Hi:
I’m looking for a chainsaw for moderate levels of use. I’m looking for a 16 to 18 inch bar. I’m interested in hearing what saws you may have liked and, in particularly, what saws you have hated.
My dad had a Husquvarna when I was growing up . . . but I know nothing of them now.
Thanks for your help.
mark
Replies
Stihl, Jonsered or husquarvana, I've personally used Stihl and Jonsered for years and can't say enough good about them. I've got the big Jonsered and a small stihl for my limbing/stuff under 10 inches diameter, the jonsered is for the really big stuff. I've had years where I've cut many hundreds of cords of wood for friends and for relaxation and they've never let me down......
If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
I've been running Stihl for a lot of yrs now, has yet to visit the shop. The Husky I had, I hated. Was temperamental. But I know guys who love theirs.
You probably want to buy whatever you can get best service on. Here, that would be Stihl.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I own all stihl stuff. My trimmer, pole pruner, limbing saw, the monster 80cc, and my mid size- a 28 series wood boss from about 82' have all been used hard and never had more than regular maint. Note however that the saws at the big box stores are not the same as the good pro saws you get from an independent dealer. Husky started selling value built crap to gain market share, stihl followed by making some saws "better value for occasional use". If you use it lightly twice a year, go ahead with the value saws. If you need better performance, spend the cash. btw , the value line stuff is what I was told by both my equipment dealers when I noticed two saws on the shelf about the same size with large price variance. As a side note, I found the same thing with push mowers. Bought one at a big box and after it died 2 years later bought one from an independent that was the same spec but $600 instead of $250. They had the cheapo version also, but were honest about the difference.
Kevin
I think you should get one with a decompression valve for easier starts.
Depends on your definition of moderate use.
I cut 30 cords of firewood last year with a Stihl 025 with a 16" bar. I also use the saw routinely for slab cuts and general abuse around my sawmill (Woodmizer bandmill). I also have a Stihl MS390 which is used for bigger jobs and is, quite frankly, not my favorite saw. It's underpowered for its' size and weight.
If you plan on cutting a few cords of firewood per year, or occasional trimming and clearing around a house, or even for a jobsite saw, the Stihl MS250 is still (I think), the best bang for the buck. Close second would be a Husky 55 Rancher, although it's a bigger saw. Echo and Jonsereds make pretty decent small saws. Makita also markets a line of saws made by Dolmar (formerly Sachs-Dolmar) which are apparently really nice saws, I have seen them at the local dealer and they are well balanced and light. Haven't cut with one yet though. I also know a few loggers who swear by Shindaiwa saws, although I can't figure out where the nearest dealer is.
I went with Stihl because they have an impeccable reputation, and they are sold exclusively through servicing dealers. Having a delaer open seven days a week near me is nice when you are cutting on a weekend and the saw craps out, but then again, it's never happened to me. My brother and dad both have Stihl 025's so I can always borrow a saw if mine happened to die.
Chainsaws have been discussed here many times. A search of the archives should turn up a bunch of threads.
Just wanted to pop in on this thread to say... I love chainsaws.
I've got two Stihl MS 390's. One is set up and used exclusively with a headcutter for gang-cutting lumber. The other is my tree saw and it's just fantastic. Great balance and a good deal of power.
I've also got a cheesy little $100 16" Poulan that just won't die. I beat the crap out of it, don't maintain it much, and it keeps on chugging. Not a lot of power, but great for pruning and trimming. It's really light weight and starts right up for me all the time. I don't think I even drained the gas last fall, and went right back to cutting in the spring. I wouldn't expect much from it if I used it a couple times a month or more, but for the three or four times a year I use it, it's been great.
I use a husky 346xp here. Beasty little thing, can run a 16,18, or 20" setup. It's technically a Pro limbing saw, but I've never had it bog down on trees I've cut up to 16" in diameter. And I can't slow it down no matter what.
Of course, most important is a dang good chain.
g'luck
mike
I have a Makita that was mentioned, made by Dolmar, I think a Germany fore runner of the chainsaw. Great saw!!!! Starts great, throws a big chip, cuts non stop! But I have Stihl in every thing else. I chose the Makita over the Stihl. Used a Husky, would cut good if you could start it, dam near had to tow it behind my truck to start it! Heavy! Go Makita!
Makita on sale at Bailey's...
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Makita¯ Chain Saw
View Image
Item No: DCS 7901
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$599.95
Add to Cart
CLOSEOUT! For those of you who that have been drooling over the new Dolmar 7900 saw, here is your chance to get one (in a blue color) at a great price! This is the same saw that has been creating all the “buzz†in the marketplace, promising to give the Husky 385 and Stihl¯ 046 a run for it’s money. The German saw company private labels their 7900 for Makita¯ and we have come upon a pile of these gems. NOTE: Bar and chain sold separately. Chain saw uses standard HU bar mount. NOTE: Half wrap only.
Makita¯ Chain Saw Specifications¯
Cylinder Displacement
4.8 cu. in / 78 cc
Engine Power
5.8 hp / 4.3 kW
Maximum RPM
13,500 rev. / min.
Fuel Capacity
30 oz. / 0.77 liters
Oil Capacity
0.89 pint / 0.89 liters
Weight (powerhead only)
13.6 lbs / 6.1 kg
Recommended Bar Lengths
20" - 32"
http://www.baileys-online.com/store/USA.htm"there's enough for everyone"
Dave cool link,
If you can find a local dealer I promiss you will not be unhappy with a Makita saw!! Mine is a 52cc??? 21" bar model # ? But a great saw. I felt it beat the stilh hands down! It's worth checking out! Dolmar/Sac has been in the chain saw bunisses before there trees!!! Worth looking at!
Well. I have a nice shiny Stihl 250 and after a day of use - I'm happy. I have a 16 bar and it seems good. The dealer had a 100 dollar rebate program and the safety gear was 30 percent off with the purchase of the saw. It seemed reasonable. Now if I can only buy a new back . . . . Thanks for all of your help.Mark MacLeod
Stihl's are the best IMHO.
Rarely see any discount on them.
Even crows act like eagles when they see a dying snake.
Stihl
I've got an O38 Magnum that I bought 20 years ago, still runs great.
Saw
Felicitations to you MML. Here is another endorsement for Stihl from the great white north up yonder. Heat our house almost exclusively with a woodstove, (oil-fired scorched air heating is the backup). 5-6 bush cords harvested w/ Stihl 036 (a 61.5 cc power head w/ 20" bar setup installed) gets us through most winters. At a 1.7 power to weight ratio (kg/kw) its not too bad but not the best Stihl offer. I do like a longer bar on saws, less stooping to limb felled trees and the extra reach is handy on occasion. A Pro saw such as this gets you into more robust design and faster cutting chains automatically. (The chipper-type rounded cutter on most consumer saws is safer but slower cutting than the Rapid Super Chisel-type cutter on a Pro saw.) You might consider spec'ing a RIM SPROCKET when you buy, it is a snap to change when worn and is less expensive than the integral clutch-drum-sprocket supplied normally. Installing the bar upside down every 2nd time I swap out a dull chain seems to get me better bar life. Don't sweat the cost too much, you get what you pay for from Stihl. LOL
I have a Stihl 250c 18" bar and a Stihl 170 with a 14" bar. I've thought about getting a farm boss before but 3 saws would be too much. No complaints. The 170 had the spring in the spark plug cap go and wouldnt hold onto the plug but just put a new one on and it runs fine.
The 250 has a good amount of power for my needs. The "C" in the name is for their "comfort" features. Has the one touch no tool chain adjust. I'm not so sure this is a great feature. Works though. Just seems a bit cheezy. Anyone have input on this feature?
I've considered buying the parts to change it back to the regular chain adjust.
I bought an MS170 a few years ago to supplement my Jonsered saw, I wanted something that would be lighter for my limbing work, etc and the 170 fit the bill. The quick chain tensioner feature was on the saw and I really like it. It might look cheesy, but it works like a charm!! Never had any problems with the feature........The Stihl dealer in upstate NY is a good friend of mine, I already had a big Jonsered when I bought the little Stihl, both saws have cut more timber than you can imagine.......Doesn't anybody use Jonsered?? I can't believe the name hasn't been on here except for me.....It's one of the "Big 3" as I like to call them......ranking right up there with Stihl and Husquarvana.....If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
Jonsered here. Currently just a 2050 Turbo I bought about 12 years ago, IIRC.
Love it. Has never given me a lick of trouble, starts on second pull even if it hasn't been fired up in a couple months. Light, very well balanced, lots of power and vibration free. No regrets.
Over the decades........ I've also owned, and/or used on a regular basis and/or serviced numerous brands of saws for friends and neighbors. Stihls, McCulloughs, Poulans, Huskys, etc. I've personally never used a saw I liked better than the Jonsered.
And the guys at the biggest sawmill around these parts switched from Stihl to Jonsered. Started out by trying one Jonsered, but soon tossed all the Stihls. They say they're not intending to go back.
Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
I hear that..my Jonsered is the 2171 turbo, a beast of a saw. I do use the Stihl chains on it though as the Stihl chain seems to perform better and stay sharp longer than the stuff you get at the Jonsered dealer.
I use the pro-grade chain, none of that DIY anti kickback type chain. I've used 'em enough years where I'm pretty comfortable and know what to do/not to do while running. A buddy of mine has a 2050 and he loves it as well. they're a real popular brand of saw in upstate, lots of logging and timber harvesting going on up there, most everybody has a chainsaw up there, lots of wood burnt in the winter, trail clearing, you name it. If you ain't got a saw up there you're a "city type" ha ha!!Sending a pic of the food plot I cleared in about 3 hours up there at our camp. 1 acre, 3 hours and a whole lotta trees felled.....Cut my teeth sawing on the old Stihl 041 Farm Bosses back in the mid 70's, a real brute of a saw, low rpm's but couldn't bog it down...no anti-vibration stuff back then, at the end of the day you knew you'd worked, almost seem to remember having to pry my left fingers off the front handle at days end....If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
I'd like to look at that pic, but at that size and a dial-up connection..........it ain't happening. <G>
Can ya downsize it?
Irfanview is a free download and works great......just like a Jonsered! 800 KB download or close to that. (less than your current pic. lol)
Oh, and .jpg is the better choice for pics. Irfanview will do the conversion for ya. Just save the resized pic with a different name, set it to save as a .jpg and your original pic will still be there.
Image.....resize/resample......try 640x480........for starters. Next hit image....sharpen. One time will likely be enough. Save as a new file with different name. Now you can go open that file and you'll then see the new smaller file size under image info.
Edited 8/14/2005 12:09 pm ET by goldhiller
Edited 8/14/2005 12:17 pm ET by goldhiller
Edited 8/14/2005 12:21 pm ET by goldhiller
cut it down to 640 x433 and am still trying to get some of this stuff to JPEG imiage, when I first got my scanner I was a touch on the forgetfull side, sometimes I remembered, sometimes I didn't...hope this helps you open it...If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
Ummmmmmm. If you plan to clear all those trees...you got some work ahead of ya. Better keep the chain file handy and a few gallons of fuel. <G>
Thanks for the resize.
And you would be the guy on the (our) right, left or behind the camera?
Ah yes, Homelite. Junk is right and a pain in the arse to work on........which you will do plenty of should you have been so foolish/unlucky to have purchased one.
Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
Edited 8/14/2005 12:34 pm ET by goldhiller
I'm the guy behind the camera....most of the trees I cut in that acre were basswoods, a real junk tree, thats part of the reason we chose that area to clear rather than up higher in the hardwoods area.Ended up using a lot of those logs cut into 6-8 foot long pieces and then sawing them lengthwise and making a make shift road to get the dozer back in there to level the land off. Since we've got mostly hardwoods and a lot of rock near ground level we felt we needed a piece of land to develop and give the deer some feed.Homelite, yes...junk.....too bad they weren't a bit heavier and we could use 'em for small boat anchors......If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
"I'm the guy behind the camera"
Okay then. Now I won't have any trouble recognizing you should we bump into one another.
You'll be the guy with the camera. Got it. <G>
Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
Edited 8/14/2005 1:09 pm ET by goldhiller
Homelite=junk No argument there. Had to use Homelite saws as a firefighter for the USDA Forest Service in the 80's. We used whatever saw they handed us, Husky, Stihl, Pioneer, Partner, Homelite. Homelite was the worst. They would get so hot the fuel in the tank would boil and spray out the pressure release (while we were trying to put out a fire). Stihl and Husky were the best I've used. Haven't tried Jonsred. I've owned a few Stihl's and still do. Basswood = junk You might have guessed I would disagree with that statement. Basswood is a favorite with woodcarvers and the millwork industry. It makes good paintgrade hardwood trim. It is a hardwood officially (albeit a "soft" hardwood). It can turn into a second-growth junk tree when cut, because the root system does not die and it sends up a ring of new trees around the old stump. Often people think they always grow that way in a messy cluster of small tangled trunks and branches. A first-growth tree from seed can be a stately tree, with a single trunk and those big heart-shaped leaves. They are shade tolerant and can grow up in the understory of a forest and on north slopes along with Sugar Maples, etc. They can thrive in conditions most trees can't tolerate. The ones you cut would come back the next year, a feat few trees can equal. With thinning you can easily produce some valuable timber without having to seed or replant. Just leave the largest sprout at the stump and cut back the rest for a few years, until you have just one trunk growing into a single mature tree (though kids love to hide in the middle of one of those messy rings of trees--sitting on the stump in their own private world).
When I made the comment about the basswood trees, I actually expected a bunch of people to disagree. However, in the area I come from it is considered a garbage tree and truly has no value. There is plenty of it but loggers won't touch it and there is no value in trying to sell it. I myself was a bit surprised in this as it is a nice straight grained wood, few defects, etc, but nobody wants to buy it, at least up there. It's looked at as a nuisance more than anything up there, but we're spoiled with all the oak, cherry, ash and the like available. It's like SYP, it's a material for pallets and not much else up home.
I did try once to get a mill to work some basswood for me, because I found some stuff in the nearly 24" diameter and had means to get it hauled out of the woods, but of the mills I checked with they wouldn't even touch it. When I was in a lumber yard down here and saw the prices on it per board foot I was shocked, and in seeing prices like that I wondered why nobody up in NY would consider harvesting it for it's value...guess it's more of a regional thing.......If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
I have seen some outright beautiful basswood trees - 26-32" diameter, single trunk, clear for 20-30 feet. I try to get my hands on basswood any chance I get because it makes great trim boards, carving stock and it's just a nice wood. Smells good too. I have several loggers and contractors who sell their "mainstream" stuff to the mills and keep an eye out for odd stuff for me and my Woodmizer. Stuff just like basswood.
Man..we've got all you could ever ask for. We've got 177 acres and it's there, we cut the stuff down to make room for the maples, oaks and cherry trees. They don't really consider it good for anything up there. I know if I wanted to actually log it for harvesting and turning it into lumber, I'd have to do it myself, loggers will cut it, but not for their own use and certainly not for the timber value. I'd pay out the kazoo to get it done through them. Usually they pay for the timber and then resell it, it wouldn't be like that in this case.
I get back up there and settled in a month or so, maybe we can make arrangements to get you a tractor trailer load. Our land has got the stuff I told you about before, stuff in the 18-24 inch range. We did keep about 6 of them right around the camp we built for shade but we have plans on harvesting the real hardwoods off in 10 years or so and we had to open up the canopy to get the sunlight in, the basswoods were far taller than the real hardwoods and the leaf size was choking out all the sunlight.....since there was no market for BW, we cut them down and left them lay, the stuff usually rots in less than 3 years anyway...............If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
Forgot to throw this your way earlier....I reread your post and you wanted to know saws we loathe, put Homelite at the top of the list! They're junk..go find a toothless hacksaw blade and it'll cut faster than the Homelite will............
If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....