What is the good Chainsaw for clearing?

[MAX-24-Dean]

I remember seeing Echo, who carries those?

ECHO-USA | Professional-Grade Handheld Outdoor Power Equipment
Go to the link and click on store locator in the upper right hand corner of the page.

I have a couple of Echo saws in the 40 to 50 cc range. good saws for small to medium sized work.
Also, My Echo saws have not ever had a problem in 15 years of constant use.

 

[kenmbz]

Sounds like you need to do a lot of knockdown. Florida is a 12 month growing season so I get where you are coming from.
Tractors pull well from the draw bar.
40-50 cc saw
and some rm-43 or your preferred equivalent.

Start on the bigger invasives as they will keep you from doing anything else if left unchecked.
Keep us in the loop as some really helpful members from Florida may be able to chime on on what they did.

 

[Jrasband]

Stihl 261. I like it cause it is light, yet very powerful. Important to keep the blades sharp or you will wear yourself out and the saw. Every tank or 2 blades should be sharpened.

 

[big bubba]

these are the Stihl candidates for your work i'd suggest:
https://thehardwarestorefayetteville.stihldealer.net/products/chain-saws/professional-saws/ms261/

https://thehardwarestorefayetteville.stihldealer.net/products/chain-saws/professional-saws/ms462cm/

recommend 16" & 25" bars respectively. i'd stickw/the heavy duty bars w/replaceable end or tip
also recommend ordering extra spike dogs for the sprocket covers for balanced cutting support. regards

 

[kenmbz]

I have two dogs and replaceable tip.
Agree that they are both quite useful in the big trees.

 

[Egon]

What is required is a D8 with a brush rake. The chainsaw sounds good but it is not the proper tool for what is required!

 

[dodge man]

I own a Stihl 261 also. I like it and lots of good feedback on it also.

 

[jthibodeau89]

I went with the Husqvarna 562xp with 24" bar. Starts on 3rd pull when cold; first pull when warm. Have several sharp spare chains when you start cutting for a day..

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

The name brand pro grade saws are all pretty close to the same for reliability, and cost for the same capability.

Last I knew, Echo, and most homeowner saws are pretty much all made by MTD and don’t vary much. I’m not aware of anything that could be called a Pro-Sumer class chain saw.

Number one thing is get a couple of spare chains, and stop to change chains as soon as the one on the saw gets dull. It is lots easier to tune-up a slightly dull chain than one that is really dull.

And as a chain gets dull it is a lot more likely to decide to bounce over and whack you in the leg so it can take a break, than a nice sharp saw.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

after many many decades of cutting wood I find there are many truths when it comes to chainsaws.... you know those little 40 - 80 cc engined machines we want to run at 13,000 - 15,000 rpm.... often without proper warm up, often with gas that has sat for much longer than it should, often after sitting for many many months with little TLC....

My own Rules that I live by:
1) buy the best saw you can afford. Yes I have owned entry level saws such as Poulan that have worked super and lasted an unbelievable amount of time but my experience is somewhat rare. You get what you pay for.

2) Maintenance is not the same as fixing a saw that doesn't run well. So I change plugs frequently as getting timing clean on something that sparks 200 - 250 time per second !!! is pretty special, fresh fuel only (I will dump fuel before I use old fuel), clean air filters and fuel filters regularly, and replace the gas lines/fuel pickup line/primer bulb EVERY YEAR. I am amazed how many people come to me with saws not running well that have never changed the fuel pickup line even once when many brands want them changed annually.

and my saws almost never let me down.

Brands... I have strong preference for Stihl as my local dealer treats me well and keeps huge inventory of spare parts but there are many good brands out there..... I even had a Poulan Pro that I probably cut 100+ cords of 18" rounds with only because it was given to me as a gift. It finally met its final resting place as I couldn't get an OEM replacement ignition module for it.

Most fondly remembered was Pioneer P65 but that brand disappeared almost 40 years ago when swalled up by Husqvarna.
My favourite all round saw today is a Stihl 261c which is a commercial saw with electronic engine management. Great all around saw for a guy who cuts mostly Jack Pine as rarely get anything greater than 16" diameters. Jury on my end still out whether electronic engine management will give me 200+ cords of of 18" rounds but so far so good.


on the western edge of a chainsaw is clearly my happy place. My wife knows she comes second when its saw time.

 

[mudking]

Stihl MS250 is marketed as "Homeowner Grade" but is a very good and reliable saw, and what I use for limbing and most of my brush clearing, especially in tight quarters. Stay away from the MS 271 "Farm Boss": It has a cool name, poor power to weight ratio, and a less than stellar reputation for reliability.

Stihl MS261 is considered "Pro Grade". Best power-to weight Stihl offers, and I find it great for most of my felling and bucking with a 20" bar. Stay away from the ones with any suffix as they add cost, complication, and potential reliability issues for no useful reason. If I had to take "One Saw" to the proverbial desert island, It would be a Stihl MS261 with no question.

I also have a big old (heavy) twin-cylinder Echo and a small top-handle Echo climbing saw, both made in the 1980s, just won't die, but that I seldom use.

Always, always, always wear chaps.

 

[big bubba]

The name brand pro grade saws are all pretty close to the same for reliability, and cost for the same capability.

Last I knew, Echo, and most homeowner saws are pretty much all made by MTD and don’t vary much. I’m not aware of anything that could be called a Pro-Sumer class chain saw.

Number one thing is get a couple of spare chains, and stop to change chains as soon as the one on the saw gets dull. It is lots easier to tune-up a slightly dull chain than one that is really dull.

And as a chain gets dull it is a lot more likely to decide to bounce over and whack you in the leg so it can take a break, than a nice sharp saw.

yup to your point of pro grade saws & keeping them sharp. same applies to brush hog use
as to the OP's job task itself, will let others advise the approach. as far as the OP's question on what saw(s) to use for that job, sounds like the OP is on the right track choosing a name brand pro saw(s) that will last a lifetime if properly maintained. more importantly, please be safe & take your time. & post your progress, bb

 

[Storm56]

Echo chainsaws are not made by MTD. Yamiboko Corp owns Echo. The only chainsaw I could find on a google search owned by MTD is Remington. Echo builds quality equipment although they are often set up lean from the factory. A good tune and muffler mod wakes them right up. They do fall a bit short of Pro Models from Stihl and Husqvarna but are still quite good performers with a bit of good setup work done.

 

[civilian]

Someone suggested a battery operated or elctric saw as easy starting. When looking at chaps from Stihl, they commented that their chaps would not protect from electric or battery saws. Torque was too high to be stopped by the chaps' fibers. Something to think about. Especially for someone asking about chain saws to purchase. Jon

 

[oosik]

I have two Stihl saws. A 280 with a longer bar and a 192 with a short bar. I quit felling my pines for firewood about thirty years ago. My ancient Ponderosa pines are just too much work. Converting these large trees into firewood became a real PITA.

Now I use the smaller Stihl to thin my young pine stands. It's light, easy to handle - the short bar will not "zip" the toes of my boots should I get tired. The bigger Stihl - cut up those bigger pines that Mother Nature will occasionally bring down.

Things to consider -
- how old are you
- how long do you expect to work at clearing, in one day
- will this project go on - day after day until finished. Or will there be breaks in your work
- weight of the saw
- reliability of the saw
- will you need to resharpen the saw. In the field or back at your shop.

These factor will definitely affect your overall daily activities.

 

[5030]

All good so long as you can sharpen the loops when they get dull.

 

[warrendeere]

Love My Stihl MS400. 70CC Saw that only weighs 12.8LBS. I run a 32" Bar on it for really large stuff, but most of the time i'm using a 16 or 20 inch. I would say stihl all the way, but both echo and husqvarna make good chainsaws, i just havent had good luck with husqvarna, but they still make good saws

 

[Reddogs]

Someone suggested a battery operated or elctric saw as easy starting. When looking at chaps from Stihl, they commented that their chaps would not protect from electric or battery saws. Torque was too high to be stopped by the chaps' fibers. Something to think about. Especially for someone asking about chain saws to purchase. Jon

I was just looking at those to avoid carrying around more things in the tractor out in the fields, interesting to say the least..

 

[JohnnyMX]

Like everything, electric saws have their place and will become more useful as the battery technology improves. They do seem VERY easy to use and maintain as long as you aren't clear-cutting a forest. I wear my chaps based on what I'm doing and how long I'll be doing it. I know that isn't smart, but I'm being honest. If it is going to be hours behind the saw and fatigue is going to be an issue or I need to move quickly (felling) they are on. If I just need to make a cut to clear a trail. I have a gas saw so I wouldn't replace it until it dies. Maybe by the time it does the batteries will be even better and they'll figure out how to solve the chap problem (or I'll be too damn old to be using a chainsaw).

 

[bud70706]

As I posted before, I am clearing several lots, and need a good chainsaw to tackle the bigger trees and can grind them down afterward with a stump grinder. But you really cant find out much of anything out of the stores on what works for solid pine and oak that we have down here. What is a good Chainsaw that starts on the first pull, lightweight but powerful, and doesnt breakdown after a day or two of heavy cutting..?

I se a Husq 460 for felling mature oaks & pines (60-85 feet) & lopping large limbs. I have a 440 for smaller trees & limbing or trimming. Both start on about the THIRD pull. I also use a Woodland Mills stump grinder on my JD 3046R.