Recommend me a saw

If you go used, I would try to buy off of the forum. If you only use a 24" bar occasionally, you could use a 60 Cc saw with skip chain and do fine.

 

I just went through that same question- which saw / bar size and which saw for exactly what you are looking to do. Ended up with a 590 Echo w/ 24" bar and chain. It worked well for me, bucking and noodling large maple pieces but I did not have all that may of them either. Also, the bar and sem- chisel chain were Laser brand and while the bar seems OK (needed a quick swipe with a file to slide on the studs), the chain dulled very quickly. Now have a Stihl chain on the way for that same bar, along with some files and a Pferd sharpener. I think if the chain is kept sharp it does very well for the amount of wood a home firewood cutter needs to go through.

I would have loved to buy a Stihl but the simple fact is that the same size saw is literally twice as much money and frankly, I just do not see the added value, at least for a private user. And I really did not want a saw larger than 70 cc anyway so the 60 cc Echo seemed to be a reasonable compromise.

All of that said, the Echo does not have two hours on it yet, and I have never used a competitive sized or larger saw from any mfg. so take what I am saying with a grain of salt.

Edited to add: the Echo 590 comes in at a great price- point for a 60 cc saw. It really stands out compared with other saws in that size range. I am not saying it is the equal of some (or many) other brands, only that it is an extremely affordable 60 cc saw without any real competition, again for that price in that size range.

Brian

 

I use a 372XP for bucking and a 346XP for most everything else.

 

Ya I think if you are doing much chainsaw work it does not take long to se the benefits of two saws. If I only take one saw it is usually my smallest saw. Lol

 

I do not like to go above a 20" bar on a 60cc saw myself. If you are wanting to run a 24" as was mentioned above, look at a 70cc. J-Red 2172, or maybe a Husky 576 would be my pick, but there are many other great saws as well.

 

Ya kind of funny how that works lol