Time for a bigger saw

woodslinger

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I'm sure this has been beaten around like the proverbial dead horse, but here goes. .

I currently have a 2 echos, 355t and 450P. I love them both and have no issues with them, but I am considering buying a larger felling saw. The 450 has an 18" bar on it, so I wish I had more bar pretty often. I am also looking at a large pine removal for my sister (family freebie) and my wife wants the logs for her garden beds but I would have to quarter the trunk just to move them. I'm sure I could do all that with my 450 but good lord it would take forever. I rely pretty heavily on that saw and it never lets me down, but nothing kills your equip like not having the right tool for the job. I'm not really brand loyal, and I have no idea what I should really be looking for. I was thinking a 60cc saw should suffice, but I have no experience in larger saws. And even assuming I knew which size I wanted, I get lost between the pro level and rancher level stihls, and the husky numbers make no sense to me at all. Add to that the differences in the same model line with epa regs and the hot saw of last generation is now a congested dog, makes my head spin a bit. I guess I'm looking for the most bang for my buck, and all around usefullness.
Any recommendations?
 
Chris,

I still have my Echo saws....great saws....never let me down once. But, like you, I needed something a bit larger. I ended up with the Husqvarna 562XP. You just wouldn't believe the difference in performance until you try it for yourself.

The 562XP is a 60cc saw. It's not really designed to be used as a stump saw, but it will certainly get the job done on anything up to about 3.5 feet in diameter. It is one of the best performing saws in its class....and I give it the highest rating.

If you need a true stump saw, take a good look at the Husqvarna 395XP. It's a 95cc engine producing about 7 horsepower. I love my 395XP just as much, but I don't use it nearly as often. When I do break it out, it's amazing to see what that thing can do.

Don't get rid of your Echo saws. I still use mine at home. It's the saw I lend out to friends and neighbors.

Joel
 
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The 562xp looks like it would be a pretty good fit, and budget wise for right now the 395xp, 3120xp, and 441/461 are a tad pricey. They are tempting though, I have a friend with a 362 who would let me borrow it if I need, that would give me time to save up some more. What difference would I notice between the 441 and 461? Oh the decisions to be made. . money to be spent. . or not spent. Its tuff to look at saws close to 1K when my business owes almost 15k to the house, but you also have to have the tools to make the money. . . . .
 
Ms461 is a all around good saw at 77cc displacement .The 441 at 71cc is lighter not quite the power of a 461 but has super smooth spring anti vibe, air injection to keep the air filter clean for a long time. I'd recommend the 441.
or Husqvarna 372 or 576 AutoTune. The MS441 CM also has M-Tronic same technology as Husqvarna s AutoTune.
 
The thing I've found about upgrading to a "pricey" saw is that once you've made the purchase there's no regrets- it also seems that once you start realising you might need it that shortly afterwards you do in fact need it on a regular basis.I passed up the chance to buy a 2nd hand mint condition 441 for 1/4 retail recently-big mistake.
 
If you need a big saw Chris, get a big saw, you are absolutely right about the right tool for the job so heed your own advice. In the long run, you won't regret it, it will save you a ton of time, especially on big trees and stump work. I had a 394 with a lot of hours on it and Cory steered me towards the 395 and I haven't regretted it even a little. It's a beast. I haven't run any of the newer ones, but from what I've read here, it sounds like the new 372s are dogs compared to the older ones.
 
60cc echo take a look at the 590 on best budget 60cc saw out there. Then echo 600 620.

60cc dolmar take a look at the 6100
 
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I'm now giving some serious thought to holding out for a month or so and getting as ms441 or a 576xp. Maybe get a timberwolf and a wrap handle to cover my bases till the bigger saw comes into the picture, or just borrow my buddy's 362 when needed. I'm not too worried about the extra weight as I have yet to need more than my 450 in a tree, so I think I should wait a bit and spend the money on the bigger saw.
 
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Butch, which german saw?

Grendel, the 661 and 390xp are more saw than I am looking for, do you notice a big difference between the 441 and 461?
 
All the fallers around here that run stihls are running 461 or 661's, for what its worth.

Im a timber faller and run a saw six hours a day and I run huskies. I do some climbing jobs as well so I pretty much own em all from a 562 to a 3120. If I could only have one it would be a 390. Next would be a 576... and mines the autotune.
 
It is not much difference in a 576 and 390 in weight.

I rather take the 390, you get more for the €$£.
It is not that much bigger in cc and comparable weight if that is important in a big saw.
 
I'd probably go 461. I managed for a long time with just 200T and a 441. If the 461 had been around at the time I would have bought that.
 
I'm seeing a lot of votes for that 576xp AT

The 576XP AT has been around for about 5-6 years now. From what I hear if there was any bugs in the saw in the past their gone now.
My sponsor for my chainsaw competition gave me 3 of them and that was back in Feb. 2010. Now their replaced with 550XPs as more women are entering my competition.
Those 576 AT s could handle a 32" bar no problem and that Auto Tune power band is sooooo nice. Air injection and spring anti vib is nice too.
Husqvarna Canada here no longer stocks the 390, 395, 3120XP. 576XP is now at the top of the food chain.
 

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Those are my two big Huskys. I use the 576 more, because I like the idea of ringing out the Autotune. I save my 390 for special occasions, just because I enjoy it so much. That thing runs on rage. :evil:

DSC04531.jpg
 
That's crazy that you can't get a 3120 in Canada anymore. :?

I hope it doesn't go the way of the 090 Stihl, into arboricultural and logging legend. . .

DSC04535.jpg
 
Grendal, I see your 576 has the HD airfilter top cover........... nice.
That looks like a Stihl 048AV in that old pic. [77 cc]
 
I'm firmly on the 576 bandwagon, too. They are what the 372 used to be, if not better. Tucker turned me on to them. No regrets.
 
Runs on rage... makes me think of a 562. How do the 562 and 390 compare?
 
The picture was more a reference to the legend part, I wasn't sure what saw that was. You have an encyclopedic eye for these things Mr. Holman, and it's awesome. . .

I want to put the HD cover/filter on the 390 too. Someday.

Cory, I actually went into the saw shop looking for a 562, and walked out with a 576, not sure what happened there. So I can't really compare the two. From all accounts they run on the same thing ;)
 
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