Best and worst chainsaw?

[stevem5215]

My favorite saw is my Cub Cadet 5720 which is really an EFCO brand saw. 57cc's 20inch bar. It's really good. Cuts nice, the right weight and has durability to last. The right ingredients for my uses. I did buy a 90cc Chinese clone saw this year but like all of their stuff it's rough around the edges and it's heavy as cinder blocks lol. But it cuts the big stuff with a big bar on it.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I currently have 3 Stihl saws a 250, 251, 281, all have been pretty good saws, I own 1 Husqvarna a 440 no real problems with it either and 1 Dolmar can't remember the model number but it has been good as well. I am in the market for a bigger saw probably a 28" bar and am seriously considering one of the Stihl knock off saws at about 1/2 price of a new Stihl but haven't committed yet.

 

[sixdogs]

I used to live in big woods country and West German made Sachs-Dolmar was the law of the land with woodcutters. I bought a big one and a small one 25 years ago, still have both and nothing other than maintenance over all those years.

Now, I'm thinking of a new small replacement saw and it will be an Echo. I've seen a number of them that keep working and working and working. No real issues and easy start. Drama free.

 

[4570Man]

I had a 590 echo that I bought based off good reviews for the product and I sold it after one use. My Husqvarna 372xp or Stihl 500i will cut circles around the echo. That’s not surprising considering the cost and size difference but the title said best not best value. A more reasonable comparison would be my Makita 6100 vs the 590 and it would cut circles around the 590. I’d really say that my 261 Stihl that’s under sized for the comparison would run close to the 590.

 

[airbiscuit]

My friend has a Stihl 261, and it is a good cutting 50cc saw.

(edited from 361 to 261)

 

[5030]

As I've said before, ANY saw will cut well with a properly sharpened chain and the depth gages set correctly, but once the chain gets dull, so does the saw. Don't matter if it's full tooth or skip tooth or square ground, dull is dull.

My rule of thumb is, when the teeth start building pitch on the backside of the cutting teeth, it's time to switch loops and / or flip the bar and clean the bar groove, oil feed holes and grease the sprocket nose as well. I always carry a spare loop and my sprocket greaser with me when I'm cutting. A old credit card makes a dandy groove cleaner and I flip my bars as well. All my saws have greaseable roller noses that get a shot of high quality bearing grease often.

Far as flipping the bars is concerned, if you don't regularly, the bar loses it's 'rock' and gets flat and a flat bar no matter if the loop is sharp, won't cut for beans as the rock in the bar allows the cutters to run at an aggressive angle and presents the teeth to the wood properly.

Far as bar oil goes, I buy mine on sale, brand don't matter but I would never use, used motor oil as a bar lube because motor oil don't have the additives that cause bar oil to 'cling' to the bar and provide proper lubrication.

 

[arto98607]

My friend has a Stihl 361, and it is a good cutting 50cc saw.

It actually is 59 cc saw.

Here is my MS361 clone which I built few years ago.
The Rippa dual port muffler made a big difference in how the saw runs!

I know it's just a clone but it has worked great for me (homeowner occasional use) and the kit price was $112 at the time.

 

[sixdogs]

I had a 590 echo that I bought based off good reviews for the product and I sold it after one use. My Husqvarna 372xp or Stihl 500i will cut circles around the echo. That’s not surprising considering the cost and size difference but the title said best not best value. A more reasonable comparison would be my Makita 6100 vs the 590 and it would cut circles around the 590. I’d really say that my 261 Stihl that’s under sized for the comparison would run close to the 590.

Makita bought Sachs-Dolmar years back. Does anyone know if the current Makitas kept the good parts of the older Sachs-Dolmar saw of years back after they bought the company?

 

[Rockbadchild]

As I've said before, ANY saw will cut well with a properly sharpened chain and the depth gages set correctly, but once the chain gets dull, so does the saw. Don't matter if it's full tooth or skip tooth or square ground, dull is dull.

My rule of thumb is, when the teeth start building pitch on the backside of the cutting teeth, it's time to switch loops and / or flip the bar and clean the bar groove, oil feed holes and grease the sprocket nose as well. I always carry a spare loop and my sprocket greaser with me when I'm cutting. A old credit card makes a dandy groove cleaner and I flip my bars as well. All my saws have greaseable roller noses that get a shot of high quality bearing grease often.

Far as flipping the bars is concerned, if you don't regularly, the bar loses it's 'rock' and gets flat and a flat bar no matter if the loop is sharp, won't cut for beans as the rock in the bar allows the cutters to run at an aggressive angle and presents the teeth to the wood properly.

Far as bar oil goes, I buy mine on sale, brand don't matter but I would never use, used motor oil as a bar lube because motor oil don't have the additives that cause bar oil to 'cling' to the bar and provide proper lubrication.

Any saw can/will cut well but not all saws can cut fast... Even if you gives me a 30cc saw I will not use it. I have one and I've cut one tree with it then bought a 60cc.

 

[LouNY]

Ah heck, there is no good chainsaw. They all create a lot of work.
The best one is the one that starts good and has a sharp chain.