If I had to choose a used 70 to 80cc saw it'd be a toss up between a Pro Mac 850 (late 70's 82cc screaming mofo with chain brake,full anti vibe rubber mounts,throttle latch,manual/auto oiler & decomp button,you definitely need it ) or a early 90's Jonsered 2077 Turbo 77cc light saber Both are not as easy to find now in good shape + demand is high,hence they aren't usually cheap unless a rough specimen/basketcase or needing rebuild. New saws would be either a 372XP (75cc big bore model if you can still find one) or a Dolmar/Makita 7900.
I have a 4200 and 5200 my dad bought new in 76 I believe, very fast and very smooth saws. The 5200 is still one of the most powerful stock saws I have ran.
Still looking for a strong running 5200 that also looks pretty decent. Have been outbid on them in 3 separate auctions in the past year,the most recent was a couple weeks back,the winner beat me by 2 seconds time & 5 dollars.... Plus the nicest one I've ever seen (west coast model with full wrap handlebar,huge falling spikes) sold for $610 in mid March...
I believe that was Nate's on AS(blkscrew05?). He had it listed over there for around $400 without any takers. Put it on eBay, and really did well. I have a really nice 4900 that was given to me by Eccentric as a gift.
Certainly not my intention, but if someone is looking for a specific saw, it is a good idea to check classifieds on all Forums. It improves one's odds of being successful while avoiding the rig-marole of eBay.
I had a pretty nice full wrap PM-850 that I got for free. It had sat for many years with old gas in the tank, but was in good condition otherwise. It's gone now, though...
They'll do better than that. The one I bought was listed at something like $340. I just asked the guy working the counter if he could do better and he said "What about 260?". He then showed me a print off from a spreadsheet that shows the bottom line price for all rental tools they sell, he said every store will have one. He didn't care how much Home Depot sold it for, it wasn't his money. Even at $320 it's worth it though.
Thanks for all the ideas. A ported 461 sounds great but a little more than I should spend. I will give it some time and see what shows up for sale.