That's what I was going to say.
Best Gas Chainsaw Under $300 ?
- Thread starter 427HISS
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vpd66
Well-known member
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If your mechanically handy and like tinkering then this is in my opinion the best gas chainsaw for under $300. It is a Chinese knock off of a Husqvarna 372xp. It comes has a parts kit and you put it together. I replaced some rubber parts (crank seals, fuel hose, and impulse line) with OEM parts and put one together and it is an absolute beast of a saw.
If your mechanically handy and like tinkering then this is in my opinion the best gas chainsaw for under $300. It is a Chinese knock off of a Husqvarna 372xp. It comes has a parts kit and you put it together. I replaced some rubber parts (crank seals, fuel hose, and impulse line) with OEM parts and put one together and it is an absolute beast of a saw.
finn
Well-known member
Ryobi and Poulon are two completely different companies.
Sort of like. Dewalt -Milwaukee impact driver. It doesn’t exist.
finn
Well-known member
Dolmar is no more. Makita bought Dolmar years ago and has for the most part phased out the Dolmar name in the USA.
finn
Well-known member
Are you proposing a Husqvarna 372 (or knockoff) to someone who has apparently never owned a chainsaw, just to cut down a couple of 15” trees.
Personally, I suggest he just go to Home Depot and rent a Makita for a couple of days.
Chainsaws are one tool that doesn’t age well sitting for months or years in an unheated shed. Same goes for most ot gas equipment.
vavet
Well-known member
I bought a 16” echo from big orange in about 2016. It’s been great for cleaning up my one acre when a tree falls during a storm. I had a couple trees professionally removed a couple years ago. I just had them dropped, thinking i would buck them myself later to save a few bucks. I’m still working on that part, but it’s not fault of the saw.
I have no complaints about my echo.
I have no complaints about my echo.
ryobi doesnt make a gas chainsaw, poulon does for them and they slap ryobi labels on there. just like craftsmans are made by poulon as well.
Shocker
Well-known member
So I have the Husky 440 you listed. It has been a great saw. Light, easy to start and tough!
I cut up a 30" cottonwood log on our beach with it. Took a while and I swapped the safety chain with a full chisel, but it did the whole thing. Just about 20 feet long. I highly recommend that little saw.
I cut up a 30" cottonwood log on our beach with it. Took a while and I swapped the safety chain with a full chisel, but it did the whole thing. Just about 20 feet long. I highly recommend that little saw.
Man, that's probably by far the best option for a cheap quality saw. And if you're a bit knowledgeable, you'll assemble it much better than the chinese would throw it together and it might actually really be a damn good saw for a fraction of the cost...
Made me think about getting the MS260 version.
vpd66
Well-known member
Your 100% correct. The winter of 2019-2020 I built the MS660, 372xp, and the MS201t. They all turned out to be great saws and the best thing is I have no problem repairing them if they have an issue.
bwringer
Well-known member
OP: "I'm a homeowner who needs to cut down a few trees sometimes and I want to spend under $300."
GJ: "You don't have a HAIR on your *** unless you drop $500+ on the Stihl Professional Wood Slaughterer 9000 XL He-Man!"
Good to see we're consistent around here...
Anyhoo, it hasn't been mentioned yet, but if you don't already have the PPE for using a chainsaw, please set aside $100 or so for a kit with chaps, face guard, etc. Battery saws certainly can slice you open as well, but the step up to gas saw power combined with relative inexperience comes with a certain increase in risks.
GJ: "You don't have a HAIR on your *** unless you drop $500+ on the Stihl Professional Wood Slaughterer 9000 XL He-Man!"
Good to see we're consistent around here...
Anyhoo, it hasn't been mentioned yet, but if you don't already have the PPE for using a chainsaw, please set aside $100 or so for a kit with chaps, face guard, etc. Battery saws certainly can slice you open as well, but the step up to gas saw power combined with relative inexperience comes with a certain increase in risks.
Trapps
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Link please! I've been struggling with which saw, that I do not actually need, to buy next.
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
No help on a saw & since the OP is apparently going Husky;
If your looking for a Zero Turn.....
Pro Z 972S SurePath | Commercial Zero Turn Mower | Cub Cadet US
Pro Z 972S SurePath commercial zero turn lawn mower with Semi-autonomous GPS technology, 72-inch deck, Kawasaki 35 HP engine.
www.cubcadet.com
Ton ton
Well-known member
I would go for a Stihl MS500i . I don't like Stihl generally speaking, but I have heard good things about this saw.
Trapps
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Sorry, my failed attempt at humor was looking for the Stihl Professional Wood Slaughterer 9000 XL He-Man saw which I had not heard of.
bwringer
Well-known member
If you're tough enough to be worthy, it will find you...
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Only if you put a WestCoast Saw Bark Box on it.
A bit more research... Not sure if I'd go for the chinese Stihl MS260 clone or for a Makita.
Seems like Makita and Dolmar cramped a bunch of technology into this small EA3600 (or 3601 is the same but with the toolless-adjuster for US market).
Reed valve strato setup probably really does make a norable difference in fuel efficiency and emissions. As I understand it, strato setup means you have a standard carburetor and another "air valve" besides it. That air valve allows air in the engine a little bit before the air-fuel mixture, and when the piston moves down that air pushes the combustion out in the exhaust first, then the normal fuel mixture from the carb follows. In conventional two strokes, the fuel mixture pushes the gasses out, but that always leads to some of the mixture going in the exhaust. With the strato it should make it a lot more efficient and most modern saws use this setup. However, Makita/Dolmar seems to be very unique that it uses reed valves like the chainsaws in the 80's. That should make it stronger in low revs and overall allow higher fuel mixture compressions under the piston.
The worry for me with the reed valve (cause I wored on many old two stroke bikes years ago) is that the flaps curl away and start to leak after a while. But a new reed valve is ~10-15€ so if I get this saw I'd probably buy a reed valve for the carb and for the strato air valve immediately too, and store it if I ever need it (though I guess parts should stay available for a long while, you can still get parts for old Dolmar chainsaws but it's probably not quite like an old Stihl part availability). Also, vibration dampening which isn't common on small saws.
Seems like Makita and Dolmar cramped a bunch of technology into this small EA3600 (or 3601 is the same but with the toolless-adjuster for US market).
Reed valve strato setup probably really does make a norable difference in fuel efficiency and emissions. As I understand it, strato setup means you have a standard carburetor and another "air valve" besides it. That air valve allows air in the engine a little bit before the air-fuel mixture, and when the piston moves down that air pushes the combustion out in the exhaust first, then the normal fuel mixture from the carb follows. In conventional two strokes, the fuel mixture pushes the gasses out, but that always leads to some of the mixture going in the exhaust. With the strato it should make it a lot more efficient and most modern saws use this setup. However, Makita/Dolmar seems to be very unique that it uses reed valves like the chainsaws in the 80's. That should make it stronger in low revs and overall allow higher fuel mixture compressions under the piston.
The worry for me with the reed valve (cause I wored on many old two stroke bikes years ago) is that the flaps curl away and start to leak after a while. But a new reed valve is ~10-15€ so if I get this saw I'd probably buy a reed valve for the carb and for the strato air valve immediately too, and store it if I ever need it (though I guess parts should stay available for a long while, you can still get parts for old Dolmar chainsaws but it's probably not quite like an old Stihl part availability). Also, vibration dampening which isn't common on small saws.
vpd66
Well-known member
Yup! With proper storage that saw will last a couple lifetimes.
Kurt4440
Well-known member
I have the HE-MAN 9099 XXL, actually a Stihl 084, in addition to 7 more saws.
As far as a saw goes, I recommend a trip to the store or dealership to see what size saw you can handle. My neighbor in his early 60's can't safety handle a 50cc Stihl, but manages an Echo CS-310.
You are 100% correct about safety gear, and a budget.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I have seen a few video reviews of Chinese chainsaw done by knowledgeable people. They all say, "Not bad, for the money !"
Aaron_W
Well-known member
Kurt4440
Well-known member
If you can get the 9000XL for $500 jump on that deal, $1500 is the usual price.
Aaron_W
Well-known member
Greeny
Well-known member
Look at FarmerTec on Amazon. I got the 92cc Stijl knock-off for doing live edge slabs. 36” bar. Very happy with it so far. Even that is over your price window but They’ve got smaller sizes that would be better suited to tree dropping for the homeowners.