Hello
Long time reader, first time poster. Treat this forum very much like the gif as brilliant to read expert opinion.
I was wondering if I could have some advice. I’m after a new saw…..
I don’t do tree work professionally but we do have 40 acres or so of deciduous woodland that are managed carefully, including quite allot of hazel coppice and anything cut is processed into firewood. Mainly ash, hazel, bastard hawthorn, oak and beech. The odd Scot’s pine but not much softwood.
I am after a 60cc ish saw to use alongside my ms462c and 291 (replaced a husky rancher but much of a muchness beater saw) and a couple of battery chainsaws and a ms190 for some extensive garden work we
do.
462 is brilliant but for us is the big felling saw and with a larger bar is a bit big for my bread and butter stuff of limbing, coppicing, firewood, when fencing etc etc.
I have recently bought an out the auction ‘bargain’ £100 2011 560xpg that had scored and rebuilt the pot and piston. When it works it’s perfect- with a 15” bar does everything I need before I go up to 462 better than any chainsaw I have used. That power to weight ratio and speed is exactly what I’m after to be productive on my own. I appreciate that the red flag that it’s a dud is probably in it was exploded when I got it but it isn’t reliable even after rebuild- has vapour locked, gets stupidly hot and sometimes isn’t great with hot starting. Reading up I’m not alone. stihls have barely missed a beat.
Not brand loyal but ability to use bigger Stihl bars would be helpful although appreciate smaller chain may help with speed of cut.
very long winded way of saying if it wasn’t so awfully unreliable and run so hot the old 560xpg with a 15-18” bar is perfect BUT it isn’t!
Are the 560’s available in 2022 or 562 xp more reliable? If not are there Stihl or Echo etc (or even makita or that weird blue Chinese Holtzsomething!) That would have the same snap and speed? Winter is spent running a saw a couple of days a week in some capacity on a hill farm so reliability matters but cool kit is fun!
long question but help much appreciated
