Best and worst chainsaw?

[MJZ]

I will start cutting firewood in the coming months which made me wonder, "what's my best and worst chainsaw?" I'm not extremely picky on brands but my experience with Echo is mixed and is limited to one model with Stihl. Aside from a basic homeowner, inexpensive poulan I've had 3 chainsaws.

My first "farm/commercial" grade purchase was the echo cs590 "timberwolf." Bought it bout 9 years ago (?). My favorite saw. 20" bar and cuts everything I've thrown at it. I've cut firewood: we heat our home with a Lopi wood stove. I've trimmed trees and cleared well over 1,000 cedar off of 70 acres. This saw is my favorite. It's a bit heavy for trimming and clearing cedars.

I wanted a lighter saw so, I stuck with Echo and bought the 4510 with an 18" bar. This saw never ran right. Finicky bout idling. I struggled with it for a few months. My dealer (who is great) tweaked it. Ran a bit better. I even started buying the echo premix fuel. I've always used premix but upgraded to echo's red "something." Somehow, that saw burned up and I threw it away after less than a year. The dealer said water somehow got in the fuel. I'm not sure how that could have happened. Regardless, I never liked the saw so I didn't press it.

I then picked up the Stihl ms250 with an 18" bar. This is a great saw. Lighter than the echo. And, starts a bit easier. But, it doesn't cut as efficient. I use both saws and appreciate them. The cs590 remains my favorite. It just cuts so dang fast and sometimes the weight works for me. Even when I'm sawing cedars horizontal the speed may offset the weight.

I do want a new saw. I'm thinking about a new cs590. What's your experience for best all around saw. By all around, I mean firewood and property mtnce (clearing cedar, fenceline cleaning, even cutting brush and underbrush).

 

[Rockbadchild]

60cc seem to be the sweet spot for me for a all around saw, not too heavy and powerful enough to efficiently cut what ever you throw at it. I have a husky 359 and It has been great for me that thing is like 20 years old and never let me down.

 

[oosik]

I've had three brands of chainsaws. The old blue Homelite that cut the trees to build my log cabin in Alaska. A monster of a Homelite to two side the cabin logs. A big Huskvarna that was used to cut my pines for firewood. When we first moved onto the property here.

Now I have two Stihl. A small 150 something and a bigger 250 something.

The Stihls are the better by far.

 

[arto98607]

No argument, but are you comparing newer Stihl model vs. lot older Homelite and husky models?

 

[kenmbz]

I love my 620P and use it for all the fallen ash trees here.
I am not a pro, and only put time in when I can for firewood and cleaning up the bigger trunks.
Lots of cutting in the 12-30" range with the 24" bar.

I have a CS490 too which I use for the larger branches and a M18 (battery) pole saw for the small stuff.
I have only used 40 and 50 cc saws until I got the 620, the speed difference is huge.

My old sears 50 and the 490 will take me hours to cut up a big Ash with 18 or 20" bar.

The 620p with a 24" bar takes less than an hour, now spend more time splitting and moving wood than bucking it.

Had some smaller saws in the past , a baby poulan etc. and found they were all finicky.
The sears 50cc I burned out trying to do the bigger trees, it just could not take the heat of the big cuts even with breaks. The 490 I have overheated a few times and just let it cool. I have not overheated the 620 at all.

The guy who I call when I need a cherry picker uses only Stihls, and only the bigger ones.
He has been happy with them. I can't remember his climbing saw model, but it was an older Stihl.

Neighbor has a husky he is happy with.

I guess any brand has their better and worse saws. But I stay away from the cheaper brands, their parts and plastic just won't hold up.

 

[oosik]

arto - yes, the old blue Homelite and the red Homelite were from 1967. The Husky and Stihls are new.

 

[MJZ]

60cc seem to be the sweet spot for me for a all around saw, not too heavy and powerful enough to efficiently cut what ever you throw at it. I have a husky 359 and It has been great for me that thing is like 20 years old and never let me down.

Good point on 60cc. Whatever I get will not be smaller than 60cc

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Our Echo saws always start easy, our Stihl and Husqvarnas are more persnickety. We have several of each on our disaster relief trailer. I always choose the Echo saws.

 

[Snobdds]

I prefer saws that are pre EPA; I don't like choked down, limited, microprocessor controlled, stratified saws.

My favorite saw is a stihl MS361. Now this was Stihl's last non strato, true 2 stroke saw. It did have the EPA muffler on it, but it's very easy to delete. It has spring vibration damping and a very hot porting that really needs nothing done.

I have 4 stashed away that are still new in the box.

Now I do have over 30 saws and there are many more I do like. But as far as the perfect saw...Stihl did it with the 361.

 

[JeepHead]

a 60cc is a good main saw plan to do it all with. The Echo 590 is still a wonderful saw and is really affordable. IF I was going out to buy a new 60cc saw today, my choice would be a Husqvarna 562XP. It's a great saw that starts very easy and cuts amazing. I love mine! But that's cream of the crop and more expensive than the 590.