did it. Just remember, safety is king because you can kill yourself quick with any brand.

I am a firm beliver in that there are two types of people who use chain saws those who have cut or nick themselfs and those who well.

I wear chaps and other protection now after a small 13 stichs cut took me about 30 years of sawing to get it.. Happens very fast and not when ones is expecting it.

Recently picked up a Stihl MS211C-BE 16" bar with the new easy start system. This little gem is very handy, lightweight and takes care of about 80% of the cutting needing done here. For the other 20% I've got an MS650 Magnum with a couple of bars to use, with the bigger being 36". My back hasn't healed enouph yet to use the 650, but the thats what friends are for.
The Stihl saws are good for me as there is an authorized dealer and service center just about five miles from me with a good supply of anything that might be needed.
The specifications of these two saws:

MS 211 C-BE
35.2cc, 2.3 hp, and 10.1 lbs. Reccomended bar lengths are 12 thru 16"s.

MS 650 Magnum
84.9cc, 6.4 hp, and 16.5 lbs. Reccomended bar lengths are 16 thru 36"s.

Last month I ran over my 2 year old stihl with the wood trailer. I thought it was totalled. I took the saw to my local saw guy(husky dealer). He had worked on my stihl when I first bought it, took off the emissions, tuned it and made it run like a raped ape.

Anyways I got lucky, the saw just needed a new handle and a couple of parts. I thought of getting a new bigger saw and relegate this one to back up. I asked my dealer why he prefers Husky to Stihl and he walked me through the saws. I think the biggest factor are the mount bushings like Billm said, they are springs and don't wear out like Stihl rubber bushings and the springs make for a much smoother, more vibration free saw. So my next saw will be a Husky even though I love my Stihl.

If you can get in touch with a Weyerhauser employee, take him your saw and get a saw shop rebuild. They can make just about any saw throw chips 30 yards, and it won't bog on just about any tree or log. Got a friend who had the saw shop rebuild his saw and it now sounds and works like a top-fueler.

If I were buying now I'd go with Husky.I have a Sachs which has been great but from what I hear Husky's about as good as it gets.The NYS Woodsmens Field Days are held in Boonville which is just a few miles from me so I've gotten plenty of advice from guys that log for a living.

I have two Husqvarna saws.

The only complaint I've ever heard concerning a Husqvarna saw was that the chains stretched too much too soon. This was coming from a friend of mine who was complaining to me about his.
I would have went with the Husky myself but with a stihl service shop just minutes away, it makes them convenient for me.

Rodney.



MS 211 C-BE, MS 650 Magnum.

have had couple craftsman saws (NEVER again), a shitl, a HUGE loop husky and the new poulan pro .. the new one, with the tool less adjustment for taking the slack out of the chain ... well, darn, i just love it ...

no, it's NOT a homesteading 100 miles from anywhere tool .. but at the right time, in the right place .. it starts easy, adjusts the chain easy, and parts are at home depot ...

works for me, but i can be lazy

I spent six years running a business cutting timber.
The only saws with the speed & reliability needed were Husqvarna.

I used to do some logging,years ago,used husky,stihl,jonserud.In my opinion,husky is the better saw,but I used stihl and jonserud with few problems.

I bought my first stihl when I was 14. I cut firewood with it. Paid for my first horse, truck, and most everything else. Still just as hard to start 18 years later as it was the first day. Most loggers do run husky, but they run stihl also. Most loggers also run their saws more in a week than the average guy will in ten years so what's the point? I think this is a Remington vs Winchester argument. They are both kings. All others are licking at their heels.

BTW, if at all possible, meaning if you can find any in your area, AVOID running ethanol gas in ANY small engine, especially things like chain saws, weed eaters, leaf blowers, lawn mowers, outboard motors, etc. Gasohol will screw up the fuel lines and carburetors and WILL cause you to take it in much more often for failures to start, idle, run, etc. Locally in NE Texas the Shell stations and Valero don't sell gasohol. If you must run it, try to use it up, don't leave any in the tank unless you're going to use it within a week or two at the most.

I agree Gato,
Also, use regular unleaded. Don't go up in octane to "plus" thinking you're doing a good thing for a small motor, or a boat motor either, for that matter. It will burn one up. Also, most of the good two cycle oil mixes have a fuel stabilizer added to them, so the "stale" fuel problem isn't nearly as bad as it would be with plain gasoline.

quote:

Also, most of the good two cycle oil mixes have a fuel stabilizer added to them, so the "stale" fuel problem isn't nearly as bad as it would be with plain gasoline

Not true with gasohol, it will go bad in less time than you would believe. The ethanol attracts water.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

Also, most of the good two cycle oil mixes have a fuel stabilizer added to them, so the "stale" fuel problem isn't nearly as bad as it would be with plain gasoline

Not true with gasohol, it will go bad in less time than you would believe. The ethanol attracts water.

These additives are specifically to combat the breakdown and water problems. At least one of the major two cycle oils contains Stabil specifically, though I don't remember which right now. The other reputable ones have some form of stabilizer added to them. If you feel you need even more mojo, Stabil for marine applications addresses the ethanol-water issue specifically, and successfully, though we've never had a problem with water, even in a boat left 8 months, after adding Stabil to the fuel. The gas will still remain good, and the water problem with be mitigated. No, I'm not affiliated with or, to my knowledge, a stock holder of this Co.

I own a lawn care and landscaping co. and have quite a few little motors to tend to, some of which, like my big chainsaw, don't get run but a couple times a year and then, only for a few minutes. That saw also takes a richer 40:1 mix than all of my other motors, and thus has it's own fuel tank. I simply use the stihl mix oil, with nothing else, and have had no problems whatsoever with fuel up to 1.5 years old. The carb is fine with no varnish. Maybe a petroleum engineer or chemist will come on and back you up, but from my practical experience (and I'm no expert, but I do think it would be a freak occurrence if anyone else here has more actual experience with small motors than I do) with mixed fuel, the ethanol has been a non-issue. My .02

And now to Gato for the last word...

Around my area,all gas has ethanol,except for some stations sell premium with out it,which I use for my small engines.
I add sea foam or stabile immeadiatly (wheres daman when you need him)

My experience with ethanol in atv carburetors has been horrible. I've cleaned the jellied gas out and found that after two weeks of setting up, the ethenol is causing the float valve to stick and let gas leak out. Now I've cleaned the new jellied gas out and have to add fuel stabilizer (sea foam also)to gas.

griz,
I am having the same thing.. i usually can go a YEAR by turnign off the valve, and runnign the carbs dry if i am not going to ride for a week or two... now, if i leave it about a month, it get the sputters and shutters .. i used to always fill up when i was done riding, but that's just more to drain.. thank goodness my lawn mower isn't as picky!

last sunday i rebuilt 3 of my 4 carbs ... and added stabiloil..

it gels BAD and FAST, and i alway run super in my small gas motors .. just easier that way

BUT, the 2stoke oil in my chainsaw, which i had bought pre-ike, doesn't gum ... even in a known-for-cheap-gaskets poulan

"it gels BAD and FAST, and i alway run super in my small gas motors .. just easier that way"

I'd sure advise ya'll to just run regular grade gas in those motors. The guys at my local dealer will not honor the warranty if you run hotter than regular. You can talk to your own mechanic, but I've damned sure seen some mowers and more than a few outboards burnt up by running higher octane fuel.

The fuel requirements as specified in the operator manuals for all of my Stihl products state:

"Use mid-grade unleaded gasoline with a minimum octane rating of 89 {R+M/2}. If the octane rating of the mid-grade gasoline in your area is lower, use premium unleaded fuel.
Fuel with a lower octane rating may increase engine temperatures. This, in turn, increases the risk of piston seizure and damage to the engine."

I usually just fill a five gallon can with premium unleaded 93 octane and use it for everything from motorcycles to 2 cycle mix. Never had a problem. For long term storage, empty the tanks and run engine until the carburator is dry and engine dies.
Rodney.

Anybody ever have the stump from a blown over tree stand-up after cutting the trunk from it? Creates a dangerous situation. I have three good sized trees here that have a very high probability of popping back up upon cutting the rest of the tree from them. Here is a pic of one that was blown over far enough not to pop back up.
Rodney.

quote:

Originally posted by Rodney H.{500Jeffery}:
Anybody ever have the stump from a blown over tree stand-up after cutting the trunk from it? Creates a dangerous situation. Rodney.

Yep and yes, it does.

One of them things I've learned to stand back and predict with fair accuracy BEFORE the chain ever hits the tree. I, generally, try to work from the top of a suspected "popper-upper" backward toward the roots. If you work it right, it will stand back up at a nice even, slow pace......when you're ready for it and know it's coming.

As for brand preference.....I'm a Husky man all the way. The Huskys have more ass than comparably sized Stihls when cutting. But the biggest thing, IMHO, is the mounting. Stihls are vibrating S.O.B.'s If I run a Stihl for an hour, set it down and walk away, my hands feel like they are running it for the rest of the day. If I run a Husky for an hour, set it down and walk away, my hands are done running it.

After Ike, I cleared a BUNCH of trees ... a BUNCH ... ironwood will pop up in a second, oaks are done, red oaks you have to pull back over with a truck, pines are a crap shoot ..

and holly.. she will smack you in the face just for fun!

I worked the lumber industry for yrs. both stihl and husky are great both have great reliability and service life. get the biggest one you are thinking about you can never have to much horsepower

Have had a Stihl 044 for about 10 years, great saw. 23 inch bar, chipper chain, cuts very well and no issues. Older version of the 441 you are looking at. You will respect it,but when it comes to cutting wood it is the one we go and get.

Here's one of the carbs I cleaned after it set up for about 2 months.

Seems they just don't make gasoline like they used to. Alot of the gas around here is 10% ethanol and just doesn't seem have much of a shelf life to it.
Rodney.


MS 211 C-BE
MS 441 Magnum
MS 650 Magnum

quote:

Originally posted by griz78:
Here's one of the carbs I cleaned after it set up for about 2 months.

J-E-L-L-O

Can't imagine why she don't run like a top???