The additional saw will be a commercial grade STIHL, as this thread title relates.
The leading contender is a Stihl MS 461 with a 25" chain bar.
I am in rural north Florida. No full service Echo shop anywhere near.
Excellent, full service, Stihl specialty store twelve miles away, six miles past my kubota dealer.
(I have nothing against Echo.)
MORE STIHL MS 461:
https://www.google.com/search?q=sti...YAhWllOAKHdnMALYQrQIIRigEMAI&biw=1280&bih=739
I'm not attempting to bugger you Jeff. I'm all on your side. It is just that as a logger, I learned never to rely on one brand of saw as time was money. I only got a couple years out of any saw as they simply were run too much to last a lifetime. We'd go through about 5 gallons of mix per day. I could not wait for any dealer to get the saw size I wanted. I simply had to have running chainsaws and as you, i didn't ever pull a chainsaw apart to find out why it wasn't running after i did all the regular things of fuel adjustment, spark plug and spark test.
Chainsaws are different today. They are way more reliable. If I had the job you have and I wanted a more powerful saw, I'd look for the next best alternative. I wouldn't want to spend close to that thousand bucks for a saw that was going to see limited use.
I'm just attempting to share my mindset. I understand you are not in "timber country" or a "firewood zone" so I'm guessing there are not of dealers around selling chainsaws (or skating equipment) in Florida.
You are attempting to stay loyal to one shop and that is all well and good. It is unfortunate that most of these shops are prioritized to sell only one saw brand by manufacturers or else this Echo would be the "perfect" saw for your current needs.
If there is one saw i'd shy away from having owned a couple would be the "EFCO" brand from Italy. Parts are horrendously expensive to get here. Hardly a dealer around (which I didn't care about except to simply buy the saw) and seem to have real sensitive carburetors to this crap ethanol farce.
Other than that, I'd give any saw a shot today even to have to purchase one on-line.
Any small engine shop can take care of a chainsaw. I'm sure your Stihl guy would understand your situation and would even take care of an Echo saw if it had Sthil chains on it. You were loyal to them all of these years. How about them being loyal to you especially that you are a remaining customer buying all your related chainsaw gear from them?
no matter, just be careful w/that saw.
