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Best chainsaw?

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rrman61

Well-known Member
I know I?m opening up a can of worms here but I need a new saw can I get your saw choice in a couple words not to cause an argument (ya right)?i want a mid range saw;not cheap and not top of the line 16 or 18 inch bar.will use it 8-10 hrs a year and I rather have a little too much power than not enough
 
I have had good success with Husqvarna. Have the smaller Lowes sold model for light trimming, and the 372XP for heavy duty cutting. A Husky Rancher could be a good middle road for you as far as power and bar size you are wanting for the cost.
 
Yes, fighting will commence sooner than later.

I hear good things about the newer Husqvarna saws.

I don't think you can go wrong with a Stihl. They don't cost THAT MUCH.
I own two Stihl saws even though I'm the kind of guy that breaks things, and I don't always take care of them well. Pay once up front, rather than multiple times.

Walk around the tree looking for embedded fencing before starting the saw.

Drain the tank and run the saw until it dies before storing it.

I also own a couple throw away saws that I bought at yard sales. They work, too.

This advice is absolutely guaranteed to be worth what you're paying for it.
 
Wish McCullough was still around my 10-10 automatic is about done was a great saw plenty of power
 
With such little use you may want to look into the newer line of battery powered saws ? or if you already have a small stand by generator an electric powered one. These will be ready to go after sitting around for years and not have to worry about fuel issues. If you look for a real dealer in your area many of them are set up to let you test run it at their shop and will have parts and service. Box stores well once you leave the store your done.
Stihl just brought out a line of battery powered stuff. They make good gas powered stuff too.
I think I seen an ad for Milwaukee tools for a battery powered one ?
Echo, I'm finding more and more I like some of their gas powered stuff. Not sure what all else they may offer ?
 
i have both stihl and husqvarna. both good saws. ethanol did bugger the carbs on a couple and got them fixed. the saw guy recommended the gallon cans of pre mix fuel. rural king has a house brand for about 10 or 15 dollars vs 30 for the stihl premix. if you have a lot of cutting, mix your own gas and oil, do the job, then dump the fuel out and put some pre mix in it and run the saw to clear out the ethanol. i run them out of fuel and store them dry. seems to help, your results may vary.
 
It depends on what is sold, serviced and parts in your area. Where I live Stihl, Echo and Husky in that order as far as parts and service. I have a MS250 16" bar and is a good saw in that size but if was to replace it would be a in the MS270 range.Echo is a good saw but we only have 2 small dealers. A lot of Husky big box stores but have no parts or service. I would check out local dealer and go with the one with parts, service and a good record of taking care of customers.
 
There have been a lot of good reviews about the new battery powered saws on U-tube by people who use chainsaws. For the amount that you plan to use one you should take a look at the reviews and go to your retailer and look at those saws. Sthil and Makita both have excellent ratings, as far as run time and cutting abilities. Go for the ones with the regular chain size.
Loren
 
Batteries go bad after a couple years,corded saws would be OK if I didn?t need the saw in remote places where a generator is not practical.i need a gas saw
 
Battery-powered saw. Friend who used only Stihl for years just switched to a battery chainsaw. He mentioned he was none too fond of the noise and fumes from gas-powered saws and gets about a tank's worth of cutting from one charged battery.

I own an assortment of noisy, stinking gas saws and would not recommend them to anyone.
 
Myself i can't say what is the best. i have had three saws in my life time . First saw was a Lombard 2.4 little lighting with a 16 inch bar , it was great till we had a twister touch down here many years ago . I was out helping with the aftermath and got home around dark ant took the saw out of my pick up and placed it on our four seasons porch that had a locking door BUT the screen was in . someone must have needed it worse then me as they cut the screen unlocked the door and took the saw gas and oil and the DOG never heard them . next saw to replace it was a Homelite 150 , It is a vibrator and will put your hands to sleep after a half hour of use but the thing is still going with only one tune up and new fuel lines . It will strt every time with eight or nine pulls no matter how long it has sat in the case and is a cutting fool and on it's third chain but they are not your big box store chains and ya can't sharpen them with a file and NOT CHEAP. , now i have a third saw shell we say DONATED to me as i found it stuffed into the huge evergreen in my ft. yard . It is like new with a 20 inch bar . Found it stuffed in the tree early one morning while walking the dog . well it's not mine so someone must have stolen it and was running when the saw headlights coming and had to ditch it as i could find no marks in the grass where it might have fallen out of someone truck and bounced up under the tree and no marks on the saw where it had road rash. So i called the cops and they came out took a report and were going to place it in lost and found and i asked him well WHAT IF nobody calms the saw and he said well after 30 days i could claim it so i claimed it as nobody ever filed a report of a missing saw. but my go to saw is the junk Homelite since the chain on it will cut anything and not get hurt, fence wire in and old tree or that old spike you did not see or if ya got to close to that rock while cutting on the ground .
 
I have three Stihl saws and all have been very good. I also owned a Stihl 029 for 18 years before selling it for about $100 less than I had paid for it. It too, was a very good saw.

That said, if buying a small saw for occasional use around the house today, I would seriously consider a LI powered saw.

Dean
 
Today gas powered chainsaws don't have to stink. With some of the new oils you don't have the smoke and
stink of the old oils . I went to Op-ti2 about 20 years ago when I bought my first new Stihl chainsaw. The
screens and inside of mufflers are clean no oil or carbon build up.
 
I have a STIHL Farm Boss 271. It's been a good saw. Got thru two nasty ice storms with it and have a spare chain. It can be a bit obstinate to start sometimes because it probably only gets used a few times every other year, depending on ice storms and limbs falling or tree removal. Probably ought to try premix fuel instead of mixing my own, but oh well.

Only bummer was loaned it out and it came back with a broken chain tensioner screw (junky pot metal, IMO). "Dealers" wanted like $15 + $10 shipping for a part I was miffed they didn't have in stock (and don't get me started on charging me shipping to get parts in from them when it could fit in a friggen 70 cent stamped envelope) -- so I scored an OEM part off ebay for like $8 and replaced it myself and it goes like a champ now.
 

I am not much into saws but I do have a little Husky. I do have a strong opinion on gas though. If you are not using a saw every week premixed gas is the only way to go.
 
Man, you got that right!! It was also the second lightest 18" saw. The Homelite XL-12 was the lightest. Unfortunately, with it's abbreviated muffler, it was also the loudest. 10-10 Auto was a well known saw, should not be difficult to find a jug and piston on the internet. Also, there are companies that re-chrome jugs (or Nickasil if you prefer) and it is not that expensive.
 
I have six Stihl saws. It's hard to beat a Farm Boss for price and features. If you need an occasional use saw, they do have home-owner models. If you don't store fuel in the saw, you won't have any trouble with any of the major brands.
I just don't think the batter powered saws are there yet. One of the questions I always have is there going to be power available to recharge the battery when and where I need the saw?

Larry
 
I don't know what kind Stihl dealer you have but I have never paid a shipping charge on anything I ordered
through my Stihl dealers.
 
If your 10-10 is down on power, make sure the muffler isn't plugged up. 8 hrs a year it shouldn't that far gone, even if it is 40 years old.
 
I have a chainsaw that I bought new in 2016, and it still works good
cvphoto19941.jpg

I also have this other method of cutting wood that I like better. Chain saws can be so noisy.
cvphoto19942.jpg
 
My brother has a 14 year old Stihl ms 250 that he cuts 5 cords or more of wood a year with he just bought another one last fall, he was so happy with the first one this way if Stihl changes them or stops producing them he has a new one. I also have 3 stihls and and very happy with them.
 
Since no one else mentioned them I have to put in a good word for Jonsered, I have 4 of them and they are all good saws, one of them is 46 years old. They are now made by the same company that owns Husqvarna and Poulan, they have all different sizes and quality. Dolmar is also a very good saw, whatever you have a dealer for, unless you can do your own maintenance, shouldn't need any repairs.
 
Lithium ions in the saws are good for about 500 charges. Have 15 year old li-ion packs that are still as good as a new one.

That said I love stihl?s. Favourite saw is a tweaked ms-361, light and all kinds of power!
 
I have a Stihl 029 farm boss and was going to get a second one as my son and I cut together some. However, the dealer recommended a Echo CS 590 Timberwolf. He said it was more saw at a cheaper (by $100) price. So, I went with the Echo and I am not sorry, It's way more saw than the Farm Boss and comes with a 20 inch bar. It definitely has more guts than the Stihl. I've had it three years now and I am not sorry.
 
I have what may be similar use to yours. My saw gets used 1-2 times a year. I bought a 18" Poulan Pro in the summer of 2012. It starts easilly every time and has done everthing I ever asked it to do.

All I do is always use fresh stablized gas and keep the chain sharp.

I know many look down on it, but for 1-2 days a year, it has worked out very well.
 
I have a small Echo that sat all winter & started on the 3rd pull this spring. My sons have Stihl & I am unable to start them. Jonsereth and Husky are good too if you have a close dealer. Echo has a 5 year warrantee which I used. My saw fell off the load of wood & broke the brake handle. They replaced it. The nose on the bar went bad & I got a new bar no charge. My chain oil was leaking & the dealer replaced a gromlet that had cracked also no charge. It is now out of warrantee but I haven't had any more issues. I mix my own using premium gas.
 
Depends on the use , is it going to be for occasional residential or heavy farm use. Used a bottom shelf Poulan for 10 yrs ,no problems, used store bought pre-mixed fuel around the residence. For farm use might want something in professional grade like stihl or echo. Our big box stores sell those 2 brands.They must use better parts cause they cost more.
 
Stihl MS260 or 261, whatever the current model is. Bottom of the Professional Line. When I bought mine best weight to HP ratio.

Just my two cents.

Paul
 
For the number of hours you will be using it, something in the Husky Rancher range should do what you need. I would consider the quality of dealer available when considering brand. You are correct in your assumption that more power is better than less if in doubt.
 
(quoted from post at 12:03:16 04/15/19) I don't know what kind Stihl dealer you have but I have never paid a shipping charge on anything I ordered
through my Stihl dealers.
Click to expand...

We have 3 in the area, and let me just say that... That experience left me unimpressed with all of them. :x
 
Don't get me wrong an Echo is a good saw I have one of their top handle saws. But you can't compare the cs590 to your 029 farm boss. The Stihl MS 311 is the same as cs 590 timberwolf and from reports that are very very close to the same performance.
 
Two of the 3 dealers we have in this area have 5 or 6 stores in a 70 mile radius and they have trucks
running between stores all day long.
 
I don't know what kind Stihl dealer you have but I have never paid a shipping charge on anything I ordered
through my Stihl dealers.
Click to expand...

We have 3 in the area, and let me just say that... That experience left me unimpressed with all of them. :x
Click to expand...

This is true in my area. The nearest Stihl dealer to me is just a couple miles away. They are a Deere dealer and a "Deeremart" type place. Once you stand around a bit and get the parts Joe off his cellphone from talking to his sweetie, 99% of the time you'll get the "we'll have to order that" type answer.

The next closest couple places are yuppie type hardware stores. Fine if you want a homeowner grade saw, but you won't find higher end products or parts beyond a sparkplug.

About 20 miles away is the place. Need a part? 99% of the time it's on the shelf. Need a saw? From homeowner to pro level, only ones they don't stock are the big muthas like MS661 or MS880 models.
 
The dealers we have around here are Elite or Gold dealers and handle from the MS 170 - MS 880 and all of the
Stihl line of products. You need to look up your Stihl dealer and see where they are rated not all dealers
are Elite, Gold or a servicing dealers.
 
I wouldn't call a 55.5 cc saw with a 20 inch bar, at $429 a small backyard saw! I do most of my firewood cutting with a smaller saw than that, I have an old 621 that is 56 cc for a big saw, That was the biggest anyone used when my dad was logging 45 years ago. Now the loggers carry a small saw in their truck to trim the load, that's about all they use them for.
 
(quoted from post at 08:00:53 04/15/19) Wish McCullough was still around my 10-10 automatic is about done was a great saw plenty of power
Click to expand...

They were good, for their time, but nowadays for a 19lb saw you can get one with 2X as much power and vibration isolation so you can still feel your hands after running a tankful of fuel through it.

My Jonsered 2266 with full tanks weighs as much as my 10-10 Pro does empty, and cuts circles around it.

There are still plenty of good 10-10's around if you're really that set on having one. Buying and selling old Macs is a hobby of mine.
 
I have Stihl, Husky, Jonsered, and 1 Echo All good saws, only gripe might be the Echo cuts slower than the rest.These are all pro models,something you probably don't need. How much are you comfortable spending is bottom line.
 
what 2510paul said is all about power to weight ,weight is a big deal , I have 036 pro I love 20 in bar skip tooth chain , look at the pro model from stihl and compare the weights to other brands
 
First off there called Jonesreds! My grandfather gave us one he got from a logger friend years ago, it's a 801, made in Sweden. 80 cc that thing cut awsome, so much power, I bought a Stihl ms460 which also cuts great it's 76ccs.
 
I've never bought a new chainsaw, instead picking mine up at garage sales, flea markets, craigslist and so on. I look them over pretty closely for signs of abuse, ask the seller to show me a cold start, and then fix anything that needs fixing when I get home. I've had really good luck with Husqvarna and McCulloch and the one Poulan I've ever owned. That saw was a brute and near impossible to start but once it fired...my goodness, that thing would cut some wood! I'm running one of those big-box store Husky 240's picked up at local flea market right now and really couldn't be much happier with its performance. When/if that one gives out I'll probably go looking for an older Stihl. I've used several but never had one of my own.
 
Boy! A lotta comments! The finest piece of equipment I have ever owned is my Dolmar 510 (50cc, 18" bar)(Dolmar is owned by Makita, made in Germany) They are now all branded Makita. Dolmar invented the chain saw and are made down the road from Stihl. Stihl is great at marketing, Dolmar is great at engineering. It also depends if you have a dealer around you that will work on the saw themselves, not send it out. My neighbor bought a Husqvarna from the big box store near us and had a running 2 year battle on fixing this saw. First they said he put straight gas in it, (he didn't) and other non fixing situations. He let it sit for a coupla years, then got tired of looking at it and started pulling it apart. didn't take him very long to find a plug wire almost loose from the coil that none of the brilliant mechanics had caught. After he fixed that, it ran well. DON'T BUY FROM A BIG BOX OR HARDWARE STORE WITHOUT THEIR OWN MECHANIC!!! I also have a small Echo top handle saw which I use now 70% of the time.
 
Watching that video of the battery saw was sorry. Maybe it's OK for cutting branches and really small stuff, but seeing how long it took to cut a 12" diameter piece puts me off one.
 
If you open the link below and scroll down to HISTORY, you will find that Dolmar developed the first gas-powered chain saws but for the previous 100 years to that, several other versions of chain saws were invented and used. So then we ask, what exactly is a chain saw? Just information if you care to read it ....
Untitled URL Link
 
If you google it it's spelled both with and without the s on the end, but I was talking about the way you spelled it in your first post, "First off there called Jonesreds! " If your going to correct people you probably should proofread!
 
You haven't been around saw much in the last 36 years because in 1979 Electrolux bought them out and in around 1983 they closed the overseas plant and shortly after that they dropped the s.
 
Yes, it does open a can of worms, LOL! I'd have to say the best saw would be one of appropriate size for the work you will be doing and one that you can get serviced and repaired locally. Personally, I do my own work and maintenance. Maintenance is really the key to keeping a saw running and performing properly. You've got all kinds of comments on brands. Personally I like Stihl, and the MS 390 I've had since '02. It is top of the line mid range. My friend has used an MS 361 for years, both of these have been very good. He picked up another slightly used, like new saw off CL, Stihl, but smaller, very good saw too.

We have a power equipment shop locally that sells and services Husqvarna and Echo. The Husqvarna Rancher I thought was a decent saw, broke in a brand new one, a friends, who uses it to help maintain this place, kind of a trade off as he hunts here. The owner of the aforementioned shop, is retired now, his partner runs it, but they still work on all the brands, and you will see many of the old Homelite and similar in there. He lives across the lane from me and sure has some interesting power equipment acquired over the years, including a few older saws. This shop supports quite a few customers with many different brands, so I'd say with a reputable brand and a good shop to support it, that will be your best saw.
 
No I haven't been around jonsereds for many years,the 801 is the only one I have, I'm a Stihl guy, love my ms 460!!! I had no idea they name was changed to jonsered, I think there's only 1 dealer around here that sells them I think,I just liked that old 801.
cvphoto19976.jpg

As you may know Stihl does NOT sell three big box stores.
 
I love our Stihl MS 440,18? bar,big and mean lol. Dealer support is almost number 1. Stihl Husqvarna Johnsered and Echo are all good saws if you have a good dealer in your area.
 
That's why I have 4 Stihls,1 Echo and 1 Husky. I like the Echo top handle better than the Stihl it is balanced better.
 
Do your self huge favor find an Echo dealer and buy 1 you will never be disappointed. I've had mine over 20 years it sets for many months with E10 in the tank and has never failed to start. After dozens of pickup loads of fire wood, I had to put a clutch in it last fall. That was also the first time the spark plug was taken out of the head. They said it looked like new so they put it back in.
 
I was just in Runnings in Moorhead MN yesterday and they have a full line of Stihl products, and they are a big box store, a huge place and many stores in the N Midwest. Our local L&M sells Stihl and they are a sort of big box store, but just N MN and WI, about 10 locations, pretty big stores. They sell Stihl, Jonsered, Husqvarna, and Remington.
 
I did not know that, I read on one of there product books a few years ago they only sell threw servicing dealers, I did work for a Stihl dealer 10 years ago.
cvphoto19983.jpg

I guess things change faster than I keep up.
 
You will pay the same price in any Stihl dealer. Stihl controls what their dealer sell products for.
 
Not true ! Not all Stihl dealers are servicing dealers. Look up stihl dealer locator and it tells what each dealer sells and if they service anything and if they do service it tell what level of service they do.
 

I bought a new chainsaw this spring... I based it on one thing, my Dad cut firewood for many years when I was a kid and he always had just one chainsaw, a stihl, and all he ever had to do to it over the years was sharpen the chain every once in a while.. That thing ran great for 15 years and never had issues. I figure if stihl could make a saw that good in the 70 s the ones they sell today ought to be pretty dang good too!
 
Watched both videos and not impressed by it. He said he cut 1/3 cord which is 1 rank and it was nowhere near that. It didn't cut nowhere near as fast as a gas powered saw. My MS 170 with the micro chain cuts faster. The only thing it would be good for is pruning.
 
Did you ever try pricing dealers? When I was looking for a MS 250 I priced about seven dealers and everyone of them wanted the same price. We have one big dealer that has 5 stores sells saws for the same price as the little one store guy down the street. Stihl protects its dealers.
 
I have had a poulan with 16" bar that was a great little saw and a Poulan Pro with 18" bar that sucks. My biggest problem is finding chains that last any length of time. I might buy one a year sometimes sharpen my own but most with 30 minutes use are dull and have to be resharpened.
 
I once knew a chicken farmer named Jones who raised reds. He called them "Jones Reds". (;>)) Maybe that's where the confusion started.
 
I like Stihls and if was to buy one, older Husquvarnas. My Stihl 025 has an 18" bar and is a great light firewood/cleanup saw. My 038 Magnum handles the bigger jobs. Both are stone reliable.
 
I have a 39 year old Homelite Super EZ. I got it from a fellow who bought it new and ran it without oil in the gas soon after he got it. It was locked up. The year was 1980. With no initial investment, I rebuilt the engine, reassembled using Nord Lock vibration proof lockwashers, put the neoprene fuel lines on, installed the better 3 shoe clutch, solid state ignition, roller tip bar 16" with 76lp Oregon chain. I use it maybe 5 to 10 hours a year. A fellow stole it back in 1996, but he was caught and I got it back before he damaged it. Three years ago I finally had to put a kit in the carburetor. Has always started on the 2nd or 3rd pull every time I have gone to use it. Probably a rare exception. Always kept Stabil in the fuel.
 
Husky --- my friend pulled his brand new Stihl about a hundred times before it started. Husqvarna is like riding a dirt bike up a tree.
 
....my friend pulled his brand new Stihl about a hundred times before it started.
Click to expand...

Something wrong with it that would be fixed with a trip to the dealer or he did not know how to start it. Either way, it's not typical for a Stihl to be hard starting IME.

I have a good friend that runs a tree service with about 30 workers. He owns ~50 saws. Mostly Stihl with a few Huskys and a couple Echos. Sometimes I'll go help with repairs and maintenance when his mechanic gets too backed up with other work so I get to see first hand what works and what doesn't in a hard environment.

Stihl has given him the best service and despite it being a 20 mile one way trip to a good dealer he has pretty much settled in on them.

Husky is good, but I would never buy one that has the chain brake built into the clutch cover. I have had to work on 2 of them where the coupler between the chain brake paddle on the saw body and the brake mechanism in the cover failed. That resulted in the chain brake being clamped to the clutch drum which then makes it a real PITA to get the clutch cover off.

Echoes rarely get used as the crews prefer the Stihls and Huskys.
 
First off, the OP wants a NEW saw. So any advice about, "I've got this Brand X saw from back 10, 20 30 years ago that I like..." isn't relevant.

Everything has changed in the saw market in the last 10 years and every maker has had to redesign their saws. Everything now on the consumer end of the market is a "price point" saw. It's a saw at a certain CC and HP point that's designed and built so that it hits a certain price range.

The bottom line is the Big 3 of Echo, Stihl, and Husky are ALL making good saws. IMO the most important decision in saw choice is the balance between how much power do you WANT and how much weight can you HANDLE.

Most home and farm casual users are going to be happiest with a saw around 42 to 45 CC. If you cut firewood, that can extend to 50 CC. Above that the weight is too high and negates the benefits of more HP for most occasional users.

I buy and use a lot of power equipment and I have Stihl and Husky machines that were bought new within the last 5 years.

FWIW, I've had the most trouble with the NEW Stihl equipment. All of my new Stihl equipment has failed and had to go in to be fixed under warranty. This is not bottom of the range equipment and the $1000 brush cutter has been the most problematic.

But all of the Big 3 are making good equipment as long as you have good dealer support you will be happy.

Model choice and weight are more important than brand.

Grouse
 
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