Chainsaw For Working in UK Forestry Advice

[gary112]

Husky 550xp ideal for the job,and if you can find a good one a 372xp to go with it

[MattyF]

400cm on a 16" and 500i on a 25" would be my two saws of choice.

[Jamie Jones]

Thanks for all the advice so far:

Are there any know issues of reliability on the following saws? You hear rumours and it sounds like no saw is immune from problems:
Husky 560xp

Husky 562xp

Husky 572xp
Stihl MS500i

[Snedasawrus]

Husqy 560 18 inch bar is a great all round forestry saw for all the small/medium trees and snedding out the big ones. Stihl 500i on a 25 inch bar for everything else. That is my combo at the moment and to be pair it’s my favorite pairing of saws I’ve ever had.

[openspaceman]

11 minutes ago, Snedasawrus said:

Husqy 560 18 inch bar is a great all round forestry saw for all the small/medium trees and snedding out the big ones. Stihl 500i on a 25 inch bar for everything else. That is my combo at the moment and to be pair it’s my favorite pairing of saws I’ve ever had.

Yes I mostly kept a 18" bar with full chisel chain on a 60cc saw as my goto saw for 35 years, the others only coming out for specific tasks. A smaller lighter saw probably has the same power nowadays.

 

PS what's the difference between a 560 and 562?

Edited September 22, 2021 by openspaceman
added post script

[Spruce Pirate]

Three saws in regular usage for me - Husky 550 mk2, 572 and 390.

 

550 mk2 is every bit as good as a 560/562 in my opinion, great for wee stuff and for snedding.  Bigger stuff if you're only felling to the head with maybe the occasional bit of snedding rough ones 572 with either a 20" or a 24" bar will fell most stuff.  Take one of these bars in the piece bag and then you've got a spare with you.  390 really only stuff that's really big and close to the road, it's too heavy to carry miles into the wood.  

 

Stihl 261 good saw, but not as good as the 550 for softwood forestry.  Stihl 462 good saw, doesn't sned as well as the 572.  Haven't used the 500i more than a day, seemed a good saw, lots of folk like them for forestry but I don't know enough about them.  Bigger Stihls I haven't used for ages so don't know.

 

Echo, never used but looks old, heavy and clunky - I could be doing them a massive disservice, but they don't look up to the job.

 

DolMakita good saws but the one I tried didn't have the build quality of a Husky or Stihl, too many issues with it falling to bits.

[Snedasawrus]

Yes I mostly kept a 18" bar with full chisel chain on a 60cc saw as my goto saw for 35 years, the others only coming out for specific tasks. A smaller lighter saw probably has the same power nowadays.
 
PS what's the difference between a 560 and 562?

I’m not sure on the difference between the 560/562. I’m quite new to husqys myself so am no expert but I’m quessing it’s just the latest model. My 560 is definitely a better all round forestry saw than my stihl 362 was.

[htb]

IIRC 560 uses small bar mount. 562 uses the larger bar mount, same as 572 etc.

[Stere]

Makitas ea6100 and ea7900 you have not up  to the job?

 

 

[Jamie Jones]

27 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

PS what's the difference between a 560 and 562?

The 560xp is on a smaller bar mount and runs .325 chain

the 562xp is on a bigger bar mount and 3/8” chain

other than that the saw is basically the same