New chain saw experiences with heavy use?

Looking for opinions with newer chain saws that really get used hard - with cutting hard woods - sometimes all day long.

I just had my first problem with my Stihl 045 Super. It's been a fantastic saw. Even with a 30" bar in hard maple - it cuts fast. I bought it early 1980s and have never so much as put a spark plug into it. I cut a lot of wood since I heat my barn and farmhouse with wood heat - 100 %. Saw was running fine - but shut it down and it never started again. Found the rings stuck in the piston. I just ordered an aftermarket piston and rings set - but decided I need a large "backup" saw. I'm using my 041 Super right now - but it's getting kind of old and never was a fast cutter.

I was a Stihl and Homelite mechanic starting from the late 1960s up to early 80s - so I'm not new to saws. I am not up on the current stuff however. I still have a few 1960s Stihl saws - 040, 030, and an S10. But, they're not what I call big. Alos have a few old Homelites - a Buz, Super Wiz, 4/20, XL12, etc.

So - buying a modern saw is a big learning curve for me. I went down the Stihl store and almost fainted at the prices for a saw with over 70 ccs.
My 045 Super is 87 ccs. I'd like to get something close in power and/or size. I then went down to a Husqvarna dealer - and was again - in shock over prices. He has a 385XP which looks like what I want - with a $950 price tag. I also noticed that many of the cheaper Huskys have plastic crankcases - which I will never buy.

Now I'm thinking about saws like some bigger Echos, or Solos, or Dolmars under the Makita name - or maybe the Efco Italian saws? I think that's what Deere is selling now - instead of the former "green" Echos or Remingtons.

I also started looking around for a used saw - and was again in shock over prices. I'm finding non-running older but large saws on Ebay selling for over $400. I'm debating if it's worth buying an older Stihl 056 and repairing it.

I went down and spoke to my farmer-neigbor who cuts a lot of wood. He's using mostly Huskys now. He told me the cheaper ones sold at Central Tractor, Tractor Supply, etc. are crap. Especially the Rancher 55s. And, the bigger professional models are good but getting cheapened and priced higher. So - I'm looking for input from others that use their saws hard. Stihl has had me turned off since they got involved in making many cheap "homeowner" type saws like the 015, 009, 011 - and whatever they sell now. I did look at a MS 441 Magnum yesterday. 70 ccs. and $895. Seems like a lot of money for maybe, not very much saw.

Any input out there?

What kind of advice are you looking for? It sounds like you have cut more fire wood than anyone on this site, and being a chain saw mechanic for years, I would think you have "been around the block" as far as chain saws go. The high prices are really hard to swallow for a new Stihl, maybe you can find a used one that has had light use. Grab hold of an internet site of a sales paper in a lumberjack region, and keep your eye out for a special one.
Nickels Worth

My experience with knowing what's inside saws - or what problems they might have - is outdated, to say the least. Last dealership I worked at - for Deere equipment and Stihl saws - was in 1991. I know enough to know - I don't want a saw with a plastic crankcase. I also don't want a saw unless it has full ball bearing support on both ends of the crank and a well-built cylinder. #1 problem with older saws seeing early deaths was crappy thin-plating on cylinder walls - and/or needle bearings for mains - riding directly on crankshafts (Homelite was known for it). Stihl made a name for istelf in the late 60s because of the Mahl cylinders they use - that are almost indestructable. I see now - with most Husqvarnas - they use a heavy iron sleeve in the cylinder.

After going to a few Husky and Stihl dealers - I found out - for the most part - many don't know much about what they're selling. At least, not enough to answer my questions.

As far as watching sales in a lumbering region - I live in such an area right now and I am watching for sales. Best deal I've seen for a well-known saw is the Husky 372XP for $700. If it was just a little bigger, I'd buy it.

I'd like to know if anyone has taken the leap and tried some cheaper - not-so-popular saws - e.g. the Dolmar now sold by Makita and painted blue. It's very popular saw in Europe - but I don't know anyone that's tried one near me. And, again - the Italian Efco - also popular in Europe but kind of new here. Deere sells them, so does Northern Hydraulics, et. al. I've yet to see one in real life. Some of the newer Homelite saws are also Italian - I think.

Go to arboristsite.com into the chainsaw forum and ask your question. A lot of pro's and nonpro's alike hang out on there. A lot like here only chainsaw folks.

Thanks - and I've been there already. A lot of mixed info. Pick just about any saw and there are mixed opinions and facts. Just like here with tractors. Just asked the question here to get a different perspective. A logger's experience is often different that a firewood cutters anyway and I thought there might be some firewood cutters and/or farmers here.

When I was working on saws - most loggers saws got dropped out of trees or run over in the skidways - not worn out like with someone cutting firewood all day long.

I went up to my local Stihl retailer 2-3 months ago just to look at what is available, price and all. My 029 Farm boss has been good, but if it croaks and I cant (or wont) repair it then I need a replacement and my 029 was bought in 1998 for $350 I think, the exact replacement was $410. This the the 18" bar. The pro grade of my saw was over $700 if I remember right, bigger engine, with anti-vibrate stuff. Guys on here recommended Dolmar, (dont know of any dealers close to me) I really only need a homeowner grade and couldnt stomach spending $700 or more on a saw. I have all of the trees cleared now for my home/garage. The tree removal I do now is dead ash/elm trees.

How big of trees do you cut? Diameter and all, how much land do you have? Do you pay for logs to be delivered to you by the dumptruck.?

575XP Husky, Jonsered 2171, Stihl ms 441.

I'd pick the 575XP. I have a 371XP, and it is far outclassed by the newer saw. Big timber saws are more powerfull, but unless you are running big bars in big timber, they are HEAVY! I have a 394XP w/a 32" bar, and it is too much saw for smaller work or limbing. I can carry a 70cc class saw around all day, though.

Stihl finally updated their lineup. the 044-046-061's were good saws, but rpm, power & air filtration was at least 15 years behind. I still dislike the "all in one" ignition/choke control. If it's cold enough for gloves, I don't want to remove them every time I pick up the saw.

www.baileysonline.com/

I got a catalog from Baileys in California and been reading about the Makita / Dolmar saws they are selling thinking about one. I don't need a saw as big you want but think the Makita might work fine for me. I wasn't too impressed with Husqvarna or their dealers either. Click on the reviews bar to read about it.
Makita saw

I've got in total over 100 acres of woods - mostly hardwoods. Sugar maple, Ash, red oak, and hickory mostly - with some beech, birch, locust, and hemlock mixed in. But - I tap the maples for making maple syrup and only cut my own trees when I absolutely have to. For two years now, I've been cleaning up power-line right-of-ways on some properties I don't own. The place I'm cutting on right now has some red oaks and hard maples that are 3 1/2' diameter at the stump - but 18" - 24" diameter is more common. Some of these trees that got cut should have been sold for logs and not cut up for firewood. But - that wasn't my choice.

To tell the truth - I'm getting sick of cutting firewood and getting kind of old and worn out. If I buy a saw now built to last 30 years - it will probably outlast me. On the other hand though, I don't want to buy some piece of crap that's going to give me problems. Also, if I ever move out of this area of New York and go to live on a small farm I own in northern Michigan - I won't need a big saw anymore. Just about all the trees I've seen in northern Michigan are small and scrubby. Seems they clear cut a lot up there and there's very little old-growth.

I checked out Baileys - and found out the Toolbarn has better prices. No tax and a flat-rate of $9 for shipping. They get $496 for the Makita/Dolmar DCS640120 with 20" bar and $9 to ship. I'm debating right now if I should order one.

http://www.toolbarn.com/category/lg-chainsaws/

We're running an 038 Super, and MS360 right now. We had an 044 that died this spring (bearings and crank). They're all good saws and all blocked a LOT of wood, comercially.
If we replace the 044 it will be with an MS441 most likely.
Oor chopper bought an MS441 a short time ago. He hasn't done a lot with it yet but says it's got way more power than the 044 he had. Air filter is much better and the saw is heavier, which he doesn't like. So far, so good...
Personally I can't see why you'd want more than a 70cc saw for firewood. I know you get some big stuff, but the the expense and extra weight would not be worth it to me for ??10% of your wood? I'd go with the 441..

Rod

Well the saws I use are. 026 for limbing and small stuff and a 044 for felling and bucking the trunks. I also have a 028 for the boy to use and as a back up. All three have been very good for me. I've had the 026 since new 1990 and acquired the 044 used about five years ago it had the topend renewed by a dealer and got it off them. The 026 and 028 seem to have the same about power but the 026 is lighter and is why I bought it.

I was a Husky/Jonsered/Olympic dealer in the late 80's. I've dabbled since then and am getting back into it when I retire. If I was you I'd either look for another spare saw like you have or look at some of the other older saws. The 2100 Husky and the other 6.0ci ( never got the cc conversion down) are great. Jonsered had a similar saw (Husky and Jonsered are both Electrolux saws) and Stihl of course has saws of that size. Dolmar or the older Sachs-Dolmar (Makita now) are/were great saws. I have a 144 S-D and its a cutting monster. Faster than my 2100 Husky even with the longer 24" bar. The newer Dolmar saws have only been out a few years and finding a used one may be difficult. They have an great reputation though.Very ergonomic too.

There are even older saws like the old Pioneer P61 and McCulloughs and big Homelites. Sometimes you find these at auctions and barn sales. Might be the muscle saw you're looking for.

I be looking for a good used Stihl just like I have.

We sold Sachs-Dolmar back in the late 60s. We were primarily a Homelite dealer, but also took on some odd-balls like Sachs, HOE, Stihl, etc. I remember the Homelite rep. coming in an scolding my boss - telling him that "those German saws" would never catch on and parts support would never be as good as Homelite. Wasn't too long after that Homelite stopped making saws worth buying. Seems around the time when the XL12s went from blue to red, it was all over for Homelite. I've still got several Stihls and Homelites from that first dealership. Several of the old Stihls have governors that use a wind-vane to jam the choke closed if the saw ran too fast. Got a couple of 040s that use .404 chain with .063 gauge drive-tangs and bars.

I've got several older large saws - but I pretty much regard them as boat-anchors. I've got a two-cylinder McCulloch, a huge, two-man saw with a Homelite powerhead and the rest made by Reed-Prentice It has a five-foot bar on it. Also several articulating Mall saws, some Homelite geardrives with 1/2" chain, etc. They are fun to jerk around with, but extremely heavy and slow cutting.

I am going to look for an older spare saw like my Stihl 045 Super. An 056 or an 056 Super are the same saws with different name-tags. Stihl played a lot of games with saw names.

With looking at newer stuff - I'm going to have to try a few saws out. The size - i.e. the ccs or cubic inches probably doesn't tell the whole story. One example is my Stihl 041 Super. It is 72 ccs. but does not cut as fast as several of my cheap but newer Poulan 55 cc saws that I bought at yard-sales.

From what I've heard and read the past few days - I think I'm going to get an older large Stihl and fix it up for spare - with a 30" bar on it. And I'm also going to take a chance and buy a new Dolmar/Makita. Just ordered one online for $500. Makita DCS640120 with a 20" 3/8" chain and 64cc. I read that over in Europe it's very popular and they downsized it for sale in the US. That is, they stuck a smaller jug and piston on it - and it's usually a 79 cc saw overseas. Supposed to be a very good saw - we'll see. One plus is - it uses the same chains as my Stihl saws - 20" chain is 72 link and .050 gauge. It's $150 cheaper than an equal sized Husky or Stihl professional saw - and hopefully, built just as good if not better.

Ive got a couple of old crosscuts my grandfather had I could let you have.Save ya some gas too! Hoss

Sounds like you need Stihl 066 or 064. The 051 & 075 are probably too slow for you. I got the 064 used at auction for $125 with no bar but the bar from my 056 fits it. It cut a bunch of 3 ft. poplar last winter. The 088 is a great saw, much easier to start than the 064. I got it at a pawn shop for $400. But its big; needs to come with its own ATV. Pawn shops can't move big saws, only firewood saws, & the pawnshop owners only make the mistake of pawning them once. All else fails I'll sell the 056AV for $150. It doesn't run. I think the carb needs overhauled. Parked it 6 yrs ago when I got the 066 & never got around to fixing it. If you're interested, next time I'm in W. Va. I'll see. Buddy there has an excellent running 056 Super & has been thinking about selling it. He used to cut timber but now only firewood & his 039 does that well enough.

jd, Quality will be high on purchase but cheapen up in the long run. I run a 11 yr old Stihl O36 /w a 30 in blade and a "highly tweeked chain" Day in and day out this ol girl will turn out the work. If you are Man-enough to stay behind her and keep your hand all the way in the throttle! Best saw I have ever run. period. I do not like the rancher version that Stihl made. There is no substitute for HP on larger saws, Hope this helps.
Later,
John A.

Thanks JD I'll check that one out too.

As long as your 056s still has spark, I'll buy as a parts saw for $150. If it has NO spark - the parts aren't available to fix. Many have gotten parted out due to failed ignitions. First electronic module was Bosch, then changed over to SEM, then made obsolete and unavailable.

Please email me if you want to sell.
[email protected]

okay. I'll check next week. I just ordered a 5 gal. bucket of log chinking from neighboring state, probably weighs same as the saw. UPS ground delivery was $33.00, just to give you an idea. I remember the change in electric system but didn't know they were obsolete. I used to be a Stihl dealer & have many new & used parts from 70's & 80's in case you're looking for anything else that we can ship at the same time.

I've got several 5 gallon pails filled with older Stihl parts. I worked for three dealers - starting in the late 60s when Stihls hot saws were the 040s and S10s. I kind of wish now I'd saved more parts from the newer stuff. I haven't worked for a Stihl dealer since 1991.

I've owned stihl, poulan, echo, jonsered and husky. IMHO Husky/Jonsered is a lighter cleaner, lower maintenance saw. Some of the newer stihls have parts made in China and their cases are sealed with silicone, the quality aint what it was 20 yrs ago! The trubo aircleaner on the husky is great, hardly ever needs cleaning. I own a 365xp, a 026Stihl a Husky cd2100 and a jonsered 2141. The newer husky burns way cleaner than the stihl and has less vibration. I would buy a new one and enjoy the quality and superior performance. Resale is better too.An accident when you are tired with a heavy saw is not worth it, vibration, noise, weight etc all play a role in fatigue. Good luck

i'm 60 yrs old & weight 175#'s dressed: i got a 441 a yr ago, had the skidder back over it the 1st week to break it in... i really like it.. be4 that i ran a 440 to death(seals & mainbearings), & prior a 460 i got used but like new..
the 441's keep the air filter real clean, more power (little higher rpm's) new shock vibrate system (simulaar to husky) it just seams the old saws had more guts 045 & 51's, but ya got to like the new ones for speed & light weight,, we have a good dealer near & people ask me all the time what to buy & i remind them sooner or later they are going to need some parts, so buy from a local dealer that's been around. the timber cutters i know run a lot of husky's east of me but they got a big dealer over there, lots of 066's being used . mine stays in the barn it just to much saw most of the time 4 me.. i cut 4 four weeks straight last fall when our cutter got hurt, & some days go thur 2 1/2 gal of fuel.. some weeks i hardy start it but it never fails.. jew the dealer down a little or have them throw in hard hat & chaps with the new saw.. best wishes