Chain saws

[wthompson]

Any of the top names like Stihl, Dolmar, Husqvarna and Jonsered would do great just stay away from box stores. My father is a logger and just the other day he told me the Dolmar held up better than any other brand for his crew. I personally have two Stihls (028 and 029) and a old McCulloch.

 

[Loadstar]

Go to some yard/garage sales and pickup their junk saws for change. Many homeowners have a storm blow through, buy an awesome saw, use it a few times, throw it on shelf full of gas, curse it when it doesn't start, and sell it years later. Family had older craftsmans and homelites that were great and all under $20 some even have cases/ spare bars, chains etc. My saw I use was $25. It is an 08 stihl it is old and heavy, but it works great. Cleaned 5lbs of mud dobber nests out (was the cause of the locked engine) put a carb kit in and a chain. My new to me saw is a 040 stihl that was also $25. Chain was on backwards and it is full of putrid gas. 10 minutes it was running well. Give me an hour and a carb kit it will run outstanding. I see plenty of good stuff out there that people just think magic occurs in carburetors so they sell it cheap.

 

[dacoonz]

Yeah. I've had the homeowner models and they are ok, but when they won't start you just need to buy another. I'd rather get a mid range saw that will be reliable and last a while. Thanks for the comments. Wanted to see what other people were using and perhaps get the no way no how comments on saws with problems.

 

[troutsqueezer]

For me, the priority is small size, lots of power and reliability. My arms get tired after holding a larger chain saw for more than an hour or so. Years ago, I took note of what some professionals were using to cut some trees close to the house as they climbed around in them like monkeys. The chainsaws were attached to their belts with lanyards and light enough to hold out from your body with one arm but strong enough to cut some big branches. So I bought one. I cut some pretty big trees down with this sucker.

ECHO 14 in. 30.1 cc Gas Chainsaw - California Compliant-CS-303T-14C at The Home Depot

 

[murphy1244]

For me, the priority is small size, lots of power and reliability. My arms get tired after holding a larger chain saw for more than an hour or so. Years ago, I took note of what some professionals were using to cut some trees close to the house as they climbed around in them like monkeys. The chainsaws were attached to their belts with lanyards and light enough to hold out from your body with one arm but strong enough to cut some big branches. So I bought one. I cut some pretty big trees down with this sucker.

ECHO 14 in. 30.1 cc Gas Chainsaw - California Compliant-CS-303T-14C at The Home Depot

Can't buy that saw. Only in CA.

 

[KenB2920]

Stihl MS270C has never let me down. I own numerous Echo products with several years of use. I've never had any engine issues with them ( no other issues either).

 

[GManBart]

For me, the priority is small size, lots of power and reliability. My arms get tired after holding a larger chain saw for more than an hour or so. Years ago, I took note of what some professionals were using to cut some trees close to the house as they climbed around in them like monkeys. The chainsaws were attached to their belts with lanyards and light enough to hold out from your body with one arm but strong enough to cut some big branches. So I bought one. I cut some pretty big trees down with this sucker.

ECHO 14 in. 30.1 cc Gas Chainsaw - California Compliant-CS-303T-14C at The Home Depot

People would be surprised at how big a tree you can easily handle with smaller saws. It would be interesting to see what the HP is on that Echo....they don't seem to publish it anywhere. It's about the same displacement, and weight as my little Stihl, which is much easier on the back, and arms, as you noted. At 14lbs, my 311 wears me out before too long, and the 460 is only used when necessary.

A side note people forget is that as the power of the saw goes up, they get more dangerous....not that using a small saw on too large a tree would be safe.

 

[troutsqueezer]

Can't buy that saw. Only in CA.

I think this is the equivalent non-CA saw: Chainsaws, Professional-Grade Chain Saws, Top Handle Chain Saws | ECHO USA

 

[TomSeller]

I have always had a small top handle saw, currenty a Stihl. Super handy but you need to be extremely careful, because at most you have two hands on the saw very close together, and as a result, they can kick back easily. The pros use one hand when in the tree, but they are pros. I used to cut a bit professionally and even I keep a closer eye on that saw chain than any other.

 

[tessiers]

Always ran Stihl here, until dealer treated me badly, a couple of times, brought my Stihl to a Husky dealer and he worked on them with a smile, when it came time for a new saw, guess what. We run saws a little more than homeowner use, like 20 hrs. a week sometimes but not professionals. I have saws from 30cc to 95cc, mostly pro series saws, Stihl 180, 200t, 026, 036, 361, 045, 460 and Husky 61 Farmer, 266xp, 372xp, 395xp. My recommendation is 50cc to 60cc saw with good dealer, regardless of brand. My 2 favorites are my Stihl 026 pro and my Husky 266xp. The bigger saws are too heavy for more than bucking wood, and I love the 180 for a brush saw while fencing and bush hogging but it just isn't up to cutting heavy wood consistently, I think its the only saw I have that isn't Pro.

 

[adventure bob]

Husky 455 autotune if your worrying about it starting and don't have the ability to tune it yourself. Nice thing about a big box store saw is that if you go in and complain loud enough they'll give another one. I've had several home store saws, and they did what your talking about with aplomb. I now have a no kidding pro saw, but only bought it after I reached a pt where I knew I would use it. I see a ton of guys that buy a really awesome saw and they may as well have thrown $250 bucks in the fire place and bought a home store saw.

 

[pinetree10]

I bought a Stihl 029 Farm Boss when I bought my house 15 years ago and it was money well spent. I've cut dozens of trees over the years, hard and soft wood, standing and fallen, and it has given me zero trouble. I'm sure Husqvarna is also a great saw but I have no experience with them. Be careful and keep the chain sharp or you'll just beat up the saw. Good luck.

 

[ultrarunner]

For me, the priority is small size, lots of power and reliability. My arms get tired after holding a larger chain saw for more than an hour or so. Years ago, I took note of what some professionals were using to cut some trees close to the house as they climbed around in them like monkeys. The chainsaws were attached to their belts with lanyards and light enough to hold out from your body with one arm but strong enough to cut some big branches. So I bought one. I cut some pretty big trees down with this sucker.

ECHO 14 in. 30.1 cc Gas Chainsaw - California Compliant-CS-303T-14C at The Home Depot

My go to saw and the one I keep on the truck is an older version Echo Top Handle Saw.

I can't say a single bad thing about it... used it one time to clear a road with a 34" Monterey Pine from a windstorm.

Only negative with top handle saws in my experience is the fatigue factor with prolong hour after hour use.

 

[Dorealdeal]

The problem with the smaller saws some are suggesting is yes, they can drop a big tree if needed, but they become a hindrance with constant cutting. Chains need to be sharpened more, filters get clogged fast and they seem to run out of bar oil and gas way too fast. Forget about total hours you will cut a year and look at how long your cutting sessions will be. Anything more then 1/2 hour and you will want to look a a mid sized saw. I'd look for something in the 20" to 22" range, 55-60cc. I have new and old saws just about from every manufacturer. Late 80's to 90's saws are way more durable then even the best current stuff. If it was my money, I'd buy a refurbished pro model saw from a good saw guy. You'll get many times more saw for much less $ and if its a good model it will oulast you.

 

[GManBart]

The problem with the smaller saws some are suggesting is yes, they can drop a big tree if needed, but they become a hindrance with constant cutting. Chains need to be sharpened more, filters get clogged fast and they seem to run out of bar oil and gas way too fast.

My little 170 does go through a tank pretty quick, but the chain seems to stay sharp longer than I get with my 311 (59cc)....weird, but it really seems that way. That's one of the things I really like about it aside fom the fact I can cut all day with it, and not be totally worn out. I'm using them primarily to cut dead Ash trees that are typically under 12" in diameter. I'd still go up in size if I had to live with one saw, and have considered something like a 260/261 for just that purpose....10-11lb powerhead, and a decent amount of power.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Get a good, logger's grade, Stihl or Husquavarna. If found the bigger the saw, the less likely it is to overheat and burn out. I can continuously cut with my $500 husky until it's time to refill the tank and oiler. I killed 3 or 4 cheap homlites and poulans because they just couldn't take the heat. Figured $500 bucks for a saw that lasts 10 years beats the heck out of 10, $120 saws that only last a season or year at the most.

 

[troutsqueezer]

I guess everybody's experience with smaller, powerful saws are much different than my own. My Echo cuts continuously without overheating until I have to refill. The tank and chain oil will last a couple of hours which is about as long as I care to saw without taking a break. The chain stays sharp right up until you bury it in the dirt, then I can sharpen it in under 5 minutes, on the saw. And why would the filters get clogged faster? Doesn't make any sense. I figure $300 bucks for a saw that lasts 15 years or more beats one that lasts 10 years for $500 bucks.

For the record, Homelites and Poulans do not qualify as professional grade which is what we are talking about here.

 

[catskinner]

Whatever you buy, empty the gas out and run it dry, if you dont plan on using it over a couple of days, even better empty it run dry everytime with pump gas. I keep a couple of cans of the motomix on hand for short term use.

 

[TomSeller]

My little 170 does go through a tank pretty quick, but the chain seems to stay sharp longer than I get with my 311 (59cc)....weird, but it really seems that way. That's one of the things I really like about it aside fom the fact I can cut all day with it, and not be totally worn out. I'm using them primarily to cut dead Ash trees that are typically under 12" in diameter. I'd still go up in size if I had to live with one saw, and have considered something like a 260/261 for just that purpose....10-11lb powerhead, and a decent amount of power.

MS261s are awesome saws. I have one as well as an 026 still in good shape. Both great saws and I don't see any drop in quality from old to new. Less vibrations on the MS261 than the 026, but both are great saws.

 

[catskinner]

Stihl MS 201 c-e with a full chisle is in my future.