Best and worst chainsaw?

[MJZ]

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).

 

[Rockbadchild]

60cc seem to be the sweet spot for me for a all around saw, not too heavy and powerful enough to efficiently cut what ever you throw at it. I have a husky 359 and It has been great for me that thing is like 20 years old and never let me down.

 

[oosik]

I've had three brands of chainsaws. The old blue Homelite that cut the trees to build my log cabin in Alaska. A monster of a Homelite to two side the cabin logs. A big Huskvarna that was used to cut my pines for firewood. When we first moved onto the property here.

Now I have two Stihl. A small 150 something and a bigger 250 something.

The Stihls are the better by far.

 

[arto98607]

No argument, but are you comparing newer Stihl model vs. lot older Homelite and husky models?

 

[kenmbz]

I love my 620P and use it for all the fallen ash trees here.
I am not a pro, and only put time in when I can for firewood and cleaning up the bigger trunks.
Lots of cutting in the 12-30" range with the 24" bar.

I have a CS490 too which I use for the larger branches and a M18 (battery) pole saw for the small stuff.
I have only used 40 and 50 cc saws until I got the 620, the speed difference is huge.

My old sears 50 and the 490 will take me hours to cut up a big Ash with 18 or 20" bar.

The 620p with a 24" bar takes less than an hour, now spend more time splitting and moving wood than bucking it.

Had some smaller saws in the past , a baby poulan etc. and found they were all finicky.
The sears 50cc I burned out trying to do the bigger trees, it just could not take the heat of the big cuts even with breaks. The 490 I have overheated a few times and just let it cool. I have not overheated the 620 at all.

The guy who I call when I need a cherry picker uses only Stihls, and only the bigger ones.
He has been happy with them. I can't remember his climbing saw model, but it was an older Stihl.

Neighbor has a husky he is happy with.

I guess any brand has their better and worse saws. But I stay away from the cheaper brands, their parts and plastic just won't hold up.

 

[oosik]

arto - yes, the old blue Homelite and the red Homelite were from 1967. The Husky and Stihls are new.

 

[MJZ]

60cc seem to be the sweet spot for me for a all around saw, not too heavy and powerful enough to efficiently cut what ever you throw at it. I have a husky 359 and It has been great for me that thing is like 20 years old and never let me down.

Good point on 60cc. Whatever I get will not be smaller than 60cc

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Our Echo saws always start easy, our Stihl and Husqvarnas are more persnickety. We have several of each on our disaster relief trailer. I always choose the Echo saws.

 

[Snobdds]

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.

 

[JeepHead]

a 60cc is a good main saw plan to do it all with. The Echo 590 is still a wonderful saw and is really affordable. IF I was going out to buy a new 60cc saw today, my choice would be a Husqvarna 562XP. It's a great saw that starts very easy and cuts amazing. I love mine! But that's cream of the crop and more expensive than the 590.

 

[MJZ]

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.

30 saws?! wow. Yeah, I think the 4510 was all epa'd out. The ms250 I bought recently was not I think. I can tell the difference.

 

[MJZ]

a 60cc is a good main saw plan to do it all with. The Echo 590 is still a wonderful saw and is really affordable. IF, I was going out to buy a new 60cc saw today, my choice would be a Husqvarna 562XP. It's a great saw that starts very easy and cuts amazing. I love mine! But that's cream of the crop and more expensive than the 590.

I will have to take a longer look at the Husqvarna. I know it's been a mainstay for years. I've just never used one. Whatever I get, I just want it to cut as fast as the cs590 That's the only reason I don't grab the Stihl i have as often.

 

[aesanders]

Echo 590 is also my favorite. Ego battery is my most used though as it is just a pull the trigger and cut. My Stihl MS 250 collects dust. I know a lot of people like it, but I have never been fond of it. Mine is hard to start, and not nearly as good a cutter as the Echo 590. If buying new I would consider the pro version of the 590, which is the 620p. At some point in time, I will likely pick up one of there 2511p light weight trim saws. Have heard nothing but good about that saw. None of these are the best, but what I have.

 

[MJZ]

Echo 590 is also my favorite. Ego battery is my most used though as it is just a pull the trigger and cut. My Stihl MS 250 collects dust. I know a lot of people like it, but I have never been fond of it. Mine is hard to start, and not nearly as good a cutter as the Echo 590. If buying new I would consider the pro version of the 590, which is the 620p. At some point in time, I will likely pick up one of there 2511p light weight trim saws. Have heard nothing but good about that saw,

Interesting. My ms250 starts fine. I do get the feeling that saws in general have their own personality, even the same make and model. Now, electric...I never thought I'd get one, but...I do a lot of chipping and sometimes I have to trim limbs to get a tree into a shoot. Not having to start a saw could be a game changer.

 

[aesanders]

Interesting. My ms250 starts fine. I do get the feeling that saws in general have their own personality, even the same make and model. Now, electric...I never thought I'd get one, but...I do a lot of chipping and sometimes I have to trim limbs to get a tree into a shoot. Not having to start a saw could be a game changer.

Oh, I know these saw have there own personality. I am sure there are some great MS 250’s out there. Mine, not so much. Now I love the 590 Echo. It cuts so nice. The Ego isn’t as good a cutter, but so convenient to just grab and go. It’s also quiet 99% of the time, unless you are actually using it.

 

[JeepHead]

I will have to take a longer look at the Husqvarna. I know it's been a mainstay for years. I've just never used one. Whatever I get, I just want it to cut as fast as the cs590 That's the only reason I don't grab the Stihl i have as often.

I have a lot of saws. I also have a Echo cs590 and the 562 will cut circles around it. But then, all of my saws are modded in some fashion, from ported, muffler mods, changes to the squish, etc. The only saw that is stock is my Echo 590 because it was my dads saw. It doesn't really get used anymore, just ran here and there.
One of my favor timber cutters I like to watch has been a faithful Husqvarna guy for decades. He bought his first Sihl a couple months ago, the 500 which is their flagship model. He absolutely hates that saw and says it's total junk. I have a couple of Stihl saws, a 261CM which is a good saw but I like the Husqvarna 550 XP more than the 261. I also think the older 361's were good saws but have never ran the newer 362.

 

[JeepHead]

Echo 590 is also my favorite. Ego battery is my most used though as it is just a pull the trigger and cut. My Stihl MS 250 collects dust. I know a lot of people like it, but I have never been fond of it. Mine is hard to start, and not nearly as good a cutter as the Echo 590. If buying new I would consider the pro version of the 590, which is the 620p. At some point in time, I will likely pick up one of there 2511p light weight trim saws. Have heard nothing but good about that saw,

You will fall in love with the 2511 if you ever get one. Out of ALL of the saws I own, the 2511 is my absolute favorite saw to run....

 

[IndyIan]

I will have to take a longer look at the Husqvarna. I know it's been a mainstay for years. I've just never used one. Whatever I get, I just want it to cut as fast as the cs590 That's the only reason I don't grab the Stihl i have as often.

562xp is about 20% faster in 10-12" poplar, according to this video. He estimates 1hp difference.

I like my 24 year old 372xp, still gets the job done pretty quickly, but an Echo would've probably done the same.
I've never run a bigger Echo, but the XP saws seem to rev up a bit quicker than anything else I've used, so limbing is fast, especially on softwoods, just walk down the tree blipping the throttle! The huskys are narrower and lighter for the hp for this kind of stuff, but lots of us never use a saw like this on softwoods. White Pine is more fun with fewer branches!

 

[dodge man]

I have a Stihl MS250 and MS261. The 261 is my favorite. I also have a very cheap one I got at Walmart 30 years ago, it’s a name brand but I can’t remember what. Low power and small chain. I haven’t started it in years but I’d bet if I went out there and put fresh fuel in I’d start. I hate that thing because it’s so low power and I hate it even more because it’s starts so easy. No reason to throw it out.

 

[kozal01]

Dont know whats best and whats worse but I have had Stihl and one Echo. Love my Stihl saws, never a problem and they start very easy, my little 2511T echo is great too. Current Stihl is the MS261 pro saw, absolute ripper for a 50cc saw.