Need advice on a larger chainsaw for an older guy.

[JimRB]

I have a Stihl 310. Seems heavy to me. With a skip tooth full chisel it cuts pretty good for my amateur use. The 362 on the comparison chart show 1.34 pounds lighter and .4 more HP. I use the Stihl light bars. When I got that 310 from the pawn shop is had some sort of Stihl heavy solid bar that was quite heavy. I think the light bar was a pound lighter.

By the way I am 61 and do not work outside enough. Carrying the 311 around always makes me want a 362. Then as little as I use that 311 I come to my senses wanting the 362. I use my tiny 210 for most things when I can as it is 4 pounds lighter. Of course less HP than the 311 and it cannot do those 24" deadfalls as quickly as the 310.

No idea about correct saw for milling.

 

[JimRB]

Note that the current Farm Boss is a 271, 311 and 391. All with different HP.

 

[airbiscuit]

60cc professional grade Husqvarna or Stihl with a full chisel chain. I actually prefer not going overboard on bar length, so 16" -18"bar, 20" if you must.

 

[plowhog]

What kind of sawmill?

 

[N80]

What kind of sawmill?

I guess I should have clarified. Not a chainsaw mill. I ordered a Woodland Mills HM126 band saw mill on a trailer.

 

[N80]

Note that the current Farm Boss is a 271, 311 and 391. All with different HP.

I honestly don't remember which one mine is and I'm not at the cabin to look and see. Probably the 271. But it is 4 years old so the models may have changed.

On a side note, it appears there is only one type of chain that will fit my Farm Boss and it is an anti-kickback chain. Both Stihl and Oregon list all of their non anti-kickback blades for that saw as no longer available. It is 0.325 pitch, 0.063 gauge with 81 links. But I know nothing about the various chain types. Maybe you can get different chains by going with a different bar and/or sprocket???

 

[oosik]

When I was young and in my prime - I fell the pines on the property here for firewood. I had a large Stihl - 24" bar and a small Stihl for limbing. I fell ancient Ponderosa pines up to and including 38". Soon learned that trees this big were just a real PITA to handle. Cut the smaller pines for firewood and had some of the larger pines selectively logged off.

We really enjoyed those years - heating with firewood. We didn't enjoy all the bugs, dirt and volcanic ash that the firewood brought into the house. Went to pellets and now electric heat.

My suggestion - mark the trees that you will be able to reasonably "mill" in a given time period. 3 months - 6 months - a year. Whatever works for you. Have your son come out and fell them. Then with a smaller saw - you can limb - cut to length - haul to your new mill - etc, etc. Divide and conquer.

 

[stuckmotor]

Light weight and power dont really go that well together. The engine is most of the weight on a saw. You can get “light” versions of the bar which I do recommend. I am a stihl guy myself, but husqvarna is a solid choice. For bucking you will still want to stay with 2 cycle engines. For that bar length look at 60cc+. I have a 25 on my 362, its about as long as I would go on that saw. I would also recommend a pro saw, as they have a better power to weight ratio. The 500i is a great choice if you have the $$$.

https://www.stihlusa.com/WebContent/CMSFileLibrary/downloads/Chain-Saw-Comparison-Chart.pdf

The only pro saw I can speak for is my Husquvarna. It's easier to work on than the homeowner models I have.

 

[4570Man]

The only pro saw I can speak for is my Husquvarna. It's easier to work on than the homeowner models I have.

I can’t think of a single advantage of a homeowner saw vs a pro saw other than cost. Claiming otherwise is just a justification for not having one.

 

[IH3444]

I'm older than you and run an MS661. Not a problem. It was on sale at my dealer 5 years ago for $960, 28" bar. Couldn't pass it up. Big brother to my O64. Bought it on sale for $600, 25" bar.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/professional-saws/ms500i/

https://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/list/category/1186/outdoor-power-chainsaws/manufacturer/stihl/model/ms-500-i

Looking at either a Stihl 462 or 500i

I currently have a Stihl 441RCM running a 25" bar that is about 7 years old. No major issues at all with it, except if you put it down while idling and pick it up, it will die but always starts right back up, doesn't happen everytime. Not checked that out yet but guessing something is out of...

www.arboristsite.com

462, 500i or 661? Going stihl shopping this week!

I have gone back and forth on getting either the 462, 500i or 661 for about 6 months + ( this isn’t a rushed off the cuff purchase). The reason it’s so tricky is because I don’t have any need for another saw, yes I blame this forum!!. That said, I have worked my butt off and want to enjoy...

www.arboristsite.com

 

[plowhog]

I ordered a Woodland Mills HM126 band saw mill on a trailer.

I received a Woodland Mills HM130MAX about a year ago. Like you, the arrival of the sawmill prompted purchase of a larger saw. Which is how I got the Stihl 462.

Your new mill lists 26 in max log diameter. But in the real world, you will *rarely* ever mill a log that large. To do so, it would have to be perfectly straight-- with no bends. And not have any knots, warts, etc. on the outer edge. Even 1" over limit stops your mill. Been there, done that. I've had to use the 462 to "shape" a crooked log while it was on the mill. I don't like cutting with that much metal around.

As you shop for a saw, I'd consider that your *typical* max diameter log is more likely something like 22" - 24". Not that you couldn't cut even a huge log for firewood-- it's just that the slightly smaller diameter is going to be the sweet spot for the mill.

 

[N80]

Agree about the log size. Assessing our needs and budget we did not even feel that the 130 would be necessary for what we want to do with it.

The only temptation will be when we get a blow down of a nice big oak. If that happens and it is too big for the mill we'll slap the chainsaw mill onto it and trim it down to size before we put it on the mill.

 

[Egon]

The lager saw will make felling and cutting the log to lengths easier and be less tiring. You can have an assortment of bars and chains of different length. Change the blade length as required. Note: the sprocket, chain and bar must be compatible. Can’t remember the proper terminology. Extra bar comes in handy if the chain gets pinched.

longer bars have a lot of inertia and need care in handling when not actually cutting.

Stopping in and talking to a reputable chainsaw dealer is also a good option.

58 is not older, just in the prime!

 

[fruitcakesa]

We do our own forest management on our 50 acres of Vermont woodland. Primarily pine with pockets of oak, maple and other hardwoods.
Over the past 35 years we have been through half a dozen or so saws. Currently the big felling saw has been a Jonsered 2171.
A really solid and dependable saw but it has seen many thousands of feet of logs and I have replaced all the plastic pieces over the years with parts from a 2165 that preceded it.
So this year with an 8 acre hemlock cut planned, I bought a Husky 562XP. A bit smaller and lighter than the Jonsy but a faster cutting saw.
It fits right in the middle of our now 3 saws with a Jonsy CS2155 as the smallest of them.
All saws run 20 in bars and they have no trouble with 35 inch pines.

 

[dodge man]

You really need to decide if the saw you want will be for felling or not. I will recommend the MS261 if you don’t need it for felling large trees. I have an 18” bar on mine but it would pull a 20” easy. I’m good with the Stihl anti kickback(green) chains if you keep them sharp.

Someone commented there is no difference between home owner grade and the pro saws. I’m not sure if he was referring to working on them or not. If repairing them, I would agree. If using them, not so. I have an MS 250 and a MS 261. They are roughly the same size, the 261 being bigger. The 261 I think weighs less than 1 pound more. The 261 is a pro saw and it has so much more power than the 250. Probably what you are getting mostly with a pro saw is more power and less weight.

Some other features that may or may not be important in the Stihl line of pro saws. They are making them auto tune. The carb adjusts for altitude and temps automatically. My MS261 does NOT have this feature, not because I didn’t want it but because they didn’t have it in stock. The oiling system is adjustable and the air cleaner is better and easier to swap out.

 

[kenmbz]

I have a Echo CS-490 for small stuff and a CS-620 for the larger stuff.
I find the lighter saw is easier to move site-site.
The big saw is faster and when nose in to a cut is actually less work and easier than struggling with the lighter saw!

 

[Stampeder]

I'm 75. Stihl FarmBoss is the only saw I have/use for 60 foot tall pine trees here in East Texas. I have a 22 inch bar on mine. Best chainsaw ever....
Key things with any chainsaw..keep it sharp. Don't use power grinder for sharpening. Causes too much heat. Only need four strokes on each tooth to keep it sharp. Also, don't run it into the dirt, will destroy you chain in a heartbeat. Above all BE SAFE. Wear protective gear.
One other saw you should consider if you have tall trees like I have is a pole saw. They too are worth their weight in gold. Again only the Stihl one...

 

[rjman]

This is what I use: CS-501P Rear Handle Chainsaw | ECHO X Series for the logs for my sawmill.
Make sure it is the CS-501P, the "P" is the Professional model and it makes a difference as they also sell 50cc Echo chainsaws at places like Home Depot that are not the professional model.
I love this chainsaw, it is just the right power to weight ratio, 50cc. I also use the Stihl 2 in 1 chainsaw file tool that "Root Cause" posted above.
It doesn't matter how much power you have if that chain isn't sharpened properly and that chainsaw file tool is incredible at getting a very sharp chain.
I used to run a Husqvarna 266XP (66.7cc) for years. It was a very powerful chainsaw, however it will also play you out because of the weight, especially when limbing logs. This is where the Echo CS-501P really makes a difference, plenty of power and won't play you out because it is also light weight. I also run a 16" bar and cut plenty of trees over 24" diameter. If your largest trees are only 26" diameter on average, a 16" bar can handle that easily, it can handle up to about 31" diameter.

 

[Omega Woods]

Another vote for the Stihl 462. It's a lightweight beast.

 

[Varmintmist]

Weight to nose weight are factors. You dont need a 40 inch bar to drop a 40 inch tree, In fact you dont even need a 20. What you need to do is learn how to drop trees.
Now, for me at 57yo, the old Husky 61 with a 24 in bar is my go to. It is heavy, but it will get the job done and for little stuff, the 24in bar gives a bit more reach and saves the back. I also have a 16 in bar bar for the 61 and that is a handfull, 359 with a 20 inch bar, and a light little sthil with a 16. But power to weight and lack of bending as much the 61 is the go to.
Both of the bigger saws run Woodland Pro full chisel chain.