Chainsaw brands, full time vs. part time.....

[adventure bob]

Cost per year is interesting however the useful figure on the value of the saw is cost per operated hour. In 6mo I put over 150 running hrs on a saw. I live in a burn scar and am clearing trees, so my workload is a little higher than the avg and after all the trees are dropped I wont be running the saws as hard. If you really want to see the difference in saws, even between huskys homeowner lines and the pro level saws run them this hard. Folks who have come to help me, who have homeowner level saws tend to either have problems or need work after a couple of good 8 hour days dropping and limbing trees. I have 2 saws in my shop right now that need repair. A homelight for an oiler and a small husky for a throttle linkage. The small husky Id say is a fluke. The homelight is because they use a plastic drive gear for the oiler. It just gets stripped off and stops oiling. I'm getting good at the oiler though since this is the second time Ive replaced the oiler on this saw. Its still way more of a PIA than my 550XP to take apart and put back together.

 

[1stDeuce]

I had an uncle that gave me chain saw advice when I was helping him clear some land as a teenager, using my dad's POS Poulan, which always seemed to be out of tune. He said "When you buy a chainsaw, you buy the biggest and best chainsaw you can afford, and you'll never be sorry."

About 10 years later, I was looking for a chainsaw. After seeing a buddy's Husqvarna start on the first pull, idle flawlessly, and never fail to perform, I bought a 55 Rancher. The Rancher was the smallest saw in the line at that time that was still made in Sweden. (Black tag on the front of the saw.)

Since then, it's been a trail saw for four wheeling, built pole barns, helped friends and family put up firewood, cleared storm downed trees, and never failed to start by the 3rd pull. It's 15 years old now, and since moving west a few years ago, it's mostly sat on the shelf. I pulled it out the other day to cut up some firewood. It hadn't been started in a year. 3rd pull and it was running. I learned to tune the carb, sharpen the chain, and give it some love occasionally. As I start the process of clearing land to build a home, I'm sure I'll be able to rely on my old Husqvarna.

I saw a really old bumper sticker a long time ago, on the back of a rotted out old Scout in the UP of Michigan...
"It's hard to be humble when you own a Husqvarna Chain Saw"

That's my story, and my advice.

 

[dickfoster]

Pro grade saws are lighter and put less vibration into your hands and arms so are easier to use for hours at a time. They also last much longer as in hours of use for the dollars you paid. As with anything else you usually get what you pay for in the end.

 

[ArlyA]

I have a Stihl MS260 (mid sized in there pro lineup saw) Plus Echo's used as pole saws and many other jobs. The Echo's get lots of use per year. These are quality tools which I would not give up. A good tool is worth the extra cost.

 

[9973720wb19]

just to sum it up, I had a cheap Poulan and sawing wood was work got a Stihl and sawing wood is fun. the more expensive models have toque that will "pull" you through the cut...the cheap ones make you work.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I mostly use a Stihl MS251-BCE with a little 16" bar. It is a nice, little saw that handles well, starts easy, and because it requires no tools to adjust the chain or to swap out chains, I'm inclined to keep my chain well adjusted and swap out chains when they go dull. A MS251-BCE can be picked up for less than $400.00.

 

[4570Man]

The cost per year on my 353 is currently about $23 per year. I spend more than that per year on chains, oil, and fuel. If I didn't burn wood I wouldn't have enough use to justify keeping the tractor. That makes the saws cost seem pretty minimal.

 

[motownbrowne]

I bought an ms361 used for $400. Used it for about 4 years and sold it for $500. So, I guess my annual cost was -$25. Not too bad in my book. My Shindaiwa 488, stihl 460, and Stihl 660 would all be easy to sell for as much or more than I paid for them.

 

[DieselnHooters]

I bought an ms361 used for $400. Used it for about 4 years and sold it for $500. So, I guess my annual cost was -$25. Not too bad in my book. My Shindaiwa 488, stihl 460, and Stihl 660 would all be easy to sell for as much or more than I paid for them.

I had one of those my first ten years making firewood but then it fell off the trailer and got ran over. It still cranked afterward but it ran too hot with so many fins missing to cool it down otherwise it would still be going strong I am sure.

I bought a Echo CS500p a couple years ago, its the exact same saw as that old Shindaiwa 488, very reliable little saw and not quite as pricey as its match in the Husky or Stihl roster.

 

[MossRoad]

...
So cost wise that first Stihl had to be less than 5 to 7 bucks a year.

In today's dollars that might be up to 8 or 9! :laughing: