I get so many comments and emails asking questions about which saws I reccomend I figured the best way to do is in video form. These are some saws that I enjoy, and others that rarely get used. thanks for watching!!
Years ago when I quit drinking I needed a hobby to occupy my mind, so I wouldn't think about drinking. I bought my first vintage saw, a Husky 272XP and I instantly had the bug. Over the years I have been able to gather up all the saws I ever wanted to run, and being sober ain't that bad.
Started cutting firewood with my Dad’s 630 Super when I was about 12 years old. He bought 2165 new and gave me the 630 I still have it a use it every year along with my 2166. Love your Content
@Joel when I was younger I ran the big ones , but now I find they’re just too heavy . I’ve gone to a small saw . My newest saw is a 365 XP Husqvarna , can run it all day and it doesn’t hurt my elbow 👍🇨🇦
Your chanel taught me how to do a light porting, base gasket delete and muff mod on my 261 (non mtronic). For the doug fir and lodgepole I cut for firewood it really gets after it here in Montana. Thanks Tinman
Where I live my stihl ms261c is the best saw I’ve ever owned . I also have a ms241 which is a great little saw , and a baloney cutter stihl 170 lol. Hope everything is going well tinman buddy .
Great breakdown of some legends and war horses👍🏻 like you, a 50-60cc saw could handle 99% of my needs. But who doesn't occasionally like to break out a 90+cc saw💪🏼😂
I have an array of saws, from vintage big saws to newer stuff. I just went cutting firewood last week with my mcculloch 250 and my remington super 754 just for fun. I took my husky 359 with me for when my arms got tied. Lol. Anywho for my the 359 always seems to be my go to perfect firewood saw.
What a great collection of classic and new saws. Right now my favorite is my 394xp. Trying to work out a few kinks on my 272xp. I really want to make it absolutely reliable and powerful for a work saw. Thanks for the video Tinman!
044 was considered a soft wood saw and 046 was a hard wood saw, per Stihl, you would understand if you ran them, the 044 has more top end scream, 046 has more low end grunt
Found you by watching Buckin and Ironhorse!! I have a Jonserd 2165 and love it!! Bought it simply because watching dad run his 630 to keep us warm made me want my own. Now I run them both!!!
Love your videos, have a few husky saws, 2 Chinese saws and a husky 163S in immaculate condition that I have owned for over 30 years, still starts and cuts really well(always keep cleaned and polished)
Tinman, you could send that Pioneer to me, I wouldn't object about the fuel leak. The method I use to seal tanks on saws or trimmers, (because I haven't started TIG welding magnesium yet), is to use a combination of super glue and baking soda. First clean the area to be repaired with acetone or brake cleaner, even ether will work, (but be careful of the fumes). Sand the area of the repair, it doesn't matter if the paint is completely removed. Put a run of super glue on the rim of the hole, or on the crack, if you are repairing a seam leak, and then sprinkle baking soda on it. This will immediately harden like rock. Sand the area between applications, to keep the build up low, so you are closing the hole not making a pile. Keep repeating the process until the hole is completely filled.. I found that adding another coating of super glue to the top of the repair after sanding, followed with a light dusting of powder, will make a tough, durable, leak proof finish. This also works well on plastic fuel tanks, from equipment such as weedeaters. I buy the super glue in one oz containers (my latest bottle is by Locktite), from Crappy Tire. I think Home Depot also sells the one ounce size. Don't buy the gel type of super glue, I find that it does not work as well. Problem solved. There's your dinner. (from Taryl) If you don't watch his channel, you should, he works on old stuff, and is full of good ideas. Bob
Those Homelite mini/super mini, ez/super ez's are something else. I have a minty one that stays in the truck and they aren't fast, but they just sound so good. The high idle/decomp easy button is pretty slick too.
years ago i had my 372 and absolutely loved it. i have bounced around with saws ever since. i am still looking for the 1 that can cut like my 372 did. currently swinging a ms 362 and it does the job. i have changed a few things on it and i am pushing 62 or 63 cc out of the 58cc saw. it isnt one i will stay with. my search continues
I really liked my Stihl saws, bought a lot of them new, then I got a straight gassed dolmar 7300, made that into a 7900 added the HD air filter kit, now my favorite saw, I have six dolmars now, six Husqvarna, countless Stihl saws, two echo, one shindaiwa, one EFCO, here's the crazy part, I probably like my 55cc range saws the best, light weight, good power, and I think they scream louder than my saws that have power, now let's talk bars, Oregon, Stihl, cannon are the three I normally buy, trying to find the fine line between quality and cost, my cannon super bars are way to much money but I bet they will last a lifetime, and for giggles I cut over 18,000 cuts through 6x6 lumber one week without needing to sharpen a chain, but that's cutting clean wood, stay strong guys, tell some stories
The first saw I used was a Homelite super EZ when I was 11. Then we go a Husqvarna 44 which I love. My dad's saw was a Husqvarna 181se that we bought from a logger. I still own all 3 of them.
I don't cut a whole lot of wood at all but this year I have been cutting a lot to clear off some areas. I had a Poulan Wild Thing and I bought a Husqvarna 460 Rancher this year and I really like it. I tuned the Poulan and did a little muffler mod and got more air going in and it runs great.
I have a Super EZ and a 600D both belonged to my grandfather then my father, I got the super ez running nice and nostalgia cutting and small wood its great ! Still working on the 600D that’s a bit more of a project. I like my Husky 266 for most stuff it’s a great saw. I enjoyed your video 👍
I love my Mac 10-10s, good allround saw. Then I got a Husky 268, a 55 with closed port cylinder from Hyway, a Jonsered cs-2051 turbo, a Jonsered 450. Got alot of saws but these are mostly used. For larger wood I pull out the Husky 285cd.
I love my 268xp and my resent built 272xp for bucking but for falling my 55 is my go too saw, 18" bar, full comp chain. It runs, cuts burns less fuel and will work all day. My dad has a 359 that's a nice saw 20" bar full comp. My son has a Pro Mac 70, I love the sound of that saw, it's small and heavy but a torquay little saw. I told him never get ride of it or sell it to me. I have two Homelite XL1's one was my grandfathers and an Echo kioritz CS-701VL all three are show off saws I bring to the bush and run a bit just to show them off. Most people that hear them will come and see what the heck that hot rod sound is. Love showing off grandpa's saws. Miss him dearly. In the end my go to saw is the one that starts cold after 4-5 pulls and every pull after that when it's warm. All my Huskys are tuned up to that standard. TC Mahalo Tinman🤙🤙🤙
562 XP is a great saw. I ran one every day for about 5 years. Only thing I ever had to do to it was replace the flywheel. Sheared the key. Ran great, even after getting run over twice by a skid steer. Had a few less cooling fins. And was a couple noticeable skuffs. But it always started and had plenty of power. It would run a 32 inch bar if needed. That pioneer P61, I've got a poulan pro 655bp. Pretty much same saw. It is a beast. Seldom gets used because I need to get a new bar and chain for it. Have 3 or 4 bars that are quite worn. And a few chains. Nothing worth messing with. One of these days I'll get around to it. It's just spending the money for something seldom used.
Loving the 562 appreciation! I don't really see anyone running them often on RU-vid but the thing is a beast. My dad has run a 560xp (I think the only difference is one is sold as 3/8 and the other .325?) for 10 years and has had zero problems with it and gone through tonnes of firewood with it. I recently asked him when he changed the bar and he's ran the stock one the entire time, safe to say I've ordered him a new bar, sprocket and bearing. Does show how tough the stuff is though!
There is many other saws I would like to own, but when I’m out cutting my firewood I take the ms260 stihl because it’s light and balanced. For a big stump I’ll run the 272xp. Those are my go to saws!
Love your videos bud! You are such a humble human! I love my little 266 but none of my saws are ported… cut timber and cut firewood that’s my bread and butter but the stock saws do good
My 1st saw was my Dad's McCullogh 10/10,and it ran for many years,but I did not like manual oiling! I've had several brands over the years and worked on many more years ago,I prefer Stihl for my needs,so that's all I own anymore. Before my disabilities,I ran My MS460,or 028,but later in life went to the MS250,and 291. I used to cut a lot in all sorts of Montana weather(60F to -30F),mostly cut ponderosa pine,but now I'm a broken wimpster.
Watching you pull the 181se over made me chuckle. Got an '87 281, no decomp. I gotta go to the gym for 2 months before I can start the sucker. Great vid ty man.
I work at a place that sells Stihl and I just think chainsaws are cool and fun and so I love this channel as well as BBR. I cut wood for the stove in the winter, nothing crazy though. I have an Echo CS300t, Echo CS400, and a Stihl MS362CM. Also have an old Echo 660evl that’s got scoring in the cylinder and needs some parts I can’t find for it so it’s just a looking piece now. It was my dads and he’s since passed but one of the last things we bought was the Stihl to replace that old Echo 660. I remember him cutting wood as a kid with it so I can’t just toss it into the garbage. Also have an old Homelite Super XL that was also his but I never saw it run. Not sure if the cylinder in that one is scored or not but it’s also a cool piece to look at. Probably just put ‘em on a shelf to look at.
I've memories of two tools my dad used regularly. He had a Craftsman circular saw and a Homelite chainsaw. I remember the snarl of that old Homelite chainsaw. Dad used that saw till he was just too old for it, something like thirty years, it still ran when he traded it off to someone he thought could use it. Pop found a Craftsman circular on a trash pile on a construction site. He put a new power cord on it and took it home. I've still got it and it still runs and it is something like sixty years old. I just can't see those pretty pieces of plastic that I have on my work bench today still working in ten years more or less fifty.
The STIHL 441c is an excellent saw. Most Husqvarner - est STIHL I own … pita to port but runs very strong and smooth and av system is killer - very similar to a Husqvarna in the hands … if you ever get a chance run one do it. I’ve recently acquired a few 200 series Husqvarners and I like them … a 272xp , a 266se and a 268 that’s getting a 272xp jug and slug
I’ve been working at a Stihl dealer for almost 4 years and we had one on the shelf when I started there and it kicked around for at least a year before it sold. I think it was the last one we ever got bec I only get 462’s now, no 461’s or 441’s. I actually love the response of the 462. Our old 2t guy told me that a 462 is a 362 bottom end with a bigger top end crammed onto it. Not sure if that’s true or not but if it is I think it’s pretty cool. Kinda like they took a bigger Chevy motor and crammed it into the smaller engine bay.
The 266 will always have my heart.... but I'll tell you, that Husky 44 really got my attention. For what that saw is and the torrent of chips it produces, witchcraft is the only explanation! Brother, hats off to you and this channel. Never have I heard a negative word about other builders or other channels here. That is why when I clean out the sub list, this channel never gets the axe. This is were a guy comes for building, not tearing down. 👌
I cashed in $500 worth of savings bonds in 1985 to buy the Husqvarna 61 Rancher. The old Mcculloch 35 was going to do me in! I still use my Rancher for my yearly firewood needs and it starts and runs exactly as it did on day one. I do have some help now days with my son and his XP 359, 372, and a couple of 200 T's (yes, they're Stihls.) I'll still take my Rancher any day.
Thinking dolmar…If you have a bad plug, coil or wire it might spark at atmospheric pressure, but not compression pressure. I’ve seen that multiple times on small engines.
Ms-881 ported 42inch full house bar .404 chisel chain, simington ginder. My favourite saw for bucking with a loader and felling the giant mid canterbury New Zealand pine and blue gum trees here
no mac love, eh? Fellow sheetmetal guy here. apprentice. have an 026 and a bunch of old macs i bought recently at an estate- the pro 10-10 and pro700 are the ones i use of the bunch. i havent used many other saws. i'm guessing you don't use them on account of no vibration dampening. appreciate the perspective here and all your vids!
Favorite saw sentimentally: Poulan 2000, first saw I used at 11. Still like it. Favorite saw for output: Jonsered 2071 Turbo. Bought it at 14 (Lucky, I know, but I did work hard for it). 15 now with a 2065, 2071, 2150, Poulan 2400, Partner 500 (Only one I bought running). Favorite all arounder is a muf modded 2150. So snappy, torquey (Is that a word?) and overall great saw. Loves its 18" bar.
4:12 ik dude. I bent the crank case on my grandpa's Husqvarna 041 and I just finished the engine swap two days ago. It needs a tune but I love that little 40cc saw.
Love this video, and we definitely have a LOT more in common on the "favorite" saw thing than I would have anticipated. My "built" 562's are really the best for me, my 565 put them on the shelf for some bigger wood, also in production. Please don't toss the 48mm jug on that 2165. My friend Bob ( Spike60) worked on me for almost 10 years before I overcame my distain for those little dinky transfers.. ONCE I stuck a xtorq carb , the right ignition, and muffler modded along with a few other things you would prolly do anyway to the ports. That saw easily matched a slightly tweaked 372 and doesn't vibrate. Lighter piston & all. So hope you don't do as I did, bench those 48's for a very long time :) Hey, what do you think about a 394 to 395 conversion concept? Have one on the bench to "evaluate" that. :)
My primary is out on loan for a project. It's a warmed up 365 special with an original 48mm jug and meteor piston. It's a strong saw and been trusty for years.
Oh man that 2165 gives me the feels. I would love to get my hands on one! My uncle had one that I got to use a few times...it was almost terrifying after only running 38 and 40cc home owner saws....needless to say I was hooked!
2165 is a good saw, but, it sets on the shelf with a 30 inch bar. Only comes down if I get a big EWP over 40 inch at the butt. My most used saw is a 550 xp with 20 inch bar. I cut as a professional on the east coast of Canada. Mostly residential removals. Sthil 150 for up the tree work. I sure would like to try the Husqvarna 44.
My dad's go to saw was a Poulan 4200 and I still use it all the time. I run a Husqvarna 254xp in wood up to about 18". My favorite saw was my grandfather's Poulan 5200. He bought it because my dad (his son) bought the 4200 and he didn't want his son having a bigger saw than him. LOL Have a great day. Hope you do something with your 5200 sometime soon and show it on the channel.
G'day Tinman, in 193 countries on Earth the saw you choose comes down to what ever you like personally out of the big names. If your a professional working in the other two countries the only saw to choose may not be as user friendly as the others but the orange and white ones are the last ones to fail in the white handle range of pro saws in the hardest ancient woods on Earth ,Africa Australia that makes 195 👍🇦🇺.
Show and tell day! Lol. I have a 365 oe, a 2165 and a 365xt. The 365xt got a muffler mod, base gasket delete and transfer divider cut out. It's a beast! Port work coming this winter.
Yeah, I tend to think Tin's opinion on the XT is clouded by the fact that it isnt tuned right. I pulled the plastic restrictor caps off of mine, and tuned properly it feels like plenty of Torque to me.
Check the intake boot on 365xt there is a divider and sometimes its not in the carb property and makes it run little lean doesn't seal right to the carb.........Seen on new ones out of the box 👌 Nice saws 👍
Sorry to ask you but i just aquired a husky 455 rancher with an 18 “ bar. What are your thougts and experiences about it. I am used to a stihl ms211 but have a job coming up with bigger wood. Thanks in advance!
I gravitate toward the 24” bars. I’m short and a smaller guy so a 60-71cc saw with a 24” bar I can use all day and it not kill me plus it’s like a tall guy using a 32”.. stand up n Buck!! My 365 got a new carb right before I bought it and it’s a different animal from the others I have. It’s very strange. Sometimes it will crank on pull 2 with choke and sometimes I pull so many times I’m too tired to cut firewood when I get it cranked but it runs and idles PERFECT, when it cranks!! I can’t figure it out and I don’t have many saw guys around here to ask or let fix it. Sure there’s saw shops but I need a true saw guy mechanic not a salesman to look at it..
I tend to run my 372xp more then my old 272 as afleetcommand said many times it vibrates less and you cant beat the power a 372 lays down! My 272 got used alot this year though firewood oak logs! Here in the north east we have them red and white oaks and there some hard wood! And as far as the first saw i ever ran was a old poulan 4200 counter vibe! My father was a poulan man and had many poulans the price of them are kinda crazy now! Been hunting one that wont drain the account 😂
I really loved this video of the breakdown of your saws! But Tinman….. I just got my biggest saw to date which is a 365. But after hearing your input I’m starting to question my decision. 😞But yet you talk the 372 up. I’m Just confused because if you modify the transfer caps on the 365 doesn’t that make it a 372? So what is it that you find that you love about the 372 that the 365 is missing? I’m just dipping my toes into modding and want some seasoned advice! Lol also I’m about to add a Echo CS-670 to the group with my ms311, ms211 and husky 545 gen1. Look forward to your input. Thanks
Hey tinman . Fantastic channel 👏. I'm a 2 series fan aswell I'm currently on a 266 build I've been over your 2 series build videos can u pls advise if my 266 flywheel and ignition will be ok on a 272 or 268 top end . Maybe I missed it on the videos. Many thanks from Scotland
Lets be real for a sec: if we are cutting firewood, we are either super broke, super cheap, or super long trip to the gittin' place, hah. So the best saws for us all will depend on what we find a good deal on! Ive run all sorts of saws, many that i liked a lot. Once ive got them all reliable i tend to give them to friends that are less mechanically inclined, bit still need a good saw. Currently im running a 181se that i payed $100, needed to soglee up new wires for the 2 part coil, and a stihl ms250 i payed $50 for. It is tough to keep running below -10°F, cause rhe crank seals leak below -10°F, lol. Its ported, with a moded muffler on it, and oh man, even with my bad back, i can swing that thing all day! And with the work done to it, it has the power of a heavier saw. $150 total for those saws, hard to beat a combo like that, i run a bigger than average bar on the 181se, but not to show off, lol, just cause it keeps me from bending over as much and pissing off my back, hah. Stay safe out there.
Great video very informative! But what saw would you recommend for someone that doesn't have a ton of money to spend on a saw? cause I cant find a cheap saw anywhere that is able to pull a 32in bar
When I got my 346xp the guy was selling it or a 61 for $120 I went with the 346xp. I also have an ms-290 which should be similar to a 61. I only use it as backup. I started with a JD 50V. Echo 452-vl? Rebranded. I would run one again. Auto and manual oiler, external knobs to adjust mixture and oiler operation. I would happily run one again.
Hey Tinman love the channel. You and Buckin have convinced me to try out a long bar for bucking up firewood. I have a stock 266se and I'm trying to decide between a 24 and 28 inch bar,and was wondering what your opinion is. I'm in Maine cutting mostly hardwood. Thanks for the videos.
I believe those older 044's had a Zama carb on it. Those were very touchy carbs to adjust. Then they went walbro after. The zama got better fuel milage. Walbro still ran good. I was a saw mechanic for years. Can't beat a 044 stihl but you can tie them. I ported many 044's. I have a 670 jonsered that I ported that will cut as good as anything. Runs a 32" bar. All my pro saws ran a 32 for the reason you mentioned. Didn't have to bend over. Easier on the back. I'm 64 years old now. Probably won't run any bigger saw now. My go to is a 45 Husqvarna. (Husky) Have a longer bar on it that I dug up somewhere. To me,,, the Husky smaller saws run better than the still smaller saws. Stihls run to rich and can't adjust them. (Factory set) Oh,,, the 266 saw is same as my 670 jonsered. Most saw parts are interchangable. You port out a 266 Husky and put duel exhaust on it and you won't need a big saw.
You should get a Husky 2100 , they were the first Husqvarna I ever run . I buy one saw and run it until I can’t fix it , then I go get another one . My latest is a 365 xp , that little saw is a performer, proof is in the videos I’ve made on bucking big wood 👍🇨🇦
@@imperfectcuts7028 I'm going to digg into her this weekend and see how much it's going to take to get her back up and running, I've owned her since 1989 and cut a mountain of fire wood !
Your missing a old school husky 65 and 77.. I have 77 with 21 inch bar skip tooth .404 Its a Legend. King of the chip! A firewood cutting master. ( 1974 the drawing of twin was on board but never happened.)
