Chainsaw Choice, Whachoo Think?

[Dennis Peacock]

Well....I've worn out 3 chainsaws in the past 11 years. All were Poulan Pro saws.

I went to the local Stihl Dealer and got to talk with the Stihl rep. I haven't bought one yet, but still looking options over.

I'm needing a saw for bowl, platter blanks as well as cutting up about 4 chords of firewood each season and the occassional clearing of limbs and blown over trees in the neighborhood.

The Stihl rep said that basically any of their saws would work just fine, but he said that I'd need more saw than an occassional use saw.

Here's what I'm thinking:

MS 290 Farm Boss - would work fine, weighs 13 pounds
MS 310 - a little more HP than the FB and weighs 13 pounds
MS 390 - Even more HP than the FB and weighs 13 pounds

MS 361 - Even MORE HP than the FB, Comes standard with their square tooth hardwood chain, 1st saw in their Pro line of saws, and weighs just barely over 12 pounds.

I'm skipping the "price point" on buying a new saw as I've already spent enough to buy about THREE of the MS 361's at todays price.

MS 361 replacement parts and such are cheaper than the 290, 310, or 390 because its in their Pro line.

Come on fellers....ya'll tell me what you'd do. I'm tired of wearing out a saw and having to buy another. I always take GOOD care of my saws, just like my ww'ing tools.

[Cecil Arnold]

Dennis, someone said any saw so long as it is orange, so have you looked at Husquivarna (sp?) and the other orange one? I'm still wearing out my Poulan, but will look at both as soon as it dies. From what you have posted the MS 361 looks like the deal unless price is just too much more.

[Jim Ketron]

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them!;)
I have the 250 its a good little saw.
when I decide to get another one it will be one of the ones you have listed!

[Dennis Peacock]

Dennis, someone said any saw so long as it is orange, so have you looked at Husquivarna (sp?) and the other orange one? I'm still wearing out my Poulan, but will look at both as soon as it dies. From what you have posted the MS 361 looks like the deal unless price is just too much more.

Cecil,

The MS 361 is more money....by about $150....The rep said: With your use and the 310? You'll bring it to us in about 3 years for service work. The MS 361? You'll bring it to us in TEN years and ask us to change the spark plug. :cool:

[Curt Fuller]

I have the MS 290 with an 18" bar. I like it but when I bought it, it's purpose was cutting firewood. Now that I started turning and use it for cutting bowl blanks I wish it had a little more power. Ripping down the center of a log takes a little more umph than cross cutting. If I were to buy one today I'd go with the 390 for the weight to power ratio.

But you won't go wrong with a Stihl saw.

[Chris Barton]

Hi Dennis,

So, as a Pouland Pro owner/user, what failed on the 3 previous Poulands? I am always in favor of more power so, all else being equal I would vote for the most power in the size I needed.

[Dennis Peacock]

I have the MS 290 with an 18" bar. I like it but when I bought it, it's purpose was cutting firewood. Now that I started turning and use it for cutting bowl blanks I wish it had a little more power. Ripping down the center of a log takes a little more umph than cross cutting. If I were to buy one today I'd go with the 390 for the weight to power ratio.

But you won't go wrong with a Stihl saw.

Curt,

According to the specs, the MS 361 has more power than the 390.

MS 390 - 4.3 bhp
MS 361 - 4.4 bhp

[Dennis Peacock]

Hi Dennis,

So, as a Pouland Pro owner/user, what failed on the 3 previous Poulands? I am always in favor of more power so, all else being equal I would vote for the most power in the size I needed.

2 were motor related and the newest of them all....has developed tank leaks for the oil and fuel. Service guy says it'll cost almost the price of a new saw to fix it.....So I'm dumping Poulan and going with a Stihl......This should be my last chainsaw purchase due to dealing with a crappy made saw. No offense to any of you who love Poulan saws....

[John Shuk]

Sounds like you know what to do. You gotta get the 361

[Steve Clardy]

Can't seem to kill my Jonsereds. :D [second line to husky]
Both going on 15 years now.:D
630 super, 24" bar
630 regular, 22" bar

New replacements models have a turbo air system I hear.:eek:

[Jason Roehl]

Since my model of Husqy got discontinued (372xp), I'd probably go with its replacement (575xp), from this place:

http://www.southwestfastener.com/productsHusqChainsaw.htm

You could also step down to the 357xp, which looks like a comparable saw to the Stihls you mentioned in weight and HP. Either way, I'd go with a 20" bar. I've found that anything less hurts my back from having to bend over farther to cut wood on the ground. Plus, I think the extra length helps clear chips and keep the bar and chain cooler (more likely to have extra bar sticking out of the wood).

[Frank Fusco]

Poulan's aren't what they used to be. My experience with Stihl is that their customer service is superior to other brands. Most of the CS on the market today are very good, if you stay away from the discount store versions. Get the most Stihl you can afford.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I really don't think that you are going to go wrong with the pro lines of either the Husky or the Stihl.

I think the more important thing is the dealer, is he any good? Does he do in house repairs beyond the sparkplugs?

The saw I used to cut my logs in Tokyo, was a vintage 1976 Husky 185, I rebuild the carb, and cleaned it up, new sparkplug, then with a sharp chain and a good tug in the morning (NO decomp valve) it started every time on the 2nd or 3rd pull. That saw is 30 years old, and it had seen some hard use, but I have no doubt that there is a lot of life left in it.

For my money, I'd rather go with an older one, and have it rebuilt, maintained, as it will last longer, but if you are going to buy a new one, then buy the best pro line saw you think you need.

Are you lugging it any distance up hillsides and stuff, or mainly just off the back of the truck?

Nearly 25 years ago, I used to go cut firewood with a guy that was a retired tree feller, he had an OLD Stihl, and it was not light or anything, but that SOB could cut wood, started every time, and was, at that time an OLD saw. With my recent adventure in wood cutting, I was chatting with my Dad, and I asked him about the friend and the saw, "Yep, he is still cutting firewood with that old saw!"

Buy a good one, pick the orange one that has good dealer support, and get some blanks slabbed up!

PS, for ripping through the log on the side, you might want to invest in a ripping chain, they make quick work of that stuff.

Cheers!

[Jim Becker]

I've been very pleased with my Farm Boss, but if you can afford one of the larger saws, it will cut bigger stuff... ;)

[Bernie Weishapl]

Hey Dennis gotta go with the MS 361. She'll chuck some wood. Brother has one and that is my next purchase if I can get mine to die.

[Jeff Singleton]

Curt, I have a Stihl 460 Magnum and love it. Plenty of power for wacking up walnut stumps or cutting down anything. Mine has a 25" bar but I am getting a 32" bar so I can baloney cut the stumps. The 440, 460,660,665, and 880 all has the decompresson button on top so it pulls very easy and starts up without pulling your arm out of your rotator cuff. Nations Rent has the cheapest price on Stihl that I found and they also sell used ones.

Jeff Singleton:rolleyes:

[Ernie Nyvall]

Dennis, I have the 361 with a 20" bar and it is a very nice saw. It's powerful compared to what I think most people keep around the house such as what I've used for the last 20 years. However, 30 years ago I cut logs for a living and, and thought the 361 would be equivalent to the saws I used then. It isn't and if I were to do it again, it be one that Jeff mentioned... the 460 or better. I think it's 2 or 3 hundred more, but it'd be worth the wait if you need to save a little more.

Ernie

[Ian Abraham]

The 361 is a true professional saw, designed to be used all day by an arborist or logger and still last for years. It's also lighter and more powerfull then the others. The full chisel chain also helps with cutting speed, but is more prone to kickback.
The 290 / 310 / 390 are designed for part time use by farmers / firewood cutters etc. If you use them every Saturday afternoon they will also last for years.
All are suitable for what you want to do, if $$ is an issue the 290 will serve you well. If you want more power get the 390. If you want the best saw you can get, get the 361, but it's probably overkill for a part time cutter.
I have a Stihl 310, it's a good saw, but I've upgraded to a Dolmar 7900 (80cc) to handle bigger trees. I still use the 310 with the shorter bar for limbing, but after using a powerfull pro saw you get spoilt :D
The bigger saws are nice, but they are also heavier, so unless you have production figures to keep up or big trees to dismantle, get the size saw you need.

Cheers

Ian

[Robert Mickley]

Well if I was buying any saw it would be a pro line saw. Of course if you buy Echo there is no pro line or consumer line. They build one line and thats it.

Persaonly I would have to go with
1 Echo
2 Stihl

If I was buying a Stihl for the work you want to do it would be a 440 magnum.

If I was going to buy a new echo it would be the CS 670.
Why stress a saw doing what its just capable of when you can get the next size bigger and it gets to loaf along. that way if you run into something a little bigger you have enough saw to do the job. Besides it's only money.

You couldn't give me one of the huskys on a bet. The cousin has a 357xp and it is the hardest starting pos I've ever seen. We go the woods and my old 500vl echo is running in in 3 pulls and cutting wood while he is still fussing with his 357, his 385 isn't any better. His hukeys sit in a heated basement while my saws never come off the wood wagon.

STAY AWAY from ripping chain. it wasn't designed to be used freehand it was designed to use in chainsaw mills. Lay the log on its side to rip it and you don't need it anyway. Rip chain was made to rip across the endgrain

I'll stack my old echos or stihl up agains any new husky in the same cc range any day of the week and come out on top.

Find yourself a backwoods saw shop like mine and get a good used echo. It will be running when the new ones give up the ghost.

I just bought my brother another 301s echo. 30 bucks, no bar or chain but it runs like a champ.

My saws include
Echo 301 14 inch bar
Echo 500vl 18 inch bar
Echo 750evl 24 ince bar
Stihl .075 36 and 48 inch bars

Brother has
3 echo 301's
echo 750 evl
echo 610
echo cs 6700
echo cs 341
echo cs 8000
and the odd man out is the older Husky rancher 55

[John Bailey]

Dennis,

I've got the Farm Boss and like it. I cut about 6 cords this year. That's all I did with it. Most of the wood I cut was American Hornbeam and the saw never missed a beat. That being said, I would go with the 361 the next time, although I don't think there's going to be a next time with this saw.

John

[Gary Max]

I have a 026 that is about 6 years old. Bought it new---never let anyone touch it---runs like the day I bought it. I cut wood for heat and those monster blanks you see me turn.

[William Bachtel]

I wood get that orange one. I have four of them, great saws. The sizes are baby , teenager, adult, and bad@$$ granddaddy.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

You couldn't give me one of the huskys on a bet. The cousin has a 357xp and it is the hardest starting pos I've ever seen. We go the woods and my old 500vl echo is running in in 3 pulls and cutting wood while he is still fussing with his 357, his 385 isn't any better. His hukeys sit in a heated basement while my saws never come off the wood wagon.


My 30 year old Husky starts every time on the 2nd or 3rd pull, you cousin needs to fix his saw! :D

[Jason Roehl]

My 30 year old Husky starts every time on the 2nd or 3rd pull, you cousin needs to fix his saw! :D

Even with the compression release, mine (18 mos. old) is a little cold-blooded. It takes 6-7 pulls the first time I start it for the day, but after that it jumps to life on the first pull, and it's been that way from Day 1. At 5.4HP, though, it's worth the wait. It's by far the hungriest chainsaw I've ever used.

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

They call them Poulan for a reason. You keep Poulan and poulan and poulan and they still won't start!

[Dennis Peacock]

They call them Poulan for a reason. You keep Poulan and poulan and poulan and they still won't start!

Good one Curtis......:D

[Robert Mickley]

My 30 year old Husky starts every time on the 2nd or 3rd pull, you cousin needs to fix his saw! :D

Well its 30 years old Stu, back when they built saws. If I have to pull the rope more than 3 or 4 times to start the saw its either getting fixed or sold.

Personaly I just don't feel the new huskies are all the they are cracked up to be. I know some pro loggers that have run husky all their lives and aren't happy with the new ones.

[John Pollman]

I bought a Stihl 250C with a 16" bar back in September and have been very happy with it. It should do all I need it to do. It's a nice mid-range saw. But back in December I picked up another because it was a deal that I just couldn't pass up. This one is a Husky 365 with a 28" bar. It's a monster of a saw and I KNOW it'll do all I need it to do. I got it from a guy who bought it last winter and said that he'd never used it and was moving to Florida and was just trying to lighten the load. He said $200 and it's yours ! I told him I'd be there with cash in about an hour. :) I got there and it TRULY had not been used. He pulled it out of the very clean case and I saw that it had never even been fueled up. I don't think you can go wrong with any saw from Stihl or Husky.

John

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Well its 30 years old Stu, back when they built saws. If I have to pull the rope more than 3 or 4 times to start the saw its either getting fixed or sold.

Personaly I just don't feel the new huskies are all the they are cracked up to be. I know some pro loggers that have run husky all their lives and aren't happy with the new ones.

OK Robert, I have no info on the new ones.

Mine takes the typical 4 to 5 pull first thing in the morning, but the first and second pull are kind of slow speed, just to get a little mix on the cyclinder walls, (remember 85cc saw, no comp valve) and then it takes one or two good pulls to start up, after that first run it was 1st or second pull, almost every time.

Cheers!

[tod evans]

dennis, if my old homelite 410 ever dies (it`s 30+ yrs) i`ll be looking too.... everybody i know using new saws swears by the top of the line stihls for what it`s worth...02 tod

[Robert Mickley]

No problem Stu, if we all liked the same thing it would be a boring world!!!

The problem with asking which would you buy is you can sometimes come away more confused than when you started!! :D:D

[John Davidson]

Dennis, I have had the 390 for about 4 years. I bought the saw for the same reasons as you, to cut turning blanks. I also retired a Poulan Pro saw with the MS390. I have no regrets. However, if money was no issue I would have gone for the 460 but it was about $200 more and for just cutting blanks I could not justify it. The 390 has never let me down, starts easy and runs great. Also may dealer is one of the best in the area and I find that to be a comfort but I really haven't had a need for them yet.

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Dennis,

Don't mess with less than the pro line of any of the orange saws. Sthil, Husky or Echo. Talk to others about the DEALER. The mechanics at the one sthil dealer in the area are total bone heads and I tell anyone who will listen to go else where. Talk to a couple of land scape contractors and ask who they deal with and what they think of the service they recieve.

For what it is worth the tank on my brother's Farm boss just split. No idea how as the hole is behind the cover. The farm boss is under powered my opinion.

[Brad Schmid]

Dennis,

Of the ones you list, the MS361 is certainly the best. Among the saws I have, I've been running a 361 with a 20" bar and will say it is very capable of doing what you want to do with it. I also had an MS260 Pro which is their smallest saw in the pro category, and while it's also a great saw, it doesn't pull a 20" bar very well. It does great with a 16" or 18" bar, but I suspect you want more.

I don't know if you're a "mod" type of guy or not, but if you are, If you go with pro saws, your mod options also open up a bit. If you ever want to squeeze more power out of your saw, you can do easy muffler mods and tweak the carb for impressive results. non-pro saws typically don't have the high side carb adjusters anymore to facilitate performance mods nor the durable components to withstand mods long term...

Also, in case you don't already know, you may consider spending a few evenings on the chainsaw forum at arboristsite and do some reading. It's probably the best source of chainsaw info on the net.

Good Luck,
Brad

[Raymond Overman]

I use a Husky 350 but I don't cut nearly as much wood as you do. I'd go with at least a 359 if I were buying tomorrow.

Our Stihl dealer is unreliable and tried to sell me much more saw than I could handle at the time I was in the market. Now, we have a True Value Hardware that is a Stihl dealer nearby but they don't have a service deparment. The Husky dealer showed promise that they would be around to service it. I haven't had any problems so far. Knock on wood.

My dad has had a small (14" bar) echo that I think he bought from Noah after he cut the timbers for the ark; and it's still running. He used to cut wood for barbecue (that's Eastern NC whole hog vinegar based for the uninitiated amongst you) and for our fireplace with it. Now he's a woodturner too so he uses it for slabbing small stuff.

[Dick Strauss]

Dennis,
Is there any chance you can take the good parts from a few of your saws and make one good saw to buy you a few extra years? On the other hand, it might not be worth the hassle...

[Dennis Peacock]

Dennis,
Is there any chance you can take the good parts from a few of your saws and make one good saw to buy you a few extra years? On the other hand, it might not be worth the hassle...

Well, I don't think you'd want me to "build" any kind of chainsaw and expect me to survive during the first cutting do you? :eek: :D

[Mike Ramsey]

Hey Dennis gotta go with the MS 361. She'll chuck some wood. Brother has one and that is my next purchase if I can get mine to die.

Bernie!! Your not thinking straight!! Brother has one! = free chainsaw!
What are brothers for if not for letting you borrow their saw anytime
you need it... Buy the biggest one Dennis!!

[Steven Wilson]

Well any of those are a good choice. My price point for bowl blanks was the 290 Farm Boss with a 20" chain. Works just fine as long as I keep the chain sharp :) The 290/20" is a popular combination for turners in my neck of the woods. Of course more is more and it sounds like you've done your research and really want the 361 so go for it. I would also recomend the Stihl hard hat / ear muff / face mask combo; it's very comfortable, well made, and great for yard work in addition to using the chain saw.

[George Sanders]

Two years ago I plunked down the money for a Still farm boss 290 with a 20" chain. I have been cutting osage orange for firewood ever since. Just have to keep the chain sharp. I don't rip cut anything with it and I think the 290 would be underpowered for that purpose. It has fit my needs perfectly.

[Ian Abraham]

Just have to keep the chain sharp.

Thats probably the MOST important thing, well next to making sure it has oil :D A ms290 with a sharp chain will outcut a ms660 with a dull chain any day :rolleyes:

Ian

[Paul Downes]

I just got a 385xp Husqvarna. Love this saw. It is a bit heavy for the average weekend sawyer, but I cut wood for the furnace and also work clearing log jams and general woodlot forstry. I had been using a 029 stihl, still use it when I have to carry a saw some distance. Mostly it's my back-up saw. I would get a saw that will handle the bar length you might need. A 029, or 290 will work well with a 20" bar O.K. I size the bar based more on the idea that I don't like bending over to cut wood. If you are a tall person a bigger saw that will handle a longer bar might be a better combination. My 385 is equiped with a 24" bar and I also have a 42" bar that is going to go with the alaskan clone mill soon.
I find that I'm cutting firewood considerably faster with the bigger saw and I don't notice the extra weight untill I have to carry it a ways. Husky will consistantly out cut the competition. When My brother-in-law logging co. owners switched to husky they averaged 8 -10 more trees per saw per day. I bought the saw on e-bay, some power equipment dealer out of ILL. They beat any other price I found by $75. Stihl does make a reliable saw. Just consider that the 290 uses, I think, .325 chain. 3/8 chain is more common and you have a few more choices in chain type in that size.

[Jason Solodow]

I have to toss my two cents in on this one. I've got a Husqvarna 55 Rancher with an 18" bar on it, and I love it. I've used it for cutting bowl and platter blanks out of logs and had it running for as much as 10 hours a day and it works great. I love it.. I'm planning on buying a new and bigger saw, and it will definetly be another Husqvarna. Or two actually, truthfully maybe three of the... ;)

[Dennis Peacock]

Well.....

Let's just say that I've decided on a <B>STIHL MS361</B> as of right now.;) It is a Pro level saw and I'm NOT a Pro unless it's a PRO-crastinator in which I'm very astute at.:rolleyes: :o :D

[Paul Downes]

Dennis, I think you are makeing a good choice. I meant to mention in my previous post that the 290 is a might underpowered in my opinion. I believe this is why they use .325 chain on that saw. I don't believe you can put a bar longer than 20" on that saw and have decent cutting power. If you are of a stout stature (I'm NOT calling you fat), consider getting a size bigger than the 361. Check on the manufacturers web site to see what the longest recomended bar length is. This will give you an idea of what performance to expect as far as chip pulling power. Of course a sharp chain with properly filed rakers will throw some serious chips. You know as well as anyone that there is no substitute for HP. Of course, if you have all day, you can piddle around with an anemic saw and be satisfied.:D :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dennis..........30 years ago I bought a Pro-level McCullough(sp?). It still runs like the day I bought it. They don't manufacture or sell those anymore but a lot of local loggers use Stihl. Unless the price is just totally outrageous, I'll always buy a pro-level tool over a weekend warrior/homeowner modlel. Good luck with you decison and purchase!

[Mark Cothren]

Here's a suggestion on how to decide....:D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/markfromark/dueling_saws.jpg

[Joe Mioux]

Dennis,

Buy what you need to cut the wood you cut.

Don't buy bigger than your needs. Bigger saws means bigger trees can be cut down... and some of those trees may mean an accident. You may not cut trees down, but someone reading this thread may.

Last fall, I serviced a funeral of a very good customer of mine. Mark, was 40 years old and grew up in the timber. His dad and grandpa were woodsmen in every sense of the word.

Their family owns a sawmill. Unfortunately, one day while Mark was logging, the tree kicked out and killed him. He was only about a 1/4 mile away from his parents house. zMark's co-worker ran to the house to get his mom. She is a nurse. She could not help her son.

Mark was an expert in felling trees. He probably was in the timber before he was potty trained. He knew what he was doing. However, accidents happen.

I don't mean to throw ice water on this thread. I really don't. I have been reading and re-reading this thread and listening to what everyone is saying about bigger chainsaws. I have vasilated on posting my comments but I decided to go ahead and put my feelings into words.

As you can tell, this thread has really struck a nerve with me.

I just want to remind everyone of the dangers associated with chainsaws and trees.

Sincerely
Joe

[Dennis Peacock]

Thanks for the reminder Joe. Consider it taken to heart.

I'm not going to get more saw that I really need. I don't need the extra weight and the extra cost of running a very large saw. I just want one that is reliable, will cut what I need it to cut and no more.

Thanks Joe. :)

[Mark Cothren]

Joe,

I sure hate to hear about the fatal accident you described. My sympathies.

I had an experience recently where I was dropping a fairly large Ash that had been struck by lightning. When the tree started to fall it popped and kicked out - luckily away from me. It happened in a split second and there is no way I could have gotten myself out of the way in time. It was a very scary experience and I can easily see how you can get hurt - or killed - from this happening.

My FIL has cut a lot of trees over the years. I now understand better why he "breaks and runs" as soon as a tree starts leaning.

Thanks for the caution.