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]

Originally Posted by captjack

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.