Ultimate "Firewood" Saw

[cuinrearview]

There are some great porters here BUT don’t sell yourself short. That 661 you built me is the single most impressive saw I have ever run

The guys that just hang out around the sites and you have to seek out usually build some crazy saws too.

 

[Ryan Browne]

There are some great porters here BUT don’t sell yourself short. That 661 you built me is the single most impressive saw I have ever run

I'm pretty sure he was being a little tongue in cheek. Randy is quick to point out that he doesn't build the fastest or best saws. And, that's not the most important part, as many of us know. What's most important is finding someone who talks straight, does what he says and he says he will and will stand behind his work. That's why Randy is sought after, and that, OP is what you should look for in a builder. As others have mentioned, @FordTruckMan, you won't be steered wrong in the recommendations you get from these guys. See who's names come up and give a few of them a ring. Shoot the *s-word and go from there.

 

[Chainsaw Addict]

There's plenty of reputable guys in here, one that I'd put at the top of the list is @tree monkey , you will not be disappointed by him. The R&D that he puts into his work is second to none.

I'm not sure if Scott @TreeMonkey is up and running. He was recovering from a heart attack. But yes works he works magic. Redbull661 has a lot of TreeMonkey saws on YouTube. He would also have latest on Scott.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Czed]

In an effort to keep this post from being three pages long, here is the bare bones. I have two saws, neither do quite what I want, and I am considering buying a 3rd saw.

I have two totally stock Stihls, an MS290 with a 20" bar, and an MS661-CM with a 36" bar. I use these saws solely for firewood to heat my house, which can include felling smallish trees (18-24") and bucking as big as 50".

The 290 is dead reliable but underpowered. The 661 is not so reliable (won't hot start sometimes) and underpowered for the size bar I am running. I am open to basically ANY solution to get a saw(s) that perform "well" in all hardwoods up to 50" diameter.

One consideration I had was putting a smaller bar on the 661 and using it for my primary bucking saw, and getting a larger, or highly modified saw to run the 36" bar. Is that nuts?

Then I saw there is a "new" 462 that weighs exactly the same as my 290...but has nearly double the power. That sounds too good to be true.

Things that are important to me, in order, are:
Reliability!
Torque
Antivibe stuff...I have nerve problems.

I don't have any preconceived notions about much of anything, I am too green. I have no brand loyalty, but do have access to a Stihl dealer that gives very decent pricing. I have been doing the firewood thing since 2011, but thats all the experience I have. Please feel free to enlighten me if I do not seem to grasp something, I am not very well versed in this stuff. I am also happy to share more information, I just wanted to keep this short for you guys.

Thanks in advance,

FTM

Welcome to the site
It's rare in wv i cut 50" inch wood anymore
Especially not for firewood.
The 661 ported would be good.
I'd consider a 70cc saw 461 372
Heard good thing's about the 572 and 462
But i like carbys.
Where at in ohio?

 

[FordTruckMan]

My goodness, thank you all so much for the helpful replies so far. I am going to pick through and respond here shortly.

 

[FordTruckMan]

The 661 can be ported specifically for more low end torque. An oil pump modification should help it pull a 36" well. I don't like running bigger than a 28" on a 661 for low oil output reasons. The 661 is a extra short stroke saw too, so a 395 might be the way to go.

Echos are built for torque, but I have no idea how well a ported cs800 pulls a 36". They are long lasting and cheap to buy and maintain.

If you know how to use peaky saws without low end torque, then they pose little problem. Just keep the chain sharp and the depth gauges filed enough to where the saw self feeds well with the whole bar buried in wood without pulling it out of that peak power band. My Jonsered 2188 (husqvarna 390) was like that, I didn't lean on it, just helped it along as it flew through wood at 9500rpm. With a 7t and Stihl square skip chain and a super oil pump, it had no problem burying a 42" with only a muffler mod.

I think a Husqvarna 572 would be a great all around saw to replace the 290 and 661 for non 36" bar cutting, but for something extra light weight yet capable, a ported Echo 490 is excellent with a 20" bar.

I agree, I feel like I am not getting enough oil on the bar when I have the thing buried in a big boy...but I did not know there was any sort of mod to increase the oil output. I will have to research this more. Thank you very much for that.

The comment out peaky saws, man I know exactly what you are saying. The first time I sharpened and took too much off the rakers, boy did I know it. I now keep it to a minimum so it doesn't take too big of a bite. But still, I want more power. Porting is definitely in the cards now that I know it's possible.

 

[Czed]

I agree, I feel like I am not getting enough oil on the bar when I have the thing buried in a big boy...but I did not know there was any sort of mod to increase the oil output. I will have to research this more. Thank you very much for that.

The comment out peaky saws, man I know exactly what you are saying. The first time I sharpened and took too much off the rakers, boy did I know it. I now keep it to a minimum so it doesn't take too big of a bite. But still, I want more power. Porting is definitely in the cards now that I know it's possible.

If your near @Definitive Dave perhaps you can run a variety of saws some day.

 

[Nutball]

I agree, I feel like I am not getting enough oil on the bar when I have the thing buried in a big boy...but I did not know there was any sort of mod to increase the oil output. I will have to research this more. Thank you very much for that.

The comment out peaky saws, man I know exactly what you are saying. The first time I sharpened and took too much off the rakers, boy did I know it. I now keep it to a minimum so it doesn't take too big of a bite. But still, I want more power. Porting is definitely in the cards now that I know it's possible.

Supposedly the high flow adjustment pin thing mentioned earlier is in the manual for the chainsaw. So more flow should be possible without actually modifying the pump, but someone can modify it further when they port the saw. Just make sure you check frequently to keep track of the amount of oil used so you don't run out before running out of gas and seize the chain in the bar. I tend to not top off the gas tank when running the oil pump on high if I know it will run out before the gas.

 

[FordTruckMan]

All you have to do is punch the pin in for a 36" bar and it works just fine. No mod required.

I could have sworn I did this right out of the gate back when I first bought the saw, this was just an end stop that prevented the screw from turning further to the right. Maybe I am confused though, I will double check this.

 

[FordTruckMan]

Welcome to the site
It's rare in wv i cut 50" inch wood anymore
Especially not for firewood.
The 661 ported would be good.
I'd consider a 70cc saw 461 372
Heard good thing's about the 572 and 462
But i like carbys.
Where at in ohio?

I am in northeastern Ohio, between Cleveland and Erie, PA. I actually go down to WV on occasion to ride the Hatfield McCoy trails. What area are you in?

 

[huskihl]

I could have sworn I did this right out of the gate back when I first bought the saw, this was just an end stop that prevented the screw from turning further to the right. Maybe I am confused though, I will double check this.

Pushing the pin in allows the control bolt to turn a full 1/4 turn, rather than approximately 1/8 in stock form. Should be an easy check with a screwdriver that way

 

[huskyboy]

Pushing the pin in and turning out the screw to max does make a good difference on the 661 output as mentioned and takes about 2 minutes to do. As good as a 394/395xp or 9010? No. But much improved.

 

[rogue60]

Fire wood saws Aussie 066 or 660 for me the kind of saw that never says I've had enough! they just keep working year in year out.
Was a sad day for me when I picked up a ms661 and asked it to do the same work as my old faithful Aussie 066/660's.
From the 1st tank I could tell the clutch in the 661 was to light cutting Aussie timber like steel box it would just constantly bog and slip pulling .404 7pin/25inch bar.

 

[JohnnyBlade]

Welcome OP. Lots of good porters here and a ton of other good dudes. No one here will steer ya wrong. Hang out a lil and u will learn and be taught A lot. This is a sticker from a porter u should check out. This saw is also not bound, just placed there for the pic........

 

[huskihl]

View attachment 204647 Welcome OP. Lots of good porters here and a ton of other good dudes. No one here will steer ya wrong. Hang out a lil and u will learn and be taught A lot. This is a sticker from a porter u should check out. This saw is also not bound, just placed there for the pic........

Who's that hack?

 

[JohnnyBlade]

Who's that hack?

 

[sawmikaze]

"Best" chainsaw porter is subjective...

Depends on what defines best in your book.

 

[Armbru84]

Sell the 290. Get a hot rod 60cc saw. 036 or 361 or husky variant. And port the 661. Nothing you won’t be able to handle.

 

[sawmikaze]

There are some great porters here BUT don’t sell yourself short. That 661 you built me is the single most impressive saw I have ever run

For sure.

 

[sawmikaze]

Sell the 290. Get a hot rod 60cc saw. 036 or 361 or husky variant. And port the 661. Nothing you won’t be able to handle.

Good advice. I dig the 90/60cc plan for firewood.