Chainsaw selection... ideas?

[dave1949]

I have two smaller ones; a 12 year old Husky, and a three year old Honda 4-stroke. They will do up to about 3" stuff. I use them mostly for heavy grass with a wet grass blade, or heavy string. Use them also for small brush; I mainly stay below 2" stuff.

Thanks for that input RobertN.

I would be using it to go through the woods and cut off sapplings 1"-4" dia. in order to select species, thin crowded stands and to get rid of trees that will never become good saw logs. Doing this gives more soil nutrients, water and crown sunlight to the remaining trees. It can be done with chain saw of course but not as easily.

Dave.

 

[RobertN]

I have the 25cc Husky, and 31cc 4 stroke Honda. Mine work great for primarily weedeating; They have the power, and when used with the shoulder harness, I can go for hours.

I would move up in size to do woods work. I just could not justify the cost for primarily weedeating.

Ya, with a sharp blade on, you can trim saplings down nice and short, and pretty quickly. Even with my smaller hp units, I can go through 2" manzanita pretty easy.

My blades use a standard chainsaw file setup too, for easy sharpening...

Thanks for that input RobertN.

I would be using it to go through the woods and cut off sapplings 1"-4" dia. in order to select species, thin crowded stands and to get rid of trees that will never become good saw logs. Doing this gives more soil nutrients, water and crown sunlight to the remaining trees. It can be done with chain saw of course but not as easily.

Dave.

 

[dave1949]

I have the 25cc Husky, and 31cc 4 stroke Honda. Mine work great for primarily weedeating; They have the power, and when used with the shoulder harness, I can go for hours.

I would move up in size to do woods work. I just could not justify the cost for primarily weedeating.

Ya, with a sharp blade on, you can trim saplings down nice and short, and pretty quickly. Even with my smaller hp units, I can go through 2" manzanita pretty easy.

My blades use a standard chainsaw file setup too, for easy sharpening...

That's good to know. I have seen the round blades with chain saw teeth. The Husky dealer told me they go through sapplings like a weed whipper goes through grass. I thought that might be a bit of an exageration given that he is selling them. But, I believe they would be pretty quick and you are having good results.

Thanks, Dave.

 

[two_bit_score]

If you have a Stihl dealer near you go see him. You will never regret buying a Stihl.

 

[dave1949]

If you have a Stihl dealer near you go see him. You will never regret buying a Stihl.

We have a Husky dealer that focuses on chainsaws, I think he gets most of the professional logger work in the area.

The nearest Stihl dealer is part of a Kubota dealership, I didn't find them too good when I had my 019T Stihl fixed. That saw has something wrong with it. It will kick back against the recoil start the first couple-three pulls, then you can pull it smoothly - it's not a fun saw to start. And what I had fixed was the plastic pawls in the recoil starter, because they can't take that abuse. I explained it to the Stihl mechanic, he tried it and told me it was okay. How can that be?

The third sort are guys who sell snowmobiles, ATV's and chainsaws. For them the saws are more of a sideline I think.

Oh well, Dave.

 

[SilverbackMP]

We use Stihl and Husqvarna saws daily at work, cutting off creosote poles as we change them out and we are pretty rough on saws, both brands have held up well for us through the years, the only thing that I have seen that I don't like is the new gas and oil caps on the Stihl's seem to need replacement far to often, simple screw type gas and oil caps were to simple and evidently they wanted to come up with something better, they failed in my opinion, making the Husqvarna my choice until Stihl gets this straight.

I busted one of these caps--I counted 22 separate components within the caps. However, I still love my Stihl Pro--it gives me that warm and fuzzy quality tool feeling.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I busted one of these caps--I counted 22 separate components within the caps. However, I still love my Stihl Pro--it gives me that warm and fuzzy quality tool feeling.

I agree Stihl makes a top notch saw and I have used them for years, but I dislike the new gas and oil caps because they are so easy to tear up.

 

[milkman]

I've had Huskys for years, first one was a 50, got a chance to sell it so I bought a 141, light easy to handle, after a few years I wanted something with more guts. I've used Stihl and nothing wrong with them, the Huskys just fit my hands better and seemed more balanced. I wanted something light like the 141 so I went with the 346XP, about the same size and weight as the little Husky, but it's all business when it gets after the wood. I've read that the Dolmar 5100S is also a good choice for about a hundred bucks less than the XP, although you won't find another stock 50CC saw that will outcut the New Edition 346XP.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

my first saw was a craftsman/poulan - a dozen years later is still does it's job, although after I got is the antique Stihl 039 at an auction it didn't see as much use.
I also have a Husky 372 - with 32" bar for slabbing logs - with a skip tooth ripping chain, that thing cuts plenty fast.
last is my chainsaw-sawmill. double headed bar with 36" of cutting length powered by a pair of Stihl 076 powerheads. picked this up 3rd hand as well.

so far the most important lesson I've learned is to buy good chain. Carlson will outlast the oregon chains you find at box stores by a wide margin and even a Poulan with a good sharp chain will outcut a Stihl with a dull generic.

as to Dave & his 55cc poulan under $200 - sounds like a great deal to me. won't last as a daily workhorse, but for the occasional cutter should do what you ask of it just fine.

 

[Pilot]

If what you are referring to is a beefy weedeater, I have one, a Homelite that I bought in '91 to clear about 6 acres of old growth Scotch broom, up to 3 inches at the butt and 12 ft. high. It did the job. The best way to use it was to swing the blade into the stem in a hacking motion with the engine at full rpm. With a blade with chainsaw teeth, it would go right thru stems up to 1 1/2 inches without slowing down. Larger stems would take some work and if you cut on the wrong side, as it started to fall it would pinch the blade and stop the saw.

You need good gloves and face protection as it kicks out chips pretty hard and without eye protection you could lose an eye.

But, if you have smaller stuff a Bush Hog on the back of a tractor would be my first choice.

 

[dmccarty]

I used my Stihl weedwacker as a brush cutter for years. I wore out quite a few saw blades. And those things ain't cheap. But I used what I had and what was paid for.

But it was WORK.

I bought a DR Mower that will cut down 2.5 inch trees just like the Stihl brushcutter and my MX6 rotary cuttter. The DR will also cut the grass and run a generator. It is expensive but it works much better then the Stihl for cutting down brush/saplings. The DR is a good work out but it is less work than a hand held brush cutter.

And at the end of a few hours of work my arms are not vibrating for hours afterwards when I am trying watch TV or work on the computer. The hand held brush cutter has its place but the DR works better for me.

Later,
Dan

 

[smfcpacfp]

Here's a serious chainsaw for your consideration

 

[savedbyzero]

It's not always about the brand...I have a Stihl 029 that has also cut many cords...but I also have an old Mac beater that I cut rocks with and have owned Echos too...
I think the main thing is running a sharp chain...at the expense of early replacement even. I bought one of those chop saw sharpeners from the Chinese store...you know which one..I'm telling you , once you get all the teeth the same size, the saws cut like butter...it's actually fun to go out and cut wood...

 

[Kernopelli]

My first saw was a 14" 32 CC Craftsman/Poulan I got as a Christmas present in 1983. I used that saw religously....I cut firewood for sale, tornado clean up, downed untold trees, used it as a demolition saw and wore out untold 16" Oregon replacement bars and chains. After having it for about 10 yrs. I was out cutting miles from town and ran out of 2 cycle oil and thought "what the heck, I want a new saw anyway". I ran 4 tanks using 30 wt. oil in it that day and that saw lasted another 10 yrs of regular use. When it died, I was going to get a Stihl and my lovely wife surprised me with a new saw....a new Craftsman. Well, I've been trying to kill it for the last 6 yrs and the only thing I've done to it is replaced the sprocket ( my fault) and bar studs. I currently have a second Poulan that is an exact copy of my first Craftsman that I keep a Cannon 12" dime tip carving bar on.....it starts and runs flawlessly.

After the "inland hurricane" that came through S.Illinois on May 8th, I cut wood every day for weeks with friends and neighbors, we're still not completely done. I watched a neighbor literally throw his 029 in a ditch w/ 2' of water standing in it and stomp off because he was so frustrated, his son in law couldn't get his MS290 started after about 2 hrs of cutting and he told me not long ago that it's never ran as good as his "cheap saw", another friend ended up taking his new 455 Rancher back to the dealer because it was running so bad. I am by NO MEANS saying they are junk brands, they aren't but they have problems too.

My friends are all saw snobs and continually tell me a Poulan isn't worth the effort it takes to throw in the trash. I have cut side by side and tried their Husky's, Stihls, Makita's and Echos for years and I have to say they have never once had the opportunity to tell me what a heap my saw is but I have gotten more than a few digs in on them when they were working on their $400 dollar saws while I just kept cutting. Maybe I have been the luckiest Poulan owner to ever walk the earth but my experience is to adjust the air and fuel screws so they idle smooth and run clean at max RPM, hit the chain a few licks w/a file after every tank, good 2 cyl. and bar oil and they cut as smooth, fast and dependably as anything comparably sized. I am certain that the "big 4 or 5" saws are truly higher quality saws, but for anything less than true commercial service, I don't think most people would ever see a difference.

 

[Steve C]

My first saw was a 14" 32 CC Craftsman/Poulan I got as a Christmas present in 1983. I used that saw religously....I cut firewood for sale, tornado clean up, downed untold trees, used it as a demolition saw and wore out untold 16" Oregon replacement bars and chains. After having it for about 10 yrs. I was out cutting miles from town and ran out of 2 cycle oil and thought "what the heck, I want a new saw anyway". I ran 4 tanks using 30 wt. oil in it that day and that saw lasted another 10 yrs of regular use. When it died, I was going to get a Stihl and my lovely wife surprised me with a new saw....a new Craftsman. Well, I've been trying to kill it for the last 6 yrs and the only thing I've done to it is replaced the sprocket ( my fault) and bar studs. I currently have a second Poulan that is an exact copy of my first Craftsman that I keep a Cannon 12" dime tip carving bar on.....it starts and runs flawlessly.

After the "inland hurricane" that came through S.Illinois on May 8th, I cut wood every day for weeks with friends and neighbors, we're still not completely done. I watched a neighbor literally throw his 029 in a ditch w/ 2' of water standing in it and stomp off because he was so frustrated, his son in law couldn't get his MS290 started after about 2 hrs of cutting and he told me not long ago that it's never ran as good as his "cheap saw", another friend ended up taking his new 455 Rancher back to the dealer because it was running so bad. I am by NO MEANS saying they are junk brands, they aren't but they have problems too.

My friends are all saw snobs and continually tell me a Poulan isn't worth the effort it takes to throw in the trash. I have cut side by side and tried their Husky's, Stihls, Makita's and Echos for years and I have to say they have never once had the opportunity to tell me what a heap my saw is but I have gotten more than a few digs in on them when they were working on their $400 dollar saws while I just kept cutting. Maybe I have been the luckiest Poulan owner to ever walk the earth but my experience is to adjust the air and fuel screws so they idle smooth and run clean at max RPM, hit the chain a few licks w/a file after every tank, good 2 cyl. and bar oil and they cut as smooth, fast and dependably as anything comparably sized. I am certain that the "big 4 or 5" saws are truly higher quality saws, but for anything less than true commercial service, I don't think most people would ever see a difference.

That was very well said.
Your experience has been exactly the same as mine. I don't know any professional loggers, the consumer saws seem to work for me just fine. I am trying to resist the 55cc Poulan with the 22" bar at TSC for $199. I have 2 smaller Craftsman/Poulans and the Husky 372XP. I always try to use the right tool for the job. I think a Poulan is what most people need but you don't get any bragging rights with it.

Since I am out of work perhaps I should contact them and see if they need a marketing person?

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/153734-chainsaw-selection-ideas-5.html

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

Steve, not sure what bar you have on the 372, but Bailey's has a bar & chain combo for it on clearance for $35. (I think 20 or 22")

 

[RadarTech]

Folks,
I have read and read.. and it came down to a choice that was a no brainer...
A work program allowed me to get a husqavarna 445 with a case, extra chain, quart of bar oil, a pint of premix oil, some kind of sticky gloves, the scrench, and a pair of safety glasses....

and all for the meager cost of a 1099 tax form...
no out of pocket expense...

Alas-- it sits in the mud room, factory clean right now, oil and gas free as we had that snow fall and no time to cut anything...

It came from Western Lawn Equipment in O'Fallon, MO...
If you know them, they did good!!!

J

 

[RobertN]

I think your next to last sentence says it well.

My more expensive Pro type saws run excellent. Excellent. But... I keep them up, keep them tuned, keep the chain sharp, and use quality mix with premium gas.

I have seen expensive saws run bad; most times it comes down to poor maintenance, old fuel ect. I have had a couple inexpensive saws that ran great, with proper care and good gas.

I'll take the better saws any day though. I find they handle better, especially after hours of cutting. Also, the last couple weeks, I have been using a Stihl bought new in '81. It is still an excellent running, excellent handling saw. A 29 year old saw. And, I can still get support/service for it.

You do not see many inexpensive saws lasting that long, and having parts/service still available. It is hard, to beat that aspect of getting a good tool. I have, used up a inexpensive saw that cut well, but just was not built for the long run.

It is no different than cars, trucks, tractors ect. I have seen some less expensive tractors work out very well. I have also seen some more expensive quality tractors not last so well. In most cases it was care and handling.

My friends are all saw snobs and continually tell me a Poulan isn't worth the effort it takes to throw in the trash. I have cut side by side and tried their Husky's, Stihls, Makita's and Echos for years and I have to say they have never once had the opportunity to tell me what a heap my saw is but I have gotten more than a few digs in on them when they were working on their $400 dollar saws while I just kept cutting. Maybe I have been the luckiest Poulan owner to ever walk the earth but my experience is to adjust the air and fuel screws so they idle smooth and run clean at max RPM, hit the chain a few licks w/a file after every tank, good 2 cyl. and bar oil and they cut as smooth, fast and dependably as anything comparably sized. I am certain that the "big 4 or 5" saws are truly higher quality saws, but for anything less than true commercial service, I don't think most people would ever see a difference.

 

[RobertN]

Get it out and use it! If not, you will hex that fine saw

A work program allowed me to get a husqavarna 445

Alas-- it sits in the mud room, factory clean right now, oil and gas free as we had that snow fall and no time to cut anything...

 

[Steve C]

Steve, not sure what bar you have on the 372, but Bailey's has a bar & chain combo for it on clearance for $35. (I think 20 or 22")

wow that is a great price. I have a 16 and a 24 so a 20 or 22 would be a good addition to the saw.