Best and worst chainsaw?

[dannyS]

My friend work for a large city and they all use Stihl's and I personally use them.

 

[newbury]

You hit a sore spot with this thread.
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Best tip of all: do not buy a gas saw unless you really need it. I have a Makita with two 5-Ah batteries, and it will handle 9/10 of the jobs I need a saw for. It always starts. It cuts like crazy. No ear protection. Makita designed it to be easy to use. If you get one of these and 4 batteries, you may never need a gas saw unless you're cutting firewood.
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A good saw = one that starts each time you need to use it

A bad saw = junk from day one and never starts when you need it

All other saws are useable saws and require maint from time to time before, during and after use.

I've only a few saws.
If best means what gets used the most now it would be my 12" DeWalt 20v Max that tends to ride in my vehicle. I find my self using it for a lot of trimming around the house, just wish it was a top-handle.
If best means what can handle anything it's my Stihl 088, but as I age it gets heavy.

/edit -
One of the "problems" with Stihls is that they (at least all of mine) seem designed to cold start using the sequence:Set choke to full, pull a time or three until it fires once, reset choke, pull, usually once.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I've only a few saws.
If best means what gets used the most now it would be my 12" DeWalt 20v Max that tends to ride in my vehicle. I find my self using it for a lot of trimming around the house, just wish it was a top-handle.
If best means what can handle anything it's my Stihl 088, but as I age it gets heavy.

/edit -
One of the "problems" with Stihls is that they (at least all of mine) seem designed to cold start using the sequence:Set choke to full, pull a time or three until it fires once, reset choke, pull, usually once.

every single saw I have used and most engines that use a choke start that way.

 

[aircommuter]

I cut about 5 cords of oak every season. I have three Stihl models. I just replaced the midsize one with a MS400C, 20” bar, it is a fuel injected model. Once it is running it’s rock solid, perfect idle and fast cutting. I grab it even for limbing because it is so fast although heavier than my baby ms180. The speed is much faster making it worthwhile. I have a suped up 066 with a 36” bar and skip tooth chain for the bigger stuff.

 

[JeepHead]

I cut about 5 cords of oak every season. I have three Stihl models. I just replaced the midsize one with a MS400C, 20” bar, it is a fuel injected model. Once it is running it’s rock solid, perfect idle and fast cutting. I grab it even for limbing because it is so fast although heavier than my baby ms180. The speed is much faster making it worthwhile. I have a suped up 066 with a 36” bar and skip tooth chain for the bigger stuff.

the 400 isn't fuel injected, just the 500.

 

[saxtonhill]

I will start cutting firewood in the coming months which made me wonder, "what's my best and worst chainsaw?" I'm not extremely picky on brands but my experience with Echo is mixed and is limited to one model with Stihl. Aside from a basic homeowner, inexpensive poulan I've had 3 chainsaws.

My first "farm/commercial" grade purchase was the echo cs590 "timberwolf." Bought it bout 9 years ago (?). My favorite saw. 20" bar and cuts everything I've thrown at it. I've cut firewood: we heat our home with a Lopi wood stove. I've trimmed trees and cleared well over 1,000 cedar off of 70 acres. This saw is my favorite. It's a bit heavy for trimming and clearing cedars.

I wanted a lighter saw so, I stuck with Echo and bought the 4510 with an 18" bar. This saw never ran right. Finicky bout idling. I struggled with it for a few months. My dealer (who is great) tweaked it. Ran a bit better. I even started buying the echo premix fuel. I've always used premix but upgraded to echo's red "something." Somehow, that saw burned up and I threw it away after less than a year. The dealer said water somehow got in the fuel. I'm not sure how that could have happened. Regardless, I never liked the saw so I didn't press it.

I then picked up the Stihl ms250 with an 18" bar. This is a great saw. Lighter than the echo. And, starts a bit easier. But, it doesn't cut as efficient. I use both saws and appreciate them. The cs590 remains my favorite. It just cuts so dang fast and sometimes the weight works for me. Even when I'm sawing cedars horizontal the speed may offset the weight.

I do want a new saw. I'm thinking about a new cs590. What's your experience for best all around saw. By all around, I mean firewood and property mtnce (clearing cedar, fenceline cleaning, even cutting brush and underbrush).

I have had numerous Stihl chainsaws over the years. I have been very happy with them.

My go to for most cutting jobs is a MS271. It's a real workhorse. It has plenty of power, is relatively light, starts easily and runs forever.

I recently bought an electric one for limbing - MSA70C. The battery lasts a long time and it has enough power to do what I want. The other day I had a dead pine tree that needed to come down. I decided to try this one. It easily brought the tree down, limbed it and cut it all up. The battery started dying just at the end.

 

[Snobdds]

I will completely disagree with you. I like the 5 series saws much better than the old ones. I will stand by my opinion that the 562 is the best saw out there and would take it any day over the old skool saws.

Fair enough...but wait until you have to fix it.

This is when the differences become more into focus...

 

[KCTractors]

I prefer saws that are pre EPA; I don't like choked down, limited, microprocessor controlled, stratified saws.

My favorite saw is a stihl MS361. Now this was Stihl's last non strato, true 2 stroke saw. It did have the EPA muffler on it, but it's very easy to delete. It has spring vibration damping and a very hot porting that really needs nothing done.

I have 4 stashed away that are still new in the box.

Now I do have over 30 saws and there are many more I do like. But as far as the perfect saw...Stihl did it with the 361.

I hear that the new Stihl 400 saws are very good, but they are professionally rated. I have a Stihl MS 391. I hated the saw, very hard to start and easy to flood. A friend told me now to start the thing with-out flooding the saw. The saw and I are now friends.

 

[4570Man]

Nah...that is a stratified motor. Purely for EPA standards.

The best saws are pre EPA, non-stratified, non-microprocessor, non-limited saws.

We're almost 20 years now since those have been made. Most people now don't even remember the glory days of what a chainsaw should feel like. The days of the pure muscle saw are gone.

We can agree to disagree. I had a 272XP that I bought on marketplace for $200. The old saw would rip but it wasn’t the saw my 372xp is. The 272 would cut just as well but wasn’t as nice to use. There were several differences but the most important was the anti vibration was non existent on the old saw. The 372xp was much smoother to use. And I’d rather have my 500i over either one of those. The 500 I runs cleaner. People will probably laugh at chainsaw emissions but I smell a lot better after an hour of using that saw vs the other ones.

 

[Snobdds]

We can agree to disagree. I had a 272XP that I bought on marketplace for $200. The old saw would rip but it wasn’t the saw my 372xp is. The 272 would cut just as well but wasn’t as nice to use. There were several differences but the most important was the anti vibration was non existent on the old saw. The 372xp was much smoother to use. And I’d rather have my 500i over either one of those. The 500 I runs cleaner. People will probably laugh at chainsaw emissions but I smell a lot better after an hour of using that saw vs the other ones.

I have a 272 and it is a good saw. Super dependable. I like to use it.

I agree on the spring anti vibe being better than rubber bushings. That is why I said earlier in this thread the Stihl 361 is the best saw going. It has spring antivibe, a true 2 stoke, and non stratified motor.

The 372 is a great saw, but there are two different 372. The later "XP" model is an EPA saw, the earlier non XP is a non stratified motor. The earlier 372 OE is much better than the later 372 XP.

I ran the 500i once for a tank of gas. Boy did that tank go fast. But nice saw...