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To Stihl or not to Stihl

does a good small pro saw exist

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Rob

02-17-2003 11:44:43




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I had bad very luck with one Stihl (I think it was an 026) some years ago, got rid of it after a year of unreliable expense and shied away from them ever since. I went back to Jonsered with which I had always been happy. Last week I burned out the motor in my little 2045 Jonsered. I can't complain as I used it a lot and hard - I knew I had too small a saw but had had a back operation and couldn't lift anything heavier comfortably so I had to pay the price. It was a good little saw.

Long story short: My back is better so I bought another (bigger) Jonsered, a 2159 to use only on the bigger hardwood. I am satisfied with it - it turns awful fast but it sure kicks nicely through the big stuff. Now I need a little saw for cuttin fenceposts and softwood lumbering, something I can use for limbing, fencing and carrying around on the tractor.

I've been looking at Husky, Stihl and another Jonsered, around the 40 - 45 cc range for the lightness. This means a Stihl 25 or MS 260 or a Jonsered 2145 or 2150. Husky was my first choice but the dealer says the small Huskies are all made by Poulan. I also see that Husky, Jonsered and Poulan are all made by Electrolux anyway but for some reason I wanted to try a Husky. It seems everyone who has them likes them.

So I burned up a Jonsered (not its fault) which I liked and everyone is now telling me to give Stihl another chance. My question, after all this long-windedness, is: Is there a good light saw out there that won't break your back but is made for serious use? This time I will use it for the smaller stuff only and try to keep it up. I'd appreciate any thoughts you all have.

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Andy

02-21-2003 10:12:03




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
I bought a husky 246 (I think the new model is the same with different number) about 5 years ago. it's about identical in size to a 026. It has been great. It's a little screamer. I'm on the 2nd bar and about the 6th chain. No problems other than a recoil rope.



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jokers

02-19-2003 19:18:32




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
Hi Rob, hard as this may be to believe, your dealer is wrong about all the small Huskies being made by Poulan. The 136 and 141 are built in a Poulan plant with parts that don`t match up with any Poulan saws. All the other Huskies have the black metal "Made In Sweden" tag on them somewhere and there aren`t any Poulan plants in Sweden. The fact that the big E owns all three brands shouldn`t be alarming, pretty typical for a large corporation. I have a 345 which I bought cheap new with the intention of it being a loaner saw and for use riding on the back of the four wheeler all the time and it has been a darn good saw. I`ve had it about two years now and it has seen alot of action in trail building and maintenance and my father has cut about 10 face cord of firewood with it and it`s doing just fine. As WRW pointed out, the 346xp is the pro model in this range but the 351(now 353) and Jonsy 2149(now 2152) share bottom end components with the 346, just the port style and timing is different on these models to give them a more tractable powerband than the 346xp. If you want to go Stihl it would have to be the MS260 to be comparable to the 346, just go with the standard version as the fixed jet Intellicarb on the Pro model can be a real hassle. Believe me, I know first hand. Russ

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M.R.

02-19-2003 11:16:32




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
Check out the specs. on the 540 I like this saw better than my 26Pro.

Copy & Paste
Link



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Craig M

02-18-2003 15:59:52




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
I have a Stihl 032 and an 038. Got them about 20 years ago to cut firewood as a side job. (We had some land we wanted to clear the wood off ofand sold firewood as a way to make a little extra $$$.) Anyway for the last several years they have only done light duty. But they have held up great with just normal maintenance. I think the real answer is what do you feel best about and what dealers are available and how is their support of the product.

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Don LC

02-18-2003 07:07:30




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
Sounds like a no brainer to me, buy a small Jonsered,they seem to work for you!



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Eddie

02-18-2003 06:24:51




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
I work as a tree trimmer for the utility company.(asplundh) We use Huskies as our big saws and Echos for our small saws. Like anything you can get a lemon anywhere but I would consider the Echo. They make a 4500 model with a 14 inch bar. I also agree to find a local dealer you may trust and see what he may have to offer. If you do have problems its nice to have someone close to complain to. Good luck and be safe!

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Bret

02-18-2003 05:45:41




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
Not sure this still goes, but when I was selling Husky the grey topped saws were consumer models, the orange topped were pros. Husky and Jonsered used basicaly the same motor just different set ups, kinda like chevy and gmc trucks. Stihls were always heavier and didn't "hang" as well for me as a husky. They were tough though. Stihl hit the market a bit earlier than Husky in my area and the guys were switching from Pioneer/McCollough/Homelite to Stihl and then to Husky because they were so much ligter. Sachs/Dolmar made a good saw as did Olympik/OleoMac. I still would go with Husky or Jonsered. I have a big old Poulan thats a cutting fool, but it leaks and falls apart constantly, 2 Sachs that are fine as long as I can get parts and a 2100 Husky I built out of parts that is the single most reliable saw I've ever owned.

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WRW

02-18-2003 04:35:20




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
If you want a new saw in that size range and you want to try a Husky, the 346XP is a professional grade saw. Don't settle for anything less.



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TAB

02-17-2003 20:14:15




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
My dad and I each have a Stihl 018 with a 14" bar and we both really like it. In fact, we each have larger saws, but rarely ever use them because the 018 seems to handle about 90% of the jobs. We do not do any commercial work, but I have spent the last two weeks cleaning out a fencerow cutting everything from sprouts to 18" dia. trees with it. The no tools chain tensioner works real well, too. Who knows, the saw might not hold up in commercial use, but we really like our 018's and would recommend one for a "light" saw.

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Butcher

02-17-2003 17:38:13




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
I'm in the nursery/landscape bussiness. Have Stihl products from weed eaters to cement saws and everything in between. use2 .026's almost daily. They get the living s#%*! beat out of them. Never had a problem with either one. As with any 2 stroke the gas mix is very important. So is sharp chains and gep 'em clean around the spocket, spark arrester, and the air filter is crusial.



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John in MA

02-17-2003 16:43:39




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
The bottom few Husqvarna (like the 136 and 141)saws are made by Poulan, and should be avoided if you're looking for a pro saw. All but two Jonsered models are actually repainted Huskys. Good quality in either brand.

Stihl is widely known for its pro saws, like the 026. Those are great machines. However, the consumer saws (021, 025, 029, etc--odd numbers) are overpriced for what they offer. I would choose the brand based on your local dealer and what prices you can get. Any of the pro models from Stihl or Electrolux are high quality.

Other brands to consider are Makita (German Dolmar saws), Solo (another German), Shindaiwa, new John Deer (by Efco in Italy) and Echo. All are close to, equal to, or better than the similar sized brands S and H saws.

By the way, don't be tempted to get a really little saw like a Stihl 020 or Husky 335XPT. Those are tree saws and should only be used in that setting.

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Harmon Seaver

02-17-2003 15:42:25




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
Gee, I've never owned any saws but Stihls and never will. I used to be a logger and owned a small sawmill for awhile. Never had much problem with my Stihls. I only cut up my firewood now, but the last saws I bought, an 045 and an 015, I've had since '75 and that 045 was doing daily production work for 7 years of it's life. On the other hand, like KEG said, you can get a lemon in any brand. And you can also find lousy mechanics working most anywhere. Hard to believe they couldn't fix the starting problems, but then I never let anybody else work on my machinery.

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bob

02-17-2003 15:30:07




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
Stihl 020 or new style Stihl 021. I've had great luck with both.



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hay

02-17-2003 15:22:12




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
i bought a new stihl 3 years ago and had nothing but trouble with it. mostly hard to start. had it to the repair shop numerous times and i am about to get rid of it and get something more reliable. i sure am disappointed in the stihl quality. always heard good reports about them, but maybe i just got a lemon. still, i think i am going back to poulan because of price and popularity. LOL



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Dave in Mo

02-17-2003 15:16:55




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
Stay away from Stihl. I'm VERY sorry I bought my 025. After very little service, the e-ring fell off the shaft and ate up the clutch/needle bearing. Cost for repair was 97 bucks..... ....and out of warranty because being a homeowner, I ran very little thru it the first year.



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John in MA

02-17-2003 16:36:22




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 Re: Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Dave in Mo, 02-17-2003 15:16:55  
The 025 is a so-so consumer saw, and they had a problem with those E-rings for a while. Stihl's pro saws are excellent, but their consumer offerings leave much to be desired quality and price-wise.



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KEG

02-17-2003 15:12:09




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 Re: To Stihl or not to Stihl - does a good small pro saw exist in reply to Rob, 02-17-2003 11:44:43  
Before I bought my Husqvarna 141 I went to several arborist discussion forums. Seems most respondents really liked Huskys and I really like mine. But Stihls always received good recommendations, too. I don't use mine on a daily basis, but it has been good so far. I think the reason you're having a problem choosing between the Jonsered, Husky and Stihl is that they are all good. But some lemons do sneak through the assembly line. How to avoid 'em is a tough one.

KEG

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