Need advice on a larger chainsaw for an older guy.

[N80]

Sounds like your chain not the saw. Get your chains professionally sharpened. That saw should be good for what you’re doing

I will get some new chains. Its time. But that is not the issue alone. Again, the chain has been sharp. And again, the example of the 12 inch trees is just the tip of the issue. In the future I will be felling trees up to and sometimes over 26" in diameter. That is the real issue.

 

[beenthere]

I'm 58 years old and I'm in decent but not excellent physical condition. Average strength I would say.

I am not a chainsaw guy. In other words, I've been using decent consumer Stihl chainsaws all my life but I don't know anything about cc's, chain types, tuning, modding etc etc. Primary use has been yard and property cleanup as well as cutting firewood. I have the proper safety gear and a solid understanding of basic chainsaw safety.

But now I have ordered a saw mill. It should be here in a few weeks. It can handle up to 26" diameter trees.

My primary saw is a Stihl Farm Boss with a 20" bar. I don't remember which one but it is about 3 years old, bought new and was the larger of the Farm Boss saws. In my mind I'm thinking 350 but it might be a 271. I don't even know if the Farm Boss came in a 350. Anyway, it is a decent saw. I suspect it is a consumer level saw with a "farm" designation for marketing.

This weekend I felled several pines that were around 12 inches in diameter. The Farm Boss was okay but not great. I also recently cut up a much larger oak blow down (probably 25ish diameter) and the Farm Boss struggled a lot.

So I am going to be felling larger trees than 12" pines in the near future. My son-in-law will be there most of the time (we'll own the saw mill together). He has a big tuned pro-level Stihl. He has a good bit of felling experience. But I feel like I need a bigger saw for myself. I'm thinking 25-28" bar.

I'm not really looking for brand recommendations.

What I need to know is what I can get for this job that is: 1) Reasonably light. (Again, I'm 58). 2) Appropriately powered for cutting down large but not huge trees. 3) Reasonably safe for my age and experience and 4) What type of chain for my age and experience from a safety vs efficiency standpoint.

Any basic advice much appreciated.

P.S.: Not too interested in modding or tuning a saw.

At 82, I now have a Stihl MS362 with 20" bar and a Stihl MS261 with 18" bar. Would not advise going bigger with bar length and both saws handle well and cut well.

You are kind of rough on yourself about being 58. That is very young, IMO

 

[N80]

/edit - and to suggest you keep your chains sharp is akin to telling you to keep fuel for the saw

Yes. Probably a third of the replies are that I need to sharpen my chain and quite a few of them suggest that I use the Stihl sharpener.......even after I've said multiple times that the chain was/is sharp and sharpened with that very device.

I am not complaining. The advice is sound. And in many cases probably overlooked by novices.

I would also repeat that I'm not a novice. I've been using Stihl chainsaws for decades. They've just been smaller saws for smaller jobs for less time. I'm just not "into" chainsaws and don't know all the fine points.

I am also not a novice feller. Been doing that for years as well....just with smaller trees and smaller saws.

Now I'm potentially going to be upping that game and feel that my old 025 + the Farm Boss + a larger but not necessarily huge pro saw would be a good line up.

And getting great advice all around from everyone and much appreciate it.

 

[N80]

Good advise Doughknob.
N80. Watchout! You are going directly into…..trouble! Luke you said, yoo are not a a chainsaw man nor you are not in good shape!
WOW! And you want to cut big big big tree!
N80- start to get in shape and ask the help of … your son or inlaw! Be carefull. This is a dangerous work to do lunberjack job and manipulating the most dangerous tool there is, a chain saw! I have been doing wood cutting for 13 years now on my woodland, It is a dangerous job. N80-Take care! Good luck!
Zetorboy

Agree. I guess I should clarify. I'm not in _bad_ shape. I split and cut my own firewood. I run 1-2 miles 3-4 days a week. I am not on any medications. I am not overweight. I weigh less than I did in high school. I do not have any major health issues. My back gives me trouble from time to time. Hips and knees ache at night. I take longer to recover from heavy labor. But, I'm still very active, especially down on the property every weekend.

I also appreciate the hazards. Cut my leg with the 025 (16" bar) clearing brush about 5 years ago. I think clearing brush with a short saw is one of the more dangerous tasks. I was also dead tired (probably the most dangerous element in my opinion.) It was not a bad injury but if it had been a 1/2 inch deeper it would have entered my knee joint. As it was it only required a few stitches. The injury did not scare me. I'm a doctor and have stitched up plenty of chainsaw wounds. I could tell that this one was not serious at all. What scared me was how fast it happened. It felt like someone had hit me with a switch across the knee. I actually thought a branch had whipped across my leg. I did not even know it was the saw until I saw the hole in my pants. I did not see or feel the saw kick back. It was that fast and THAT scared the crap out of me.

Sometimes it takes a bad outcome to wake dumb people up and that little injury woke me up. I had never owned chainsaw chaps. I wear them religiously. I was also surprised that after legs and feet the next most common location for injuries was head and face. So I also wear a chainsaw helmet with a face shield. I am more cautious now and I avoid working to exhaustion with dangerous equipment....which has always been my way of working. Too old for that and maybe too wise for it now too.

 

[MossRoad]

The blade has been sharp. That is not the issue.

You sure?

(Sorry)

 

[OzarkChris]

It actually takes me several minutes to change out a chain; the bar never seems to sit still wile I try to get everything in the groove and sprocket. Maybe I will get better at it! I am in Ohio, so everything I cut is hardwood. Mostly it is several species of oak, with some hickory, walnut, maple and cherry thrown in. BTW, my Stihl 500i goes through a 12" oak round in under 5 seconds and an 18" oak round in under 10 seconds. My previous saw was an MS 441C. I loved that saw, but the 500i is much faster. Oddly, I find the 500i harder to start.

Almost sounds like you loosened up your bar/chain a bit too much if your having that kind of issue with getting the chain on - just thinking out loud. The 500i (R) is a good saw, make sense that the extra .5 in3 (almost 1hp) would be a bit harder to start (even with the "compression" blow off valve). You could speed up the 441 by changing out the drive sprocket, but it's a tradeoff, faster speed, less torque (power) to get through tough wood.

I'm 62 right now and have done my time in the forests of the pac nw. Started as a gofer/chocker guy when I was 14-15, did quite a bit of felling, started topping but wasn't crazy enough to continue . While I was a feller is where I learned to carry multiple chains. Many of those Doug firs were massive back then. I still have my "beast", but at almost 20/22# with a 36 & 42" bar, I don't use it very often anymore (besides, most of the trees here in AR aren't big enough for that kind of power).

One thing I learned very young as a beginning feller was that those grabbing teeth on a chain saw aren't there to really be used. If you have to use the teeth for more than simple - light - leverage, your chain is dull. If you have to use teeth when bucking, you are either doing it wrong or your chain is dull. Please don't get me wrong, I have no issues with folks that use the teeth, I was just taught a different way of logging.

One other thing that I've been doing since the early 70's is using bulk chain - I'm not sure how much the tools would cost right now, but already having "vintage" (Ha) splitters & rivet jigs - and if ever needed again numerous yards of speciality chain - don't ask, some of it has been around since the 80's. Although I no longer log professionally - retirement/farming (I know those two terms are mutually exclusive), I still use bulk chain because I still do quite a bit of clearing for folks and do some milling now & then for a few extra bucks. Although the "good" bulk chain is getting almost as expensive as pre-made ones, I still like using it. Go figure.

 

[4570Man]

I haven't seen that post..all I can say is that cutting for over 40 years...nothing beats carbide, hands down best chain for all hardwoods

A sharp steel chain will cut circles around a carbide chain. Cutting stuff besides wood will quickly destroy either chain and the carbide takes special equipment to sharpen.

 

[N80]

You sure?

(Sorry)

Actually that is a valid question that no one here can answer and maybe I can't either. I sharpen the chain regularly as mentioned. But is my technique good? I don't know. The Stihl jig makes it hard to get wrong and I was decent with a just a file in years past. The electric sharpener is all set up in a fixed position and it does no better than the Stihl sharpener.

When I start sawing it cuts like a champ. Fast, clean and straight. But even after those three pines it was getting slower.

So maybe I know enough to get it sharp but not enough to put an edge on it that will stay on it? I doubt it but it might be possible.

 

[airbiscuit]

I will get some new chains. Its time. But that is not the issue alone. Again, the chain has been sharp. And again, the example of the 12 inch trees is just the tip of the issue. In the future I will be felling trees up to and sometimes over 26" in diameter. That is the real issue.

Yes. Probably a third of the replies are that I need to sharpen my chain and quite a few of them suggest that I use the Stihl sharpener.......even after I've said multiple times that the chain was/is sharp and sharpened with that very device.

I am not complaining. The advice is sound. And in many cases probably overlooked by novices.

I would also repeat that I'm not a novice. I've been using Stihl chainsaws for decades. They've just been smaller saws for smaller jobs for less time. I'm just not "into" chainsaws and don't know all the fine points.

I am also not a novice feller. Been doing that for years as well....just with smaller trees and smaller saws.

Now I'm potentially going to be upping that game and feel that my old 025 + the Farm Boss + a larger but not necessarily huge pro saw would be a good line up.

And getting great advice all around from everyone and much appreciate it.

A three saw line up makes sense. Given your latest posts, I would amend your new saw to a Woods Ported 60cc Husqvarna or Stihl professional series saw. Then you have performance and not burdensome weight.

 

[N80]

why are you buying from Amazon and not from your local hardware store?

This is off topic and might not be appropriate for this forum but as the OP I'll add my two cents.

Amazon, especially with Prime is cheap, fast and easy. You can almost always find what you need and get it in a day or two with less hassle than driving out to Walmart/Lowes etc.

That's why I used to use Amazon.

I don't anymore. I dropped Prime and rarely order from them now. Why? Because:

1) They import too much Chinese stuff that is non functional, junk, unreliable and/ or that is a direct rip off of someone else's product.
2) They destroy local business
3) They actively reflect and endorse political and social issues that I do not agree with or simply just don't want to hear about when I'm shopping for dental floss.

But more importantly I have found that I can spend a few minutes more and buy a lot of stuff directly from the maker of the stuff for only a little more money....and here is the kicker....often for less.

Case in point. I wanted to get my son-in-law a Spencer's logger's tape from U.S. Tape. It was less buying directly from them and shipping was free with my purchase. It took maybe a minute longer than buying from Amazon.

I also try to buy local as much as possible with merchants I know and trust. Buying from the big box stores is no better than buying from Amazon.

I think Americans in general need to be better consumers. We're too lazy though. I'm actively trying to do better and I think everyone should avoid doing business with companies who publicly do not share their values......what ever those values may be.

Just my opinion.

 

[IndyIan]

For logging I think you should have a much smaller saw than you would for firewood. 550xp with a 20" bar should cut anything up to 36" or so. Sure a 572xp will be faster for the 3 bucking cuts, but for limbing and walking around with, you will be much less tired after a couple trees. Also you're probably not going to be cutting a semi load at a time. Also if you just want to have one good saw, probably the 550xp would run a 30" bar with full skip chain pretty good too.
I started off with a 372xp and its an amazing 20-24" hardwood firewood saw, and not a terrible logging saw when you are 26, but for most of my logging in softwoods it was way over kill. 20 years later for cutting fence posts I now use a light cheap plastic husky 141 with a 18" bar with the narrow chain and it cuts up to 20" softwood pretty decent really. The big saw comes out for hardwoods above 12-14" or firewood.

 

[4570Man]

For logging I think you should have a much smaller saw than you would for firewood. 550xp with a 20" bar should cut anything up to 36" or so. Sure a 572xp will be faster for the 3 bucking cuts, but for limbing and walking around with, you will be much less tired after a couple trees. Also you're probably not going to be cutting a semi load at a time. Also if you just want to have one good saw, probably the 550xp would run a 30" bar with full skip chain pretty good too.
I started off with a 372xp and its an amazing 20-24" hardwood firewood saw, and not a terrible logging saw when you are 26, but for most of my logging in softwoods it was way over kill. 20 years later for cutting fence posts I now use a light cheap plastic husky 141 with a 18" bar with the narrow chain and it cuts up to 20" softwood pretty decent really. The big saw comes out for hardwoods above 12-14" or firewood.

I got a Makita 6900 for a woods saw. My 372 was on the heavy side for dragging around but my 50 cc saw really wasn’t doing it for me.

 

[N80]

A three saw line up makes sense. Given your latest posts, I would amend your new saw to a Woods Ported 60cc Husqvarna or Stihl professional series saw. Then you have performance and not burdensome weight.

Okay, I'm going to throw a bomb into this discussion. I wasn't going to talk about brands, but what about an Echo? I had a small one that was stolen and it was excellent. Their higher end ones are about 10-15% less than comparable Stihl, within a few ounces of the same weight with similar power. The reason I'm asking is that our local Farmer's Exchange (imagine a feed and seed from the 1930s and run by a local family for 100 years. I have known 3 generations of them)

Other than the wall of new Echo gear in the back you'd think you'd walked into the 1930's in there.

 

[MossRoad]

Actually that is a valid question that no one here can answer and maybe I can't either. I sharpen the chain regularly as mentioned. But is my technique good? I don't know. The Stihl jig makes it hard to get wrong and I was decent with a just a file in years past. The electric sharpener is all set up in a fixed position and it does no better than the Stihl sharpener.

When I start sawing it cuts like a champ. Fast, clean and straight. But even after those three pines it was getting slower.

So maybe I know enough to get it sharp but not enough to put an edge on it that will stay on it? I doubt it but it might be possible.

True. You could buy a new chain, make some cuts, and switch to a chain that you sharpened yourself and see what your seat-of-the-pants feel for both of them are. That might ease your mind as to if you're getting them back to factory sharp or maybe better or maybe worse.

For the past 12 years I've been using a Poulan 42cc 18" saw to cut about 6 cords a year plus other trees for family and friends. We have a locust forest. I cut about 60 telephone pole size trees a year. Bases are usually 12-14". Some over 18, but most not. Even in locust, never a problem with the 18" 42cc saw. I have probably 6 chains that I sharpen myself with both files in the field and a Harbor Freight sharpener. I have an extra bar in case I pinch one. And an older Craftsman 18" 42cc saw as a backup.

With that said, I recently purchased a 92cc saw and 25" bar + 2 chains. On occasion, a friend or family member will offer me a LARGE tree, and while I can do it with the 18", it takes a very long time. The 92cc saw is heavy, but I find it takes less physical labor and time. I feel less worked over after an hour with the 92 than I do after an hour with the 42.

I'll be 61 in a few months. I'm in fair shape, run the stairs 4-5 stories multiple times a day. Have had back trouble since I was a kid, but keep it in check with specific exercises. You sound in better shape than me.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

Being in the "old guy" range--10+ years on you, I vote with the guys who told you to let your son in law do the heavy cutting and you can do the limbing and run the mill. By my mid 50s I was not nearly so nimble as I was in my 40s. Think safety even above the fatigue factor.
All I cut now are Christmas trees, some dead softwoods and other stuff that clutters up my tree farm. Most of it is small and my Stihl MS 211 with the 16 inch bar does the job. For heavier things an old 034 with a 20 inch bar does the trick--though it's too heavy to lug around much.

 

[MossRoad]

Okay, I'm going to throw a bomb into this discussion. I wasn't going to talk about brands, but what about an Echo? I had a small one that was stolen and it was excellent. Their higher end ones are about 10-15% less than comparable Stihl, within a few ounces of the same weight with similar power. The reason I'm asking is that our local Farmer's Exchange (imagine a feed and seed from the 1930s and run by a local family for 100 years. I have known 3 generations of them)

Other than the wall of new Echo gear in the back you'd think you'd walked into the 1930's in there.

I've never heard anyone complain about Echo power equipment.

 

[gswallow]

My big saw is a Stihl MS462C with a 25" bar. Its about 72cc, 6hp, and the powerhead is only 13 lbs. I've dropped and bucked 3 foot plus red oak and maple with it no problem. I've limbed with it but it will wear your arms out swinging it around for that. I usually limb with my old 18" Poulan but its getting tired and I'll probably get a Stihl for that in the near future.

 

[ndavis]

I'm about your age and I swear they are making saws heavier than they use to! (just kidding.) I use the biggest engine that is comfortable to work and the shortest bar that will do what I need. I can always put on a bigger bar. My favorites, so far, are a Stihl 044 with a 20 inch bar and a Stihl MS200 top handle saw. Let the SIL do the heavy lifting.

 

[ericm979]

No yellow Stihl chains are made for this model.

here ya go:

https://www.baileysonline.com/stihl-26rs-325-x-063-rapid-super-chainsaw-chain.html

Your local shop should have it in stock or at least be able to get it and make you some loops.

Though I often use Bailey's house brand. It does not stay sharp quite as long but it's close, it costs less and is easier to sharpen. None of it is safety chain. Which cuts just as well as regular chain except for bore cuts.

 

[airbiscuit]

A three saw line up makes sense. Given your latest posts, I would amend your new saw to a Woods Ported 60cc Husqvarna or Stihl professional series saw. Then you have performance and not burdensome weight.

Okay, I'm going to throw a bomb into this discussion. I wasn't going to talk about brands, but what about an Echo? I had a small one that was stolen and it was excellent. Their higher end ones are about 10-15% less than comparable Stihl, within a few ounces of the same weight with similar power. The reason I'm asking is that our local Farmer's Exchange (imagine a feed and seed from the 1930s and run by a local family for 100 years. I have known 3 generations of them)

Other than the wall of new Echo gear in the back you'd think you'd walked into the 1930's in there.

What I gather from your posts, I gather that you want performance, and you mentioned your age, so I'm guessing weight matters.
I used to chase horsepower, but as I've gotten older, I like less weight more.

I have an Echo, 3 Husqvarnas and a Stihl. I like my echo, but watch the Youtube head to head cuts. Husqvarna and Stihl are always neck and neck, and Echo never wins. That said, they are a fair bit cheaper.

What I really like is having a saw with a ported muffler so it can breathe. Noticeable power improvement without added weight. I wish I had woods ported saws, but for my limited use, I've settled for just having ported mufflers.

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