Chainsaw suggestions?

Ronald

TreeHouser
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Messages
2
Location
Northern, VT
I run my own tree service and landscape company in northern VT. I am thinking of buying a new saw and want any input or suggestions folks may have. I have always run a Husqvarna 372 XP as a ground saw and use a Husqvarna T 435 for a climbing saw. I am looking for a lighter weight limbing saw I can use on jobs or in the woods. I love the 372XP but I get tired of lugging it around the woods this time of year when I am working in the wood lot. Any advice would be great.
 
Welcome to the TreeHouse, Ronald!

You can make some big cuts using a 200 with a 16" bar - just check my avatar.
 
What size wood are you cutting on the ground? How big of a cut are you wanting to make in the tree? How fast do you expect to make these cuts?
Welcome to the Tree house!
 
My 562 is so awesome that I sometimes feel it could tie my boots for me. But I won't get on that rant. You've all heard it from me as many times as Al has told us about the bearings going bad in 200T bottom ends.
 
I like my 562, but for limbing and light work you can't beat the 550XP.
A lighter saw almost as quick as the 550 in the wood is Stihl's MS241 CM with the Picco 63PS chisel chain.
I tried one out almost as light as a 200 but way more power.
 
Even better as I own both.
The 550 is an exact smaller copy of the 562 . Both have the hyper Auto Tune power band.

The Stihl 241CM is very similar except it's auto tune is called M Tronic.
 
I fondled a 550 at the dealer a time or two. Ya, I noticed the body lines are a scaled down 562. Felt nice in my hands. But id want to limb a downed spruce with it to come up with a real opinion on how it handles and moves in my hands when I'm on the throttle.
 
Most I talk to that had 353/346NE or 5105 think 550 is better in limbing but has not the Umpf that the older have when doing many cuts. A bit to narrow rpm band in best performance/power output. Run hot easier and are a bit more thirsty.
I agree with them in general and really hate these X-Torq engines. Running them side by side shifting saws really was very educating.
The 550 carb and ignition systems are IMO great! Just sad they don't get a better engine to run on.
 
I like my 562, but for limbing and light work you can't beat the 550XP.
A lighter saw almost as quick as the 550 in the wood is Stihl's MS241 CM with the Picco 63PS chisel chain.
I tried one out almost as light as a 200 but way more power.

I got a 241 cm I climb with it with a 12 inch bar on it rips. It beat a 311 in a 3 cut race on a log we cut in 2 so it was same size wood that was after the muffler mod and the 311 is a farm and ranch grade saw I don't know if that makes a difference


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
BTW welcome to the site Seedling345.
12" b/c on your MS241? Holy cow sure won't be nose heavy:D
Have you thought of trying a 16" or at least a 14"?
Are you running the 63PS chisel chain?
 
I have a 16 inch that came with it but I learned to climb with a ms250 with a 12 inch bar so I that grew on me and as far as chain on the 12 it's a yellow label chain
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I once knew a guy who knew a guy
 
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There's the baby bar lol people laugh but as previously stated it out cut a 311


I once knew a guy who knew a guy
 
Nice I've never even seen a 200t but my former won't let us use top handles me goin into my 3rd season and still training kinda he says they promote bad habits withe the whole 2 hand 1 hand thing but it doesn't take a pro to know the dangers of one handed operation but he's the boss


I once knew a guy who knew a guy
 
Nice man he also won't let us take pics on the job sight it's pretty strict but what ever I'm lookin for another tree service to climb for any way


I once knew a guy who knew a guy
 
...my foreman won't let us use top handles me goin into my 3rd season and still training kinda he says they promote bad habits withe the whole 2 hand 1 hand thing...
Not really sure where your foreman is coming from. It's designed that way on purpose! A top handle saw becomes an extension of you... use one hand to cut, the other to manipulate the limb.

Stihl 200T in the tree for us (see our last Work 2.0 pics of cutting an 18" bur oak leader with it). [Our 201T is definitely a far 2nd rate backup.] Husqvarna 346XP is the main limbing saw for us -- good balance of lighness and power. 372 is for beefier work (felling, leaders, large limbing). 395 is for larger felling & stump cuts, so it doesn't come out of the truck more than a couple times a week.
 
550XP for climbing needs, a 562XP for mid size chunking needs, a 395XP for bigger climbing needs and falling duties, and a 3120 for bigger falling needs. All simply kick ass, and are some of the best saws I have run in my life. Looking to get the new 572XP in the near future.
 
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