Chainsaw recommendation

[mike93lx]

But he had wedges...

Not enough


Welcome to page 6!

 

[PCustoms]

Not enough

I'll give you a hint, when you've pinched a bar cutting from one direction, and you swap bars or saws, cut from the other side.

 

[mike93lx]

I'll give you a hint, when you've pinched a bar cutting from one direction, and you swap bars or saws, cut from the other side.

****. I thought you just keep opening the kerf until it stops pinching

 

[f121]

I wouldn’t bother with spare carb or running the thing regularly unless you actually need to use it. Run it on pre-mix, keep a fresh couple of gallons of premix in the shed and put it away dry, it’ll start when you need it. Make sure you keep a gallon of bar oil in stock - bear in mind rodents love to eat the biologically friendly plant based oil.

I had my 261 out this weekend, think it’s the first time I’ve run it since February. It’s been run on pre-mix for 95% of its life and had half a tank of premix still in it. Started on the 6th pull.

It’s handy having a battery saw too, I use a msa70 toy saw for most yard work, pruning etc because it’s nice and quiet, always starts and is super lightweight.

Ms261 for scale:

 

[GettingRusty]

Stihl MS180

You can buy the MS180 with confidence, good little saw. At a little over 30cc so you could take on some emergency work. It may take a little longer if you get into larger limbs but it will get you through your situation. Go for it.

 

[rancherbill]

No doubt. For some time now the middle-grade stuff that was reasonable on both quality and price has been forced out of the market as people either reach for a lower price or perceived higher quality.

It's getting to where there's only pro stuff or garbage in many instances.

..and that is a direct result of CEO pay packages. If an idea won't increase stock price and this CEO Bonus it is killed. They are not spending a nickel on plant and equipment to be competitive. They are just lowering quality.

A great example is closing the new Craftsman plant. It was planned to be a drag on earnings for several quarters then be really profitable as people throng to buy Craftsman stuff. The shuttered it and the CEO didn't get the bonus he wasn't going to get anyway. Next quarter back to bonuses.

What would Henry Ford or Elon Musk have done if it was their money. Both would habe been on site and got it to work.

 

[mrbill55]

But he had wedges...

I only have one wedge, it's older than I am and was a gift from an elderly neighbor back in the 80's. It weighs a good 6-8lbs, and has saved me countless times over the years.

Bill S.

 

[thool]

Sounds like the stihl MS250 would be a great choice. Plenty of power for your use case and small enough. Stihl dealers are in every town for service. Parts are very cheap (aftermarket). Common parts should be available locally since it is a very common saw.

This is why I bought the MS-250. It's perfect for homeowner use, and you can get a longer or blade if needed. Mine is about 13 years old and still starts on the second or third pull. Only operate at full throttle.

ABSOLUTELY use ethanol free gas and Stihl 2-stroke oil. I drain the saw and run it dry if not using for 2+ months. The 1 gallon fuel can with the mix gets Sta-Bil and has a strict shelf life of 6 months, then it goes into a vehicle. I also am OC about using only Stihl bar oil.

 

[bassJAM]

You guys have been heard loud and clear on wedges... I will buy some.

I have the helmet and chaps already. Multiple pairs of safety toe shoes are in the garage. I need proper gloves as I tend to just use Milwaukee cut level 1 for everything...

I dont choose to cut down trees anymore, unless it's something really small. It all gets hired out. Any tree of a decent size on my property is well within range of doing many, many thousands of dollars in damage to something else. Besides the risk of damage or injury when felling, I have no equipment to aid in handling the material and only have a 5x10 trailer for disposal. My back is worth more than the bill from my landscaper.

I like having multiple size wedges and consider them expense items. Eventually you'll nick them with your saw which is why you don't ever want to use a metal splitting wedge with a chainsaw.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Y55THVW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Something else to consider if this is for emergencies is a come-along and tow chains or tow straps. Sometimes you just need a little tension to persuade a leaner to go the right direction. Or for example several years ago one of my cedar trees fell across my driveway during an ice storm. No chainsaw needed, just the chains and a tractor to pull it aside and I dealt with cutting it up later.

 

[PCustoms]

I only have one wedge, it's older than I am and was a gift from an elderly neighbor back in the 80's. It weighs a good 6-8lbs, and has saved me countless times over the years.

Bill S.

Eventually you'll nick them with your saw which is why you don't ever want to use a metal splitting wedge with a chainsaw.

 

[bassJAM]

@PCustoms there's no reason to use a steel wedge unless you're dropping trees so large that you can't pound a plastic one in, which I don't think OP is doing.

 

[PCustoms]

@PCustoms there's no reason to use a steel wedge

No kidding.

I'm assuming the 8lb wedge mrbill55 referenced wasn't plastic.

The OP bought a saw and I'm out of this thread.

 

[jar944]

@PCustoms there's no reason to use a steel wedge unless you're dropping trees so large that you can't pound a plastic one in

Unlikely there is a tree where that's a thing, plastic is good enough for old growth.

 

[mrbill55]

Never needed it for a small tree

 

[mike93lx]

Never needed it for a small tree

So you use a metal wedge with a chainsaw?

 

[Jim greengo]

I've always had good luck with stihl and Husqvarna.

 

[fitter30]

Own the Stihl MS180 have had it 14 years with the 16" bar. Ben a good saw, run Sta Bil to extend life of fuel. Also replaced the bar and chain with Oregon power sharp since i can't sharpen the chain worth anything.

 

[GX460DIYguy]

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.

With that said, I want something more capable to have for emergencies, like a hurricane, blizzard or tornado. It will likely not even be run in most years, beyond starting it to confirm operation. I'd likely use the canned fuel as I own nothing 2 stroke.

No specific budget, but I feel like something on the order of a Stihl MS180 might be good? Lets say under $300 unless there is a compelling argument to go higher.

I am not particularly interested in used, unless there is an argument that doesn't include saving money.

I always heard great stuff about stihl so when we decided it was time to start clearing our land of all the trees that fell during hurricane Harvey we got a stihl ms181. It was amazing the first few times we used it. It’s been a little over a year and it’s just been a constant PITA every time we use it. Takes about 20 minutes to get it started and if you let it cool off after using it and need it again you’re lucky if you can get it going again. It’ll also die and refuse to run over idle sporadically. It’s started leaking from the oil cap to where if you don’t close it exactly right it’ll leak the bar oil out in a few minutes. Not sure what we’re trying next but it won’t be a stihl.

 

[mrbill55]

So you use a metal wedge with a chainsaw?

Twice in my life, yes, when there was no chance of removing the saw from the tree. Not while the saw was running.


Bill S.

 

[mike93lx]

For $90, I just added the dewalt 20v

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...e-tool-89-00-home-depot.538711/#post-10882316

Between this and the ms251, my corded homelite will no longer be lonely and they can all sit together, unused, in my shed

 

[Firebrick43]

For $90, I just added the dewalt 20v

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...e-tool-89-00-home-depot.538711/#post-10882316

Between this and the ms251, my corded homelite will no longer be lonely and they can all sit together, unused, in my shed

But how many wedges will accompany them?

 

[mike93lx]

But how many wedges will accompany them?

6 will be delivered this weekend

 

[sparky 1971]

6 will be delivered this weekend

Partial delivery? The rest must be back ordered.

 

[mike93lx]

Partial delivery? The rest must be back ordered.

****, autocorrect screwed me.

6 cases

 

[jar944]

Dolmar is dead. Makita pulled the plug on gas engine production in 2022 and has enough inventory estimated to last till 2025 then no more

I hadn't realized how bad the parts issue is and how many parts are already NLA until I tried to order some.

 

[Firebrick43]

I hadn't realized how bad the parts issue is and how many parts are already NLA until I tried to order some.

Crazy thing is that there are still new saws out there in inventory or at least showing in inventory. Imagine buying one and it not being supported right off the bat.

I was strongly leaning towards buying a 7900 in 2014 but came across a smoking deal on a 361 that had only cut down about 20 trees to clear a building lot.

 

[jar944]

Crazy thing is that there are still new saws out there in inventory or at least showing in inventory. Imagine buying one and it not being supported right off the bat.

I was strongly leaning towards buying a 7900 in 2014 but came across a smoking deal on a 361 that had only cut down about 20 trees to clear a building lot.

Yeah, its about the worst possible scenario. No parts, no dealer network, and while not stihl pricing, they are not giving them away either. I may pick up a couple rental saws as spare parts since I have a few 7900s.

 

[username2]

I have a CRAFTSMAN chain saw in the shop attic. First person to stop by, gets it for free. It has the carry case and some spares. I have not used it in over 30 years. A now deceased neighbour was the last person to use it.

Hopefully the saw wasn't involved.

One quick advantage that just occurred to me with 'lectric saws.

If you live somewhere with Planning Commissions and City Councils and HOAs that require lots of paperwork and permissions and whatnot to cut a tree, there's something to be said for the noise reduction. Just sayin' in a purely hypothetical sense.

 

[jar944]

. That being said, Home Depot has some rental saws for sale. Check the Richmond stores online. They have a 16" Makita/Dolmar at the SW store and a 20" Makita/Dolmar at the in town store.

And because I was trying to stock up on spare saws for parts.. those will be echo saws not makita. The 20" rental is now a echo 590, which they will sell you (used) for 75% the cost of a new saw.