Why by new when used will do?

[goeduck]

I️ have no idea why there are question marks showing up in my post above!?!?!?

I have noticed I️t as well. The two letter word that starts with i and ends with t is what does I️t for me.

 

[goeduck]

Regarding STIHL, their non-pro models should not be compared to Poulan. The STIHL mid range saws and some homeowner saws are actually quite good.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Regarding STIHL, their non-pro models should not be compared to Poulan. The STIHL mid range saws and some homeowner saws are actually quite good.

I'm going to agree. A "junk" or entry level, home owner grade Stihl is typically going to be better than a saw from a retail store only company.

In 20 years I have never once heard anyone in the tree business speak the word Poulan.... It's pretty much Stihl, or not a Stihl. If it's not a Stihl, it is looked down on. I have 4 buddies that own tree service / logging companies. There is nothing but Stihl owned by all of them. I (non commercial user)own a Stihl, it's a 25-30 year old 026 and it is still a beast. I would say I run 2-3 gallons of fuel a year through it, and it just keeps plugging along. If it dies, there is only a single brand I would buy and it is white and orange. Stihl.

 

[fried1765]

I'm going to agree. A "junk" or entry level, home owner grade Stihl is typically going to be better than a saw from a retail store only company.

In 20 years I have never once heard anyone in the tree business speak the word Poulan.... It's pretty much Stihl, or not a Stihl. If it's not a Stihl, it is looked down on. I have 4 buddies that own tree service / logging companies. There is nothing but Stihl owned by all of them. I (non commercial user)own a Stihl, it's a 25-30 year old 026 and it is still a beast. I would say I run 2-3 gallons of fuel a year through it, and it just keeps plugging along. If it dies, there is only a single brand I would buy and it is white and orange. Stihl.

I have owned a Stihl (034) for 35+ years.
Though I am now too old to use it much, I decided I should have a backup saw for summers, when I am in Canada.
I searched online, and found a good deal on a new 16" bar Husqavarna.
When it arrived I had already decided I did not want it.
Had my Stihl tuned up, and gave the new (in the box) Husqavarna to a friend in Canada.
He was delighted....I was too!
Coming soon: A 16" "Greenworks 40V (or 80V) saw (100+ 8" log cuts)
For occasional use: no more rope pulling, for us old guys.

 

[4570Man]

I'm going to agree. A "junk" or entry level, home owner grade Stihl is typically going to be better than a saw from a retail store only company.

In 20 years I have never once heard anyone in the tree business speak the word Poulan.... It's pretty much Stihl, or not a Stihl. If it's not a Stihl, it is looked down on. I have 4 buddies that own tree service / logging companies. There is nothing but Stihl owned by all of them. I (non commercial user)own a Stihl, it's a 25-30 year old 026 and it is still a beast. I would say I run 2-3 gallons of fuel a year through it, and it just keeps plugging along. If it dies, there is only a single brand I would buy and it is white and orange. Stihl.

That's not a fair comparison at all and I guess it's what they feed on to sell junk saws. That's like assuming those riding mowers sold at lowes must be good because it's a John Deere. It's also not fair to associate the better Husqvarnas with Poulan. And most of you homeowners are wearing blinders. I've yet to see a middle to high end Stihl that can beat the power-weight-dollar ratio of a Husqvarna.

 

[Rock Crawler]

That's not a fair comparison at all and I guess it's what they feed on to sell junk saws. That's like assuming those riding mowers sold at lowes must be good because it's a John Deere. It's also not fair to associate the better Husqvarnas with Poulan. And most of you homeowners are wearing blinders. I've yet to see a middle to high end Stihl that can beat the power-weight-dollar ratio of a Husqvarna.

From the folks I know who run the Stihl saws 8 to 12 hours a day for a living, its mostly about service life. And the 4 guys I know all feel that they have learned that if you want a saw to last a couple years working 5 and 6 days a week, you buy Stihl saws and Forester bars and chains.... and Forester gloves. I have bought Stihl chains ($32 each) and Forester chains ($13) and I have seen no difference in cut quality or life span.

For the price of a Stihl chain, I can buy a new bar and a new chain from Forester:
Forester Bar and Chain Combo 16" .325 .063 67DL - Stihl

For the price of a Stihl branded chain, I can buy almost 3 Forester Semi-Chisel chains:
Forester Non-Safety Semi-Chisel Chain Saw Chain - .325" - .063 - 67DL

I'm sure that Husqvarna makes a great saw, I never implied that they did not. I said that the folks I know that feed their families running saws all have one thing in common based on decades of working saws, and that one thing is Stihl saws. I personally look at Stihl much as I do Miller Welders. You have a Miller, or you have something that is not a Miller. It doesn't matter to me what welder you have, it is blue or it is not. You have a Stihl saw, or something that is not a Stihl. We are all entitled to our opinions and beliefs, and while another may consider a Husqvarna to be the best saw on the market, I will politely disagree and say that it still isn't a Stihl :drink:

 

[4570Man]

Just don't get behind an XP saw and you'll be content with the o26. How many non professional users have have ever worn out a middle end or better saw? All the professional crews I know loose more equipment to theft than gets worn out.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I've borrowed a BIG Stihl from TimberWolf Tree Services, a buddy of mine.... My wife's cousin bought a house that had a MASSIVE tree only 30 or 40 feet away. It was right around 40" wide at the base. The previous owners lucked out when a storm broke the tree around 50' up, but the bottom was still there at the edge of the yard. So I called my buddy and told him my situation and he said to come down and pick up a saw. Holy cow! It was like a big block Chevy with a laser death blade sticking out of it for miles! We used extension ladder to get a rope onto the tree and tied the other end to a 4x4 truck and I wedged it towards the truck (away from the house) and then started my back cut for the hinge. THat freaking giant saw ate tree like nothing I have ever seen before. I could barely carry it, could barely start it, but once you gave it a taste of tree... all **** broke loose and it ate like a horde of wild dogs on a fresh kill. I was sad that the whole experience ended so quickly. For a moment there... I felt like a modern Paul Bunyan.

I know that my 026 is not a professional level saw, and I have witnessed a "real" saw in my hands... once... But with my fireplace and camping needs a mid level saw like mine is all I need. Mine is likely getting near it's end of life. The safety break bar pivot bolt on the left side stripped out of the aluminum frame and I know that the engine has to be getting worn after all these years. Every year I expect it to die, but knock on wood.... Just this past weekend I began my frantic period of cutting/splitting and I put about 7 or 8 hours of hard use on it again and it looks like this year I will get by again without buying a new saw. Who knows about next year? I dread the day that the mighty and mythical 026 takes it's final breath. I will be sad, that is for sure.

I hauled 13 Rhino loads of this oak up the valley yesterday, cut and split it all. It was a good day and my 68 year father spent the day with me, mostly lecturing and correcting me... you know... because I am doing it all wrong. But I love spending weekends out in the woods with my father. I fear loosing him a lot more than loosing my saw

 

[s219]

Are you implying that the low end Stihls aren't also junk? You generally get what you pay for and pretty much all cheap chainsaws are junk.

I don't have any ownership experience with the homeowner Stihls -- I have only owned their pro models (same goes for Husky). However, I have run several Stihl 250/251 saws belonging to neighbors or family, and they are definitely better than the Poulans I've seen. I think Poulan is in a pretty crappy league of their own on the low end of the market.

I still have my father's old Poulan S25DA from 1972 and boy was that saw made well. I restored it a couple years ago and it runs like a charm, but it's not real pleasant to use so I mainly keep it around as a conversation piece.

 

[s219]

By the way, I don't have a preference for Stihl or Husky -- I consider them both and then pick the best saw in each size class. I previously owned a Stihl 261 which was a fine 50cc saw, then sold it and got a Husky 562XP which was the best 60cc saw I could find (at the time the competing Stihl 362 was a pig). Also own a Stihl 461 which I love. Recently I picked up an Echo CS-501P and consider that to be the best 50cc pro saw right now -- was a real pleasant surprise. Bottom line, don't limit yourself to a single brand or you'll miss out. Only thing I think is important is to buy a pro class saw. Homeowner-grade and mid-grade saws just aren't a good value to me.