What inexpensive chainsaw do you recomend?

[Bill Wyko]

There's a big 5 foot piece of a tree sitting in a dirt lot down the street from me and it's too heavy to lift. I've got to get this before someone beats me to it. So I need a chain saw.:D

[Curt Fuller]

A coldpack and a couple buddies would probably get the wood while you save up for a nice Husky or Stihl.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bill - you're a business leader of your community and bound to know lots of folks - just borrow one for an hour.

[Jim Becker]

Rent one, Bill...don't buy an inexpensive chainsaw...save for a good one.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bill............Save your money and buy a good one! I did 30 years ago when I was heating with wood in Central Oregon. I bought a professional model. Even though it has set as long as 5-7 years without being started, fresh gas, oil and a few tugs on the cord. It still starts.......Best bang for the buck is buying a good one up front. Saves on frustration too!

[Bob Hallowell]

Bill,
Normally I don't recommend a crapsman for anything, That be said I have a 16" and an 18" craftsman both bought form sears as returns or refurbs. I have been using them for years and I cut about 4 cord every year for heat.

Bob

[Kevin Day]

i wouldnt take a craftsman if you gave it to me there just a poulan with diffrent color plastic
junk save for a stihl

kevin

[Patrick Taylor]

I had a craftsman that broke, and I took the return credit towards a husky. VERY glad I did. Too many things to go wrong with chainsaws.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Normally I would not contradict these guys; however I used a 14" Poulan for almost a year before it pooped out. I paid $99.00 and it was worth every penny I paid for it. It cut a ton of blanks and had I given it more care it probably lasted longer.:)

[Jim Stoppleworth]

Normally I would not contradict these guys; however I used a 14" Poulan for almost a year before it pooped out. I paid $99.00 and it was worth every penny I paid for it. It cut a ton of blanks and had I given it more care it probably lasted longer.:)

Normally neither would I, but two years ago I needed a chainsaw and didn't have the cash for a good one. So I got a $99 Homecraft and it sawed a ton of blanks while I saved for a Husky 455. Ditto on the better care statement for it to have lasted longer. Sure do love the Husky now.

Jim

[paul ashman]

The other posts are correct, borrow right now and save for a good saw. I have an older stihl, and would not trade it for any new inexpensive saw.

[Bill Blasic]

I just bought a Stihl 180 CB two nights ago, $219. Consider that an Echo at the box store is $269 (with less HP). I just replaced my Poulan Wild Thing that I bought off EBAY for $69 five years ago. For the umpteenth time I dropped a log on the Poulan and this time the handle got broke. I will replace the handle as the saw still runs like a bear and will have it as a backup. I can not badmouth the Poulan as it has cut a lot of wood. I also have an 066 Stihl that I use for felling and on the Alaskan Chain Saw Mill and this thing will run for ever, the reason for buying the 180!

[Mark Pruitt]

Rent one, Bill...don't buy an inexpensive chainsaw...save for a good one.
Excellent advice and I agree 100%!


Normally I would not contradict these guys; however I used a 14" Poulan for almost a year before it pooped out. I paid $99.00 and it was worth every penny I paid for it. It cut a ton of blanks and had I given it more care it probably lasted longer.:)
Chris, I have that same saw, the 14" Poulan. I have to tell you, I hate the thing for a few reasons. First, the 14" bar does not give me enough length to control my cut, resulting in it going off in whatever direction it wants. My 20" Stihl, OTOH, does not present that problem. Second, the Stihl will start on a dime whereas I have to fuss and fight the Poulan to make it start. The Poulan also floods far more easily, increasing downtime. I've kept my Poulan only for a backup and for crosscutting of small logs. Well, there was also this embarrasing moment two weeks ago when I got my Stihl pinched in a log and had to use the Poulan to cut it out.:o Thank God the Poulan actually started for me that time.

[William Bachtel]

I agree rent, or borrow one, and save up for a good one solo, husky,

[Henry Cavanaugh]

I agree dont buy junk.If my Stihl wasnt working I would get my son or neighbor,freind on the other side of my two person saw. A bow saw could be used with one or two people. if the workout is too difficult then renting is an excellent option.

[Bill Wyko]

How much is a decent chainsaw like a husky?

[Patrick Taylor]

How much is a decent chainsaw like a husky?

I bought this 18" Husky at Sears for $230 and it was almost an even swap for the broken (with warranty) craftsman 20". I'd trade the 2" for the extra quality again in a heartbeat. It looks like they have a 20" husky for $399 too.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Power+Lawn+Equipment&pid=07135267000&vertical=LAWN&subcat=Chain+Saws&BV_SessionID=@@@@1789231848.1181842073@@@@&BV_EngineID=cckgaddlejfiejgcefecemldffidfmg.0

[Mike Vickery]

Chainsaws are like lathes price is very dependent.

Husky or stihl have consumer lines and Pro line. Th pro stuff is costly.

For consumer type stuff a 45 to 55 cc saw run anywhere between $260 to $340 ish.
http://www.norwalkpower.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=84
This place has prices that are about average though I have heard some get good deals on Husky's on E-bay.

[Patrick Taylor]

Chainsaws are like lathes price is very dependent.

Husky or stihl have consumer lines and Pro line. Th pro stuff is costly.


The one I bought is most certainly consumer... but that's ok for my needs. I still believe the quality is there, even if it's not meant to be used 10hrs/day. Does anyone know if Husky outsources the production of their consumer line? I hope not...

[Bernie Weishapl]

Bill I had a C-man and Husky. Sold them both and bought a Stihl. It was around $400 with all the oil, extra chain, etc. I haven't looked back since.

[Bill Wyko]

Does anyone have a good used one they want to sell or trade for?:)

[Ron Fleice]

Yeah ...I have a Poulan for sale!! LOLhttp://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon10.gif
Ron

[Benjamin Dahl]

Bill, if you find a local Stihl dealer who deals with a decent size client base they probably could set you up with a nice trade-in. I bought my stihl new but the dealer had some used that did not look trashed. If you go to the Stihl website I think you can do a zip code search and they list dealers on the different services they offer. you could also try the 'bay but might not be as certain to what you are getting.
Ben

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Excellent advice and I agree 100%!


Chris, I have that same saw, the 14" Poulan. I have to tell you, I hate the thing for a few reasons. First, the 14" bar does not give me enough length to control my cut, resulting in it going off in whatever direction it wants. My 20" Stihl, OTOH, does not present that problem. Second, the Stihl will start on a dime whereas I have to fuss and fight the Poulan to make it start. The Poulan also floods far more easily, increasing downtime. I've kept my Poulan only for a backup and for crosscutting of small logs. Well, there was also this embarrasing moment two weeks ago when I got my Stihl pinched in a log and had to use the Poulan to cut it out.:o Thank God the Poulan actually started for me that time.Hmmm, let's see...hate your Poulan but it saved your cookies. I never had those problems with mine but then experiences do vary. I too now own a Stihl (MS 260 Pro) and love it but when you only have limited money and need the equipment, the cheaper saw will give a year or more duty and that may be just the ticket for some. It was for me and I don't regret it a bit. I will agree that if you can wait that's probably the best way to go, but for some, waiting just doesn't fly.;) :)

[Mike Vickery]

The one I bought is most certainly consumer... but that's ok for my needs. I still believe the quality is there, even if it's not meant to be used 10hrs/day. Does anyone know if Husky outsources the production of their consumer line? I hope not...

The same company makes Poulan and Husky's. In some chainsaw forums they claim that the smaller Husky's are basically just Poulans with the husky logo on it. Not sure how true it is. A buddy of mine has that same saw, he bought it to replace a Poulan he had and he is very happy with it so far. He has only had it about three months though so who knows.

I have a 45 cc stihl and if I had to do it over again I would have probably gotten a bigger one probably about 55cc's. I am happy with it though, it starts everytime and cuts wood when I need it to.

[Patrick Taylor]

The same company makes Poulan and Husky's. In some chainsaw forums they claim that the smaller Husky's are basically just Poulans with the husky logo on it. Not sure how true it is.

Even if the same plant makes them, they have different designers so I suspect that the components are different, even if the assembly methods are the same. I will point out that on my husky the fuel line came disconnected after the first use, but it was easy to fix and I expect that the factory tech just didn't get it on tight in the first place. Other than that, it's there when I need it.

[Matt Haus]

I didn't want to pay the money for a Stihl. I am happy with the Husky 455 rancher. I would rent one from Home depo if I were you. Costs around 37 for 4 hours or 45 for all day.

good luck

[Mike Vickery]

I didn't want to pay the money for a Stihl. I am happy with the Husky 455 rancher.
good luck
I hear this a lot and I am not sure where it comes from as far as I know the list price for the Husky 455 and the stihl 290 both run about $330 and are 55cc saw
For the Stihl MS 250 I paid $274 and the Husky 345 list as the same (45cc saws).
I went with a Stihl because they had service centers near me and Husky did not. I have never used a Husky so I can not compare the two brands. Unless you got a great internet deal on a Husky the prices are usually comperable.

[Ian Abraham]

Apparantly you can often get a good deal on Ex Rental saws at some HD stores. They are usually 65 cc Makita saws, made by Dolmar in Germany. They are a professional quality saw more like the top end Stihl and Husky machines.
Might get you a better grade of saw without breaking the bank. :)

Cheers

Ian

[Christopher Zona]

I have to jump on the band wagon with the rest.

I just went through the pain of having a Poulan burn out after three uses. Now I know why they call it Poulan, because you have to pull on it and pull on it.

It's been set aside to make room for a Stihl MS 341, or the MS 361 in the states. It's a bit heavier than the non-pro saws in it's range, but the anti-vibration features are wonderful. Add a 20" bar and you almost want to cut more than turn. I said "almost".

What a fun saw.