High Quality Chainsaw Bars Husqvarna Toys

What did you cut with...

trooney

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Before you got bit? Was talking with another member and he brought up this question. I had an old Homelite 330 that I cut with for many years and was happy it cut. Then went to an auction and bought a 460 with a burnt up piston. Didnt know how to work on chainsaws so after a little searching came across one site and then another. And the rest is history. Once it bit I was no longer happy with just cutting, it had to cut fast and flawlessly. Dont get me wrong, I wouldnt trade the knowledge that I've learned for anything, its just a wonder to me how you can get all wrapped up into something so simple, but compmicated and dangerous, as cutting wood. My neighbor cuts about 15 cord a year but still doesn't know how to tune a saw. So, with that, what did you cut with and how long before the bug took hold?
 

KS Plainsman

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I had 3, McCulloch Pro Mac 610's, and a McCulloch 10-10. I used those for about a decade, cutting enough for garage heat, then the house as well. Never ran over a 20" bar, never ran anything bigger either. Back then, I didn't even pay attention to species of wood. I just cut, split, and burned. Never gave any of it a second thought.

Then, after watching several videos during the 2018-19 winter, I decided I needed a MS 461........then a second one...........then a MS 660...........then a second one...........and on and on it goes.

Kinda funny, I can't imagine having to go back to using those ole cinderblocks, but I would, if it's all I had, and I still have the sitting on the shelf.

I think I'm finally to a point where I'm content with the saws I have............I think.

This is a good idea for a thread. Should be pretty interesting.
 

ammoaddict

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Same thing happened to me. Said it many times on here. Started with a Husqvarna 50 bought new in 1986. Was my only saw for many years and perfectly happy with it. Now I don't even burn wood and love to "mess" with saws. I have more than I will ever need for the rest of my life. Some bought new some were project saws. It doesn't look like there is a cure for this illness.
 

Powerstroke Cowboy

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The first saw I remember using was an 029 farm boss. Ran that saw for years cutting firewood. Then dad upgraded to a ms360 and that had power compared to the 029, then my older brother picked up an 044 and that's when the power bug started to take ahold. All we did/do is cut firewood. My first saw was an Makita DCS7901 bought that about 12 or 14 years ago. I wanted a MS460, but they cost to much so I took a chance and bought the Makita. I have not regretted it, that saw has been a pleasure to run. Walks circles around the 044 of my brothers, and back then that's all I wanted, was to out cut him! 😆 😂

Now I have a clone 880. Yet to cut with it. Need the weather to warm up, and not be such a slacker.... Yes, it's ported. The power bug never dies!!!
 

isaaccarlson

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First saw I ever used was an electric stihl when I was 10. I still have it and use it more than 25 years later. When I was 12, my grandma started me on the stihl 031, which I loved and used all the time. My uncle got it when she passed and I bought my own ms390. Another fabulous saw. I found the firewood/chainsaw forums and did a muffler mod, then ported it. It was a whole new saw after that. I used it commercially and as my personal saw for years, and still use it. Then a friend asked me to fix his husky 350. That set off another round of porting and I fell in love with the 350. Bought one for myself and rebuilt/ported it. Love it. It's my go-to saw for just about everything. I picked up a 372 oe last year but havent used it much because it's not ported yet and the ms390 and 350 are right there with it or better. Once the 372 is ported, the balance will shift. 🤫
 

Spike60

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Funny thing about this thread is that most of the saws listed so far are saws that aren't big enough, strong enough, or cool enough to have done what they in fact did, based on the acquired wisdom we've picked up over the years, are they? Lol But those are what you'd generally see in non pro use in the day to day world.

When we started the store ages ago, the big brands were taken. Had to start with 2nd tier brands like Solo and Olympyk. For about 6 years I cut all my firewood with a Solo 651pro. Also had a 644 as backup, but the 651 did 90% of the work. Still have them both.

Then we got Jonsered and Husky and found out what it was really like to be in the saw business. My next saw was a Husky 359 that I rebuilt, followed by a Jonsered 920. Suppose I could have stopped there, but that's sure not how it turned out. Much of it can be blamed on customers not wanting to repair saws that were too nice to not fix. (see how I shifted the blame there?) Ended up with all sorts of nice projects that way. And of course I could fix them pretty much for nothing.

Couple things combined to make it irreversible. One was sites like this with like minded hobbyists all egging each other on. The other was labeling myself a "collector", which by definition removes all remaining restraints to keep adding more saws.
 

pbillyi69

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the first saw a ran with any regularity was a 266se in 1984 i loved that saw it wasnt mine though it was the schools saw. I was in high school and we had a forest products class where we learned all about logging and every other part of the forestry industry. we cat logged a small mountain near by and the students did all of the work and made all of the repairs on the equipment and the money we made was reinvested in the school program. we had a self loading truck a small yarder our cat was a 1938 d8 that had a cracked block that we fixed with jb weld our tractor was from the 30z and didnt run until we fixed it had that class for three years and my junior and senior year it was three periods long so we could get stuff done. I learned how to tune saws in that class and use a tach to check the ear tune which had a needle but still went to 18-20k rpm. we competed in timber sports events against other schools in the state. i learned how to climb i that class and how to race climb in that class. we had a hot saw that was too heavy for me to even try and run. any way sorry for the fond rant. the first saw i ever owned was an 046 that built from a scrap pile of broken logger saws and so the addiction is fueled
 

Woodrow

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My first saw was a McCulloch Pro Mac 610 and that was 1985. Cut and split 85 cord of wood that winter to feed my family. Still have that saw today. Now fast forward to 2014 or so and I find AS and then OPE and we are off to the races. Just purchased my 80th saw last week. CAD is real!
 

davidwyby

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had a little Mac eager beaver top handle when I was a kid in the PNW. Moved to the desert and didn’t saw for years. Cousin paid me with a jonsered 2050. Years later, some friends moved to the country and needed some big salt cedars removed. Without really knowing what I was doing I bought a retired logging saw from the PNW on eBay, a 395. It mostly sat after that. Don’t know what got the saw thing going again but I decided I needed a saw between the two and got a 2159 that turned out to be a crap rebuild which led me here. Got into doing quite a bit of tree work outside of my regular job. Hobby that pays…

Now I have about 12 saws cuz being where I am I gotta buy to try. Gonna thin it down to what I need/use which will still be quite a few as I’m about to tackle a few 6’ DBH eucalyptus.
 

Stump Shot

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Without going too far back into pre-history, was re-introduced into burning wood again and was borrowing an old 036 PRO and did not like to do so as I had to repair the neglect of the saw just to run it, not that wasn't a fair deal to the owner for the use. Not having much money at hand the next year I managed to come up with enough for a brand new Poulan Pro 5020 and was off and running, the next year I did a little bit better and bought a 460 Rancher, which upped my production output. Then I had my hernia the next year and decided I needed to try and be more self sufficient and welded up a couple of trailers in trade for a 281xp, a 272xp and a grandberg alaskan mill. The 272xp was the saw that did it as it was pretty whooped come to find out and needed some work if it was going to be of any help at all. Friends seeing me fix up that 272 started bringing their saws over to get repaired and that started the snowball effect rolling down the hill. This prompted my cousin out of the blue one day to show up with a pickup truck full of old saws. The next day he shows up with a pick up truck full of parts saws in boxes. Says to me "see what you can get running, you're on your own". That pretty much solidified the direction to take and one of those saws was a 51 Husqvarna and upon seeing that HL Supply was a one stop shop for everything the saw needed was where I bought from. HL Supply in turn sends me an E-mail to check out their new forum, which I did and this is why I'm up to my ears in saws now and have a bunch of saw geeks for friends, which isn't such a bad thing. :)
The original fleet on top of some home brewed lumber I cut up.
Plus a Homie xl102 that I got from fixing another saw for a fella that I call my little hot rod.
IMG_20160905_064903_377.jpg
 

Swanman62

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I remember as a kid in the 80s watching my grandpa cut up trees with his Stihl saw. My dad was too cheap and poor to have anything but an electric chainsaw. I think it was a Remington. Grandpa just looked cooler. To dad’s credit, he cut several log truck loads of firewood to heat the house with that piece of junk. Fast forward 20 years. I inherited grandpa’s saw. I remembered it a lot bigger. It was an 015av. I still have it, and it still runs. I then moved to the west side of the divide and worked at a camp that burned 20 plus cord of wood every winter. The men that I worked with on maintenance used Stihl saws and also some older Macs and Homelites. I tuned up a little Homelite and joined in. In 2008, I put a wood stove in my house and bought a MS361. That is when I joined a couple of saw forums and really nerded out on saws. I doubt that I would have bought a 500i if it were not for all the reading about it on various forums.
 

czar800

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The first saws i remember being on the farm were a McCulloch D-44 and a Eager Beaver 2.0.
Dad then bought a 024av in 1993 and then a 026 the next year.
The first saw I ever bought was a 046 when I bought my OWB. I found out about forums when I was researching OWB and have been playing with or fixing saws ever since then. I was introduced to racing and ported Chainsaws at my first Gtg in 2011 and have wanted a go fast saw ever since. Now I probably have 40+ running saws with a few parts saws.

Unfortunately I hauled the McCulloch’s to the scrap yard before I was biting. Unfortunately the 026 was stolen….. I rebuilt the 024 and still have it. Dad keeps a 270,271 and a 361.
 

nbbt

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Folks picked up a Mini-Mac 6, the one without a muffler, still have it. This was the first one used. First new was a Pro Mac 510, and a little while later picked up a Hommie XL-12 at a garage sale, it was well used when I got it, but ran good. Fast forward to today and I'm still a rookie with the CAD, but I have learned to pass up those free Mini-mac and 1XX series stuff. Me fingers don't like playin with that small stuff no more. HA.
 

OBX Koastie

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My first saw was a Homelite 360 that I purchased at the local JC Penny in 1976 when they were getting out of the tool line. That saw with its original 20" bar cut over 100 cords of wood for neighbors and me. The carb boot finally went bad when I was in the middle of a large oak storm tree laying in a neighbor's yard. Bought an 029 to finish the job then a German 036. My son "lost" both of those saws. My all-time favorite is my Dolmar 5105s w/non-cat muffler. I love the light weight, adequate power for a 75 year old man who only cuts wood for a firewood mission, love the controls (up for choke and down for stop and immediate return to start), and it never fails to start regardless the weather.
 
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