What chainsaws hold up best in heavy cutting?

[morsmordre]

I’ve been using a couple of different brands on tough timber and want to hear what you all trust most for big cuts and long days in the woods. Which models have you had good luck with?

 

[cjmac163]

I’ve been using a couple of different brands on tough timber and want to hear what you all trust most for big cuts and long days in the woods. Which models have you had good luck with?

For heavy cutting, you're pretty much exclusively only going to hear opinions favoring Stihl or Husqvarna. Echo has a couple bigger saws, but I don't believe they are "pro saws" to the same extent as Stihl or Husky. I personally prefer Husqvarna, and my go-to saw for bigger timber is my 385xp, which has very light porting (basically just smoothed and polished the ports and transfers). That saw absolutely rips, and is the most reliable saw I've owned.
Proponents for Stihl will likely talk about their wider variety of higher-cc saws, and their reliability, but I've encountered a couple minor issues with Stihls, and subsequently the only Stihls I own anymore are a 194 top handle and a little 180 for small firewood at home, though the 180 rarely sees any action.

 

[What]

Get a husqvarna!

They discontinued the 390, so try a 395, or if in monster sized wood a lot, a 3120. The 3120 is going to make you sweat all day though. It will take any bar, and eat it's way through anything...but the cost is it will wear you down to. I've packed a saw a lot, and still by 10 AM I'm tired when in big wood running the 3120. By lunch time, my arms and hands are needing a rest. Being old doesn't help though, it felt a lot lighter at 35, okay at 45, now at 55, it's just heavy.

 

[loggerbro_80]

STIHL MS881 magnum is great for you. it's the most powerful production chainsaw on the market, the MS 881 is specifically designed for felling and processing the largest timber with bar options up to 41 inches

 

[cjmac163]

STIHL MS881 magnum is great for you. it's the most powerful production chainsaw on the market, the MS 881 is specifically designed for felling and processing the largest timber with bar options up to 41 inches

I don't think OP is necessarily looking for the most expensive saw on the market. I could be wrong. But to me, $2700 is bonkers for a saw that is really too heavy, and with too long of a bar, to lug through the woods (unless you need to pull the full length of a 7 foot bar through every tree you are felling). A 3120 is Husqvarna's equivalent, and it comes in at $2k even, from most retailers. Even still, I've run a 42" bar on my 385. It's not the fastest saw with a 42" but it cuts if you are patient. It is the predecessor to the 390. I know @What runs a bigger bar on one of his 390s, but he swears by those. I know there are a few 390s still left over at dealers, at least in my area. I'm sure there are NIB 390s online too.
To each their own, of course. But the biggest saw I would bring out in the woods with me is a 395 or maybe a 592, if you wanted a 5 series Husky. Stihl 661 if you prefer a Stihl. Those can all handle a 5 or 6 footer with no issues. You just can't get overzealous in the cut. A 32-36" bar will handle pretty much everything, unless you are in huge evergreens or a big sycamore or something of that nature.

 

[What]

STIHL MS881 magnum is great for you. it's the most powerful production chainsaw on the market, the MS 881 is specifically designed for felling and processing the largest timber with bar options up to 41 inches

If going stihl, buy 900 of them, that should get you about 300 hours of run time, at 20 minutes per saw.

 

[BrahneRaza]

When you say hold up, do you mean fewer breakdowns, less bar and chain wear, or just staying strong under load without getting finicky. I’m seeing the Stihl MS 462 and Husqvarna 572XP mentioned a lot, but I’m curious what people’s real world hours look like before major work. Also do you run stock muffler and tuning or do you tweak anything.

 

[Steve Woodrow]

If going stihl, buy 900 of them, that should get you about 300 hours of run time, at 20 minutes per saw.

strange, been running my 036 now for 23 years. Is it defective????

 

[What]

If you really need your saw to rip, port and polish it, then a new intake and exhaust. But most people don't need that, just buy enough saw to start with. It's silly to buy a 4 hp saw, and try to make it run like a 5 hp saw, when you can just buy the 5 hp saw to begin with. Better yet buy a 6 hp saw, and smile all day long. But when you get that 6 hp saw running perfectly, and instantly revs, and makes 7.5 hp, well that's just kind of fun to do in my opinion.

 

[Alan]

When people say a saw holds up, they usually mean it starts easy, stays tuned, and doesn’t shake you to death after hours. In cold weather, starting and consistent oiling become part of “reliable” too. What has been your biggest pain point, power, heat soak, or maintenance downtime.

 

[cjmac163]

When people say a saw holds up, they usually mean it starts easy, stays tuned, and doesn’t shake you to death after hours. In cold weather, starting and consistent oiling become part of “reliable” too. What has been your biggest pain point, power, heat soak, or maintenance downtime.

I think that's just it. I look for a saw that gives me no pain points. I want a saw that powers through the cut, all day everyday. The bigger 3 series huskies are really just great for it. 385, 390, 394/395. Heck, even a 372 would be solid if you open it up a little

 

[What]

When people say a saw holds up, they usually mean it starts easy, stays tuned, and doesn’t shake you to death after hours. In cold weather, starting and consistent oiling become part of “reliable” too. What has been your biggest pain point, power, heat soak, or maintenance downtime.

Maintenance downtime !!!

Refusing to start, or running like crap, are the most common things. Most days, I take 3 or 4 saws with me to work. If a saw has an issue at work, I don't stop working to fix it. I throw it in the back of my truck, and grab another saw. I'll fix it at home, after hours, in my heated shop, full of tools. I'm taking today off for personal reasons, and to run errands. But yesterday I went to work with 3 390s, and 1 3120. I only used 1 saw all day, but if I needed others, or a different bar length was better, I had options. Although yesterday was not a big chainsaw day, I only hand fell 23 trees, then limbed and bucked those same trees by hand.
Most of my day yesterday was in the skidder.

 

[What]

I think that's just it. I look for a saw that gives me no pain points. I want a saw that powers through the cut, all day everyday. The bigger 3 series huskies are really just great for it. 385, 390, 394/395. Heck, even a 372 would be solid if you open it up a little

Couldn't agree with you more!

 

[cjmac163]

Maintenance downtime !!!

Refusing to start, or running like crap, are the most common things. Most days, I take 3 or 4 saws with me to work. If a saw has an issue at work, I don't stop working to fix it. I throw it in the back of my truck, and grab another saw. I'll fix it at home, after hours, in my heated shop, full of tools. I'm taking today off for personal reasons, and to run errands. But yesterday I went to work with 3 390s, and 1 3120. I only used 1 saw all day, but if I needed others, or a different bar length was better, I had options. Although yesterday was not a big chainsaw day, I only hand fell 23 trees, then limbed and bucked those same trees by hand.
Most of my day yesterday was in the skidder.

I know terrain, size/species of the trees, etc will greatly affect this statistic, but on average, how many trees are you processing (as far as felling, bucking, limbing) per hour? Not that it matters too much, but I'm just curious where I stack up, I suppose. I'm usually working on steep hillsides so I feel like I'm slower than most

 

[What]

I know terrain, size/species of the trees, etc will greatly affect this statistic, but on average, how many trees are you processing (as far as felling, bucking, limbing) per hour? Not that it matters too much, but I'm just curious where I stack up, I suppose. I'm usually working on steep hillsides so I feel like I'm slower than most

An average is almost impossible to pinpoint, because I am usually hand falling, bucking, something that is too large, or terrain too nasty, for a machine. I could be as low as 2 trees an hour, to fall, limb, buck, when large, and on a hillsides. It could also be as many as 8, on a good day. Now, when all i have to do is hand falling, which was, my first ever job in the bush, terrain isn't crazy, and the trees are not all giants, then 25 or more an hour. For me, the perfect terrain to fall on, is about an 8 degree slope, no wind, temperatures in the 5 C to 15 C range, no snow or rain, and trees not too close, nor too far apart, 10 to 30 inches in diameter, where cutting. Tiny trees are the hardest to fall in my opinion.

 

[What]

Maybe that should be a topic, falling tiny trees.
I hate the damn things.
Last small tree I had to cut was yesterday.
I looked at its lean, then went to the back side, aka 180 degrees away from the angle of lean, and just started cutting it with a downward angle of probably 5 degrees, and just cut till it fell. It had to go, as it was in my way, but those are the ones i hate.

 

[cjmac163]

Maybe that should be a topic, falling tiny trees.
I hate the damn things.
Last small tree I had to cut was yesterday.
I looked at its lean, then went to the back side, aka 180 degrees away from the angle of lean, and just started cutting it with a downward angle of probably 5 degrees, and just cut till it fell. It had to go, as it was in my way, but those are the ones i hate.

Thanks for the insight on the felling averages. I guess I'm not too slow. Like I said the variables are vast and I know you can barely even ballpark it.
As for small-diameter trees, I'm right there with you. Out here in south-central NY we get a lot of tall, spindly softwood. It is not uncommon to encounter hemlock and pine that are sub-12" diameter, but reach well over 80-90'. Depending on the density of trees/canopy where I am felling (the smaller diameter softwoods often grow tall due to increased tree population) it is often necessary to bang some wedges, as I have limited choice as to the direction the tree can be felled. The smaller the diameter is, maybe once I get down to less than 10", it is so difficult to get a wedge in the back cut with my bar still in the cut. God forbid the tree sits back.