recomend a medium size saw

[Head Ranger Pete]

Okay new member here so be gentle if its been asked 5 million times already.

 

We've got a bunch of 260s (with 14") and a 441 (with 24") , and while they get the job done , recently I am finding a problem that we've got jobs where the 260 isnt man enough , and the 441 is overkill (also some of my smaller/female staff find it difficult to start the 441 and/or find it a beast to work with all day)

 

I'm thinking maybe a 361 with 20" would be the way to go as a compromise , but i'd be interested in hearing your views

 

For background we are a Ranger team, and are largely engaged in either storm clearance or felling dead/dangerous trees, we don't work aloft (unless standing on top of the truck counts as aloft ) and the biggest trees we are likelyt deal with are about 30" dia.

[tommer9]

The 361 is no longer available, and has been replaced with the 362. Although a good saw not as keen as the 361 IMO. Husky offer the 357 i believe which is a good tool, and have just brought out the 560xp, about which there is a current thread running on here describing peoples experiences so far. I run a 16" and sometimes an 18" on my 362. TBH i dont think it would handle a 20" as well as the 361 did!!

[Head Ranger Pete]

thats helpful cheers - I'd like to stay with stihl if I can because all our other saws are stihl, and also because we are out in the sticks and our nearest dealer doesn't stock husky.

 

what's next up from a 362 these days ? (course there's also the option of buying a 361 or 036 second hand if i can find a good one)

[tommer9]

I think the 441 is the next up from the 362. If you want to stick with stihl then go for a 362- it is still a very good saw by any standards......i was just in love with my 361...it got liberated from the side of the road last december though......

[Head Ranger Pete]

okay thanks for that

 

How easy is the 362 to start ? (at 6,4 and 15 stone, the 441 doesnt bother me but my estate ranger is a girl who's about 5,2 and a tad over half my weight and she really struggles to pull it even with the decompression button pressed)

 

(incidentally i'm not being discrimanatory or patronising in observing this, its just a fact - quite often she needs me or another guy to start it for her, but once the saw is running she's the best chainsaw handler/treefaller on our team by a country mile)

Edited October 2, 2011 by Head Ranger Pete

[tommer9]

I find it easy....but then i find my 088 easy too!

[Head Ranger Pete]

I find it easy....but then i find my 088 easy too!

 

who are, you the incredible hulk ??

 

I used to have an 060 and I got rid of that because it was too hard to start on a cold morning - I dont even want to think about the 088

[Samuel]

put 18 inch bar on the 441 and get a 460 or 576 or something like that with 24 inch bar, what i would do anyway:001_rolleyes:

[Head Ranger Pete]

put 18 inch bar on the 441 and get a 460 or 576 or something like that with 24 inch bar, what i would do anyway:001_rolleyes:

 

I'm not sure i understand the logic - surely difficulty in starting the saw is down to the size of the engine she's turning over rather than the bar length , so putting a shorter bar on it wont really help

 

and getting a bigger saw is definite no no - I'd be the only one able to use it which would be pretty pointless.

[arbmark]

Hi Pete. I started in conservation work. Its a difficult compromise and i dont know your workload but I would have thought having a saw in between would be a good idea, expense allowing, since you have a range of operator strengths and machine power requirements. I wouldnt ditch the lighter saws because a day of small trees/clearance/rhody bashing is much safer and probably more safely & effectively performed with the 260s.