Help with selecting my new saw!!

And seriously..I learned years ago..while cutting Firewood miles away from home...Bring An Extra Saw !!! If you don't..you will get it stuck and wedged..everytime lol !

 

Exactly! I've owned at cs500p. Fantastic saw. Traditionally a one saw plan would put you in the 50-60cc range. Now a 2 or 3 saw plan..... oh the possibilities!

 

We are like-minded buddy !!

 

I know Nate fordf150 is a dolmar and echo dealer.... I know not helpful at all. I aim to please though!

 

I sometimes need 3 saws to free the first 2.

 

I was considering an 18" 325/50 for the 545. U think the 16" will perform better for this saw?

 

Yes it will perform better as far as overall handling and chain speed.....but an 18" would be perfectly acceptable for that saw. Again...the 16" is just my personal preference...as I rarely get into wood that's bigger. In fact..most of mine is 8 to 14 " Id say. The smaller bar keeps RPM's higher in the cut..which is always a good thing !
I prefer even balance when holding the saw with one hand by the top handle. I can tell ya...on the 545 and 550..the 16" evens it out perfect..for me !
It doesn't matter to everyone
More important....is proper maint...and sharp chains !
Oh..and mine were all set up with .050 .325......but....there has been many who say that 3/8 cuts even better on the 545 and 550xp. But I have no personal experience.

 

I'm right there with ya! At least that's what I tell the wife every time I buy another saw.

 

I may use this "excuse" in my future lol

 

I had an 18" on my 550xp when I first bought it. It never lacked for power even before it was fully broken in. I'd vote for the 545 and then mod the muffler to make up some of the power loss to the 291. Personally, I'd take a lighter weight saw any day over a heavier one though. And the handling of the 545/550 is a dream! It's something I never even would have considered in a saw before running mine, but there's a lot more to the weight savings than is just on paper.

 

I LOVE my 550xp. Lite weight and plenty of power for most firewood jobs.

 

I value the opinions here greatly. I'm pretty certain on the 545. First things first I'm gonna get the saw. But then if I would consider the muffler mod...is it something that I can do? And how would that work out for warranty purposes? As I mentioned earlier I have a connection with my husky dealer.

 

Muffler mods are pretty easy. Plenty here to walk you through it with basic tools. They are good for about .25 to .5 hp gains. If you have a warranty issue you may have to slap a new muffler on it.

 

Yup, muffler mods are easy and can be as complicated as splitting the muffler apart and gutting it, or just bending back the exhaust "hood" some and drilling an extra hole. That's all I did, and I think it's enough for the saw. As to warranty issues, I think it's highly unlikely that you'll have issues with any quality made saw from Husqvarna, Stihl, Dolmar or Echo. But if you do you might have to buy a new muffler to sway back on it before taking it in.

 

Is this a good time to say "opinions are like armpits, everyone has a couple and they usually stink"? I know I've been stinking the joint up for awhile!

Having said that I think A31unit got lots of good advice so far!

 

I definitely think you chose the right saw considering your connection to a dealer. You could always ask him if the muff mod would void warranty. No harm in running it as is till it expired. For that saw I'd run a 16, just my .02.

 

I got my 555 for about $550 but that took a lot of searching to find last spring. I love it with its relatively low weight and plenty of power but for what you described as your use I bet the 545 would do just fine. As a comparison to the Stihl 50cc saws, my Stihl 026 has pretty much sat on the shelf since I got that 555. There really is no comparison.

 

Everybody, all together now.........Hi, Brad.

 

Haha! With the support of you all and a good 3... or 4.... or maybe 5 year plan I feel like I can manage my firewood "hobby". Who am I kidding I better go with a 6 year plan!