Chainsaw Brand Quality Question

[TravisTractor]

I have been using an Axe for the last 2 months and as much fun as it is, I had a tree with about a 3 foot diameter trunk fall down during the last wind storm and i figure it is time it buy a chainsaw. My friends and neihbors say buy a sthil everything else is junk. Reading the reviews at Amazon seem to further their opinion. I am sure several of you guys own chain saws so help me out with some real world expeirince. Is it worth the money to get a Sthil, or is their a brand of comparable quality for less $$?

i have used them all over 25+ years, i think if you are going to use one only few time a year a cheaper saw would be adiquate my choice is in this order sthil, sach, husky or jonsa red then what you can find i do know husky under 50cc is made by poulan

 

[doall]

just go buy the stihl, now. go get it. go.:thumbsup:

 

[TGF]

The Farm Boss with a 16 inch bar is my decision. Its an intermediate saw they call it land-owner. Its not to expensive and my buddy has one of there pro models with a 24 inch bar for the really big stuff. I appreciate all the input.

 

[Travelover]

Reading this got me all spun up and I went out and bought a new Stihl saw, too. I bought the lil' MS180 'cause I only cut the occasional downed tree. I'm retiring my 25 year old Homelite. That Stihl sure is a sweet saw in comparison. :thumbsup:

 

[RavensRoost]

Reading this got me all spun up and I went out and bought a new Stihl saw, too. I bought the lil' MS180 'cause I only cut the occasional downed tree. I'm retiring my 25 year old Homelite. That Stihl sure is a sweet saw in comparison. :thumbsup:

Interested to know what you paid. Neighbor needs a new one.

 

[Travelover]

Interested to know what you paid. Neighbor needs a new one.

Stihl fixes the price - they are $199 everywhere. The MS170 is $179. I popped for the extra $20 to get a little more power and the no tools chain adjuster.

 

[arrow]

i have used them all over 25+ years, i think if you are going to use one only few time a year a cheaper saw would be adiquate my choice is in this order sthil, sach, husky or jonsa red then what you can find i do know husky under 50cc is made by poulan

Both the 345 and 350 saws are Swedish made as well as the 338 and 339 aborist saws. With the exception of the 350, all other of the above mentioned saws are under 50 cc. Besides the Poulan name, Husqvarna now owns a bunch of power supply companies such as McCulloch, MTD and Redmax to name a few. They are now the largest supplier of outdoor power equipment in the world. Electrolux was once the parent company but spun off the Husky name as its own entity.

 

[JL Sargent]

Just some FYI: Always look for compression releases on 4hp and up saws. It just gets tough to crank em! We have 60+- acres here in hardwoods and cut a lot of wood for heat and hog cookin. So far the best saw I have owned is the 272xp by Husky. We like Stihl too. Really enjoy them all but for about 20yrs we ran only a Homelite Super XL saw. Not very fast, but I was always have fond memories of that old saw getting the job done.:thumbsup:

 

[scootr2d]

In 2007 I purchased a Husqvarna Rancher 455 Low vibe , aggressive Oregon chain, 16 and 18 inch bars. Weight is approx 13LBS and exceptionally well balanced. I've have cut 6 cords of wood with it every year since and have cleared over 2.5 acres of hardwood with never a hiccup. Never had to pull more than twice to start.
Its been an awesome small farm work horse.

If I ever trade in or up (not that I would ever need to) it would probably be for another Husky , most likely one of Husky's 576 models.

 

[brt]

I've been a full-time firefighter for over 30 years and have used a variety of saws for every purpose under the sun. Way back when, when saws were made of metal, the Homelites were king, then we switched to Huskys for a while, but maintenance costs were high. For some time now we have used Stihls. Best saws that I have ever used. When time is of the essence and durability is paramount, I'd pick a Stihl every time. By the way, my saw at home is a Stihl 029 Farm Boss with a 20" bar.

 

[scootr2d]

I've been a full-time firefighter for over 30 years and have used a variety of saws for every purpose under the sun. Way back when, when saws were made of metal, the Homelites were king, then we switched to Huskys for a while, but maintenance costs were high. For some time now we have used Stihls. Best saws that I have ever used. When time is of the essence and durability is paramount, I'd pick a Stihl every time. By the way, my saw at home is a Stihl 029 Farm Boss with a 20" bar.

I checked out both the Sthil Farm boss and Husky 455 Rancher before purchasing the Husky,
The 290 Farm boss and Husky 455 Rancher were almost identical machines.
The husky provided less vibe, the anti vibe on the sthil uses rubber mounts the rancher uses Steel springs. Both were close to 4hp, both weigh approx 13 lbs , and engine size for both are almost identical cc's. if I remember correctly chain pitch was the same also.

The 455 provides a decompression valve (makes starting easy), I seem to recall the Farm boss did not.
The 455 provided Air injection , and the Sthil did not. (pre-cleans Air before air filter),
The 455 provided Air purge (makes starting easy) , and the Sthil did not.
I think Sthil 290 Farm boss provided the better Carb (but can be finicky with fuel mix) and larger fuel tank.

In all respects probably couldn't go wrong with either , both are a lot of saw for price point.

I've heard really good things about Dolmar's , but no one in my area carries them so I couldn't try one out.

 

[Pushing_Tin]

I have a Stihl Woodboss, and LOVE it! It is my second Stihl saw, the first one was bulletproof but just too small for the work and trees I was putting it through. I sold it on craigslist for nearly what I paid for it! I will never own another brand.

 

[Marveltone]

I've recently upgraded from a Jonsered 2149 w/ 16" bar to a 2159 w/ 20" bar, and boy, will this thing cut wood! Both have the decompression for easier starting, and I get good local dealer support.

I like the fact that the 2159 can be field services without using/losing screws. :thumbsup:

 

[Storm56]

Stihl is pretty good, but make sure you can remove and replace the oil and fuel caps before leaving the store.
The engineer who came up with the new design needs be keel hauled in my book.

Wedge

Agreed! +1!!! I have owned Stihl saws since 1983. I bought 2 with the flippy caps and HATE the caps. Saws themselves are great, caps suck. I bought a Makita/Dolmar last year and really like it, so much that I bought 2 more.

Check out Baileys.com. They have the Makita 6401 for $499 I think right now. Heck of a saw for the buck.

 

[Pushing_Tin]

Agreed! +1!!! I have owned Stihl saws since 1983. I bought 2 with the flippy caps and HATE the caps. Saws themselves are great, caps suck. I bought a Makita/Dolmar last year and really like it, so much that I bought 2 more.

Check out Baileys.com. They have the Makita 6401 for $499 I think right now. Heck of a saw for the buck.

Eh? I've had two Stihl saws and the flippy caps have never given me any trouble. I love the quick chain adjuster too.