Chainsaw Recomendation

[Backpack Hunter]

I'm not a pro by any stretch, but have ran a Stihl MS250 for years with no problems. Just had a guy give me one with a cracked tank a while ago, replaced the tank and it's running great.
For 4-5 uses a year I imagine it will work exceptionally well for you, and you should easily be able to pick up a used one under your $300 budget.

 

[stg454]

I have been extremely happy with my Husqvarna 455 Rancher with 20" bar and 440e with 16" bar and tool free chain adjustment. They always start on 2nd or 3rd pull and have never failed me.

 

[bigjeff94]

I grew up around husqvarna's so I do have a bit of a bias but I use my 55 rancher pretty heavily during the winter time (3 outdoor woof boilers throughout the family) and my dad used and abused it before he gave it to me. The 455 is also a nice saw it's a little bit more powerful than my 55 but it feels cheaper to me. Quite a bit more plastic parts on it then it's predecessor.

 

[stikman56]

I will only run 93 octane from a good gas station like sunoco, exxon or mobil. I will also only use expensive synthetic oil you can buy at the motorcycle shop. None of my 2 stroke stuff ever has issues. Cant run 87 octane in these things, the ethanol content alone wreaks havoc on the internals.

Why no 87 octane, other than ethanol? Does gas where you live have no ethanol for higher octanes? That's unusual I believe if it does. 87 octane is what I run in mine ( with no ethanol), it doesn't ping, runs excellent. you're wasting money and simply putting more build-up in the chamber and on top of the piston when you use more octane than you need. It burns slower. Just use the octane they call for, unless they ping, then step up.
I agree no ethanol, nothing but problems with that **** in yard tools.


I run a McCulloch CS380 and love it, it runs, has power and cuts trees like butter. Done a lot of big work with it and no issues.

 

[Triple macs]

No problems with my Echo CS-400 as a homeowner saw. I only run canned premix gas, as pump gas is all ethanol blended and oxygenated.

 

[CJM8515]

Why no 87 octane, other than ethanol? Does gas where you live have no ethanol for higher octanes? That's unusual I believe if it does. 87 octane is what I run in mine ( with no ethanol), it doesn't ping, runs excellent. you're wasting money and simply putting more build-up in the chamber and on top of the piston when you use more octane than you need. It burns slower. Just use the octane they call for, unless they ping, then step up.
I agree no ethanol, nothing but problems with that **** in yard tools.


I run a McCulloch CS380 and love it, it runs, has power and cuts trees like butter. Done a lot of big work with it and no issues.

Detonation issues with the lower grades and most saws are set lean from the factory. My personal stuff is also hopped up slightly