Chainsaw Needed

Clemson · Jun 12, 2002

I'm in the market for a new chainsaw. My old McCullough is impossible to get parts for, and my Homelite is torn up to the extent that it needs to be sent back to the factory for a new housing. Do any of you have suggestions for sources with good prices on saws? Do you have any brand biases?

Thanks in advance.

Clemson

Boondox · Jun 12, 2002

I'd start with a search on "chainsaw." There was a LONG thread a while back. The long and short of it was get a brand your local dealer carries and trusts. The big three (Stihl, Husqvarna, Jonsered) are rock solid but some models among those brands have more desirable features. Some of those features include compression release for easy starting, chain tension adjustment in an easy to reach location, favorable power to weight ratio, etc. Some folks swear by chain store brands, but most of the serious woodcutters go with the big three. And last but not least, spring for some really good safety gear and use it!

Pete (Vermont woodchuck)

Richard · Jun 13, 2002

<font color=blue>And last but not least, spring for some really good safety gear and use it!</font color=blue>

And wear it religeously

rancar · Jun 13, 2002

I've also had McCullough and Homelite....got rid of them due to constant operational problems similar to ones you cited. I spent a little more and got a Stihl 044 about 6 years ago. I love this saw. I cut about 5-6 cords of firewood each year and this saw has never given me one problem. All I've ever done is replace the chains. I'd highly recommend Stihl. Shop at hardware stores, tractor dealers, other places that sell these saws. Many of these places now have Springtime sale prices in effect that should last through July.

woodmills1 · Jun 13, 2002

stihl ..... and get the biggest even numbered one you can afford, but go for the reccomended bar. that is don't oversize any bar will unbalance saw and make it more tiresome to use. some cutters will need large bars for special types of jobs, but for regular use 20" is big enough for almost anything and 16" on smaller saws.

Youare · Jun 13, 2002

I'll throw my two cents in. Any of the three manufacturers mentioned all have good machines. They all seem to have two different lines of saws, one line for the weekend warrior and another line for the person who is going to use the saw every day.

If you can afford it buy a saw that has a good reputation with those who make a living with them. I would perfer a 16" bar to a 20", chains are less expensive, less teeth to sharpen, and the saw has a better balance. If you need to cut tress over 30" in diameter then get an 18".

I have owned Mac.'s, Homelite's, Stihl, Husky, Sachs Dolmar, and Wright saws. Stihl and Husky are what I use now both are good saws.

Randy

Gary_in_Indiana · Jun 13, 2002

Anyone have any experience with Poulan chainsaws? I see them around here quite a bit and my local Tractor Supply Co. store handles them (which could be why I see them around here). I don't really know anything about them or chainsaws/brands in general. I'm not looking to become a lumberjack here. I've got some major cleaning up to do right away but I probably qualify as the 'weekend warrior' type user overall.

Youare · Jun 13, 2002

My father-in-law had a small Poulan saw years ago, it served his purposes for the weekend work he did.
A neighbor of mine back in the mid 1980's worked for a company that made the metal working machines that produced transmissions and engines. They did some work for Poulan designing a machine that would perform some of the machining operations on their chainsaw engines.

My neighbor talked with some of the engineers from Poulan, one of the intresting things he found out was the life expectancy of their homeowner line of chainsaws was 80 hours. That may seem like a short time but for the person who uses a saw mabye 10 times a summer for a couple of hours that is 4 years of life. If the saw does last 100 hours that's 6 years.

One of the things that used to seperate the homeowner saw from the professional saw was the type of cylinder bore they have. The homeowner saw had a chrome plated cylinder bore and the other saws were made out of a special material that did not require plating. Once the plating wore off the cylinder the material underneath which was softer got scuffed away by the piston ring and you threw the saw away.

One way you could tell was when you started the saw without the air filter on, when reving the engine a cloud of vapor would come out the carb. This is blow-by from a worn cylinder. The saws without chrome plated bores will last longer when the proper oil/ fuel mix is used.

Buy the best you can afford.

Randy

rf33 · Jun 13, 2002

To me, the most important concern with a chainsaw is the balance and weight of it. I agree with the others here that the extra $100 or so spent to get a Stihl or a Husky is probably money well spent. I think though that the balance and feel of the saw are alot more important to the average weekend user than some of the other factors such as cc's or HP or RPM or some of the other factors which are advertized. I think that having a saw that you are comfortable using and working with for several hours is probably the best safety that you can have. An awkward or too heavy saw can wear you down, and when I am tired and fatigued I am alot more accident prone then when I am fresh. Sorry for the long winded reply.