GotWood

13 minutes ago, fonzy said:

Early version was 46cc, newer version (silver sprocket cover) was 50cc.
 

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. 

1 hour ago, htb said:

The id plate beside behind the rhs of the front hanle will tell you the details you need to know.

Pop top cover off and check base of cylinder for the casting mahle will tell if genuine top end.

Bingo. Thanks htb.

2 hours ago, fonzy said:

Looks to be a new top cover? Should have an XP badge. Maybe it’s the 46cc version.

I was advised to run it on either green sthil 2 stroke or husqvarna xp and avoid the red stihl that’s on your bench.

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?

1 hour ago, gary112 said:

Buy it you wont regret it

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.

1 hour ago, MattyF said:

All this talk of 550’s 261’s ..... they are saws designed for snedding out spruce etc with high chain speed not cutting fire wood ,they are too highly strung for been buried bar deep with a blunt chain in timber for hours in end and I would not give an auto tune saw to a none pro saw to cut wood .. only sensible saw suggestion seen so far is the husky 365 pretty much designed for the task at hand ,a pro saw with plenty of torque which is what you need not high chain speed.. they will go on forever nice and simple with no auto tune and not as highly strung as a372 also a cheaper to buy....hurry up though before they all go off the shelves.

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

On 11/03/2019 at 14:17, Echo said:

Agreed, a lot of people suffered because of the soft cranks in those 261 's with the end of the crank wearing, and internals like bearings going out with very low hours.

I am going to get a new 45cc, but am waiting to hold one of the new 550 mk2 saws, they are advertised as being heavier than the old 550, but if the problems of old are sorted, that should bring back customers, the smaller 45cc which the dealer never mentioned coming in, will probably be my choice though, unless when I see them together the 550 has something that can lure me.

The OP saw question, difficult one, but from using an MS180, I think he would be more than happy with a 50cc Pro saw, unless he is cutting those larger often, for getting a saw big enough to cut them at some speed is going to land him with a saw that will be way too heavy for continuous use on anything under 12 inch, which a 50cc will handle all day long, a jump from a 180 to even a  50 or 60cc saw is no joke, night and day difference and unless you need to cut big wood, hard wood or cut wood fast, its going to tire you out, being tired with a chainsaw in your hands is no place to be, standing in a yard cutting rings may be manageable with a big saw, its essentially resting on the log as you cut, only need to lift it back up for the next cut again, but stumbling and climbing around a forest wood or hill side is going to make life tougher.

 

The Echo 501 is a good saw, especially for firewood type of work, it is light too, small things like the see through tank is hand so you don't run out, its easy started, there is no Auto tune or Mtronic to go wrong, just a carb. As regards bar length, I would stick with 16 inch even on a 60cc saw, thats what I had on my echo 501, the 15 inch that fits that echo is not as deep, it has a smaller radius nose too, both things I avoid, the 16 is ideal.

Makita Dolmar are also good saws, I would avoid the current 50cc Stihls, wouldn't mind a 241, and see what the new Husqvarna's are like, the problems with the older Husqvarna's were sorted as best they could, and many people had no trouble with them, they will probably be a bit cheaper with the new models coming out.

What ever you chose I hope it serves you well.

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! 

12 hours ago, swinny said:

261 stihls were having issues with the needle bearings and buggering cranks. Supposidly been sorted by now but who knows..... 

1 hour ago, stihlmadasever said:

If you choose to go husky then id avoid 550,560xps,heard so many horror stories of them goin pop in a year

Fuck that

So the sthil 261 and husky 550 both have issues. Great! 

10 hours ago, green horn said:

Whats your budget ? Husqy 562 light weight packs a punch

Probably £500-£700 ish ideally but flexible for the right saw.  

12 hours ago, Joe Newton said:

If you're going for a 50cc saw its worth considering running a narrow kerf chain. I run Oregon 95TXL on my ported 357 and its definitely quicker than the standard .325 chain. 

Good info, thank you.

10 hours ago, neiln said:

BillP got it right first reply......365 x -torq pairs well with my ms180.  I would say that...I bought the 365 from Bill

 

In all honesty though, if you want a 2 saw plan, go 60cc or bigger.  If you get a 50cc saw I suspect you'll not use the ms181 much after that.

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.

6 minutes ago, spudulike said:

On the bar size, your 181 will take a time to get through wood with a 16", a 50cc saw will take much less time and you will be able to lean on it with no risk of bogging.

It caught me in the early days when I saw a professional using a 15" on a 357XP, couldn't understand it until I gained a bit more knowledge and experience!

Thanks. Yeah I have a lot to learn it seems.

13 minutes ago, swinny said:

Hi,

 

problem is people at the saw shop love people who arnt up on what they need etc... they gave you poor ish advice in my opinion, only thing in your favour is maybe you get less back ache with the longer bar. On the other hand if your not the best at sharpening i bet your wearing the bar easily and putting a lot of pressure on it / sprocket nose too. 

 

20” wood at work i would pick up the 441” and crack on. Times money and theres nothing more frustrating when doing a time consiming job like ringing up with a saw thats too small for the task. 

 

261 stihls were having issues with the needle bearings and buggering cranks. Supposidly been sorted by now but who knows..... 

 

husq 365 is good bang for your buck, 500 plus vat for 18” bar brand new. Have a look. If you like them crack on and buy one as theyre phasing out the 3 series saws.

 

 

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/

15 minutes ago, swinny said:

Got wood, you may run a 16” bar on a 181 but no offence intended, run a 16” bar on a proper saw 261/362 and you’ll wonder why you messed about and put up with the 181, it will be so slow in comparison

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!

10 minutes ago, Ratman said:

Regards the flue, only negatives are if you burn it unseasoned it will still have a high sap content, which would leave deposits on your liner. Well seasoned, 2yrs plus from average out in the air drying will present no issues, (imo) i burned some last year that was 18+ months seasoned and it was fine.
The saw decision will be purely down to your own preferences. I prefer older saws to new, but i dont mind tinkering, its in my nature. But take time and listen to advice of all, after all its potentially a big investment for ya.

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.