Chainsaws

[Jeffh40]

Looking for recommendations. I have a bunch of trees to cut up into firewood over the next year at my new house, but after that, the chainsaw would get typical homeowner use. i.e. not much except once or twice a year.

Everyone says buy a Stihl, but those are pretty pricey for something that realistically won't get a lot of use for more than this year.

 

[Jim Pelosi]

I'm the same as you in frequency of use. I have an electric 18" Craftsman that cuts like a beast and it was only $100 or so. I've felled full grown oaks with no problem.

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[ken w.]

I guess how much you want to spend. You can get an Echo CS-310 at Home Depot for $ 200.00. It's a nice 14" saw. Or get the electric for $ 100.00. With the gas saw you need to be sure to put stabilizer in the gas and drain and run it out of gas before storage or you run the risk of it not starting in a year. I prefer a gas saw over electric , but that's me.

 

[Kenskip1]

I will agree with Ken.An Echo should fit the bill/ However I would recommend that you use premix fuel in it.Yes it is expensive however you should not have any issues related to gas, ethanol, ext.

 

[Jazz1]

I have a 20 year old Stihl saw that’s never seen the shop however if I were in market today for a “homeowner saw” I’d buy the Echo. Unless you’re willing to fork over for professional series saws there’s a lot of inferior machines on the market

 

[Terracar]

I will agree with Ken.An Echo should fit the bill/ However I would recommend that you use premix fuel in it.Yes it is expensive however you should not have any issues related to gas, ethanol, ext.

Yes, use the gas in a can. Saves me a lot of time with my Husky. Oh and NEVER EVER use Stabil! I had to throw out about 13gallons of gas thanks to Stabil and drain the gas tank on a riding mower. Talk about a PITA.

 

[Jazz1]

I have a 20 year old Stihl saw that’s never seen the shop however if I were in market today for a “homeowner saw” I’d buy the Echo. Unless you’re willing to fork over for professional series saws there’s a lot of inferior machines on the market

I prefer a one pull saw, not a push this button, pull 3 times, do this, pull twice and should maybe start

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

For hunting, quartering moose and elk or trail work on the guad, I have Poulan Wild Thing. It was cheap, if it gets stolen I won't cry. When after a few years when it doesn't start, they barely start when new, I buy another one. They are not even worth a spark plug. But for the same use as you are talking about, I got Stihl . And not the lowest priced one either, a step up. The same level Husqvarna would have done just as well. Stihl Husqvarna, that's a Ford Chevy thing. What ever you do don't use ethanol added gas, it washes oil off the cylinder walls.

 

[vavet]

I had a bad experience with a Poulan Pro pole saw - essentially a small chain saw on a long stick.
I bought it and couldn't get it to run. All over the box and tags they tell you not to return to the store. Call this number. I called. They asked a bunch of stoopid questions. Finally they sent me to a "service center." It was a guy's house who had a shop in his backyard. He adjusted the carb (special screwdriver) and got it to run. I got it home, pulled the cord - it sticks in the out position. OK, I've had enough.
I take it back to Lowe's. They happily exhange it. I get the new one home. Same **** with the carb. I go back to the guy's house - he tweaks it for me. When I got it home this time and pulled the cord, the cord actually broke. I called their number again - more stoopid question before they decide I'm pulling the cord wrong.
HUH?
I returned it to Lowe's and got my money back.
I won't buy another Poulan product.
I've been happy with my Echo string trimmer and my Echo chainsaw. Neither are professional grade, but they're good enough for serious homeowner use.

 

[Moosefire]

Few things. First I agree on the canned gas, it works wonders albeit expensive. Go with it.

Second, pouland pro isn't worth your time. Like someone else said they barely start when new. You'll be 3 hours from home in the middle of the woods and you'll pull your arm out of socket before that thing chokes or coughs.

I have the Husqvarna farm model. It was around 600 which is expensive in my book but well worth every penny.

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[engineer2]

not much except once or twice a year

I would get a nice electric one. For example Makita make them in 12", 14", or 16" in 18V or 36V power. Milwaukee and DeWalt have similar ones. That way you can use your cordless tool battery system.

I bought a cheapie Remington 120V pole-type chain saw for tree trimming. What's nice is you can detach the saw and use it to cut firewood. Great for a small yard.

 

[seber]

No question Stihl and Shindaiwa are at the top of both quality and price. For me I just go for the best and forget it but I certainly understand why you would want something less expensive. In your case I would be looking at Huskvarna, Johnsered, and Echo. I would stay away from the cheap saws for anything more than one tree. I'm talking about names like Poulan, Craftsman, McCoulough et all.

 

[2manytools]

I guess how much you want to spend. You can get an Echo CS-310 at Home Depot for $ 200.00. It's a nice 14" saw. Or get the electric for $ 100.00. With the gas saw you need to be sure to put stabilizer in the gas and drain and run it out of gas before storage or you run the risk of it not starting in a year. I prefer a gas saw over electric , but that's me.

I will agree with Ken.An Echo should fit the bill/ However I would recommend that you use premix fuel in it.Yes it is expensive however you should not have any issues related to gas, ethanol, ext.

I'm in the middle of these two posters. The pre-mixed gas is probably the best, and if you are only going to be running for a fill maybe 2, go for it. However, it is ridiculous on the wallet. You will be just fine if you buy RECREATION gas (rec gas). It isn't available everywhere & it is more expensive, but it doesn't contain ethanol. It is intended for boats, but it should be advertised just as much for small engine equipment.

If you want to use regular gas (though not rec), you need to get a product like Startron to neutralize the ethanol. It also does the same thing as Stabil, in terms making the storage time of gas longer. Plain Stabil really is only good if you want to store gas for you truck, or something that is better suited to handle the ethanol that is still there.

For what you are talking about though, I'd get a battery one. Even if you get great gas, there is still other maintenance. I wouldn't trade my Milwaukee for another saw. It has handled everything I've thrown at it just fine. My only gripe is lack of a case for it, but it's not gas so I don't care about keeping it in my truck all the time un-cased.

I saw an uneducated homeowner buy a gas string trimmer the other day, and I know he will regret that purchase either next year, or for sure the year after. He will love the power now (over kill for most people as it is) and hate the upkeep in the following years after storage. I think many people feel that way about chainsaws. The less you use some tools, the worse off they are.

I will admit, if it's your only tool on a specific battery platform, the upfront cost is more, and loses some of the attraction.

 

[Mandres]

+1 for a battery model. If you already have a cordless drill you can probably find one that takes the same battery.

 

[shawhite]

Looking for recommendations. I have a bunch of trees to cut up into firewood over the next year at my new house, but after that, the chainsaw would get typical homeowner use. i.e. not much except once or twice a year.

Everyone says buy a Stihl, but those are pretty pricey for something that realistically won't get a lot of use for more than this year.

When you say a bunch are we talking about 5-10 or are we talking 40-50? What size trees and what type are they. I personally have both a stihl ms260 and a stihl cordless. Depending on the situation you would get two different recommendations. May I put my $.02 out there. If you are planning doing most of the cutting on a weekend or a couple weekends you may want to just see if you can borrow someone’s gas saw or rent one for your heavy work. Then buy a saw that fits your needs for your yearly firewood cutting (electric or cordless probably).

 

[sreeb]

I guess how much you want to spend. You can get an Echo CS-310 at Home Depot for $ 200.00. It's a nice 14" saw. Or get the electric for $ 100.00. With the gas saw you need to be sure to put stabilizer in the gas and drain and run it out of gas before storage or you run the risk of it not starting in a year. I prefer a gas saw over electric , but that's me.

I have found HD expensive for Echo. They don't discount below MSRP and I think they may not be allowed to.

My local Echo dealer will discount (have to ask) and has more models available.

Echo also has a 5 year consumer warranty (dealer said it doesn't cover leaving fuel in it though).

 

[bob15]

How many exactly is a bunch of trees? And what size are you looking at, diameter-wise? 3-6" across or 30-36" across.

You cannot recommend a saw without knowing some basic details.

 

[Kenskip1]

No question Stihl and Shindaiwa are at the top of both quality and price. For me I just go for the best and forget it but I certainly understand why you would want something less expensive. In your case I would be looking at Huskvarna, Johnsered, and Echo. I would stay away from the cheap saws for anything more than one tree. I'm talking about names like Poulan, Craftsman, McCoulough et all.

Just for your information that Shindaiwa and Echo have merged in the past couple of years. I have the 352 Professional and it is a rock solid saw.

 

[Coach James]

Yes, use the gas in a can. Saves me a lot of time with my Husky. Oh and NEVER EVER use Stabil! I had to throw out about 13gallons of gas thanks to Stabil and drain the gas tank on a riding mower. Talk about a PITA.

How did Stabil ruin your gas?

Coach

 

[Hytekrednek]

Shindaiwa for me. been utterly reliable, plenty o power, needed no repairs yet in 4 or 5 years. use good gas, drain every fall.

 

[Y00PER]

I bought a Poulan 42cc saw 11 years ago new for under $150. Last year I gave it to my brother because I upgraded to a 50cc saw. I ran 87 octane regular gas in it (mixed with oil of course) , and never have used stabil in it, and it would sit in the garage from late October until May. That thing cut all my winters wood for 10 years (only heating source), and never have me any headaches. I NEVER expected it to go that long, I was hoping to get 2 years out of it.

Until I found this forum, I never knew that you shouldn't run ethanol has in small motors, so I recently started buying ethanol free premium pump gas for my ATV, lawn mowers, saws, etc

 

[Blstr88]

I heat my house and garage in northern New England entirely with wood in an outdoor wood boiler...so I cut a LOT of wood. At least 9-10 cord a year, probably more if you factor in general cleanup around our acreage.

Im a real firm believer in the whole "buy once, cry once" mentality.

For your use I would really recommend a 50cc saw, and my top pick would be a Stihl 261C. I have a 261 (along with an 026 and 260) and really think its the perfect size for occasional firewood/cleanup jobs. Plenty of power for those big logs you might have to buck up but light enough to sling around for clean up jobs.

They're not cheap (I think around $550-599 IIRC), and there are cheaper saws that would work just fine for you but a Pro series Stihl (like the 261) would be passed down to your grandkids with proper care/maintenance.

 

[2manytools]

I bought a Poulan 42cc saw 11 years ago new for under $150. Last year I gave it to my brother because I upgraded to a 50cc saw. I ran 87 octane regular gas in it (mixed with oil of course) , and never have used stabil in it, and it would sit in the garage from late October until May. That thing cut all my winters wood for 10 years (only heating source), and never have me any headaches. I NEVER expected it to go that long, I was hoping to get 2 years out of it.

Until I found this forum, I never knew that you shouldn't run ethanol has in small motors, so I recently started buying ethanol free premium pump gas for my ATV, lawn mowers, saws, etc

10 years ago there wasn't as much ethanol, and even less farther back. So even if you practiced good engine maintenance at one time, the process has changed over time. Our backpack blower ran great for years but then one year, for several years, it lost its pep not matter what we did, until ditching/minimizing the ethanol. Now it runs like new, and I can even get away with starting it on mid-choke with one pull. Never did that before using Startron

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

I learned not to use ethanol laced gas from my brother. When he bought an acreage , he bought a Stihl. It was natural to buy a Stihl, he had worked his way through university as a park ranger. After a few years it died ! When he took it in to the dealer, the dealer asked which brand of gas he used . Husky, an ethanol blended gas.

 

[WVBrady]

How did Stabil ruin your gas?

Coach

I am curious too.

 

[Blstr88]

I have found over the years that fuel with ethanol in it is harmless if you're running through fuel regularly...where it causes problems is when it sits in the gas tank for prolonged periods of time. In addition to the ethanol "eating" away at plastic/rubber parts, it also absorbs water over time...which can wreak havoc on small engines/carbs.

Ethanol free fuel is definitely the way to go if you have access to it but if you're running the fuel through regularly the ethanol shouldnt be a huge problem. I would say if you don't have access to ethanol free (if you do, just use that 100% of the time) its ok to run regular ethanol fuel during the summer season when you're using the equipment more...towards the end of the year just use that premix canned fuel for the last few uses before winter storage to flush it out real good.

Of course all this talk about ethanol is for nothing if you go with a battery operated saw like some have suggested. Ive never even touched a battery operated chainsaw but I can't for the life of me see how it could even come close to a decent gas operated one. IF you're someone who uses a chainsaw so infrequently/lightly that a battery operated saw will work for you I think you'd be better suited to just borrow one from a friend/relative/neighbor that one time a year you need to cut up a branch. Or just use a sawzall.

 

[CR888]

Ya I too would like to know how Stabile ruined Terrecars gas. One thing to consider too about battery saws is the batteries are expensive and only have relatively short lives, like 2-4years. Batteries change over time & some may not be supported down the road. Just a few things to consider about cordless as often folks tout them to be a perfect solution for the occaisional user.

 

[CR888]

I learned not to use ethanol laced gas from my brother. When he bought an acreage , he bought a Stihl. It was natural to buy a Stihl, he had worked his way through university as a park ranger. After a few years it died ! When he took it in to the dealer, the dealer asked which brand of gas he used . Husky, an ethanol blended gas.

Is Husky blended gas got ethanol in it?? You know who makes canned gas for husky...

 

[brianh]

Echo is the best bang for the buck, got more than 1300 hours out of a 310 not bad for a 200 dollar saw. My favorite all around is the echo 490, 50cc saw light powerful and no vibration.

The Stihl homeowner saws are junk usually will not make it past 300 hours. Their pro saws are great my ten year old 660 still runs like the first day.

Makita makes some nice corded and cordless electric saws.

 

[Davefr]

Looking for recommendations. I have a bunch of trees to cut up into firewood over the next year at my new house, but after that, the chainsaw would get typical homeowner use. i.e. not much except once or twice a year.

Everyone says buy a Stihl, but those are pretty pricey for something that realistically won't get a lot of use for more than this year.

What kind of trees and what size?

You don't want a battery saw or small gas saw for felling/bucking anything bigger then saplings. (especially hardwoods)

What you might want to do is rent a Makita DCS6401 from Home Depot for the initial felling/bucking and then buy a smaller saw for general homeowner use.

If the trees are modest size you might get by with a 50cc class saw for everything. (Husky 550XP or Stihl MS271).

 

[TXpintail]

I have a Stihl MS 311. Had a big oak tree to take down two years ago and it quickly became obvious my old Husky wasn’t going to be up to the task. The Stihl wasn’t cheap, but it sure gets the job done. Worth it to me to have a nice saw that’s never under powered.

As I enjoy using it, it gets used almost every month, which I didn’t think would be the case initially. A lot of times it’s helping someone in the neighborhood after a storm or a friend moves into a new house and needs a hand, stuff like that. Point is I would err on the side of slightly more power than you think you need. I think you’ll be happier long term having the full capability.

 

[johninct]

Yes, use the gas in a can. Saves me a lot of time with my Husky. Oh and NEVER EVER use Stabil! I had to throw out about 13gallons of gas thanks to Stabil and drain the gas tank on a riding mower. Talk about a PITA.

I will never use that stuff again too!!!!

 

[Notgrownup]

Echo CS370 here I think is the model..6 years, true fuel always, cranks-up every time.

 

[brianh]

No matter what saw you get. learn how to sharpen a chain or have spare loops and send them out.

it does not matter how powerful the saw is if the chain is dull. Some of the most godawful burnt blunted chains I have seen on saws. Neighbor came by my shop and asked me to sharpen his chain, the teeth were round I asked what were you doing? "Cutting tree roots I did not think dirt would make it dull"............

 

[dwasifar]

There are China clones of Stihl and Husqvarna saws being sold under the names Farmertec and Holzfforma. They're part-for-part interchangeable with the originals. No Stihl warranty, of course, but apparently they perform well.

If you're mechanically inclined and want to save even more money, you can buy one as a "puzzle saw" - a collection of new parts instead of an assembled saw - put it together yourself, and have (for example) a complete Stihl MS660 clone for two and a half bills. Of course the Amazon listing is careful to call it a "complete repair parts kit" and not a saw kit: "We suggest customers use the complete repair part in the wood chainsaw only, it is not recommend to be used for the other purpose."

 

[TXpintail]

There are China clones of Stihl and Husqvarna saws being sold under the names Farmertec and Holzfforma. They're part-for-part interchangeable with the originals. No Stihl warranty, of course, but apparently they perform well.

If you're mechanically inclined and want to save even more money, you can buy one as a "puzzle saw" - a collection of new parts instead of an assembled saw - put it together yourself, and have (for example) a complete Stihl MS660 clone for two and a half bills. Of course the Amazon listing is careful to call it a "complete repair parts kit" and not a saw kit: "We suggest customers use the complete repair part in the wood chainsaw only, it is not recommend to be used for the other purpose."

You won't end up with a MS660 equivalent. No thanks.

 

[ive]

I handled a 660 today. That’s a big saw, and I like big toys.

My buddy bought a saw at a box store last week. Started it up and chain brake didn’t work. Lesson learned.

 

[dwasifar]

You won't end up with a MS660 equivalent. No thanks.

Well, for that price, I'd imagine not. But the people I've seen reviewing them online are surprised that they're as good as they are.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Husky oil is a western Canadian oil company.

We can get refurbished ? Poulans here, but even new ones aren't much more. Before hunting season, I'll have to check if it starts this year. I was told to run them 40 to 1,or even 32 to 1. My Stihl or the big Husqvarna get 50 to 1.

 

[oak_park]

Echo with Trufuel or similar is a winner for me. If you buy it at HD, get email receipt too for warranty if ever needed.