Hi boys keep it neat and tidy Stihl or Husqvarna Chansaws

[MossRoad]

They do take a lot of priming.7 presses.

I do mine three times all the way in and wait for it to come back out. Three pulls on full choke usually gets them to pop. Push the choke in to the 1/2 setting and one or two pulls and they go.

 

[deanocraft]

Love my MS 310 saw. I've had it for over 10 years and it starts every time. Never any problems in all that time. I needed a trimmer, so I bought an FS55r and that thing floods if you think about gas... Once you get it started, it runs great. It does drink the gas, though! I also own an Echo leaf blower which is a fine machine. It is easy to start and barely sips the gas. It is over 6 years old and has never given me any trouble. I doubt you could go wrong with either brand.

 

[KiotiJason]

Love my MS 310 saw. I've had it for over 10 years and it starts every time. Never any problems in all that time. I needed a trimmer, so I bought an FS55r and that thing floods if you think about gas... Once you get it started, it runs great. It does drink the gas, though! I also own an Echo leaf blower which is a fine machine. It is easy to start and barely sips the gas. It is over 6 years old and has never given me any trouble. I doubt you could go wrong with either brand.

I have a friend with the MS310, really not much diffrence to the 390. We had them running side by side with new chains. My mate lives his 310 are you running yours with a 20" bar?

 

[deanocraft]

I have a friend with the MS310, really not much diffrence to the 390. We had them running side by side with new chains. My mate lives his 310 are you running yours with a 20" bar?

Well, I don't have it here to measure, but my memory tells me it is a 22" bar. I guess it could be a 24 incher... It has been a great saw to me!

 

[KiotiJason]

Well, I don't have it here to measure, but my memory tells me it is a 22" bar. I guess it could be a 24 incher... It has been a great saw to me!

Gee, 24" is a big bar for a 310... Do you cut hard wood? I'm sure it would work but it be working the saw. I have noticed that you guys over there run longer bars though. Here the 310, and the 390 come out in 20" which operate really well. I read on some threads guys chain the sproket sizes to get a bit mor chain speed to run bigger bars as well. Some of the Australian hardwood like the redgum, iron bark, yellow box and black wood are exceptionally hard. We don't tend to burn pine or softwoods here. I've never cut Oak but I would think it would be on the harder died as well?

 

[lockhaven]

I do not use pine either, oak, hickory, locust, and some maple

 

[5030]

A top handle only saw is designed for professional arborists. The Stihl 192T, 200T, 211T, etc., fall into this designation. Homeowner use saws are not intended for use by homeowners in trees; for without specific training and specialized climbing gear only pros belong in trees. Top handle saws do not belong in the hands of homeowners because of the inherent risks associated with these saws. They are meant to be used to delimb trees while the climber is moving through the tree, prepping for dropping limbs or total takedown. Hence the D ring in place of a lower handle so the saw can hang on a tether, and then be used with one hand by the arborist leaving his other hand free to hold his climbing line, lowering line or some other item while using the saw to cut whatever needs cutting.

For the OP: choose any brand named in this thread and go with it. Unless you're doing what I described above the three most popular brands can do most any homeowner tree task.

Your first paragraph is all true. I do tree work for money...and insurance payments...lol

Don't know many homeowners that would shell out 700 bucks for a top handle saw anyway (Stihl and Husky are within a couple bucks of each other FYI).

The only reason I didn't get the Husky after the Stihl turd was a fellow arborist recommeded the Tanaka and it is a fantastic professional atborist saw, better balance than the Stihl and 2 times the balls plus it hot starts with one pull, something small saws don't usually do, they hot vapor lock instead.

I always warm up my tree saws on the ground prior to getting aloft but nothing more aggrivating than multiple pulls on the recoil and no fire in the hole when you are 30 or 40 or 50 feet up in a tree, Thats a pisser and that's not the Tanaka. First pull always. Best 240 bucks I've ever spent on a saw and I plan on getting a couple more.. Can't speak for the conventional rear handle saws, only the top handle........ and yes, a top handle, short bar saw (bumper rakers or not) is not a homeowners saw. Homeowners have no business in any tree with a chainsaw. Thats a trip to ER or worse, waiting to happen.

In a tree or on the ground, you'll always find me in kevlar chaps hearing protection and hard hat. Been reading the thread and I see Poulan mentioned. Never cated for them. At one time years ago I bought a huge Poulan with a bow on it for just bucking, Spent more time vapor locked than using it. My favorite all time saw (that I still have and use is an 075 Stihl with a 36 roller nose running 404 square tooth chipper chain and modified rakers. Not a homeowner saw either. Good for one thing only, large diameter bucking.

 

[KiotiJason]

Your first paragraph is all true. I do tree work for money...and insurance payments...lol

Don't know many homeowners that would shell out 700 bucks for a top handle saw anyway (Stihl and Husky are within a couple bucks of each other FYI).

The only reason I didn't get the Husky after the Stihl turd was a fellow arborist recommeded the Tanaka and it is a fantastic professional atborist saw, better balance than the Stihl and 2 times the balls plus it hot starts with one pull, something small saws don't usually do, they hot vapor lock instead.

I always warm up my tree saws on the ground prior to getting aloft but nothing more aggrivating than multiple pulls on the recoil and no fire in the hole when you are 30 or 40 or 50 feet up in a tree, Thats a pisser and that's not the Tanaka. First pull always. Best 240 bucks I've ever spent on a saw and I plan on getting a couple more.. Can't speak for the conventional rear handle saws, only the top handle........ and yes, a top handle, short bar saw (bumper rakers or not) is not a homeowners saw. Homeowners have no business in any tree with a chainsaw. Thats a trip to ER or worse, waiting to happen.

In a tree or on the ground, you'll always find me in kevlar chaps hearing protection and hard hat. Been reading the thread and I see Poulan mentioned. Never cated for them. At one time years ago I bought a huge Poulan with a bow on it for just bucking, Spent more time vapor locked than using it. My favorite all time saw (that I still have and use is an 075 Stihl with a 36 roller nose running 404 square tooth chipper chain and modified rakers. Not a homeowner saw either. Good for one thing only, large diameter bucking.

5030, no one here posted about climbing trees. No one ever suggested that anyone should climb trees to cut was ok for a non trained person. Doesn't matter how much experience you have had with a chainsaw there is another whole layer of danger when operating at heights and the inherent risked of limbing at height. I think the whole top handle saw discussion is done to death.

 

[turnkey4099]

I went up today and cut up a wind damaged ash tree. It was broken over about twenty feet up and the top was lying on the ground with it's butt still attached to the stub. I under cut blocks near the top and worked my way back towards the stub until I had it free hanging from the stub. Then I cut the stub and the remainder of the top down being very aware of which way it wanted to fall with the top log hanging off the stub. Less then a tank of gas to get it down and all blocked up. 455 Husqvarna rancher with a 20 inch bar. Put it in the bucket and hauled it to the splitter next to the house and had it split and piled next to the furnace in a couple of hours.
There are lots of good saws out there but when the one you have in hand is sharp and running right it is a pleasure to run and you will think three times before you will try another.
If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Yes indeed! Nothing better than to lay into a good sized log with a saw that will eat its way down through without having to put pressure on it.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Love my MS 310 saw. I've had it for over 10 years and it starts every time. Never any problems in all that time. I needed a trimmer, so I bought an FS55r and that thing floods if you think about gas... Once you get it started, it runs great. It does drink the gas, though! I also own an Echo leaf blower which is a fine machine. It is easy to start and barely sips the gas. It is over 6 years old and has never given me any trouble. I doubt you could go wrong with either brand.

The MS310 was (and IMO still is) one of the great home-owner saws. It did need a couple tanks through it before it really woke up though. I bought mine very early in the run and I am still using it. It has eaten 10+ cord/yr since new. It does need some carb work now though as getting it started has been a multipull (as in more than 6) operation. Once running it is a 1 pul start warm. I still use it as my main bucking saw. The MS361 would be faster but it usually is carrying a long bar and I prefer 20" bar until the log gets over about 28" diameter.

Harry K