My new used chainsaw. Mini Review

[Alan Trout]

I have needed another chainsaw for a while and wanted a good quality electric saw so I did not have to listen to the noise and deal with the mess of a gas unit. There are not many choices in a high end electric and they all are expensive The Stihl MSE220 retails for right at $539!!.

I have been looking for a used MSE220 or E20 Which I think is the exact same saw just an earlier model for almost a year now. I have been watching Craig's List, E-bay etc. Every once in a while they would come up as new units but still over $400. Well about a week and a half ago a used one came up on e-bay that looked OK not perfect but serviceable. Cost me about $230 but I was willing to take a chance. I got it late yesterday afternoon plugged it in and it ran just fine but the chain was beyond dull. Overall it has a few scratches but it is in good shape, no excessive wear and nothing broken, they took the plug off but installed a 50ft extension cord which is OK with me and other than being dull the chain was in good shape. I took the chain for a professional sharpening this morning because I wanted to give it a try on some dry mesquite.

I am impressed. To me it has as much power as a 50CC saw but not the noise. It is a heavy saw. It weights as much as a gas saw of comparable size. It has great torque, you might slow the blade down but it does not stop. It went through about a 16 inch piece of dry mesquite length wise without trouble. Of course the quality of the saw is fabulous. It has a magnesium case and the tensioning mechanism is very heavy duty and works very well. The chain also seems to stay tight. The saw seems to be made to last.

I know gas units are more versatile but, I just hat dealing with gas chainsaws. Keeping fresh fuel, changing plugs, cleaning filters, the mess, the smell etc. is just a pain. I think I found the answer for me. This saw works great! http://familywoodworking.org/forums/images/smilies/023.gif

Now I need for it to get below 100 degrees outside so I can get to cutting some blanks.

Alan

[Dave Wagner]

Stihl are good saws. I have the 190? gas (Next step down from a farm boss), it sits for most of the year and never had a problem with it starting right up after 1-2 pulls.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Alan - cutting blanks up in the backyard with an electric makes good sense! You can cut all day and not bother the neighbors! Congrats on what looks to be a really good saw!

Hope it cools down soon for you!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Saw envy.....

Sweet deal! I want that saw too. Can't afford it, so I got a gas farm boss. Good saw too. That electric only has 1 problem. The extesion cord is only so long. Can't go out in the fields to harvest wood. I'd love to have that to cut wood in the back yard. Farm boss ain't bad, but I have to consider my neighbors.

[Bill Bulloch]

I use my Hasqvarna gas chainsaw to bring the tree down and cut it up to bring home. At home I use my WEN Electric chainsaw to finish the cuts. The WEN is a 16 incher; I don't remember the HP ( it's about 20 years old and all the writting is worn off), but it gets the job done and without the hassle of the gas machine.

[curtis rosche]

you can take that into the feild if you had to. they make a converter that hooks onto a car battery that has regular plugs on it. the amish around here use them all the time. (in the back of the barn) you would just have to make sure you didnt drop the tree on your battery or cord

[Bruce McElhaney]

To my mind the only advantage of an electric chainsaw is that it can be used inside without getting fumigated. Other than that it's hard to beat a high quality gas version

[curtis rosche]

Bruce, if you live in a populated area it has many more advantages. like on those late nights when you work in your shop , it makes it so you can cut up a blank with out waking up the neighbor hood.

[alex carey]

i have a stihl and a homelite electric 16", I wanted a stihl electric but now that I've had the homelite which was only 80$ I'm glad I made the purchase, still running strong and ive had for for about 2 years now. It has done quite a bit for me.

[Skip Spaulding]

Good looking saw, I have a Stihl 029 gas, but picked up a Homelite 16" 40cm electric. I use the electric for most blanks once I get a log cut to size.

[Bruce McElhaney]

Curtis, if I had a quiet chainsaw I might hurt myself because I wouldn't know if it was running or not. When I crank up my Stihl, there's no doubt about it. . .

[robert hainstock]

For the seventeen years thatIs cut firewood, I had a rule that I would sharpen the chain every time It ran out of gas. I cannot do that with my Wen electric so I have to watch the chain more closely now. I also miss the portability my old Husky offerred, but do have to worry about dinging my leg again. That Sthil sounds like a realy nice tool. Looking forward to pictures of projects. :):)
Bob

[Alan Trout]

This one has an 18" bar on it but it is also approved for a 20" bar as well. I have a little WEN saw now It works surprisingly well but the Stihl is in a completely different league. The power is equivalent to my neighbors 50CC Jonesred saw. But like others I live in the inner city so it is nice to have quiet alternative.

Alan

[Curt Fuller]

I use a Stihl saw, gas model, and love it. At one time I considered buying an electric saw. But I can never find a current bush nearby to plug it into. What do you use to cut the wood down to a size you can get it home?

[Mike Stephens]

Congrats on the new saw. I also resonantly bought a new saw, Stihl 441. :)

Good luck with the saw hope it brings you many years of service.

Mike

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats on the saw. You are going to love it.

[Richard Madison]

Alan,
That's what early morning and after dark are for (below 100 degrees). Some rain would be nice too.

[Alan Trout]

Richard,

We got a little rain tonight. I almost forgot what it was like now the sad thing is 100 degrees with 80% humidity. :(

Alan

[Richard Madison]

Alan,
Also got about 0.1" tonight (hurrah, every little bit helps). Amazing that a tenth inch of rain seems to help the grass and plants more than three times that much watering. Oh yeah, turning. Well that little bit of rain fell on some mesquite stored outside and just went "psssstttt" and disappeared.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Richard,

We got a little rain tonight. I almost forgot what it was like now the sad thing is 100 degrees with 80% humidity. :(

Alan

Be careful on what you wish for:)

[Alan Trout]

Kyle,

I have seen it rain here in excess of 24" in 12 hours. I know what you mean.;)

Alan

[Richard Madison]

Alan, It's been a while (couple, three years?) since that rain. Got another .35" here last night. Hurrah! Many oak trees dead from the drought. Every little bit of rain helps keep the rest alive.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

With all saws but especially electric, if you have a very sharp chain those babies will cut all day long. I've cut a lot of wood with an electric and the trick to keeping them sharp was keeping the chain out of the dirt.

[Eugene Wigley]

Alan, you are going to love that saw. Stihl makes great saws. I have a 650 that I use to fall and rip. I need a new trimming saw. The 650 is great in the woods but it is a little too heavy for trimming the blanks. I live outside the city so noise is not an issue for me. It might be nice to be able to trim in the shop. A saw like you have would be great for that. I don't know anyone who has an electric so I am glad you posted this. When I recover from other recent purchases I may just try the electric.

[Jon Lanier]

I received good advice from these guys/gals here at the Creek on chainsaws. I ended up with a Stihl farm/ranch? boss/hoss? I can't think of the number off the top of my head and the name is printed on the bar is long gone.

As long as I keep my chains sharp, it'll cut through just about anything in no time flat. I do mostly ripping with it, It has also taken down a huge maple (all by itself and cut it up).

[Bill Bulloch]

you can take that into the feild if you had to. they make a converter that hooks onto a car battery that has regular plugs on it. the amish around here use them all the time. (in the back of the barn) you would just have to make sure you didnt drop the tree on your battery or cord


I have one and have tried it with the Electric Chainsaw, but it will not run it...to many amps, I guess.