Chainsaw recommendation

[Chester in Florida]

I’ve got a Stilh MS 250, an ECHO 590 Timberwolf and an EGO battery 18” (their better model).

The Stihl is pretty much a dust collector anymore.

I breakout the Echo for larger jobs.

The battery Ego is by far my most used chainsaw, and from what I hear about your use, it could be ideal. It can handle midsize jobs. It cuts fast enough, and the battery holds a charge very well. If you have two batteries, then you could handle quite a bit of work charging one while working the other. I still like busting out the 590 for the bigger jobs I do as it is more powerful and does cut quicker, but then again, it is a fairly big saw. The nice thing about the EGO is you do not need to worry about a gas mix or carbs or anything of that nature. It is quiet when you aren’t cutting something. Never a pain to start. Just squeeze the trigger and cut.

 

[AC-WC]

That's the problem, the use you described will inherently be dangerous situations. A storm blows through and piles trees wherever, on top and in other trees and wires. One wrong cut and at best you've got a pinned bar, worst you are pinned or dead.

I gave similar advice to someone last spring, they didn't listen..they then spent the weekend in the ER and a summer recovering.

Be careful.




Should have sent the Stihl for service, carb sounds like it needs some adjustments.

You should probably avoid using 4 year old gas in anything you care about.

Stihl was 4 months old, took back to dealer and he recommended the canned gas. After he put canned gas in it started right up for him. Think I'm just used to priming carbs for 2 strokes and there's no priming this one. Gas was less than a year old and worked fine in every other 2 stroke I have.

 

[PCustoms]

Stihl was 4 months old, took back to dealer and he recommended the canned gas. After he put canned gas in it started right up for him. Think I'm just used to priming carbs for 2 strokes and there's no priming this one. Gas was less than a year old and worked fine in every other 2 stroke I have.

Follow the starting procedure and it will start.

What saw? Want to sell it?

 

[AC-WC]

I'm tempted but you're too far!

 

[Regnar]

I have the Stihl 194T and just went through a Hurricane. It eat up anything I put it through. Our neighborhood is surrounded by Old Oak Trees and 3 fell down over the roads and would let anyone out. Easily destroyed 24" trunks with just a 14" bar. What nice is its compact size. The oil revivor is on the small size as this is a liming saw but get a No Spill Tank and its just easy work.

 

[leadfoot415]

I have an Echo CS-590 (overkill for 98% of my jobs), recently inherited my dad's dolmar ps-341 14" limbing saw, and added a makita 36v 14" battery saw.

By far, my favorite is the makita. So much easier for small jobs. That dolmar will cut some wood though too.

 

[L.Cheapo]

Personal opinion: Stihl equipment is the most overrated and overhyped line of products in the outdoor power equipment world. They aren't bad, per se, but they aren't the panacea everyone makes them out to be.

If it were me, I'd be shopping Echo.

Stay away from Husqvarna.

Once upon a time I worked at a dealership that sold Echo and Husqvarna. I wouldn't take a free Husqvarna saw.

 

[jar944]

Whatever saw you end up with I would suggest a second bar, a pile of felling wedges (used for more than felling) and a axe. That can get you out of most situations.

 

[sqznby]

I have the Stihl 194T and just went through a Hurricane. It eat up anything I put it through. Our neighborhood is surrounded by Old Oak Trees and 3 fell down over the roads and would let anyone out. Easily destroyed 24" trunks with just a 14" bar. What nice is its compact size. The oil revivor is on the small size as this is a liming saw but get a No Spill Tank and its just easy work.

Thats a sweet little saw, I have a ms192tc myself and have gone through a few storms with it and like you said sucker likes to eat.
Love the size and power even with a 14" bar.

 

[Rinspeed]

I struggle a bit to see the need for a 50cc saw in this application. I will never be cutting firewood or felling big trees, but if that changes, I'd be fine with buying a bigger saw

50cc is a small saw.

 

[mike93lx]

50cc is a small saw.

A F150 is smaller than a class 8. There are tons of saws below that size and 50 is not necessary for a lot of work

No need for a pro level, or even "fram/ranch", saw for this application

 

[f121]

That's the problem, the use you described will inherently be dangerous situations. A storm blows through and piles trees wherever, on top and in other trees and wires. One wrong cut and at best you've got a pinned bar, worst you are pinned or dead.

I gave similar advice to someone last spring, they didn't listen..they then spent the weekend in the ER and a summer recovering.

I can’t stress this enough. Wind blown trees are much more dangerous than trees you’ve dropped. There can be a bunch of tension from still having attached root systems, stumps often stand up again, they move in unexpected ways and they’re often resting on other damaged trees. You’re out of control of the tree from the start and trying to make safe.

I struggle a bit to see the need for a 50cc saw in this application. I will never be cutting firewood or felling big trees, but if that changes, I'd be fine with buying a bigger saw

I 100% wouldn’t go smaller than a 50cc with 16” bar for wind blown. You need the grunt if it starts to pinch and will pull bar deep with no drama so anything smaller is easy cutting. Typically dealing with wind blown in a crisis is stressful, you don’t want to be there fighting a little saw that keeps bogging, it just adds to the stress, which is when people start to make mistakes.

Echo would be a good choice, cheap and reliable. Or the old Swiss Army knife saw, ms261. Buy some chainsaw boots too.

 

[mike93lx]

I can’t stress this enough. Wind blown trees are much more dangerous than trees you’ve dropped. There can be a bunch of tension from still having attached root systems, stumps often stand up again, they move in unexpected ways and they’re often resting on other damaged trees. You’re out of control of the tree from the start and trying to make safe.


I 100% wouldn’t go smaller than a 50cc with 16” bar for wind blown. You need the grunt if it starts to pinch and will pull bar deep with no drama so anything smaller is easy cutting. Typically dealing with wind blown in a crisis is stressful, you don’t want to be there fighting a little saw that keeps bogging, it just adds to the stress, which is when people start to make mistakes.

Echo would be a good choice, cheap and reliable. Or the old Swiss Army knife saw, ms261. Buy some chainsaw boots too.

Thanks. A justification for going larger is helpful

 

[scooby074]

Are you using any battery platform right now? If so, Id likely go with whatever cordless chainsaw they offer and get a couple of their highest capacity batteries to have on hand. Best case scenario for your limited use case. Gas engines can be a PITA and in a true blocked in incident, youre not going to be going too far anyways. An electric with a couple batteries can certainly have enough capacity for you to cut your way out to the road in most cases, then you can always do the cleanup later as time and charge allow. Plus if you buy batteries in whatever "system" your using, you will always be keeping them cycled and charged as you use them for other tools.

Stihl battery saws seem decent. I only tried one once. But I do have a Stihl battery trimmer, so I can say their batteries and charger system is good.

Canned gas is a good idea if you insist on going with gas but Id really think strongly about going electric, it will be guaranteed to work when you need it to work..

 

[mike93lx]

Are you using any battery platform right now? If so, Id likely go with whatever cordless chainsaw they offer and get a couple of their highest capacity batteries to have on hand. Best case scenario for your limited use case. Gas engines can be a PITA and in a true blocked in incident, youre not going to be going too far anyways. An electric with a couple batteries can certainly have enough capacity for you to cut your way out to the road in most cases, then you can always do the cleanup later as time and charge allow. Plus if you buy batteries in whatever "system" your using, you will always be keeping them cycled and charged as you use them for other tools.

Stihl battery saws seem decent. I only tried one once. But I do have a Stihl battery trimmer, so I can say their batteries and charger system is good.

Canned gas is a good idea if you insist on going with gas but Id really think strongly about going electric, it will be guaranteed to work when you need it to work..

Dewalt and ego.

I've thought about the ego many times, but am not feeling lime it is the right choice for this. Yes, it will always start, but I don't see it as a real long term solution. I was using a full complement of ego equipment but gave away the mower and string trimmer and now just have a couple blowers and a hedge trimmer, nor of which is really used frequently. I use one of the blowers weekly to clear off the pool deck, and the other pretty much just sits. The batteries are horrendously expensive, too.

 

[mike93lx]

I 100% wouldn’t go smaller than a 50cc with 16” bar for wind blown

How hard of a line do you see this as?

Stihl ms250 is 45cc (and happens to be on sale this month). Next step looks like a ms271. $350 vs $500. Not a deal breaker, but it's a decent step up.

All the brand discussion feels like Ford vs chevy vs dodge. It's all opinion, generally based on really limited experience. There is always someone that tells you a choice ***** and another that it is great. I am certainly not loyal to any of these brands.

It looks like the previous generation Echo 50cc, the 4910, was pretty well regarded and is not a clamshell-style. My local HD has a few at $380...maybe will make a trip this weekend

 

[sparky 1971]

Now we are talking

No, you were chatting.

Now we are talking...

STIHL MS 881 MAGNUM 41″ Chainsaw | Gardenland Power Equipment

The STIHL MS 881 MAGNUM 41" chainsaw is designed for the largest, toughest and most demanding jobs, professionals can find the performance they need in the MS 881 chainsaw. With its updated engine design and up to 41” guide bar length, the MS 881R is the largest, most powerful saw in the STIHL...

www.gardenland.com

But honestly, I'd just find a decent saw with an 18-20" bar and call it a day. I have one of each size in the Poulan flavor. They aren't the greatest but I cleaned up a lot of storm damage with them this summer.

Poulan Pro® 18" 42cc 2-Cycle Gas Chainsaw

The PR4218 is a 42cc, two-cycle chainsaw that's ideal for medium-duty storm cleanup, tree felling, and firewood cutting. The OxyPower™ engine provides more power, lower emission levels, and lower fuel consumption. Enjoy easy starting with the effortless Pull Start™ system, so you can get right...

www.menards.com

Poulan Pro® 20" 50cc 2-Cycle Gas Chainsaw

The PR5020 chainsaw is an excellent all-around medium-duty chainsaw ideal for general property management and firewood cutting. It has a 20-inch bar length to accommodate many of your cutting tasks. This chainsaw is effortless to use with a pull starting system and will keep you safe when using...

www.menards.com

 

[vavet]

I bought the echo 16 inch unit from hd a few years ago. It’s been great. I used it to buck a tree I had felled and I’ve cut down some smaller dead trees on my lot. I helped a neighbor remove a tree that fell on their shed a few years ago too. It’s put in some work. A bigger saw would be nice, but it had plenty of grunt. Looks like it’s about $300 at hd nowadays. I went to two different dealers before buying it to try to buy an echo. Could not find anyone helpful at either place, so I went to big orange saved a couple hundred. Maybe it was just an off day.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Stihls pro $600+. Using it once clearing large logs pays for itself and use the wood.

 

[f121]

How hard of a line do you see this as?

Stihl ms250 is 45cc (and happens to be on sale this month). Next step looks like a ms271. $350 vs $500. Not a deal breaker, but it's a decent step up.

Hard to go wrong with a ms250 for $350! I’d compare the power/weight vs an echo 50cc. I’ve only used the echos on a training course, but was I really impressed with the echo, it felt dainty compared to my 261 (which I’ve got hundreds of hours on and was using the same day). No idea what the model was, just got handed a saw and told to do a cut.

All the brand discussion feels like Ford vs chevy vs dodge. It's all opinion, generally based on really limited experience. There is always someone that tells you a choice ***** and another that it is great. I am certainly not loyal to any of these brands.

Pretty much. The distinction is really pro saw vs farm saw vs home owner saw, for the major brands. Brands being fairly equivalent within each target market with the occasional outlier like the ms500i or the husky battery top handle being in a class of their own. Power to weight ratio dictate how the saw handles, gas quality and state of the motor dictates how it starts (for anything modern at least). Often people are comparing a worn out yard sale home owner saw that’s been beaten to **** by a landscape contractor against a decent condition pro saw and saying ‘my neighbours husky *****, I always buy stihl’.

There is the odd thing that’s makes a tangible difference, like I’ve seen husky’s that have an outboard clutch rather than the inboard clutch on a stihl. No difference in normal use, but the outboard design means you can’t take the bar off if you get it stuck in a tree.

 

[dsimatt]

This took down everything except the main trunk of a 40ft tall Ash tree almost on 1 M8 battery last weekend.


I have a MS280 saw that sat for a few years unused but ran fine when I used it last. I had to replace the carb, then after pulling my arm off and flooding it cleaned out the plugged exhaust screen. The worst part is after doing all that I didn’t even use it as the Milwaukee saw worked so good.

 

[Ultradog MN]

I very rarely need a chainsaw and as a result, have a corded homeline that has treated me really well. If it can't cut it, I hire the work out.

I sold a piece of property last spring and needed to do some limbing and clean up before I listed it so it would show better.
I bought the one below.
I think it was about $350 out the door.
We live in the city and the White Ash trees are all having to come down due to disease. So there has been Lots of tree removal here for the last couple of years. I would guess that 90% of the saws that the big boys are using are Stihls. A chain saw is a once in a lifetime purchase for me and even though I won't use it to death I bought a decent one.
And the visual improvement the limbing/clean up made to that property increased its value 40 or 50 times more than the cost of the new saw so I figured it was a good investment.

 

[jblnut]

How hard of a line do you see this as?

Stihl ms250 is 45cc (and happens to be on sale this month). Next step looks like a ms271. $350 vs $500. Not a deal breaker, but it's a decent step up.

All the brand discussion feels like Ford vs chevy vs dodge. It's all opinion, generally based on really limited experience. There is always someone that tells you a choice ***** and another that it is great. I am certainly not loyal to any of these brands.

It looks like the previous generation Echo 50cc, the 4910, was pretty well regarded and is not a clamshell-style. My local HD has a few at $380...maybe will make a trip this weekend

I own and have more saws than I can count and my all time favorites are the Stihl MS180 and MS250. I own from a 200T up to an 090G and use them all when the situation is correct. The MS180 is WAY more capable than it should be for what it is and will likely be plenty saw for what you’re looking to do. I used it to take down a 30” maple a few weeks back to prove to a BIL that it could be done as he was having the same conversation with himself about what saw to get. I took the 2nd and 3rd maples down with the 066 and it was a whole lot nicer but the end result was the same.

My MS250 was purchased new the first year they were out and it’s my go to saw for limbing and firewood cutting under 16”. It’s not a speed demon but with a good sharp chain it does really well and is super light compared to the 026/261. I’ll cut at least 15 of the 22-25 cord of wood I burn a year with it and he keeps on chugging.

Keeping your chains sharp will have a much greater effect than having a larger saw. A small saw with a sharp chain will out cut a large saw with a dull chain.

There are going to be LOTS of Echo vs Stihl vs Husky vs battery vs whatever and no one is wrong with their opinions. For what you’re doing it’ll be more important to keep your chain sharp and educate yourself on safe ways to cut downed wood.

Stihl MS180 or MS250. Go get it and don’t look back.

 

[Notgrownup]

I’ve had a 16” Echo for over 10 years and I empty it after each use and run it dry before I put it away. I only run truefuel and it always cranks up in about 3 cranks with choke and works great. It’s my pick but I would say stay with Echo, Stihl, Husquavarna Or Jonsered. These are solid brands but make sure if you can’t repair yourself that it’s one that you can get repaired locally.

 

[Davefr]

When buying new, there's one other factor and that's dealer support.

If you think you'll ever need dealer support for service, parts or warranty, than buy from the best dealer in the area that has a dedicated in house service department. For example if you buy an Echo from Home Crapo and it has issues they'll send you off to a separate service center and your saw will be at the bottom of their list of priorities. (their own customer will have top priority) . Stihl used to have the best dealer network but ever since they went to the "big box" sale model the dedicated saw shops dropped like flies and it can be hard to find good service. Around here most Husky is also from big box stores but there's one dealer with a real good in house service tech. Sourcing parts can also be an issue. With Husky and Echo buying parts online is easy. That's not the case with Stihl. They refuse to sell parts except thru B&M and most of their big box dealers don't stock parts and are clueless when it comes to looking them up and ordering them. However there's a ton of Stihl parts on Ebay and also a large array of aftermarket parts online. Stihl has been a magnet for Chinese copy cats. (that's both good and bad)

 

[Davefr]

Stihl MS180 or MS250. Go get it and don’t look back.

Or the 30cc Echo CS-310. It's my smallest saw and very reliable and very capable. With a 16" bar it'll cut up to 28" diameter. It's about $200 and has great customer ratings. Buy an extra bar/chain, use PPE, use canned fuel and Red Armor mix. The MS180 is also an excellent little saw. Smaller saws can be safer because fatigue can be the enemy during storm cleanup.

 

[johninct]

Gas because you can't charge a battery if you have no power. I am going to say Still MS 211 or even smaller. Why? If you are not use to using a chainsaw, they get really heavy fast so lighter is better.

 

[Snapped-off]

MS180 is fine I put a 14" lightweight bar and a full chisel chain on mine.

I'd put a vote in for battery though. Did you see Ryan's thread about the M18 Milwaukee?

 

[mike93lx]

MS180 is fine I put a 14" lightweight bar and a full chisel chain on mine.

I'd put a vote in for battery though. Did you see Ryan's thread about the M18 Milwaukee?

I'm definitely not adding a battery system for this, so if cordless it would have to be Dewalt 20v or ego.

I am considering the ego a bit more, but long term battery cost is off putting and I want this to be a lifetime tool (let's say 30ish years). There is no chance batteries will last that long and unlikely the battery platform will even exist at that point.

If I buy the ego, I would expect to be replacing it in maybe 10 years, regardless of use. That's not a deal breaker as the benefits of battery for an infrequently used tool are real

Feels like the real answer is one of each

 

[jar944]

I want this to be a lifetime tool (let's say 30ish years).

Ok, So hear me out. Over 30 years it's relatively inexpensive.


And if you want to go cheap

 

[tjansson]

I'm a big fan of the MS250. I have a 25 year old 025 (MS250 predecessor) inherited from from my dad and a MS250 I bought new. I used to process about 3 cords of firewood a year with only the MS250. With a sharp, "yellow" (non-safety chain) they are fast enough. Of course if you are cutting 12" + logs then then a bigger saw will be significantly faster, but the MS250 can still get the job done. I have a 60cc Dolmar/Makita now, but still use the smaller Stihls quite alot.

 

[Snapped-off]

I'm definitely not adding a battery system for this, so if cordless it would have to be Dewalt 20v or ego.

I am considering the ego a bit more, but long term battery cost is off putting and I want this to be a lifetime tool (let's say 30ish years). There is no chance batteries will last that long and unlikely the battery platform will even exist at that point.

If I buy the ego, I would expect to be replacing it in maybe 10 years, regardless of use. That's not a deal breaker as the benefits of battery for an infrequently used tool are real

Feels like the real answer is one of each

Well I still run my dad's 40 year old Homelite and a 30 year old Dolmar.

Even if you use the canned gas, run it dry when you put it away.

 

[dr_clyde]

I have a Milwaukee M18 cordless that handles 95% of my homeowner chainsaw needs. When I need to use a gas saw, I have a mid 70's Stihl 041 Farm Boss that is consistently the best chainsaw I have ever used.

It routinely starts, is easy to service and is just a simple, hardworking chainsaw. Yes, it's old. Yes, it lacks high chain speed and a chain brake, but it has the horsepower to pull a full chisel chain on a 24" bar if needed, but a smaller bar runs great. I use it once or twice a year, occasionally need to blow out the air filter and run a file through the chain, but that's it. I got it when I was living with my dad and we heated with wood and cut a couple cord every weekend.

I use Stihl silver cans of synthetic 2 stroke oil on regular pump gas, never had an issue with it not starting even after sitting for months.

These old saws can be had for a few hundred bucks and will work for decades.

 

[Hohn]

How big of a tree are you hoping to help remove?

Realistically, I've made the decision that anything larger than what my battery powered chainsaw can't handle, I'm just not going to be able to help with.

With that precursor out of the way, I have the larger DeWalt battery powered chainsaw. It's the 60V 18" one and it has cut everything I've thrown at it.

I have a few 9aH batteries because of other tools that I use with it, but I've yet to drain a battery.

It looks like the MS180 you're looking at comes with a 16" bar. I don't know how the two would compare.

Amazon.com

I'm using a dual battery Makita 16" and honestly the only gas chainsaw I'd consider now would be a very large one like a Husky 572 or a that fancy fuel-injected Stihl Ms500i--something with enough power to pull a very long bar long enough to need a full skip. Because that's the kind of work I'd need to be tackling to justify anything more than my little cordless.

The battery chainsaws always start instantly and effortlessly. They run quiet. The do not degrade in reliability just from being unused. (fuel degradation is a thing).

I think they reason I've had such good success with my little Makita is that I keep the chain nice and sharp with one of those Pferd/Stihl sharpeners that works brilliantly. When the dust no longer comes off as long strings of wood, it's time to sharpen.

Watching a small battery chainsaw make "Sawdust" that has 4" long strings of wood in it is really something. "refueling" the saw takes 10 seconds to swap in a pair of batteries and the first pair is recharged before the 2nd is drained, so I'm never waiting on batteries.

My little Makita can outwork me. And if the tool isn't limiting you, why would you need more tool?

 

[mike93lx]

How big of a tree are you hoping to help remove?

Realistically, I've made the decision that anything larger than what my battery powered chainsaw can't handle, I'm just not going to be able to help with.

With that precursor out of the way, I have the larger DeWalt battery powered chainsaw. It's the 60V 18" one and it has cut everything I've thrown at it.

I have a few 9aH batteries because of other tools that I use with it, but I've yet to drain a battery.

It looks like the MS180 you're looking at comes with a 16" bar. I don't know how the two would compare.

Amazon.com

The tree that is preventing me from getting out of my neighborhood or the one that poses a safety risk if it isn't put on the ground... How big that is can vary as there are some large trees here, but there are also two ways out of my neighborhood.

Frankly, it will all depend on the situation. I want to better my chances in the event of a disaster but also recognize that I can't solve for everything. I am in a pretty populated, and relatively wealthy, area that has solid resources at a county level, so I don't have a ton of concern over assistance, but when something like a tornado hits, all bets are off

 

[Davefr]

I'm using a dual battery Makita 16" and honestly the only gas chainsaw I'd consider now would be a very large one like a Husky 572 or a that fancy fuel-injected Stihl Ms500i--something with enough power to pull a very long bar long enough to need a full skip. Because that's the kind of work I'd need to be tackling to justify anything more than my little cordless.

The battery chainsaws always start instantly and effortlessly. They run quiet. The do not degrade in reliability just from being unused. (fuel degradation is a thing).

I think they reason I've had such good success with my little Makita is that I keep the chain nice and sharp with one of those Pferd/Stihl sharpeners that works brilliantly. When the dust no longer comes off as long strings of wood, it's time to sharpen.

Watching a small battery chainsaw make "Sawdust" that has 4" long strings of wood in it is really something. "refueling" the saw takes 10 seconds to swap in a pair of batteries and the first pair is recharged before the 2nd is drained, so I'm never waiting on batteries.

My little Makita can outwork me. And if the tool isn't limiting you, why would you need more tool?

I also have a Makita dual battery chainsaw (and it's single battery sibling). They do not start instantly when the batteries are dead. Murphy's law states that the greater the urgency, the greater the chance cordless tool batteries will be weak or dead when you need them the most.

The reason I have gas is not to be dependent on batteries during a storm with a large power outage. I have a generator but don't want to be dependent on it nor have to wait for batteries to charge.

 

[niget2002]

The tree that is preventing me from getting out of my neighborhood or the one that poses a safety risk if it isn't put on the ground... How big that is can vary as there are some large trees here, but there are also two ways out of my neighborhood.

Frankly, it will all depend on the situation. I want to better my chances in the event of a disaster but also recognize that I can't solve for everything. I am in a pretty populated, and relatively wealthy, area that has solid resources at a county level, so I don't have a ton of concern over assistance, but when something like a tornado hits, all bets are off

That's fair. I honestly typed that first question before looking at the size of the chainsaw you were considering.

The question was meant to narrow down whether you were looking at 16-18" chainsaws or something larger.

 

[mike93lx]

I'm using a dual battery Makita 16" and honestly the only gas chainsaw I'd consider now would be a very large one like a Husky 572 or a that fancy fuel-injected Stihl Ms500i--something with enough power to pull a very long bar long enough to need a full skip. Because that's the kind of work I'd need to be tackling to justify anything more than my little cordless.

The battery chainsaws always start instantly and effortlessly. They run quiet. The do not degrade in reliability just from being unused. (fuel degradation is a thing).

I think they reason I've had such good success with my little Makita is that I keep the chain nice and sharp with one of those Pferd/Stihl sharpeners that works brilliantly. When the dust no longer comes off as long strings of wood, it's time to sharpen.

Watching a small battery chainsaw make "Sawdust" that has 4" long strings of wood in it is really something. "refueling" the saw takes 10 seconds to swap in a pair of batteries and the first pair is recharged before the 2nd is drained, so I'm never waiting on batteries.

My little Makita can outwork me. And if the tool isn't limiting you, why would you need more tool?

Batteries definitely degrade with cycles and can fail unexpectedly, plus are quite expensive for the larger ones and can be damaged

Not saying this rules it out, but it's not some perfect solution

 

[mike93lx]

That's fair. I honestly typed that first question before looking at the size of the chainsaw you were considering.

The question was meant to narrow down whether you were looking at 16-18" chainsaws or something larger.

If something in the 40-50cc range with an 18" bar can't do it, I have no business cutting it, which means that I am either being dumb or things got really, really bad

 

[PCustoms]

If something in the 40-50cc range with an 18" bar can't do it, I have no business cutting it, which means that I am either being dumb or things got really, really bad

That will cut a 36" tree, albeit slowly. You can even push it further if needed by taking out sections.