Suggestions for midsize saw?

Sexton

Sexton

Location
Shongaloo
I'm sure this has probably been asked somewhere but just looking for suggestions for a good mid sized saw used for climbing and General ground use I really not a fan of lugging my 660 up the tree with me and it would be nice to have a between the road top handle - 660 for general use on the ground I have an older 025 but she has seen better days what do yall use or do yall just swap out bars and use a bigger saw
 
I'm not sure but isn't the 241 less cc than 261. 241 with that new chain width is probably as fast maybe. But the 261 with the same narrow chain cuts awesome. It can be purchased as a kit, includes the narrower bar and 2 chains for the 261. I think it came with sprocket too.


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I can honestly say the only husky I have ever ran is the vent saw on the Rescue truck at work and I like it but am a die hard stihl man probably because that's how I was raised so I would really like to continue running stihl but am open to try anything
 
Chainsaws are like any other piece of machinery or tool... the best plan is nearly always to size the tool for the job you're doing. There's a very good reason why they don't put a 440 CID Hemi in a golf cart. As long as we're talking about any of the quality brand saws, they're usually very well engineered for the intended use. An infatuation with displacement and horsepower is pretty much macho bullshit. A sharp, efficient blade is what makes them cut fast and clean. You only need enough horsepower to do the job... a sharp chain on a 30cc engine will cut faster than a dull chain on 40cc engine. Most of the time when friends are whining about their saw being too gimp, I feel the blade and it's duller than a butter knife. I always get the same kind of response when I point that out. "What? I just sharpened it last fall!" Yeah. It's August, buddy.

I like the Stihl saws for a variety of reasons. But, I've used or owned Jonsered, Husqvarna, Tanaka, Echo, Hitachi, Makita and a few others that I thought were very good saws. Buy what you feel comfortable with. Just stick with a good brand with a good reputation and keep the chains sharp. Can't go wrong.

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion. I don't care what kind of truck you drive or how awesome your Poulan Wild Thing is.
 
im on the 362 band wagon. 18" - 22" bar n that things suweet. my boss just picked up a brandy new one, 362-C. its either lighter or better balanced that the older 362 we had, which was really only 2 - 3 years old tops.
its hardly too big and heavy (specially if you carry around an 18" bar for it), and if its too small, grab your next biggest saw.
 
I was also a stihl guy until I got the 550 xp on a recommendation from a reputable source. As much as I love my 361, it has seen about 4 hours of use since I got the 550 a couple years ago. Two different sized tools of course, but I never end up breaking out the 361 any more. I'll just walk around to the other side of the tree to finish a cut rather than walk back to the truck to get the bigger saw.
The ergonomics I find to be the most noticeable difference from other saws, that spring loaded kill switch makes it a LOT easier to shut off and start again. One press for off, then one pull and it's going again. Light and high rpms, real snappy and doesn't bog down easily. Just make sure you don't file your depth gauges down too low, it'll get pretty grabby. I'm mostly on the ground felling or limbing etc, but once the climber gets into big wood the 550 goes aloft and I'll scrounge around in the truck for something else for a while, never quite the same until it comes back down safe and sound.
 
My MS361 is by far the best saw I've ever had. Light and plenty of power for a 20" bar but not an obnoxious amount of power while up in the tree. It has also been a very RELIABLE saw for me which is more important then anything being a contract climber I don't being a bunch of saws with me.

If you get the chance to run one do it. I bought mine "used" off of a homeowner who likes pro saws. The saw may as well still been brand new and I only paid $450. I think you'll be happy with the 361.
 
361/2 are my vote as well haven't ran much for husky. I found at log building school all the husky guys were always tuning there carbs but that being said they seemed to cut smoother and be lighter for their power. I think of huskys as sports cars and stihls as work trucks.
 
That's not a bad analogy... they all have strong points, and weak points, but that's pretty much everything in the universe. My Echo CS-590 has a bigger engine than my Stihl MS-261C-MQ but I prefer the 261 up in the tree and like the 590 on the ground. Something about the weight, balance and shapes of the two saws lends me to prefer them for different tasks. The Echo obviously has more grunt to it, with the bigger engine, but the difference in cutting speed is almost nothing... it just doesn't notice the hard/sappy/pithy/knotty parts of bigger wood as much. They're both 20" bars, at the moment. I might put a 24" on the Echo. I don't think it will notice. We'll see.

Lots of good saws out there, in my opinion. The little Tanaka tophandle saw has been the biggest surprise. I got it as a backup for the MS-201T and I really like the little bastard. At only $215.00 out the door, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if I couldn't afford the Stihl, Husky or Echo tophandle machines. My expectations were not high for a saw at this price point, and I haven't had it long enough to know how it will hold up, but I might just try to give it a decent workout this year and see what it's made of.
 
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