Which Chainsaw for Forestry

[woodwizzard]

They do it to cause pointless debates on forums ?

[stihlmadasever]

Dont fuck about get a 441 with 20 inch bar full chisel chain.

441 will pull a 25 inch bar aswell for the bigger stuff.

Your welcome...

[doobin]

30 minutes ago, stihlmadasever said:

Dont fuck about get a 441 with 20 inch bar full chisel chain.

441 will pull a 25 inch bar aswell for the bigger stuff.

Your welcome...

I personally wouldn't buy a 441 when the 462 weighs less and puts out more power for under £100 less.

[spuddog0507]

2 hours ago, woodwizzard said:

.......and it was the 461 listed as 20" ? https://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-tools-A-great-range/Chainsaws-saw-chains-guide-bars/Petrol-chainsaws-for-forestry/22099-131/MS-461.aspx

that spec on the link is a load of bollox 40 45 & 50cm max bar for 461 catalogue states 45 50 & 63 cm bars and bar that stihl recomend is 63cm 25", what i can say is the 461 is fine on a 25" bar, been on it all week this week felling edgers for harvester and its ok on 25",  i did run it on a 20" till i trashed it and that did cut, shoud,nt need a saw any bigger than a 461, from what i have seen and heard of the 462 its a light saw with good fast power delivery, just waiting for some one i know to get one then i can have a play with it,,

[Ratman]

that spec on the link is a load of bollox 40 45 & 50cm max bar for 461 catalogue states 45 50 & 63 cm bars and bar that stihl recomend is 63cm 25", what i can say is the 461 is fine on a 25" bar, been on it all week this week felling edgers for harvester and its ok on 25",  i did run it on a 20" till i trashed it and that did cut, shoud,nt need a saw any bigger than a 461, from what i have seen and heard of the 462 its a light saw with good fast power delivery, just waiting for some one i know to get one then i can have a play with it,,

Oh dear! [emoji15][emoji33]

[jamallio96]

that spec on the link is a load of bollox 40 45 & 50cm max bar for 461 catalogue states 45 50 & 63 cm bars and bar that stihl recomend is 63cm 25", what i can say is the 461 is fine on a 25" bar, been on it all week this week felling edgers for harvester and its ok on 25",  i did run it on a 20" till i trashed it and that did cut, shoud,nt need a saw any bigger than a 461, from what i have seen and heard of the 462 its a light saw with good fast power delivery, just waiting for some one i know to get one then i can have a play with it,,

Hopefully whoever does get one doesn't see that pic else I can't imagine they'd let you anywhere near a shiny new 462!

[woodwizzard]

I think the 441 was the most characterless and unimpressive saw I have ever used, but each to their own.

I'm thinking about another saw and would quite like a 462, but I can't justify the price. Might go the 560 route.

[spuddog0507]

21 minutes ago, jamallio96 said:

Hopefully whoever does get one doesn't see that pic else I can't imagine they'd let you anywhere near a shiny new 462!

well you would of done the same as what i did that day and that was , get the F - - K out of there, saw can be either fixed or replaced in a day or so, i cant,,,

[Pete Mctree]

I have run a 440, 441, 460, 461, 462 husky 372 & 572.

Non of which should run a 25" bar in hardwoods cutting commercially- that is time for a 90cc saw IMO.

 

The 440/441 and 372/572 are great forestry saws, capable of ergonomic shedding & felling, the torque of the 460/461 make for more of a felling or crosscutting machine. 

The 462 is the best midrange cutting saw I have ever run  - it just works on another level. I just wish I could justify owning one. 

Weirdly it's vibration figures are quite high but in the hand it feels quite smooth.

[Spruce Pirate]

Depends what sort of forestry you're doing. 

 

Big, oversize stuff I take two saws into the wood, big saw (24" bar at least) for felling, wee saw (18" bar) for snedding.  If it's only felling stuff for a harvester I'd have one saw, 20" or 24" bar depending on tree size, generally go with the bigger bar as it's surprising how many trees are bigger than 20" on a clearfell and the time it saves working from one side of the tree to the other, I know other folk that like the smaller bar though as the reckon the chain speed is faster.  Wee stuff I'd have an 18" bar for felling and snedding. Rarely do much full on snedding these days as it's mostly working to a harvester or fell to waste, if I was snedding I might think about a 15".  Back in the thinnings days it always used to be 13" bars and wee saws.

 

Currently running mostly Husky 560 and 576 or Dolmar 7910 for these bars, can use a 28" on the Dolly without too much bother or use the 395.  Stihls are mostly a waste of time for softwood felling IMO as they don't rev fast enough, tried the Dolmar 6100 and wasn't overly impressed with it for a production saw - more suited to firewood.  Husky 390 is a good popular saw for softwood clearfell.  I like the look of both the 572 and Stihl 462 but might wait a while before trying to make sure any issues with either are ironed out.  Both, so far, seem to have popular feedback.

 

Hardwood is a different game altogether, not my forte.

 

Video below was done with 560 on an 18" bar, perfect for that sort of size of stuff.

 

Bigger stuff, bigger saw.