Suggestions on 20” pro saw

[MotorSeven]

I have several saws, 3-4 older craftsman from the 70's nice saws 60 cc heavy and appear detuned because they turn slower, but run forever
I also have a couple Jonsereds 95 cc, and a Husquavarna 72 cc, I run 24 inch bars on everything except the little Craftsman limbing saw, and I also have a Stihl MS250 with 18 inch bar. All run and cut, it just a matter of how fast you want the job done. For my 2 cents, I would recommend staying away from the newer Stihl and shop around for something older. A lot of people buy a saw for a couple little jobs, then end up with it sitting in their garage until they sell it. You can pick up a low usage saw for a fraction of the new cost. Bar length is not a measure of a saws power, engine size, RPM and weight are the deciding factors. I went to a 24 inch bar mostly for consistency, but also so I dont have to bend over so far as Im getting older. The Stihl I believe only runs a 16-18 bar and if i remember correctly, its an odd bar, but its a recent purchase so I really have not checked to see if someone else makes a bigger bar for it. Check FB market place or Craigslist, I found a local guy who buys old Stihl/Husq/Jonsereds and goes thru them, handy place to shop

I have to disagree. The longer the bar the lower the torque & speed. Personally, I like shorter bars, On my two 170's, when I bought them they come with a 16" bar. That's a lot of bar for an entry level saw. I swapped both for 12" bars, so my limb-ing goes faster.

 

[tbear640]

Looking at adding a 20” saw to the fleet and have been looking at a new Stihl 261C.

Without a brand warfare eruption, is there any reason I should look at another comparable brand?

I like Stihl because my neighborhood dealer is very good and I like Stihl‘s business model. That might overwhelm the temptation to buy another brand that is only slightly better.

Little hesitating on the non adjustable carb, but that’s my only perceived drawback.

This is a saw I intend to use weekly as a general purpose small to medium size grab & go saw.

Constructive, non brand warfare thoughts appreciated.

I have an old farm boss that’s 38 years old and while I had it rebuilt in the late nineties it stopped working a couple of years ago. I haven’t taken it in yet but I will because I suspect it’s the diaphragm and or carburetor related. Great saws, my son has a huskavarnia

Looking at adding a 20” saw to the fleet and have been looking at a new Stihl 261C.

Without a brand warfare eruption, is there any reason I should look at another comparable brand?

I like Stihl because my neighborhood dealer is very good and I like Stihl‘s business model. That might overwhelm the temptation to buy another brand that is only slightly better.

Little hesitating on the non adjustable carb, but that’s my only perceived drawback.

This is a saw I intend to use weekly as a general purpose small to medium size grab & go saw.

Constructive, non brand warfare thoughts appreciated.

I have a farm boss that’s 38 years old that needs work now but while I had it rebuilt in the late nineties I suspect it’s the diaphragm, it’s a great chain saw. My son has a husky that he swears by.

 

[pretendfarmer]

I have and swore by STIHL. But my Kubota dealer got me to try Echo and so far they have been great. Same reliability as my STIHL's.
When I first saw Echo, I thought they were some "cheapy" brand. But they are quality made in Japan.

My small engine mechanic is telling me the new emission motored STIHLS are a pain in the rear.

Chainsaws: Battery & Gas-Powered | ECHO Canada | echo.ca

Chainsaws built to tackle the toughest jobs. ECHO chainsaws start easy, run smooth, and provides years of dependable performance.

www.echo.ca

I second this. I have an Echo and I love it.

 

[Hay Dude]

I bought the MS261 and really like it so far.

 

[alexcurtis]

Looking at adding a 20” saw to the fleet and have been looking at a new Stihl 261C.

Without a brand warfare eruption, is there any reason I should look at another comparable brand?

I like Stihl because my neighborhood dealer is very good and I like Stihl‘s business model. That might overwhelm the temptation to buy another brand that is only slightly better.

Little hesitating on the non adjustable carb, but that’s my only perceived drawback.

This is a saw I intend to use weekly as a general purpose small to medium size grab & go saw.

Constructive, non brand warfare thoughts appreciated.

Local dealer/repair support is VERY important. Stihl makes a fine chainsaw, but like anything else, it will need maintenance/repair eventually. Local support is a BIG plus. I have a Husqvarna 450 for the same reason, I don't have to ship or drive hours to get it repaired. My dealer gets me back to work ASAP and parts are readily available. Stay away from Poulan, Craftsman, etc. Support (and quality control) is not good. Echo makes a pretty good product also.

 

[YLee Kioti]

Do you have a local echo dealer?
Have you spoken to your local Stihl dealer? Ask him about new emissions and how thy impact reliability and service.
Husqvarna is going full green and closing more factories according to Chickanic on her u-toob channel.
So w/o brand wars get full info from local Stihl dealer and from Echo dealer if one is within reason and then decide.
Both are good solid brands and like tractors we get the dealer we prefer.
I have access to both and they both service and are good to work with.
Good luck.....

 

[JAD54]

Looking at adding a 20” saw to the fleet and have been looking at a new Stihl 261C.

Without a brand warfare eruption, is there any reason I should look at another comparable brand?

I like Stihl because my neighborhood dealer is very good and I like Stihl‘s business model. That might overwhelm the temptation to buy another brand that is only slightly better.

Little hesitating on the non adjustable carb, but that’s my only perceived drawback.

This is a saw I intend to use weekly as a general purpose small to medium size grab & go saw.

Constructive, non brand warfare thoughts appreciated.

I’ve had the MS261c-m for about six years now. I usually use an 18” bar but it handles a 20” just fine if I need it. I chose this saw for its power to weight ratio. I’m almost 70 so the weight was important. I cut some firewood with it and do general cleanup work around our property. It starts and runs great and is plenty powerful enough for my needs.

 

[jasonlawn76]

Looking at adding a 20” saw to the fleet and have been looking at a new Stihl 261C.

Without a brand warfare eruption, is there any reason I should look at another comparable brand?

I like Stihl because my neighborhood dealer is very good and I like Stihl‘s business model. That might overwhelm the temptation to buy another brand that is only slightly better.

Little hesitating on the non adjustable carb, but that’s my only perceived drawback.

This is a saw I intend to use weekly as a general purpose small to medium size grab & go saw.

Constructive, non brand warfare thoughts appreciated.

I own both Stihl and Husqvarna and swear by them both. I like the 562xp a little better in that size range as it is lighter and has auto tune. I usually run mine 6-8hrs at a time so the weight difference is a huge consideration for me. The service is also a huge factor. I’m fortunate enough to have VICE (Husqvarna) and Northwest Hardware (Stihl) which both provide excellent service. If you only have one nearby, I’d go with whichever of the two brands they sell.

 

[smaywork]

I have and swore by STIHL. But my Kubota dealer got me to try Echo and so far they have been great. Same reliability as my STIHL's.
When I first saw Echo, I thought they were some "cheapy" brand. But they are quality made in Japan.

My small engine mechanic is telling me the new emission motored STIHLS are a pain in the rear.

Chainsaws: Battery & Gas-Powered | ECHO Canada | echo.ca

Chainsaws built to tackle the toughest jobs. ECHO chainsaws start easy, run smooth, and provides years of dependable performance.

www.echo.ca

 

[smaywork]

I have and swore by STIHL. But my Kubota dealer got me to try Echo and so far they have been great. Same reliability as my STIHL's.
When I first saw Echo, I thought they were some "cheapy" brand. But they are quality made in Japan.

My small engine mechanic is telling me the new emission motored STIHLS are a pain in the rear.

Chainsaws: Battery & Gas-Powered | ECHO Canada | echo.ca

Chainsaws built to tackle the toughest jobs. ECHO chainsaws start easy, run smooth, and provides years of dependable performance.

www.echo.ca