chain saw help

[ToadHill]

I"ve stuck with Stihl since my experience with the first one I bought. At 2 years old it just wouldn't start. I took it to the dealer, and came back a week later. He said it was working fine. When I asked what I owed him he said nothing. When I asked what was wrong with it he said the ignition module had burned out and when he called the parts distributer he was told these modules don't burn out. He was to replace it at no cost. I've never had another problem with it and it's now 12 years old.

 

[wushaw]

Bodark, that's pretty tough wood according to my cousin - he uses it to make bridge plates for guitars. Yellow, is'nt it ?

Yes it is Yellow and full of sap when green/yellow, a bodark tree can die and the main trunk will stay up till something moves it. It won't just rot or the bugs will not take it down.
It's great for many applications.

 

[BTDT]

I"ve stuck with Stihl since my experience with the first one I bought. At 2 years old it just wouldn't start. I took it to the dealer, and came back a week later. He said it was working fine. When I asked what I owed him he said nothing. When I asked what was wrong with it he said the ignition module had burned out and when he called the parts distributer he was told these modules don't burn out. He was to replace it at no cost. I've never had another problem with it and it's now 12 years old.

Your lucky he was honest enough to tell you, he could have charged you and you wouldn't have known any different.

 

[rback33]

I don't loan out my chainsaws to anyone.
If they do not have one, how do they know how to safely use and care for the saw ? Or if they have one and it won't work is even worse :O

I have never loaned any of mine out either. The only time my FIL has touched mine was when I was home and it was on my property. I just wasn't hovering over him as he cut. The guy is 65 now and that saw kicks his butt anyway. Heck it kicks MY butt some days and I am only 29. It's understood between my wife and me, regardless of whether her dad wants to run the saw, he is not allowed to. His electric saw he has at home s good for him, but I'll run my Stihl. He can lump the stuff outta the way...

 

[RWEST]

My brother could find any rock within a 100 yard radius, I truly believe. Then, he'd bring the saw back "hey, it's not cuttin' good anymore..

I don't loan out my chainsaws to anyone. If they do not have one, how do they know how to safely use and care for the saw ?

It was a "community property" saw. We each owned half - I just got to sharpen/replace the chains.

 

[tnau664]

BDTD ($0.50 for air???...that's rediculous.......no, that's inflation!!!)

Can't come to Alabama with that tag line. It's $0.75 here.

Now, back to the subject. I have an old poulan that runs OK after using starter fluid for cranking. I bought one of the Homelite Timberman last year and it's a good saw for home use. 45 cc with 18" bar.

Tnau

 

[chrisjbell]

I do have an old Poulan that has worked just fine for a number of years. I bought a Husky a couple of years ago and the Poulan has been gathering dust since then. The difference is night and day.

On the subject of bar length - I do a fair amount of sawing these days. The saw we have at work is a Jonesred with a 22" bar. Great saw. But I often bring my Husky in - 14" bar. Reason? Most of the time when cutting the longer bar isn't neccessary and the larger saw and bar is *heavy* after a while.

 

[jpm]

i have a few saws and the poulan is used about the most because it small with a 14 bar and 1 pull its going. its used mostly for cutting branch's off and cutting small stuff.any bigger and the husky's come out but the weight of the saw goes up and arms get tied quiker and thats went they like to bite

 

[Ken S.in Ky.]

I owned Homelite back when loggers used Homelite. Had one I used to cut firewood with for yrs. I now own Husky one is the Rancher55 the other is a 141model that has been replacd in there line by a 142 it has a16'' bar and ample power. Unless i am cutting 20''+ trees i will grab the 141 almost every time. If there is a LOWES store nearby go in and see what they have. they sell poulan and and husky here. handle the saw you are considering buying and make sure it is comfortable to handle. Poulan will give you much more vibration than the Husky I can't give refernce to other due to lack of useing them.Consider the weight of the sawand the amount of time you will be handleing it. Hope these tip will help you in purchasing the right saw for you.

 

[slowrev]

Ken does the new Poulan vibrate more than the huskys ? I have not used a husky. My old Poulan has no antivibe, and vibs a lot, the newer (5 yrs) Poulan Pro has antivibe and is pretty smooth.
Ben

 

[Gizmo36]

I have a Sthil 048 for 20-25 years . And it will start on the first or second pull ever time.And the weight of it Depends on what time of day it is . it is heavier later in the day.And buy sun down it is about a ton.

 

[oscer]

I have an 031 stihl thats 26 years old I just had the carb. repaired it cost me 20 bucks and it now runs like it used to.I had a bad experience with the dealer he charged me 43 bucks for 2 attemps at fixing it.Then I heard about this guy down the road who fixed it right but he said parts are no longer available for the old 028,031 ect. models.
In the time interval between not having it working,I bought a Stihl 390 4.3 hp with 20 inch bar, it cuts alright but I'll be surprised if it holds up to my abuse like the 031 has.It just doesn't seem as solid there is alot more plastic on it and its hard to explain but it doesn't feel as tough as the saw I'm used to.

 

[Gizmo36]

Mine run's as good as the day I bought it. I had to go get a gallon of chain oil . And the dealer told me I better take care of it because he could not get parts for the old one's any more .I have a Stihl weed eater that is 26 years old and when brakes down .I will just give it to some one for parts.I hope they are still that good.

 

[oscer]

My Stihl weed eater is the straight shaft type,it is only 11 years old I've never had any trouble with it.Iguess they were makin good ones up till 96' anyway.
Back to chain saws,I didn't hesitate to buy another Stih because of the quality of the old one.I didn't think the new one looked as well made as the old ones but niether did the other brands.Modern plastics aren't necessarily a bad thing,the 390 weighs about the same as the 031 with .6 more hp,it had no probkem at all wading through 19"of boxelder trunk the other day.

 

[montanaman]

Let me start by saying that I am giving a VERY biased opinion here. First off, you need to carefully look at the bottom shelf saws. Look at the HP if they list it but also look at the chain. You will notice that an 18" made by Poulin will have no HP rating and a very small pitch chain. Some times, there will be a few links between each cutter so that the saw can run a bigger chain because it looks good on the box store shelf.

Also, keep in mind that many of the saws out there are made by Electrolux so that many of the brands out there share parts.

It gets very confusing to pick a saw if you really think about how you are going to use it. The MS290 has a lot of power for the price and a lot of nice features, but for me, I like a lighter saw. The MS250 is a very good choice for a guy cutting 10 to 12 cords of fire wood a year but I would not go smaller for fire wood cutting and I like the MS250 with a 16" bar.

I use a MS260PRO because I like the light weight and I take care of my stuff so it won't cost much per year for me to enjoy the benefits of a $500 saw.

I say buy from the company that it #1 world wide, but I warned you that I'm biased.

Ken

 

[oscer]

After buying the 390 I think you made a good move.

 

[montanaman]

Oscer,

Not happy with the 390? It is a little heavier than the 361 no doubt and with a little less power as the price reflects.

I know that if I ever think I want more saw than my 260 and that is very un-likely, I will get a 361.

One thing about the Stihl line that a lot of people don't realise is that they make every saw they sell so even if you are buying what is a mid line or home owner model, it will have many features in common with the pro saws.

Any saw they make that is bought in the right size range for the job and properly cared for, will last long enough to make the owner happy enough to buy another Stihl.

That said, it really comes down to a persons needs and what the can afford. The money part is always something that needs to be looked at very carefully. At times, it is no fun to afford very good quality but there have been many times where I have made an attempt to get by on the cheap and end up buying something twice, costing me more in the long run.

The problem with me is the first buy is usually really cheap and then it is followed by an extreme overkill purchase!

Ken

 

[oscer]

Montanaman,I'm not extremely put off by the 390.I just don't think it is near the guality of saw the 031 is.It seems to have plenty of power for the 20" bar.My main concern is longevity.I believe you get what you pay for although sometimes it takes a bad purchase to remind me of this.Hopefully this isn't one of them. It wasn't exactly a cheap saw and maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. Only time will tell,

 

[stronics]

Stihl has a really nice saw for $169 at the dealer. I was supprised at the different models and how reasonable they can be.
David

 

[johnk]

Sounds like a Stihl forum going on here. I love my two Huskies. 385 and Rancher 55. Stihl is a great saw and with either Husky or Sthil you have a great product and resale value. I think the Husky is lighter per wgt per HP and less vibration though..........Like I said both are great saws along w/ Jonseerd also.....