GotWood

So mines a 50 then. Good to know. Like someone has said - I can’t see me using the 181 for much now. I dropped 20-30 discs off of a log I have here at home to see how it ran and it was effortless really. I think I will enjoy using it on the pine trees.

Bingo. Thanks htb.

No idea about the top cover, maybe it's been changed at some point. Are there any other ways of telling if it's an XP? The red sthil came with the saw. I'll be running it on Aspen 2.

15" Bar, small list of servicing items to buy, considering trying a narrow kerf chain as suggested but tried it on a bit of ash at home and it's certainly much more saw than the 181. Happy so far.

I have bought the 346xp. When I get my hands on it I’ll give it the once over. Probably give it a new plug and a primer bulb straight away, assess what the bar and chain are like. I need some some recommendations on what bar and chain to put on it, and anywhere to buy them from?

Which one Gary and any reasons?

Hello all. Ive been offered a really fresh 346xp which I’m seriously considering, £300ish and it’s not done much at all. I know it won’t be fantastic in the big wood but like I say, I could always borrow a bigger saw. A forum member has also contacted me selling an MS250 which is an option. Plenty to think about, thankfully I don’t need to do anything in a hurry though.

Hello all, thanks for the info, even if there's a lot of conflicting info it's interesting to hear different opinions. To clear it up, I have a healthy respect for chainsaws and safety - but do appreciate people mentioning it, forall you know I could be getting myself into all kinds of trouble! I own a 181 which has been more than adequate for the hedges, trees and odd jobs I've needed it for at home, but it's not my only chainsaw experience, and years ago a tree surgeon that was a friend of my dad taught me a few things so I could help out on the farm with tree work. I've used much bigger saws on the farm at home up north. It's not an option to borrow them now as they are 400 miles away! I have a Mrs who loves a warm house, and I don't like buying logs or big gas bills! So a solution must be found! I went up and looked at the trees today, they are felled and sectioned. Using a 18-20" bar to ring them up is going to bore the pants of me, they are big trees. I could borrow the 440 for the large sections but even if I bought a £500-£700 saw for this job and never used it again it would more than pay for itself compared to buying the equivalent amount of seasoned logs. Besides, I like doing things myself anyway. I will likely get more big trees in the future, and I suppose the 365 would give me a nice big saw for felling if the conditions are right ( I'm not very experienced at that so I'd be very choosy about doing that). What bar length would you guys recommend for a 365? The online shop I'm looking at says 15"to28". Wow. Im tempted to buy a 241 and borrow the 440 though.

Thanks Matty, what you say makes a lot of sense.

Thanks Echo. Im getting a shot of a 550xp to see what it's like. The same friend has a MS440 which he's said I can borrow any time for bigger stuff, he never uses it so I may make him an offer. The MS241 is an option I hadn't considered, looks like a capable little saw. I may end up getting two saws!

So the sthil 261 and husky 550 both have issues. Great! Probably £500-£700 ish ideally but flexible for the right saw. Good info, thank you. Yeah I think your right. I'd like to think I'll use it now and agin for the garden stuff and it's always good to have a backup. It still runs and starts as good as it ever did so I'd be reluctant to give it away.

Thanks. Yeah I have a lot to learn it seems. I don't think I'm too bad at sharpening, i was taught by someone that worked for the forestry commission. I know what you mean though. You do have to nurse the 181 through in the bigger wood. Does seem a lot of saw for the money. https://www.frjonesandson.co.uk/products/husqvarna-365-x-torq-chainsaw-70-7cc/husqvarna-365-x-torq-chainsaw-70-7cc-18-inch-bar-chain/

Thank you, I look forwards to finding out! If I'm honest, I just followed the guy in the shops advice about replacing the 181's bar and chain. I think it came with a 14" though right enough. We all think bigger is better! I have quite a lot of Ash and Oak to get through so that's really why I've not bothered with the pine. Yes im a hydraulics technician so I'm partial to playing with things in my shed myself. I'd not say no to a used saw but I'm happy enough to buy new as long as it's not ridiculous. At the end of the day it needs to last a long time. My friend has bought one of the Hutzl Chinese clone saws of a husqvarna. I'm not so convinced it's a great idea but it seems to work fine at the moment.

Thanks for all the replies. I must admit I did think I should maybe look at 60-70cc saws for the bigger stuff but I could borrow a big saw from a friend occasionally if I need one. I'm seeking out a bit of an all rounder and my gut is telling me to get the ms261 as it's a decent step up in performance without getting too expensive, there's also a dealership nearby. Then again, maybe I should entertain something bigger. I do have a basic set of safety trousers/chaps already, it's a good thing to point out really, I should probably look to get better ones and a jacket. One thing im surprised is the suggestions to run a 16" bar on the 50cc saws. My little 181 is on a 16" bar and runs fine. I know it's a smaller gauge chain though. Ideally I'd like something with a big enough bar that minimises the work when cross cutting into rings. I won't be doing a great deal of felling. The reason I am weary of pine is because I have a twinwall flue, which was rather bloody expensive. I was told by the chap that installed them that pine is the worst wood for leaving corrosive residues. Yes I would season it for sure. Electric corded saws are not an option due to the location I cut. I also don't like the idea of having a cord dangling around me anyway, but I know those saws are plenty capable and have their uses.

Hello, new to the forum and would appreciate some good advice. I have a sthil ms181 which has never let me down and has been adequate for most of the garden stuff. But now I'm getting my hands on bigger trees for firewood I fancy something a bit more equal to the task. Im not near the skill or knowledge level of an arborist by any means but I am probably using a chainsaw more than the average person. I have a reasonable sized property, with beech trees and hedges, I like to heat my home in winter with my woodburning stove. I have access to reasonable sized Ash and pine. Probably 20-30" trunks. The pine I've mainly processed for friends. I'm not so sure it's good to put it in my stove because of the sap. I think something around 50cc would be fine. My shortlist so far is a sthil ms261, or a husky 550xp, there is also a garden machinery dealer near me that is trying to get me to buy an echo. Any advice on what to go for is appreciated. I run my 181 on Aspen 2, as it tends to sit there for months at a time.