Small chain saw

[Rowski]

The cool crisp Northern Vermont mornings remind me of the coming Fall. Which usually keeps me busy doing chain saw work for other people. It may just be me but fall and cutting wood is just a great combo!

I might be looking for another chain saw, provided I get this moolighting job. I'm looking into a smaller saw. I currently have a Husky 257 (3.5 cid with an 18" bar). It cuts the big stuff (the biggest I want to touch) but get heavy with limbing and cutting smaller trees/brush. Right now I have looked at a Stihl 018 (ms 180c) for $180. Also looked at Echo cs 340 for $229. Have not been by the Husky dealer yet but plan too. I have not used a top handle saw before and not sure if I like it or not.

My questions:

Is this my only choices for a good quality saw (make and model) at the $200 level?

What is up with the top handle saw? Pro's and con's?

 

[Youare]

I have a 257 Husky also, I love it, it's a great not-so-little at heart saw. Compaired to my 272XP it is pretty light. Years ago I had a Stihl 015, I think, top handle saw and before that a Mini-Mac top handle.

They were both great saws for limbing, the Stihl was a much better saw than the Mini-Mac. You have to be a little more careful with a top handle saw there is a great tendency to use only one hand. I cut my left hand once while holding the saw in my right hand and holding the piece I was cutting in my left. As I made the cut I could see my hand was right below the place I was cutting as I held the small piece I was trimming. I was lucky only a slight nick.

Once you use a small saw like that for trimming you will never want to be without one.

Randy

 

[Stonewall]

Arborists like the top handle saws because the CG is more in the middle of the power head and lets you use it one handed while you're roped up in a tree. On the ground you have less reach with them so you won't trim as high and have to bend over for the low stuff. I have a 20" bar on my saw and once the tree is on the ground I can walk through it and tip off the limbs with the saw at my waist - no bending. I have an old Poulan 360 (3.5 ci & NO plastic at all) and it gets heavier than it used to at the end of the day. I have looked at the Shihls and Echos and haven't made up my mind as to which top handle I would buy. I will probably end up with the lightest one knowing that it will not be my primary saw.

 

[Rowski]

The Stihl top handles are nice but pricey, if memoery serves me $300 to $400 range. The Echo cs-340 is the lightest at 8.6 lbs dry (2.04 cid) $220. I kinda like the Echo the more I look at the saw, but not sold on it yet.

 

[JRP]

Here is a stihl I'm looking at on ebay. Bid if you are interested.

stihl chain saw MS 180c
Item # 2048912173

Currently US $106.00 First bid US $9.99
Quantity 1 # of bids 8 bid history
Time left 1 days, 12 hours +
Location orlando, fl
Country/Region United States /Orlando
Started Aug-25-02 16:01:00 PDT mail this auction to a friend

Ends Sep-01-02 16:01:00 PDT watch this item | you're watching 12 items


Seller (Rating) argonaut108(46)

 

[rancar]

<font color=blue>Is this my only choices for a good quality saw (make and model) at the $200 level?</font color=blue>

Look at the Stihl, Huskies, and the Jonsereds. You'll likely find what you're looking for with one of the big three and you'll need not look elsewhere.

 

[MarkV]

Rowski, I don’t have any idea, which is best, although I can say I have had the Echo you are looking at with a 14” bar for the past two years and would buy it again. It has always started on the first or second pull with nothing but the normal maintenance you would do to any saw. The lightweight will find you grabbing it every time you can get by with that size bar. The power has been good even when cutting logs that I should be using a larger saw on. So far the four Echo pieces of equipment I have bought have been good experiences.

MarkV

 

[Rowski]

I did look at the Echo again and I kinda like it. I did get a Stihl trimmer this spring and love it, so well see. The Stihl is not a top handle like the echo. The stihl is slightly heavier and has a little less on the displacement.

How do you like the top handle style? People I have been talking to say 'you'll have to bend over more" or 'it's not balanced'. I 've also heard people say you can cut one handed?

Thanks

 

[Egon]

Years ago I had a Homelte XL2 chainsaw. It was small and light and had two triggers so you could use it both ways. A nice little saw but wore out before its time. It got replaced by a Husky 51.

Egon

 

[MarkV]

Derek,
I have two other saws that are not top handles and have not found it to be much of an adjustment to use a top handle unit. The saw is so light, which I find to be a joy when limbing, that the balance seems fine to me. Maybe it would be an issue with a heavier saw but I don’t know. One of the reasons I bought this saw was that my wife wanted to use the chain saw on occasion and didn’t feel comfortable with one of the heavier saws. I do use it one handed at times. My property if very steep and I find myself cutting scrub stuff in some difficult positions at times. That said, I don’t consider that the safest use of any saw so I try not to make it standard practice and always wear safety gear.

MarkV