chainsaw decision time

[highboy1975]

ok, so should i be a little more interested in the used 036 pro?

 

[highboy1975]

i also found an 026 pro with new jug and piston for 300, but i think thats not gona be enough saw.

 

[GaryS]

Stihl MS361....while they can still be bought.

I second that comment. I bought a ms 260 and it's been a great saw but my next one will be a 361.

 

[wampum]

That 036 would be a good saw for you. And would probably do all you want. I sold saws for years,I could try to lean you towards the saws I sold ,but the only advice I will give you. Is that you buy a saw,either new or used,that you know you have a good dealer to back it up with parts and service. I also agree with the above post,those pines would be dangerous to take down,if you have limited experience. Practice on the smaller trees,and then and only then if the big trees are away from anything they could hurt give it a try. But only if you have someone with experience to be with you,to watch your cuts and alert you to danger. If those pines have to come down,You might get someone to cut them down for the lumber. You would still have the limbs and the knotty sections for camp fires.

 

[highboy1975]

3 of the pines are near the house and those are being dropped by a pro, cut up by me. ive got quite a few small trees to practice on, and ive cut down a bunch in the 16-20inch diameter range, but im gona definately do the big pines away from the house last. the ones near the house are getting dropped by an insured pro. the ones away from the house arent in a hurry to come down, they wont fall on anything if they do it on their own. even though the 036pro is used, im going to follow up on that one, because if saws are anything like cub cadets, the older ones are heavier duty.

i ran a 290 today, and it did seem pretty decent for the money. but i want to see the 036 first.

 

[wampum]

3 of the pines are near the house and those are being dropped by a pro, cut up by me. ive got quite a few small trees to practice on, and ive cut down a bunch in the 16-20inch diameter range, but im gona definately do the big pines away from the house last. the ones near the house are getting dropped by an insured pro. the ones away from the house arent in a hurry to come down, they wont fall on anything if they do it on their own. even though the 036pro is used, im going to follow up on that one, because if saws are anything like cub cadets, the older ones are heavier duty.

i ran a 290 today, and it did seem pretty decent for the money. but i want to see the 036 first.

Sounds like you are making some good decisions.

 

[arrow]

3 of the pines are near the house and those are being dropped by a pro, cut up by me. ive got quite a few small trees to practice on, and ive cut down a bunch in the 16-20inch diameter range, but im gona definately do the big pines away from the house last. the ones near the house are getting dropped by an insured pro. the ones away from the house arent in a hurry to come down, they wont fall on anything if they do it on their own. even though the 036pro is used, im going to follow up on that one, because if saws are anything like cub cadets, the older ones are heavier duty.

i ran a 290 today, and it did seem pretty decent for the money. but i want to see the 036 first.

Its not only the direction but big pines are notorious for throwing limbs down on you. We used to bump them with the skidder first just to make sure nothing else was going to fall from a vibrating chainsaw. Lower branches tend to rot as the tree grows taller. Also, be savvy about buying a used saw if used by a pro. There wasn't gonna be a chainsaw I'd ever sell to anyone after I used it up. A new jug could but not necessarily mean trouble for the rest of the saw. I've seen guys burn up perfectly good saws that were almost new by leaning them out to gain speed. Try to discover the reason for selling. Some people just want a bigger saw. For me, I need multiple saws even as a homeowner but I've heat with wood for 40 years. A Husky 346,357 and 372 will cover just about anyone burning wood. ( I have the 200's of the same saws listed above)

 

[studor]

If you search for MS 290 on here you find threads by people making similar decisions. I have the MS290 with an 18in bar-- bought on sale. Actually I should say I bought a Stihl hat for $400 Cdn and got the saw,spare chain,case and oil thrown in:laughing:
Certainly for felling if the 290 won't cut it, I probably should not be the one doing it. For all the rest of the tasks I put it to it has been great

 

[galen1115]

Correction on the model saw I was referring to in my previous post. Sthil MS361 not MS360. Sorry.

 

[turbo36]

I have a Sthil 028, a couple of MS290's and the MS361 they all run great, never had a problem - in my opinion if you can handle the price of the 361 go for it, if not then the 290 will do a good job at a great price.

 

[MarkV]

If I had 6 story, 30", 80 year old pines, I would be trying to sell them. Those would be old growth, tight ring pines that are worth some money. May just be regional and based on demand but as stated they are worth more than wood stove wood.

MarkV

 

[The Haymaker]

I can tell you what NOT to buy..... When I first started burning wood, I borrowed a brand new Mccolloch and cut 6 cord with it..... I owe the man a new saw.

I replaced it with a Husky 3?? something, the smallest saw in the professional line. Lotsa metal, starts every time, spins faster than a gogo dancer on steroids, and chews through wood far faster than the cheaper saws.

Bottom line is spend the money. The flannel totin' woodsmen I asked questions to before making a purchase spoke very highly of Dolmar.

E

 

[highboy1975]

now theres an idea for the pines, selling them. who would i contact about this? as far as the saw search goes, the guy with the 036 pro seems to be blowing me off, not getting me the compression numbers, so im going to assume theyre probably not too good. quite a few saws just came up on cl here, but new, the dolmar 5105 and the stihl ms290 are tops on my list. the dolmar is ahead because it is a pro saw, but im going to keep an eye on cl the next few days and see what i find.

shindaiwa 490 350$ new
stihl 036 pro 250$
stihl 026 pro 300$ rebuilt

and some idiot put a used ms290 on asking 450. its used, then sent me a nasty email back when i told him it started at 359 new.

 

[highboy1975]

ok, the stihl 036 pro has 120psi. from what ive heard, this saw is tired. anyone have anymore insight on this?

 

[LD1]

ok, the stihl 036 pro has 120psi. from what ive heard, this saw is tired. anyone have anymore insight on this?

@ 120psi it is on its last leg. For a used saw, 150+ is okay. New saws run in the 180psi range. Unless you can buy it cheap enough to cover the cost of a jug/piston kit, which is usually around $150-200, I'd probabally stay away from it.

 

[newbury]

now theres an idea for the pines, selling them. who would i contact about this? as far as the saw search goes, the guy with the 036 pro seems to be blowing me off, not getting me the compression numbers, so im going to assume theyre probably not too good. quite a few saws just came up on cl here, but new, the dolmar 5105 and the stihl ms290 are tops on my list. the dolmar is ahead because it is a pro saw, but im going to keep an eye on cl the next few days and see what i find.

shindaiwa 490 350$ new
stihl 036 pro 250$
stihl 026 pro 300$ rebuilt

and some idiot put a used ms290 on asking 450. its used, then sent me a nasty email back when i told him it started at 359 new.

Put an ad in Craigslist and get a bunch of wierdos or talk to your local govt forestry dep.

If you are up to buying off ebay there is at least one well respected seller there - goes by thechainsawguy.

I stihl think that you should look into an Alaskan and mill it yourself. It's not rocket science, and you still get firewood from the flitches.

 

[bstrom]

It's not about the saw, it's about the right techniques. I bought a used one (Echo) and cleared about an acre on my land with it, including several White pines over 2 feet in diameter, 80 ft tall (huge) and mixed hardwood, large spruce. I had the pine and spruce sawn up by a portable bandsaw and built my sheds and a lot of my house with the lumber.

After that I cut firewood with the same saw for about 6 years until the plug wire finally broke from the coil. I might get the 80 dollar part for it, even though I bought another Echo. It was just a medium size saw.

The point is you don't need a big saw or even a Stilh, as a homeowner or owner/builder you just need a decent medium size (40-45cc) saw, Mine was an Echo with a 16 inch bar , there are others besides Stlh that have good revs and endurance. I keep it very sharp (most important thing) and use the right techniques. If you don't know them work with somebody for a day that does. You can get in trouble really fast with a big tree and for that reason it's almost better to have a smaller saw, turn it in the cut and go a little slower and think about things. Most of the work is after that monster is on the ground. A 30 inch diameter tree doesn't always do what you think it's going to. Good luck, and there are other brands out there that work great.

 

[Canada_CT230]

I solely heat my 2200 sq ft house with wood (in Manitoba Canada) and I own an Echo CS-400 w/ 20" bar. This saw has done everything that I've asked of it without a lick of trouble. It starts wonderfully winter or summer. Has a great comfortable feel. I usually cut about 8 cord of wood for the stove each year. This year will be its 3rd year.

I also have an Echo weed trimmer. Same thing. Faultless.

They have a 5 year warranty for consumer use.

 

[arrow]

In your price range, try and find a lightly used Husky 257. New 4 or 5 years ago, they were a $500 saw that you should be able to find for $350 tops used. They are a good pro saw with a heavy enough piston and rod to have some grunt when needed. They are at their max with a 20" bar but they come close to that "if I had to have one saw" type saw with a 16" and 20" bar. There was a real nice one on ebay the other night but they pop up now and again.

 

[bstrom]

I solely heat my 2200 sq ft house with wood (in Manitoba Canada) and I own an Echo CS-400 w/ 20" bar. This saw has done everything that I've asked of it without a lick of trouble. It starts wonderfully winter or summer. Has a great comfortable feel. I usually cut about 8 cord of wood for the stove each year. This year will be its 3rd year.

I also have an Echo weed trimmer. Same thing. Faultless.

They have a 5 year warranty for consumer use.

Yeah, that's a nice saw. I bought a new one on e-bay for pretty cheap with an 18" bar to replace my other Echo although that one just needs a coil after six or seven years of hard use. The CS -400 is a good value and cuts like a screaming banshee with a sharp chain. The point is there are other good modern saws, light weight, durable with good revs out there besides the Stilh, nothing against them either, just that it's not the only game in town like some people think.