Need some help choosing a felling saw

Brodie

Hi all I am new to the tree game and now own a bit of gear but im finding that my more rural customers are wanting me to fell larger trees that they are not confident to do themselves the problem i have is my saws are not big enough for the trees so ive narrowed down my options to either the Stihl 660 or the 880. I guess what im asking from you guys is one better than the other i know the 880 has a bigger power output but is it worth the extra cash, or would the 660 be a better option and buy a range of bars and chains for it. Either way I go there is plenty of work for the saw. Id appreciate your opinions and experiences with these machines.

Thanks

Bruce Hopf

When it comes to buying big powered chain saws like the 880, question you have to ask yourself is, how much will I be using it, can I make do with the 660, with a couple different sized bars, shortest bar being a 24", and the other being around 30", to 36"?
Sure you might have enough work to warrant the 880, but the weight of it, I wouldn't want to lug it around all day either. I held one on day, didn't cut with it of nothing like that, but I'll tell you, it was one heavy saw, compared to my 044 (i know that it is twice the power than the 044, but man heavy). I don't know the weight difference between the tow (660, to the 880) but the 660, isn't all that much heavier that the 044, and with a 24" and a 36" bar, the 660 will be a pretty versatile chain saw to use. You can even do a muffler modification to it, and will help a bit that way too.
But this is only my opinion too. Bruce.

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McCulloch chain saws
1- Pro Mac 60, 1- Pro Mac 700, 2- Mac 10-10 Automatic's, 2- Mini Mac 30's, 2- Mac 110's,
2- Mini Mac 35's, 1- Mac 140 with Automatic Chain Sharpener,
1- Pro Mac 10-10, 1- Mac Cat, 2- Eager Beaver
2.0's, 1- Mac 1-10
Stihl chain saws
2- 044's, 2- 034's, 2- 024's, 1- 064, 1- 084,
Strunk chain saws
1- Busy Beaver, 1- SpeeDemon Special
Stand Back, I Have A Very Extreme Case of CAD (Chain Saw Addiction Disorder).

Brodie

Thanks Bruce you make some interesting points. I do agree with you about the weight of the 880 the are heavy things. There is about 2.6 kg difference between the 660 and 880 but i understand your point over the day im sure it would make a big difference. Since posting last time I have found some reviews online suggesting that the 660 had a few problems these being they tend to have a faulty bar tensioning screw and that the oil pump either didnt work or would not expel enough oil even at its highest setting. Has anyone had these problems.

Steve Tipton

I have 2 MS660's and an older 066. Never had a problem with any of them.

A Husky 395 would do the job as well.

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Brodie

I didnt think there would be to may problems with then Stihl has always made great saws but it never hurt to ask the question. With my luck at the moment is have the thing for a year running fine and the day after the warranty is up the saw would break down but its good to hear that it does not seem to be a problem.
I have tried a few huskies in my short time in the industry I wont say that they are bad saws because there not but when i have used them they just dont feel right to me always double checking that everything is working. Maybe its a ford v holden thing some people feel comfortable with stihl and some with huskies. I did consider huskies but as i said it just felt wrong.

Eric Frei

The big wood cutters down south like Ace go for the Huskies, they reckon they're better than the Stihls and they ought to know.

Maybe a 395 or 120 is the go.

I have a ms660 and I agree about the oiler.

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Bruce Hopf

I can understand a chain saw, or no matter what ever is man made, when it comes down to mechanical, there is going to be the odd flaw, in it somewhere, along the line, that can cause some issues.
2.6 KG's heavier, with the 880, over the 660 may not be an issue with some people, to carry around, but as long as that person is comfortable with it, that is all that matters.
Bruce.

__________________
McCulloch chain saws
1- Pro Mac 60, 1- Pro Mac 700, 2- Mac 10-10 Automatic's, 2- Mini Mac 30's, 2- Mac 110's,
2- Mini Mac 35's, 1- Mac 140 with Automatic Chain Sharpener,
1- Pro Mac 10-10, 1- Mac Cat, 2- Eager Beaver
2.0's, 1- Mac 1-10
Stihl chain saws
2- 044's, 2- 034's, 2- 024's, 1- 064, 1- 084,
Strunk chain saws
1- Busy Beaver, 1- SpeeDemon Special
Stand Back, I Have A Very Extreme Case of CAD (Chain Saw Addiction Disorder).

Jon

Had a chance to get my hands on a 460. I was impressed with power to weight ratio. The full wrap handle is a must have for a felling saw.

MrDiesel

I use a 660 and my cousin uses a 395. We regularly work on Iron Barks/Yellow Box/Eucs and some reasonably large Kurrajongs in the western plains of NSW. We have a 3120 for the big stuff however i find i have more control with the 660/395 as it doesnt suck the energy out of me. As soon as the energy levels get low the concentration go's as well.

I find a couple of hours hanging on to the end of a 395 is pretty much the same as a couple of hours on the 660 however the 660 does feel more solid to me. I have worked on both saws and find the 660 easier to work on and never have any problems with the tuning drifting.

windthrown

I had no issues with my 066 oiler. It kept a 32 inch bar nicely lubed. However, it was an R model and had the HO oil pump, large side cover and 3/4 wrap. Also the 660 has far better AV than the 880; the 880 is listed as having 'hazardous vibration levels' for extended use. The 660 actually has less vibration than the 460. Also the 660 as better bearings and low end than either the 440 or the 460 (I have torn them all down). The 660 has far bigger balls than a 460 (which I also owned). If you go with Stihl, get the 660. The 260, 360/361, 440 and 660 are the best saws in the Stihl line IMO. Of course, all the saws that I own are in that list.

The Husky 395 is a comparable saw to the 660. I bought and shipped one a few weeks ago down under. That saw was pretty smooth and managable. Lots of torque. Bigger saw than I like to run (its bulky), but I could see it driving a 36 inch bar with little problem. Seemed on par with the 660 to me. I do not like all the plastic on the big Huskies though, and I am used to running/starting Stihls.

Jo Bob says get the 660 R...

Eric Frei

So how do I know what I have? And what is the difference?

Mine has never oiled well from day 1, I have it cranked up flat out and it does oil but when the fuel runs out the oil is maybe 40% full still.

I was thinking of chucking a new pump in it but haven't bothered. It is a nice saw to use for sure.

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windthrown

Seemingly you got your 660 from the states, as supposedly the 460s and 660s sold in Oz all have the HO pumps on them. If the oil pump is set to high and it is not putting out enough oil, and there are no clogs in the oil line or filter, it is not a HO oil pump. No need to scrap the whole oil pump. The parts that you need to replace are inside the pump. You need two parts to upgrade the 066/660 oil pumps; one is the drive gear and the other is the control bolt. They come in pairs and you have to replace both to get the HO results. They cost about half the price of a whole new pump, and the parts replacment take 10 minutes once you have the pump out from under the clutch.

660 Ozzy/R model high output oil pump:
Oil pump (complete) - 122 640 3201
or:
Piston - 1122 647 0602
Control bolt - 1128 647 4802
Oil output - ??? at 10,000 rpm

660 stock US (low flow) oil pump:
Oil pump (complete) - 1122 640 3205
Piston - 1122 647 0601
Control bolt - 1128 647 4806
Oil output - 11 to 21cc/min. at 10,000 rpm (from my Stihl 660 service manual)

I cannot find any numbers on the HO oil pump output for a 660. And to ammend my statement in post #10 above, get the 660 Australian or R model, or get a US standard model 660 and put in the Australian oil pump parts if you are going to run anything larger than a 32 inch bar.

Dr.Feelgood

A 880 is not a saw you want to carry around all the time, it doesn't sound like much weight difference until you start throwing it around, the Power head size is massive compared to the 660, I would almost look at a Husky 390-395, I think the 660 have a lot of vibes, at least mine does compared to my 7900. I personally would get a 660 if your set on a Stihl.

maccall

The 660 is one of the most commonly used saws for milling, and it wouldn't be if the oiler was just plain bad, or if the bar tensioning screw was faulty.

Not having used an 880 I would still say that the 660 is a saw you can use for a day, although it's going to be rather heavy when the evening comes. The 880, otoh, is a saw you pick up for one or a few cuts when you just need the biggest saw, then you put it back and do the rest with something lighter...

Unless you know for sure a 660 won't be enough it's probably the best value for your money.

Sam Beazley

Whats is the Largest Chainsaw you have? on My Stihl MS460 i sometimes Run a 32" Bar and chain on it and it Fells some pretty Large Red Gum's and iorn barks with that works well for me

gawd

I have never come across a tree , that I couldnt bring down with a ms660 (25- 36 inch ) if it exceeds that r u sure u r the right person to do it

Willard Holmen

Yes I agree.
A 90cc saw with 36"-42" b/c will fell some of the largest trees in the world no problem. Saws in the 120cc range are basically used for milling or bucking large diameter logs laying horizontal. In extreme cases a 120cc with 60" b/c saw would be used to fell extreme large sized hardwoods in such places as South America.
A good choice for a light weight high power saw would be: Husky 372,281,390; Stihl 044/440,460,064; Dolmar 7900.
A good bang for your buck is the Solo 681.
But to answer your question Brodie, I own a Stihl 066 that is 18 yrs old with thousands of hard hours on it and it still runs strong and I never had a problem with it. The cylinder has never been removed. I also own a 090 Stihl [137cc] toughest best torque chainsaw I ever owned, but its an oversized tank, I only use it to mill lumber or cutting 54" diameter cull paper rolls for the local pulp/paper mill.
Yes the 660 would be a good choice.

Willard.

arfabuck

[QUOTE=windthrown;79985]Seemingly you got your 660 from the states, as supposedly the 460s and 660s sold in Oz all have the HO pumps on them. If the oil pump is set to high and it is not putting out enough oil, and there are no clogs in the oil line or filter, it is not a HO oil pump.

Now that is the sort of information that is worth its weight in gold to me.

You ever come over this side of the ditch and its my shout.

MS660 with a 42" bar used for everything.

cheers,

Art

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Brodie

Hi to all that have been so nice as to reply to my post there has been alot of great information that you have all provided. What I am finding is the general consensus is that most people are recommending the Stihl 660 and using the money saved from not buying the 880 to buy some bigger bar and chain.

Once again thank you all for your help its been great.

I reckon im going to go get myself the 660 with same different bars and chain and ill let you know how I go with it all. (Assuming in the mean time the truck does not blow another motor here's hoping we dont)

Bruce Hopf

One nice thing, about having different lengths of bars and chains, to fit a chain saw, is that the bars won't take up as much room in the truck, as a chain saw that you won't use as much (like an 880) as another chain saw (like an 660), that you probably be using a lot. Bruce.

__________________
McCulloch chain saws
1- Pro Mac 60, 1- Pro Mac 700, 2- Mac 10-10 Automatic's, 2- Mini Mac 30's, 2- Mac 110's,
2- Mini Mac 35's, 1- Mac 140 with Automatic Chain Sharpener,
1- Pro Mac 10-10, 1- Mac Cat, 2- Eager Beaver
2.0's, 1- Mac 1-10
Stihl chain saws
2- 044's, 2- 034's, 2- 024's, 1- 064, 1- 084,
Strunk chain saws
1- Busy Beaver, 1- SpeeDemon Special
Stand Back, I Have A Very Extreme Case of CAD (Chain Saw Addiction Disorder).

arfabuck

Too true Brucie!

I just lined my rig up with bars attached and they would take up a whole ute bed. Sans bars attached and it is a quarter the space.

Art

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Martin

As a falling contractor on the BC coast I broke in with and continue to use the 660. Is perfectly balanced with a 36" bar and that will handle anything up to around 8 ft dia without a problem. As already said in this thread it is also comfortable with a 32 and I have bucked logs with a 60"! It will pull a 42" all day long and I have found that that is a big as a bar you will ever need falling a tree. Have fell a sound 14 footer with a 42". In the last year and a half I have got a company job with a local tree farm license holder(no more camp life away from the kids!). They provide the gear and have been using Husky's. Alot of the old timers around here swear by the Husky's for there smoothness. They are alot smoother. I have gotten use to them and like them alot. Lately they have given me a new 576 with a little local customizing gone into it to give more power. It is a great saw with a 33 and I am in west coast 4-8 foot cedar steady right now and it is fine. I would have to say though that the overall falling saw out there if you'll be faced with anything over 4 feet (120cm) is the 660. Awesome power to weight, tough as nails, and easy to fix (in my opinion). If you get one I highly recommend a Magnum muffler cover and we here love the "west coast" dogs and handle bars. They are made by a company called Pro Safety and I think are based somewhere out of Washington USA. Hope this helps, cheers - Martin

Bruce Hopf

I've never ran, or had a 064, but I was able to find one, and is coming out of the US. How was the oil pumps, in the 064 chain saws, or have you heard anything bad about them. Once again, your input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Bruce.

__________________
McCulloch chain saws
1- Pro Mac 60, 1- Pro Mac 700, 2- Mac 10-10 Automatic's, 2- Mini Mac 30's, 2- Mac 110's,
2- Mini Mac 35's, 1- Mac 140 with Automatic Chain Sharpener,
1- Pro Mac 10-10, 1- Mac Cat, 2- Eager Beaver
2.0's, 1- Mac 1-10
Stihl chain saws
2- 044's, 2- 034's, 2- 024's, 1- 064, 1- 084,
Strunk chain saws
1- Busy Beaver, 1- SpeeDemon Special
Stand Back, I Have A Very Extreme Case of CAD (Chain Saw Addiction Disorder).