Recommendations for 14"/16" chainsaw?

[tsteahr]

Well, after lots of internet research, I think I have narrowed the choices down a bit.

Leading contender:
Dolmar 420 at $265 delivered via ebay or $330 locally

Also considering:
Dolmar 350 at $250
Husqvarna 440e at $289
Stihl MS180cbe at $230 and MS210cbe at $290
Echo cs370 at $265

From what I have read these are all excellent 14 or 16" saws with many happy owners. I'm sure I'd be happy with any of them. They are all fairly lightweight (at about or under 10lbs) so should be good for cutting up brush and delimbing trees.

I'm leaning towards the Dolmar 420 due to the magnesium construction and "prosumer" rating while the others at similar price points are more clearly fine consumer grade saws. Against the Dolmar is the potential for service hassles though I did finally discover there is a dealer in Eastern MA. I am unimpressed with the Dolmar USA operation though. Their website dealer locator is broken and a phone call to headquarters to find a local dealer went to an answering machine. I get the impression they have a just as good a dealer network as Kioti does.:laughing: Still, I am used to that by now and the combo of internet and UPS is something I have gotten quite comfortable with for service.

Now I need to decide whether to buy one sight unseen via internet based on reputation or whether to dedicate next weekend to visiting dealers.

Any others I should think about in this price/performance range?

Perhaps at this point it would be wise to choose the best local dealer from the brands you are interested in. You have narrowed your list down to a selection of all good units. What may be more important than the finer points between one model and another is the service of your dealer.

I have chosen to get all my outdoor power equipment (saws, trimmer, blower) from a good local dealer. In addition I bought my protective gear, pruning sheers, etc from this dealer as well. In doing so I have established a relationship where I walk in and the owner greets me by name. I have had a problem on a Saturday morning and the owner with his mechanic stayed past closing time to get my problem fixed and get me up and running. For me, that kind of service is more important then subtle differences between what are all top quality brands.

I picked a dealer that many of the local landscape guys around here use. Not the fanciest showroom, but stocks the entire product line and keeps a good selection of spares on hand.

So my 2 cents are to pick your dealer and use him. If you don't get the service you are looking for then move on. If you do, then you know you have a keeper, even if the brand down the road gives you the same specs for a few dollars less.

Best of luck!

 

[IslandTractor]

If you do decide to go with Stihl, I'd skip both those models in favor of the MS211 which can also be had for under 300 clams and is a superior saw to both the MS180 and MS210.

As best I can tell the MS211 is the same as the MS210 except for some carb modifications. Stihl seems to have added a single digit to almost all their model numbers to reflect the new environmentally kinder carberator use.

 

[ultrarunner]

As best I can tell the MS211 is the same as the MS210 except for some carb modifications. Stihl seems to have added a single digit to almost all their model numbers to reflect the new environmentally kinder carberator use.

My understanding too...

 

[IslandTractor]

Perhaps at this point it would be wise to choose the best local dealer from the brands you are interested in. You have narrowed your list down to a selection of all good units. What may be more important than the finer points between one model and another is the service of your dealer. !

Good point. I've thought about this issue too. My situation is that I use the saw on an island so can literally never run down to the dealer for help or parts and get back the same day. As such, relying on the internet and UPS for parts has become my routine for both tractor and other tools. Still, I know that for Stihl saws I will need to find a local dealer and haven't ruled anything out at this point.

 

[LD1]

You wont be disappointed with a PS420. And at $265, It will save you some money over some of the others you mentioned.

 

[dfkrug]

And the PS34 is at the bottom of the dolmar barrel. As mentioned, it is a cheaper homeowner grade saw. If the only experience one has with dolmars is a PS34, I can see why they wouldn't think they were a good saw.

Have you used the PS34/DCS34?

I have used it for several years, and I like it. And I have used a big
expensive Dolmar, too.

I am really liking my just-acquired Shindaiwa. Today I used it to cut up
a 2500 gal polyethylene water tank.

 

[IslandTractor]

I did consider the Dolmar PS34 but they have been discontinued so they are hard to come by. The Makita version is available. In looking into this whole thing I did come to see the advantage of the slightly larger 350/420 but felt the PS34 was every bit as much saw as the smaller Stihl 180/192 or the Echo 310. I've just decided to go up one rung on the size.

 

[KubotainNH]

I bought a small Echo from Home Depot for $199. My friend talked me into it, he said it's what all the linemen used for the power company his father worked for. Love how light it is and easy to start. Hasn't let me down in the 6 or so years I've had it. It's not a powerhouse but I was looking for lightness not power. I use my FIL's monster saw when I need more power. The Echo still looks brand new.

 

[alaskakubota]

I have three saws and my favorite is the ms180 stihl. Half the weight of my 18 inch saw and cuts nice. I paid 180 bucks for it two years ago. Not one problem.

 

[peterc38]

As best I can tell the MS211 is the same as the MS210 except for some carb modifications. Stihl seems to have added a single digit to almost all their model numbers to reflect the new environmentally kinder carberator use.

Not quite. MS 211 has improved air filter and anti-vibe. Also, MS210 has a worse power to weight ratio as it is built on MS250 chassis whereas MS211 is built on MS181 chassis (In fact I believe MS210 has worst power to weight ratio of any Stihl but not sure).

Specs are:

MS210 35.2 cc, 2.0 HP, 9.9 .lbs

MS211 35.2 cc, 2.3 HP, 9.5 .lbs