Chainsaw selection... ideas?

[kenmac]

Like trucks, cars,chainsaws , trimmers, blowers, etc, I think everyone likes their brand.....As for me,,, I'll never part with my husky

 

[AlanB]

And like cars and trucks, I just seem to use whatever comes along.

I have a Husky Rancher 55 (bought for $75 that someone "returned" to Lowes. (18 / 20 Bar.

I have a Stihl 025 with a 16/18

I have an Echo arborist top handle saw (forget the model) with a 12/14 setup.

All 3 are great saws in my opinion.

My advice is to find an Echo dealer, my Echo dealer here is actually usually a buck or two cheaper than Home Depot, not to mention you get the saw running, full of gas, checked out and adjusted by a guy that does that all the time. The other reason I would tell you to get an Echo is the 5 year Homeowner Warranty they come with. I don't believe (could be wrong) that the other saws are anywhere in that hunt. I was looking at a chop saw last week and the Stihl came with a 90 day warranty (gag)

If you do not have a local dealer Baileys online is a great place to buy arborist stuff.

I also will second or third the helmet / chaps deal.

Oh, and another thing about the dealer, I asked my dealer about a case for my Echo when I bought it and he looked up on his shelf and grabbed me a used one for Free. I like Free.......

Good luck and be real safe, those chains don't care what they hit, and the guy I know that is the absolute best I have ever seen with a saw, is the same guy that cut through both bones in his leg with one while 70' up a tree. Has to be one of the most dangerous and useful tools out there.

 

[Ed1C]

I've had bigger and smaller saws, but really like the Echo CS 400 I bought last year. I've taken about 50 trees down with it. Like you I was thinking bigger & heavier, but am glad I decided on 18 inch bar. I've done much bigger trees without any issues & this saw is very light @10#, well balanced and easier to use than the bigger saws. It's started for me rain/shine/cold/hot & has an amazingly easy pull. The 5 year warranty simply can't be beat.

To me tough trees just require a new or a very sharp blade not more power. I like to file blades in between having them professionally sharpened. Good luck & be safe!

 

[jimmyj]

Husqvarna, Stihl, Jonsered or Echo. Find the best dealer of 1 of these 4 near you and pick that one. I love my husky!

 

[dirt ditch]

Everybody has their opinions on chainsaws and here is my view. My first saw was a 18" Poulan pro. Not a great saw but still use it in situations where the saw could be damaged. The next saw was a Stihl 180. Lite weight, good power for a 14" bar. With a sharp chain I like it for trimming and small firewood. I then got a Stihl 361 with a 20" bar for the big jobs where hp is a blessing. Boy will it cut wood. It is the nicest one I own but it gets too heavy for my back after awhile. So I wanted a saw that was somewhere in between those two and bought a Stihl 250 with a 16" bar. It is my favorite saw and use it more than the others.

After running a Stihl 260 Pro at work, I would recommend it with both 16' and 20" bars. Use the 20" for large trunks and limbs and the 16" for everything else. Wish now that is what I had done.

just my $.02

 

[dave1949]

And on the other hand -

I put up 3-4 cords/yr of red oak and maple for about 12 years. I did it with two Walmart Macs that cost $129 each.

I sure didn't have the nicest saw in the neighborhood and they only last 5-6 years at best.

Just sayin ... a cheap saw with a sharp chain and resonable care can take you a long way too.

Dave.

 

[Sigarms]

Husqvarna, Stihl, Jonsered or Echo. Find the best dealer of 1 of these 4 near you and pick that one. I love my husky!

+1

I have a Stihl and love it. Heard nothing bad about any of the other brands listed above. I didn't hear about Jonsered until I was out west, but seemed like it was a favorite choice.

I think the big box stores carry Husky, but not sure what help the'll be if you ever need it.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

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.

 

[captjack]

Stihl MS 260 and 046 mag slightly tweeked !

I have to say the ms 260 is becoming my favorite saw. Its light, has good power with a 16 in bars.

The 046 mag is a beast - I have modded it for more power and it can pull a 28 inch bar in hardwood all day. Gets heavy after a while.

 

[charlz]

The 046 mag is a beast - I have modded it for more power and it can pull a 28 inch bar in hardwood all day. Gets heavy after a while.

Yeah I spent a couple years running a firewood business packing an 041 with a 28" bar ... people thought my back was getting crooked 'cause my left shoulder was getting much bigger than my right Saw was under powered for that 28" bar but it sure was nice for limbing and blocking.

 

[turnkey4099]

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.

Agree partly on the 'flippy caps' - looks like a solution to a non-existant problem to me. However I have never had one fail...yet. 3 saws with them but 2 of them just finished their first season. Other one is around 5-6 years old and has eaten 10 plus cords every year.

harry K

 

[keegs]

My comment here won't help anyone buy a saw but I gotta tell my story.

I bought a used 16" Skill Saw in 1980 from a guy I worked with who bought it after the first big oil price increases in the early - mid '70's. I don't remember exactly what I paid for it but I don't think it more than $80.

I've heated with firewood to varying degrees since then and I've used that saw to cut all measure and species of tree. It's so old I can't get parts for it anymore and on the odd occasion when I bring it in to get a new chain, the service guy invariablly pipes up with something like: "Hey...this saw is older 'n me!!

It almost bought the farm a few years ago when a piece of wood I was splitting flew off and smacked it and broke off the on/off switch. Luckily I was able to get almost the exact switch at Radio Shack for just a few bucks.

When it finally does go off to chain saw heaven it won't be for lack of dependable service. It's been a great saw. There's a label on it that say it was made in Canada.

 

[arrow]

Any saw you buy now, you should go for the professional series. Yes it will cost much more but you will have a saw for life and one that does what you want. Dolmar is the biggest bang for the buck. One of the most versatile all around saws that will drive up to a 20" bar is a used Husky 257 or 357XP. New, the 357 cost over $600. Pro model Stihls will be up there as well. Last place I'd buy a chainsaw from is a box store. There is more to a saw than hp however. One of the largest factors is the piston weight and makes a difference in the inertial forces of the chain saw and its ability to cut when pressure is applied. It also has much to do with the speed of the saw. Lighter piston saws such as the older Husky 262 revved up very fast but you have to be diligent with its saw chain sharpening and use a little lighter touch. Cuts like a banshee however when run correctly. If I had to have one saw ( I have 8) it would be a 257 or 357 with both a 16" and 20" bar.
Model numbers of saws do not always relate to more power but may be more in line with where they sell the saw for instance a pro 357 Husky is more powerful than the box store 455

 

[RadarTech]

Great Stuff guys!!

well I have to admit I have learned alot..
And the budget just will not support a new $300+ chainsaw right now..
Which is what I believe I should consider...

So I will have to sharpen my chains and see what I can limp along with..
We cut maybe 2 cords a year and 1-2 emergency tree cleanups...

We just managed to upfit the wood working shop with a table router(Skil) and a new brad nailer-dewalt.

let me check craig's list and see what I can do....

again thanks!!!!

but keep the ideas going...

As for sharpening.. do you just send the chains out? or do you have a bench sharpener?

thanks!
J

 

[jimmyj]

Re: chains. I sharpen my own as I dull them very often (bad habits like cutting dirty wood and a LOT of bush work). Harbor Freight makes a cheapo bench top unit that works fine. It used to be $40 but now it's $60 I think.

It would not take long to spend $60 by taking chains in. Also, there is nothing more important than having a sharp chain at all times. Get a couple and swap them so you are always using a sharp one.

 

[RadarTech]

Yea-- I bought that little field kit from the local big box...
but is this the HF tool: - Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

thanks!

J

 

[czechsonofagun]

ditto for the sharpener, I paid 30 bucks for it and it was money well spent.

I killed Solo I bought from Baileys, I was never really happy with it, especially the bar oiling part. Now I have Husqvarna rancher and love it. Two bars, 20" for logs and 16" for limbing, it is one great cutting machine. With the HF grinder - I use wheel from Baileys on it - I can really get some work done.l

 

[Steve C]

Great Stuff guys!!

well I have to admit I have learned alot..
And the budget just will not support a new $300+ chainsaw right now..
Which is what I believe I should consider...

So I will have to sharpen my chains and see what I can limp along with..
We cut maybe 2 cords a year and 1-2 emergency tree cleanups...

We just managed to upfit the wood working shop with a table router(Skil) and a new brad nailer-dewalt.

let me check craig's list and see what I can do....

again thanks!!!!

but keep the ideas going...

As for sharpening.. do you just send the chains out? or do you have a bench sharpener?

thanks!
J

I wish I needed a new chain saw. I just replaced my old 4.2 cubic inch/24 inch Craftsman (Poulin) that I lost in my barn fire. It was 20+ some years old and still ran like a new one. (it sold for around $500 way back then, power head and bar sold seperately) I went to my local full service saw dealer with my owners manual and asked him to sell me the modern day equal of what I had. I had installed a 16" bar on the saw for the cutting I was doing. He sold me a Husqvarna 372XP with a 24 inch bar and a 16 inch bar and the chains to firt them. It is great saw but it wa a little over $900.

Today I went into our local tractor supply store and I noticed that they have a new model Poulin Pro saw on sale for $199. It is a 3.7 cubic inch (55cc) saw with a 22" bar and chain. If I needed a new chain saw today and I was on a budjet, I would buy one of those in a heartbeat. It looks to be a well thought out tool. I have had very good service from all my smaller Craftsman/Poulin saws that I use for limbing and smaller work. I think this saw deserves a serious look.

 

[schmism]

It was 20+ some years old and still ran like a new one. (it sold for around

Today I went into our local tractor supply store and I noticed that they have a new model Poulin Pro saw on sale for $199.

you get what you pay for. NO WAY that saw will last nearly as long as your old one unless you stick it on a shelf and look at it for "all those years"

you want another saw to last 20+ years, its going to have to be a stihl or husqvarna

 

[schmism]

It was 20+ some years old and still ran like a new one. (it sold for around

Today I went into our local tractor supply store and I noticed that they have a new model Poulin Pro saw on sale for $199.

you get what you pay for. NO WAY that saw will last nearly as long as your old one unless you stick it on a shelf and look at it for "all those years"

you want another saw to last 20+ years, its going to have to be a stihl or husqvarna