Which chain saw?

beenthere · Aug 21, 2002

Art summed it up quite well, along with the other comments. I spent all my career working a lot with loggers in all parts of the country. Stihl is one of the brands that has been on top, along with some other good brands. I have had a Stihl for over 27 years, and albeit logging is not my profession, I have put in many hours proudly working with the Stihl. It never has missed a beat. If it ever hic-cups, I will buy another Stihl in a heartbeat. But it has been like the rabbit that keeps going and going and going.
But remember, that even the best chain saw needs to be treated with respect, with care, and with love. Heed the safety suggestions, and get some chainsaw safety training (and clothing) as well. I thought I knew everything about chainsaws for the first 10 years of using one. Then I attended a safety course on the use of chainsaws, and found out I didn't know very much, but had been real lucky up 'til then.
The words of the instructor that stick with me the most were "Its not a matter of 'if' you will have an accident with a chainsaw, but only a matter of 'when'." I try to keep thinking about those words every time I pick up my saw. Recently I was laughed at (mildly, and in a kidding way) by a fellow Lion when we were on a brush cutting project for the local school outdoor forestry center, about wearing my safety chaps. In the course of cutting, a stub caused the saw to kick back only a little bit with the bar/chain lightly bouncing off my knee. The chaps were cut and some kevlar wound up into the chain, but my kneecap was okay. The one kidding me said immediately that he was buying chaps before the day was over. He has worn them ever since, and advocates others wearing them too.

MarkV · Aug 21, 2002

Welcome to the forum and congratulation on the new property. Excellent advice being offered on brands as well as the importance of the safety chaps and helmets. It took me years to start using safety equipment and I think I am lucky not to have had a bad accident. A close call from a falling limb and some stories shared here convinced me that I would never again start a saw with out the equipment on.

For the sake of offering other options on saws, I have had very good luck with Echo equipment. Lightweight, easy starting and my two have held up well.

MarkV

smilingreen · Aug 21, 2002

Welcome to the forum. STIHL??? Yup, #1 in my book. Plain put. End of discussion. I have a 290/20" bar and a 390/28" bar. Best saws I have ever owned. Peroid. They work like a dog and have never given me a ounce of trouble. I have a landscaping business and we use them daily. Have two Stihl line trimmers. Also have a Stihl 12' pole pruning saw. Excellent piece of equipment. Oh, a Stihl backpack blower, also. So, you couls say I am sold on Stihl. As the others have mentioned, wear your safty gear. You never know what you may hit embedded in a tree and have the saw "kickback" on you. It does happen, I can attest to it.

Egon · Aug 21, 2002

Others may give advice on brands they are dedicated to. But; The final answer lies in a chainsaw that goes "BROOM - BROOM- BROOM" when you pull the starter chord and activate the throttle. Cause otherwise it takes forever to shove that saw back and forth to cut down a tree.

Egon

mikim · Aug 21, 2002

I'm going to echo MarkV's comments on Echo - my wife has a little 12" echo that runs like a champ. She won't use my bigger saw because of the weight. Her little echo works great for me too when limbing. If you're talking about a saw for your husband - I'm quite certain he'll want bigger. I think everyone here has named the good brand saws - get, at a minimum for the husband, a 16" bar - 20" is better (imho)
mike

mikim · Aug 21, 2002

you musta attended Texas A&M /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif (old joke about the aggie who didn't like using a chainsaw because it took him longer than using an ax -- when a buddy asked to check it out for him and started the thing - the aggie said "what's that noise??")
mike

Egon · Aug 21, 2002

NO-NO-No
It was a Saskatchewan farmer.

Egon

karmakanic · Aug 21, 2002

I'll add a vote for the Stihl line of saws. First rate quality and a good dealer network.

But one piece of advise also, don't overdo it on size. A friend has a 029 Stihl with 20" blade and I find it real tiring to use even tho I'm a pretty good sized guy. Especially for limbing where you're working with the saw at chest height or higher. We have a 026 with 18" blade and my wife and I both like it better because of the lighter weight. And an 18" saw should do about anything you would need unless you're going into the logging business. We just took down a 150 year old (dead) oak, probably 32" or so diameter without any problem.

It's when you get tired that accidents occur. I've brushed my jeans a couple of times with that 029.

Dave Perry

Argee · Aug 21, 2002

I'll chime in here. Recently went through the same research. I wanted to replace my Mac farm and ranch model because 1) it is to heavy for prolonged use. 2) the chain oiler(replaced twice) refuses to work causing the bar to wear out prematurely. 3) It's hard to start, especially in cold weather.

It boiled down to the Stihl and Husqvarna (sp?). I ended up with the Stihl 021. It starts when I pull the cord. It's lightweight for prolonged use. The chain oiler works. It's much more balanced than the Mac. It's easier to spell. It's an all around nice saw at a fair price. $250 with case. It's the perfect saw, in my humble opinion, for light to medium use.

Boondox · Aug 21, 2002

I'll avoid the brand wars. I use Husky but only because the small engine mechanic I trust prefers them. Stihl and Jonsered are also fantastic units.

That said, I'd focus on some features: (1) good power to weight ratio, (2) easy to reach chain tensioner, (3) easy to pull OR one that comes with a compression release, (4) full safety gear...and use it!

Pete