Which chain saw?

[cisco]

Hmm, how much are you going to use it, and on what, and do you want something that will last nearly forever, if treated right. Stihl and Husqvarna (or replicas under other names) are the heads of the class, and cost a fair amount. Stihl prices are fairly rigidly controlled, but you can get Husqvarna at a discount on occasion. Echo is very good, the next step down, and a number of dealers sell such over the NET, at decent prices. For a general duty, and fairly cheap, chain saw, check out the Sears deals when some unit, usually a 16" or 18" saw, go "on sale" every month or so. I've Echo equipment, but picked up an extra Sears chain saw 2 years ago, and aside from the lousy chain that comes with it (get a good one, carbide tip or similar), it's a lot better than I would have expected, and less than 1/2 the price (on sale) of a Stihl. Is it as good as the Echo, heck no. Has it cut down a bunch of trees, yet still starts on the first or second pull, yes. So, what do you want to do with the saw, and what can you afford to pay - like most things. Almost forgot, Consumer Reports has reviewed chain saws within the past 2 years.

 

[Tractorgirl]

Thanks for the warm welcome and the great info guys!!! Ya'll have convinced me I'm on the right path at looking at the Stihl but really need to consider the Husqvarna. As 91 acres of our land was recently timbered, there are still some down trees that need cut up and burnt plus a few dead standing trees. The saw will definitely get a heavy workout.

I appreciate the provided links and will continue to study it out to find the perfect saw.

Thanks again!!!

 

[cstocks]

I only owned one saw. Stihl. I have had it for over a dozen years and still cranks on first or second try, even after sitting up for months or even a year. That is good enough for me.

 

[rancar]

Welcome Rhonda. I use a Stihl 044 with chisel point chains. It's a professional logger's saw that cuts like a hot knife through butter. It's a little heavier than the 029 and a little more expensive but it packs a tremendous wallop if you're looking for power to cut some big timber.

Regards,
Bob Ancar
Cambridge, NY

 

[soarkrebel]

Well several years ago when i was going to school and me and my wife had one kid and were poor i bought a poulan. it is a 3800 , has a 3.7 engine. the thing is oh 11 years old and still getting it. i also have a poulan 1800 ,1.8 engine, paid $100 for it 10 years ago. both still go great.
I had to have a saw back then for i lived in my grandfathers farm and the only heat was a wood burning heater. i wanted a husky but way out of my budget back then. the poulan was but i scraped it up.
I have come close to buying a stihl 025 but i keep thinking my poulans cut alot of wood every year so why spend the money. but if i was going to buy a new or when i will get a stihl. i used them and like them . the big poulan holds it own but for the price of that saw today i can get a stihl.
the little poulan for the price are great for trimming and cleaning up.
but i will say i don't know about the new poulans just the old ones.

 

[ScottAR]

I second the 026 Stihl with 18" bar. I dunno what they call the model now, but its a screamer and not too heavy. Get an extra chain while your buying XXX chainsaw. They seem to touch the dirt at the worst times.

 

[jyoutz]

For that much land/work to do you need a light-weight pro-saw. Stihl is tops in the forestry/logging industry and I'd definately recommend going that route. I recommend the Stihl 036 farm pro with a 20" bar. I have that model for fuelwood cutting and I'm a forester. Stihls make great dependable products, but the pro line is better built than their homeowner's line. The pro line has rebuildable engines, while the other models have throw-away engines. Don't go with anything smaller for what your needs are. The other models (026) are dandy, but a little small for your needs. Trust me on this. The woods industry is what I know best.

 

[jyoutz]

The 044 with a chistle chain is definately the way to go for timber falling. A wonderful saw that makes wood fast. In this case however, I would caution against buying anything much larger than the 036. The 044 is really for experienced users only.

 

[Egon]

Tractorgirl:

There is a wise man from Texas who solves many problems and gives great advice. He post's quite regularly and receives great respect for his knowledge and wisdom. He own's a Poulan.
Egon [from Nova Scotia]

 

[dourobob]

Welcome to TBN TractorGirl

I'll add my vote for Stihl - Twenty six years ago I bought a used 041 Farm Boss (it might have been 10 or 15 years old then) - this was when I was a full time wood burner and my muscles were a lot younger. I used that saw almost every day for about 12 years and now I use it maybe once or twice a year. Over the 26 years it has cost me only the price of chains, gas, oil and a couple of spark plugs. It stihl (pun intended) starts on first or second pull and cuts maple like butter. I have a small Poineer saw that I use now for light work and, while it does the job and was inexpensive (they used to be manufactured in my neck of the woods so there are lots of folks who know how to work on them) but it isn't a fraction of the saw the Stihl is.

I want to further support the safety recommendations mentioned above - helmet, visor, ear protection, chaps or pants - a small investment in your safety and your future.

Good luck.

 

[Boondox]

There's been a lot of talk about big, powerful saws. If you or your husband don't have the upper body strength to handle one, all that power won't do you a bit of good...and will only put you in danger. Most dealers around here have old logs they'll let you practice on. If that's the case in your area, try several for heft and balance.

Also, you mentioned that you'll be dealing with a lot of stuff that's already down. That can get dicey, as you'll face branches bent back under tension. Be careful! If you attack a branch under tension without thinking things through it'll either pinch your bar (embarassing!) or snap back and transfer all that tension to your body (potentially deadly!). Think before you cut!

Pete

 

[dmccarty]

TractorGirl,

Recently timbered land. That be me as well. I have cleaned
up some of the mess but I have lots more to go. What I
ended up doing was cutting up the slash that is on the ground
into 6 to 8 foot lengths. Then I use the tractor to push the
mess into a burn pile. Hopefully the drought will end this
winter and I can actually burn some of these burn piles. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

You might also want to get a bulldozer in to help clean up.
But it just depends on what you want to do, how you want
to do it, and how much money can be thrown at the cleanup.

If you do use the saw to cleanup the slash on the ground
buy a couple of chains as well as bars. You will get the chain
into the dirt or a rock and then is resharpen time. Eventually
you will get the saw pinched so that you cant get it out
without cutting wood. Since the saw is stuck cutting wood
means a handsaw or ax. Not fun.

If you have a second bar and chain, you can just detach the
saw motor from the stuck bar, attach you backup and get
your stuck stuff out of the tree. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Its cheaper than
a second saw.

Go to a good dealer so you can try these things out. My 046
is a heavy, heavy beast and is overkill for a majority of what
I do. BUT, there are times when I really need it and its nice
to go from cutting a 1 inch sapling to cutting up a 30+ inch
log without have to get another saw. But it is heavy.

So see what is easiest for you to operate.

Later,
Dan

 

[OkieNCognito]

I bought a 14" McCullough for $120 at Wal-Mart a year ago to thin out our 5 acres. I considered the saw disposable - figured I would run it until it quit and then get new one. I felt I had gotten my money's worth out of it after 6 months but to my surprise, it held up through the whole job and still runs fine. I've finished clearing and I still have the original saw for occasional clean-up of downed limbs.

 

[fishman]

Dourobob

I'll second that the 041 was (and is) a great saw. Dad has one that's 20 years old and I would trade my new 029 for it in a heartbeat. As good as the 029 is, it is not in the same class as the professional Stihl saws, in my opinion. I wish I'd spent the extra $100 and gotten the better saw. The controls and the housing on the 029 just don't seem up to snuff.

On a positive note, I did buy a longer bar recently and some thin-kerf chains from Bailey's. The saw now cuts even better than before.

 

[Scott_in_WVA]

Welcome to West Virginia....
There is one of the biggest Stihl Dealerships in the Eastern USA(If not the biggest) on route 50 in Wood County.
Fore Timber

 

[Scott_in_WVA]

I forgot to mention I have the O-26 and it works well for me...on my 95 acres.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Hey now... Let's be careful about comments about people from Saskatchewan, eh? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Tractorgirl]

Okay guys, I have one more question. For those who use the Stihl saws, how often do you perform maintenance such as changing filters, etc? The reason why I'm asking is that the Husqvarna saws indicate they require less maintenance due to their air injection air filtration system. I'm not noting anything like that on the Stihls or am I missing it?

Thanks a bunch!

Rhonda

 

[cstocks]

Filter? What's a filter?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

The only filter I have ever cleaned in the dozen or so years I have owned my Stihl is on the air intake. I clean it somewhat regularly, especially if I am putting my saw through it's paces. If there are other filters maybe I have missed something too, but my saw never suffered from my negligence if there are other filters.

 

[Dobber30052]

Maybe throw a wrench in the works? I've been watching this thread and read through the archived ones. I have a McCulloch, but it ain't cuttin it (literally). So I'm listening to you folks and have been leaning towards the Husq/Stihl lines, and no offense to solid proponents of either one, would likely get the one I could get the better deal on. Then I saw about John Deere's "entry" into the market, and then went to <A target="_blank" HREF=http://products.deere.com/webapp/commerce/command/CategoryDisplay?path=HO&cgnbr=HH&cgmenbr=8416&selectedCat=8559>John Deere's site (chainsaws) - sounds impressive /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif... Sometimes marketing is making your product at least look better than the competition, but maybe it's worth a look?

I'll wait for comment before becoming the guinea pig... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Dob