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Thread: Chainsaw advice

  1. Quote Originally Posted by Matt Meiser View Post
    Now take it somewhere for service. A lot of dealers will put you at the end of the line for service on an item bought at a big box.
    Are you suggesting over-paying to get in the front of the line for over-priced service?

  2. #17
    I call it the "Economy of Quality", purchase a quality tool only once. For my chainsaw money it's a Stihl. Own a 036 Pro and a 066 Magnum. Both have cut many cords of firewood over the years and I expect them to cut many more in the future. Don't neglect to invest in PPE also, chaps and a helmet with muffs and face guard.

    Having said that, if you only cut a small tree down now and then, a throw away saw should suffice. I still recommend the PPE though.

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Monroe View Post
    Having said that, if you only cut a small tree down now and then, a throw away saw should suffice. I still recommend the PPE though.
    Or a trip to the rental yard when you need the saw. I foresee the throw-away one not starting after it's sat for a while.

    As above, avoid using ethanol gas.
    Last edited by Peter Kelly; 05-13-2013 at 4:28 PM.

  4. #19
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    Stihl recommends premium fuel and their synthetic oil and no sea foam.

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Earnest Riley Thornton View Post
    Are you suggesting over-paying to get in the front of the line for over-priced service?
    As opposed to the high level of service you get from the big box?


  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Kelly View Post
    Or a trip to the rental yard when you need the saw. I foresee the throw-away one not starting after it's sat for a while.
    Only problem with that is usually when you need it most is when everyone and their brother is looking for one!


  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Meiser View Post
    Now take it somewhere for service. A lot of dealers will put you at the end of the line for service on an item bought at a big box. Not sure if Husqvarna sells different machines at big boxes than dealers, but the big box Deere tractors are significantly lower quality. My dealer says they often end up "totaled" after a couple years. I don't get this as it seems like it just hurts the brand image.
    The husky saws are the same saw if they have the same number. I would assume that the good dealers also sell the line of saws that start with 1xx. I don't know if the same is still true, but anything less than 3 as the first number, except maybe for a limbing saw with XP after the nuber (if there was one) wouldn't be that great unless it was old enough to be a 262 or a 288 or 2100 (those saws would all be a handful for anyone, anyway).

    Long ago, I got a 350 when sears was clearing them out. Falls in the same range (mid grade) of saws as the MS 290 or the husky rancher, or dolmar 510. I'd get it at a dealer if I bought now, just because I appreciate the dealer model and the box stores are long past the point where they sell anything good cheaply. Our local pro places have the same price. Only thing I've needed, though, is a replacement fuel line, and need to go no further than the bench to fix that.

    Mid grade saws like the 350 (or whatever it is now) and the MS 290 are as low as I would go, also. They are decent saws that aren't designed to throw away. The 350s have some muffler issues, but that's a separate discussion and a good user who knows how to tighten a nut can avoid them.

  8. #23
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    I have both a Stihl and a Husqvarna. I tend to use the Husky most of the time as it's got about 17cc more power but only weighs about a pound more. You can't go wrong with either brand.

    As others have said, unless you're going after a throw away saw, find a dealer. It's harder to find a Husky dealer, but I like their saws, so I drove a little further to buy my Husky.

    For most, there is no reason to go beyond the farmer/rancher models. I've had the same model Stihl that Jim mentioned for 9 years. I heat my house with wood. It's paid for itself many times over. I also use it with my Alaskan Mini-Mill. It's never missed a beat. I've only had the Husqvarna for a couple of years, (576XP) but its become my go to saw because of its weight/power ratio.
    John Bailey
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  9. #24
    I've got a stihl also, has always started and ran ok, but there may be other brands. As mentioned above, I think that Dolmar makes a good saw.

    As for the bar, it's always good to climb with a shorter bar, and a long bar can cut bigger logs. And now that I'm older, lighter would be better also.

    For fuel, I use normal, ethonalized regular unleaded, with stihl oil, and when I am done with the saw, I pour the gas out and put in some stihl premix that comes in the cans. Not cheap, but it's cheaper than a new carburetor.

  10. #25
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    You didn't state what your needs are and that makes all the difference. Occasional, homeowner type use can be met very nicely with almost any saw and the Poulan saws that some folks spit on are actually made quite well and run a long time. I wouldn't buy one if I planned to cut 10 cords of wood a year, every year, but they are fine for their intended use. You can never go wrong buying a pro saw - white handled Stihl saws, or XP model Husqvarna, and they are a pleasure to use, but you will be paying a lot more than needed if you don't plan or need to do a lot of cutting. Define your needs, then go from there. Then consider how mechanically inclined you are. If you like doing your own maintenance then a lower end saw from the BORG may be fine. If you don't know anything about chainsaws, and don't want to, then you should only buy from an authorized dealer where you can get them to do whatever service it needs. My last advise - don't buy too big. A 14" bar can easily cut down a 28" dia. tree. More importantly, a small saw is light and won't tire you out like a heavier saw.

    John

  11. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by John TenEyck View Post

    A 14" bar can easily cut down a 28" dia. tree. More importantly, a small saw is light and won't tire you out like a heavier saw.

    John
    John is correct about the weight. My two saws, Stihl MS 290 (56cc)and Husqvarna 576XP (73cc), are 13 lb. and 14 lbs. As I get older I find myself looking for a good 40/45cc saw that weighs around 10 lbs. That saw with a 16/18" bar would take care of all my needs except the milling I do.
    John Bailey
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  12. #27
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    One more vote for the Stihl fan here. I say even for the guy like me who uses a chainsaw maybe once or twice a year the Stihl makes since. Even if I haven't started the beast in over 2 years, it will start on the 2nd or 3rd pull and run all day. My one an only chainsaw I have ever owned is a Stihl I inherited for my dad. He bought it some time in the early 80s. When I first got it about 20 years ago, I took it to a Stihl dealer who gave it a good tune up and showed me how to use it. It has never failed to start and I think cuts better with a dull chain than most cheap saws do with a sharp chain. Plus, I think you might be able to find a used one at a Stihl dealer shop for not much more than a cheap home center model. Trust me, that used Stihl will be twice the saw as just about any other brand. Get a Stihl and it will be the last chain saw you ever buy.
    Larry J Browning
    There are 10 kinds of people in this world; Those who understand binary and those who don't.

  13. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Bailey View Post
    John is correct about the weight. My two saws, Stihl MS 290 (56cc)and Husqvarna 576XP (73cc), are 13 lb. and 14 lbs. As I get older I find myself looking for a good 40/45cc saw that weighs around 10 lbs. That saw with a 16/18" bar would take care of all my needs except the milling I do.
    John, how you liken the 576? I have a 576 AutoTune that has been porter by Mastermind in Tenn. It really rips

    I work on saws quite a bit and like playing with them. Basically Stihl and Husky make two lines of saws they call the Pro and Homeowner or casual use saws. The pro saws have magnesium crankcases as opposed to plastic. The pro saws are better quality and have a better power to weight ratio. If you are not going to do a lot of cutting "homeowners" are ok. For most people dealer support is critical. I personally will not own an overweight underpowered POS that are some of the Stihl's and Husky's, but that's just me. Pro saws are easier to work on too.

    If there is a good Dolmar dealer near you that would be my choice. Even most of the lower end Dolmars have pro features and are superior to low end Stihl & Husky. All the Dolmars I have owned have been very good. I feel sorry for people who pay good money for a saw and because it says Stihl or Husky on it think it is top of the line.

    I payed $400 for my 2153 Jonsered which is a 346Husky. My 576AT was $700 powerhead only and $200 for the port work. I consider those very good prices for those saws.

  14. #29
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    No argument that pro saws are the best built, have the best power to weight ratio, and are easier to work on. From what I've heard the 576 AT is an incredible saw. But until the OP tells us what his needs are we are just speculating and offering personal preferences with no real knowledge of what would serve him best. And I would not count out a homeowner Stihl. I thought they were junk until my neighbor bought one, the little MS190 which looks like a toy. He knows nothing about chainsaws and doesn't want too, so he brings it to me for service. He runs the snot out of that thing. He must have a hundred hours on it over the past 3 years. All I've had to do is sharpen chains and blow it out with air now and then. It just runs and runs and with a sharp chain it cuts very well, and at 8.6 lbs it won't tire you out. Yeah, it's mostly plastic. So what? My brother has an old Poulan that he paid less than $100 for, which is also mostly plastic, that he must have 200 hours on by now. I rebuilt the carb. last year, after nearly 20 years, and fabbed a new chain tensioner for it. $12 total. It cuts like a maniac. Personally, I have mostly pro quality saws, including Shindaiwa and Husqvarna, but my Stihl landowner saw (MS 290) cuts pretty well, too, after I opened up the muffler and reset the carb. For what it was made for it does a fine job. Sorry, this was a long winded way of saying buy what fits your needs.

    John

  15. #30
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    I'm a property manager for a 1000 acre private estate and run a saw at least once a week and often much more frequently. Much of the property is wooded on steep slopes, with several winding drives. Anytime there's a storm, a tree or branch comes down that gets sawed up. I have 3 Stihls at work and reach for the 16" ms 260 pro most often. It's light and cuts great with a sharp chain. The big 046 only get broken out when something over 30" drops. Definitely can't go wrong with a mid range Stihl. That being said, at home I run a cheapo Husky and couldn't be happier. It's super light and starts every time. As said before its all plastic but as long as your not dropping it on concrete it will hold up fine. I also happen to have 5 or 6 vintage Homelite monsters and boxes of new parts I inherited from my grandfather who owned 2 Homelite dealerships.

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