Do I really need a top handle saw???

Anonymous-0 · May 3, 2012

Just want to have something smaller than my MS250 to clean up around/in pastures (down branches etc) and I have a bunch of 4-8 inch wood to cut up. And will always have sawmill slabs to cut up (maybe a cord ?? a year) always with feet on the ground... Reading about the MS192T on the stihl site it says "for in tree professional use only"
Is that to keep me and bubba from ramboing it and cutting our head open if it kicks back? Or are they just unhandy for ground work? Goose says he's happy with the MS170, is that the route I should be looking at also?

I've been known to push the safety limit now and then.....

glennster · May 3, 2012

i have an ms170 and really like it for a trim saw. light weight, easy to handle, runs good too.

Zachary Hoyt · May 3, 2012

The T saws are designed to be light weight for arborists who are
climbing trees while roped to the tree with a harness. An older
friend who used to do that work told me that they are not expected
to last nearly as many hours of run time as a regular Stihl because
in the tree you would start the saw, make a cut and stop it again,
move to your next position and repeat, etc, rather than running it
non-stop while cutting up a log for firewood.
Zach

wisbaker · May 3, 2012

I two have a MS170, fine little saw for dealing with brush & limbs. It
has the Stihl Picco chain, that's Stihl speak for low kick-back novice
saw user chain. Do I really need it? No Dad's old Echo is a horse and
will do a lot more, but I got the Stihl first, mom gave me dad's saw
after he passed.

Anonymous-0 · May 3, 2012

I have a MS 170 which is a good saw. About 8 years ago I bought an Echo 3400 12" bar for topping and cleaning up small stuff. I use the Echo 90% of the time because its lighter and easier to get around in cleaning up tops than the MS170. I have never used MS 192T but have used the MS200T and its a good saw but to snappy for me its a saw you really have to hang on to. When cutting wood I wear all the protection gear .

TGIN · May 3, 2012

I bought a Jonsered top handle last yr. when the local dealer put some on sale for $300 . It is one of them deals where you dont know how you ever got along without it !! Big saws spend most of there time sittin in the shop now .

Anonymous-0 · May 3, 2012

(quoted from post at 14:49:00 05/03/12) I bought a Jonsered top handle last yr. when the local dealer put some on sale for $300 . It is one of them deals where you dont know how you ever got along without it !! Big saws spend most of there time sittin in the shop now .

What kind of work do you do with it??? Is it handier than just a small normal handled saw?
Just got off the phone with a stihl dealer and the guy wouldn't even talk to me about a top handle when I told him I wasn't a tree climber....
There is a 14" hitachi top handle w/ 7 year warrenty (not that it'd do me any good) for 220 bucks.. same for a tanaka..
Want a stihl but they are too expensive here. Called the one dealer with the idea of him selling me a saw (recommending the best one), paying, and having my buddy go pick it up according to procedure and mail it to me.... The person I had on the phone was kinda arrogant and the conversation didn't get far.... May have to go another route...

Anonymous-0 · May 3, 2012

Dave I cut my own fire wood and cut 3 to 7 cord a year. Iam like TGIN I cut up the biggest part of my fire wood with the top handle Echo and I don't climb trees. To me they are easier to handle compared to the conventional saw. Echo has a 5 year warranty and Stihl has a 1 year warranty. If you buy a new saw buy it from a dependable dealer incase you need it serviced.

Anonymous-0 · May 3, 2012

we work on a lot of brands of saws at the shop and the t-435 husqvarna seems to be the best in the small pro market--stihl is always chasing their technology

chevytaHOE5674 · May 3, 2012

Top handled saws were designed for "in tree use". I have 3 of them that I use when climbing and find them very uncomfortable to use on the ground. With both hands on top of the saw you don't have much leverage on the saw so it can kick back very easy. For me having both hands that close and on top of the saw gets very uncomfortable if cutting for any length of time.

paul · May 3, 2012

Had to look that model up to see what a top handle is. I see.... Yes, I would think regular cutting would be terribly unhandy without being able to get the leverage on the saw.

Learned something new.

--->Paul

Phil in Pa · May 4, 2012

For years my 015 was the only saw I owned. I cut many a pickup load of wood with that thing, if you keep the chain sharp leverage isn't an issue.

Mattlt · May 4, 2012

I have an OLD Homelite Super 2 that is great for limbing and other small work. It's worked well for me, but just isn't big enough.

My buddies and I would cut firewood to raise funds to take hunting trips back when we were in our 20's. They had bigger saws; I got stuck cutting all the brush with my little saw.

Do I really need a top handle saw???

Anonymous-0

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glennster

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Zachary Hoyt

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wisbaker

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Anonymous-0

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TGIN

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