Which Chainsaw for Forestry

[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.

[Big J]

4 minutes ago, woodwizzard said:

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.

Would be a good buy I think, filling the gap between your little Makita and the bigger Makita

[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.

 

[spuddog0507]

17 minutes ago, Spruce Pirate said:

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.

 

been felling edgers last week for harvester and some of the brash on the outside of tree was all most a tree its self could of run a cs31 course just on the brash been using a 461 on 25" bar and still having to do heart cut a sweep round on one or two of them and if heart cut had,nt been done i dont think they would of gone over, its nice to see some one using the same practice as my self with cutting the brash back and leaving yourself a clear working area along the tree, nice vid  but again crap music saw reving its nuts of would be better .sorry.

[Spruce Pirate]

1 minute ago, spuddog0507 said:

been felling edgers last week for harvester and some of the brash on the outside of tree was all most a tree its self could of run a cs31 course just on the brash been using a 461 on 25" bar and still having to do heart cut a sweep round on one or two of them and if heart cut had,nt been done i dont think they would of gone over, its nice to see some one using the same practice as my self with cutting the brash back and leaving yourself a clear working area along the tree, nice vid  but again crap music saw reving its nuts of would be better .sorry.

Each to their own, I listen to a saw practically every day, I like a bit of music every now and then.

 

Got to love the outsiders with the big limbs!  2 - 3 fills per tree and you know you're working for your money!  I've seen us two man it with one going along with a wee saw knocking the branches off the another following with a bigger saw trimming the paps back flush with the stem.

[Joe Newton]

15 hours ago, Big J said:

Depends entirely on what kind of forestry you're doing. 70cc is too large for most (softwood) snedding so I'd be inclined to say go 50-60cc depending on the size of the trees. If you wanted one saw to cover more or less everything, a Husqvarna 560xp on an 18 inch bar would do it. But then the Dolmar PS6100 is also very good. 

 

I certainly wouldn't go over 18" bar length for much. Longer than necessary guide bars slow you down more than an oversized powerhead.

There's 200 grams between the 560 and the 462.

 

That's a years supply for a lot of arbs I know!

[spuddog0507]

8 minutes ago, Spruce Pirate said:

Each to their own, I listen to a saw practically every day, I like a bit of music every now and then.

 

Got to love the outsiders with the big limbs!  2 - 3 fills per tree and you know you're working for your money!  I've seen us two man it with one going along with a wee saw knocking the branches off the another following with a bigger saw trimming the paps back flush with the stem.

Yes 2 or 3 fills per tree nearly a job for some one else that fueling up, did 9 trees yesterday and 2 of em where monsters but had the wind behind to help and hardly had to swing that hammer only on one,lad on machine said we would be knocking on the door towards 30 tonne ,

[TIMON]

There's 200 grams between the 560 and the 462.
 
That's a years supply for a lot of arbs I know!

Lightweights [emoji51]