Alan L.
Elite Member
I just need a saw for occasional limbing and firewood. More recently I need to take some trees down. I use a chainsaw maybe 5 or 6 days out of a year. I have a Husqvarna 141 with 16" bar that has been a great little saw and it still runs fine. I like it because it is light and I can use it all day with little fatigue. And very reliable so I don't spend any time working on it.
I have about 60 or 70 willow tree trunks to cut, ranging from 8" to 12". I also have a few dead cedar elms up to 16" diameter that need to come down. I would like to have a bigger saw and after the various reviews and with a $400 budget I chose the MS 290. Then I went to the dealer and picked it up. HEAVY. Not sure if I want to use this thing all day. The salesman, about my age (nearly 59), has the MS 250 and likes it. So I got the MS 250 for $339 (MS 290 $399).
I got home with it and frankly it is very little bigger than the Husky, it just has an 18" bar vs 16" on the Husky but weighs about the same and has just a little more engine size (45cm vs 40). Not sure if incrementally this is a good purchase for a bigger saw, but just a replacement of the old smaller saw.
I have not even fired it up, as I work in Dallas and the dealer is near my office - should I go back and exchange for the MS 290 even though it seemed really heavy to me? Most like the MS 290 better but I had convince myself I really didn't need a saw that big, one that I might not use much due to the fatigue factor.
I have about 60 or 70 willow tree trunks to cut, ranging from 8" to 12". I also have a few dead cedar elms up to 16" diameter that need to come down. I would like to have a bigger saw and after the various reviews and with a $400 budget I chose the MS 290. Then I went to the dealer and picked it up. HEAVY. Not sure if I want to use this thing all day. The salesman, about my age (nearly 59), has the MS 250 and likes it. So I got the MS 250 for $339 (MS 290 $399).
I got home with it and frankly it is very little bigger than the Husky, it just has an 18" bar vs 16" on the Husky but weighs about the same and has just a little more engine size (45cm vs 40). Not sure if incrementally this is a good purchase for a bigger saw, but just a replacement of the old smaller saw.
I have not even fired it up, as I work in Dallas and the dealer is near my office - should I go back and exchange for the MS 290 even though it seemed really heavy to me? Most like the MS 290 better but I had convince myself I really didn't need a saw that big, one that I might not use much due to the fatigue factor.