Need my first "big saw" advice on ms46x's?

[TINYHULK]

So its nearing the time for me to get a bigger saw for some felling and bucking down spars. Right now my heart is with the ms462 with full wrap handle and 28in bar. Husky is almost all out of question for me due to there being absolutely no dealers in the saws above the 460 rancher. Im in southeast Virginia and there normally isn't a need for anything past a 28in bar and the trees that are could easily get cut from both sides. This would be my only saw other than my top handle (echo cs355t 16in bar, would have went stihl but 201tc issues scared me away). Was just looking at local sales and a guy is selling a used 461 for $600. So a used one for half the price of a new one with a bark box and the guy said it runs good. Haven't got ahold of him yet but would are calls thoughts?

 

[lxskllr]

I thought your prices were off, but holy hell saws have gotten expensive. I paid $1.2k for my 661 two years ago. I got a bit of a deal, but still...

I don't have much info for you, but I'd be reluctant to buy used for business purposes. The price does seem decent compared what I see saws selling for now. It's a good saw, and worth a look, but if it's been beat to death logging, I'd reject it. If you're very price sensitive, echo would be worth a look. I've heard good things about the 7310, and I couldn't be happier with my small echoes.

 

[SkwerI]

I have owned both. The 462 is nice but the electronic carb can be fidgetty when restarting hot. I found the best way to use it was to let it idle between cuts (3-4 min usually) instead of shutting it off and restarting. I had a MS461 that leaked oil from the day I bought it, the oil cap didn't seat tight. I replaced the cap and it still leaked. Couldn't spot an obvious problem in the casting. I ended up parking it in the garage because I couldn't keep it in the toolbox on the truck without soaking everything in oil.

Power is similar, 462 weighs a little less. If the used 461 is in good shape and the oil cap doesn't leak then buy it and save your money. There isn't $600 worth of difference between them.

I recommend running a 24" bar for every day use. Keep the 28" for the really big trees when you need it. You can easily cut 42" trees with a 24" bar and it will cut faster than the longer bar. And less teeth to sharpen!

 

[TINYHULK]

My boss has a 661 and with the 36in bar he paid around 1800 for it. Got to fell a dead oak spar with it yesterday I didn't realize echo made a saw that large but I'm actually loving on it already and I have a great relationship with a local echo dealer. My next top handle will be the 2511, well unless this new electric echo dcs-2500t proves to be something special. Its supposed to have the same power as the 2511 but electric. Its weird to see a local guy with a saw as large as a 461 around here unless he recently moved here from a logging area or is an arborist. Either way I like a new 7310 over a used 461 any day. Plus the 7310 doesn't have electronics like the new 462

 

[TINYHULK]

yeah skwerl my original idea was a 462 with a 28in and 20in bar but maybe just one in the middle would be best. Ive ran a 25in bar plenty and it feels pretty good to me (I'm 5ft 7). I have a buddy from church that wants me to take down an oak tree for him so when I see him this weekend, if he says yes to the job then that job will pay for the new saw. But now I'm seriously considering the echo 7310. Gotta do more research

 

[SkwerI]

Just keep in mind that the Stihl pro series saws have the reputation they do for a reason. The big Echo may be nice but it's not a Stihl. You only regret the price of a Stihl once. It may cost you a day's labor but you will have it producing for you for 8-10 years. How many old Echos do you see on FB or CL bringing top dollar?

 

[TINYHULK]

Makes good sense skwerl. How long do you recall echo making a 70cc saw? With a bone stock 462, could/would you run a 28in bar?

 

[treebilly]

I’ve ran a 28” on my stock 462. Does fine but I prefer a 20” or the 25”. I’ve got a pair of 500i’s that run the 28&32. Occasionally one gets a 36. I’m thinking if you don’t like it with the 28 you could try it with a skip or semi-skip chain to reduce drag

 

[TINYHULK]

This is the picture of the saw I found for $600.

 

[SkwerI]

Im' sure it will pull a 28" just fine, but I abandoned the homeowner 'bigger is better' philosophy long ago. Why do you want the extra length? I want the shortest, lightest bar possible that will handle the job the quickest. Running a 28" bar cutting 20" wood just means you stick the tip in the dirt more often. Not to mention harder to handle. My biggest saw for years was a ported 395XP and I only ran a 32" bar on it. I could do some serious cutting with that saw though. You only need long bars if you're logging redwoods in the mountains of northern California.

Same reasoning behind why I always ran a 14" bar on my climbing saw even though most locals used 16" bars. My saws cut way faster than theirs and were easier to handle. I could cut 18" wood easily with a 14" bar, then I was switching to a bigger saw.

And the oil tank leaks on that 461. IMO that is reason enough to pass.

 

[treebilly]

I’m no help on that end. Looks dirty. I would’ve at least cleaned it up a bit to pose for selling

 

[treebilly]

And I agree with Brian. I prefer the shorter bars.

 

[TINYHULK]

Ill probably go with the 20in and maybe get a 25 in the future if its needed. Are the sugihara bars on this saw worth the investment? I got an estimate today from a local shop: ms462cm with the 20in bar for $1,150. Another "digital influence in my naive tree mind is when guys talk about bucking down the wood, with a longer bar your not bent over as much. All trees we drop have to be cut down to manageable sizes so we can lift them in to the trailer. with me having back issues (not too much of an issue when I stay in the gym but still flair up from Time to time). So I guess that's where my longer bar desire comes from. and I was thinking the same thing treebilly

 

[lxskllr]

How to tell with the potato pic, but the 461 looks pretty good. Newish bar? It's worth a look. The barkbox makes me think it might be a weekend warrior. The 461 has been cloned by the Chinese. A concern of mine would be Chinese parts installed. I don't think I could tell by looking at it if parts were original or replaced.

 

[Burnham]

I think Brian might be right about the bar oil filler cap leaking...but it could just as easily be a sloppy operator spilling and/or overfilling.

 

[TINYHULK]

The messy operator was my first thought Burnham but that's why I'm grateful for you guys, I wouldn't have thought about if the oil tank itself was leaking. If its just a cap then that's fine but I don't want to be hunting for old parts on a saw I just bought even if its used. I like fixing things up not having to chase issue after issue even though I can lol

 

[SkwerI]

My saw looked like that after 3 tanks of fuel. Oil constantly leaks and dirt sticks to it. Gets in the recoil and under the muffler. It's a factory defect that Stihl never acknowledged.

 

[TINYHULK]

Skwerl is there any fixes to the problem or just something you have to live with?

 

[SkwerI]

I never figured it out. I took it off the truck and left it in the shop empty, I had other saws.

 

[TINYHULK]

gotcha ill see if the guy even responds and what he says to the oil mess. y'all have me thinking a lot about the 462 with the 20in bar. only time I've ran a 20 or 25in bar was on the 261. We have a big power jump from the 261 to the 661. I have zero experience with anything inbetween

 

[TINYHULK]

Another question, with any 70cc saw in the tree, is the full wrap handle worth having? increases the weight by about a pound but seems like there would be situations where it would be beneficial. only bucked down wood with a 261 and had no problems with it but how would it fair with a 462 20-25in bar?

 

[lxskllr]

I haven't had the need for one. Personal preference I think.

 

[TINYHULK]

so would a 462 with a 20in bar be manageable in the tree or should I stick to smaller 20in saws like a 261?

 

[lxskllr]

Lighter is better imo, but you need what you need. A 462 /can/ be handled in a tree, but I wouldn't particularly want to.

 

[SkwerI]

so would a 462 with a 20in bar be manageable in the tree or should I stick to smaller 20in saws like a 261?

You will find out soon enough!