Recommend me a 14" chainsaw

[mshell56118]

Looking at buying a new 14" chainsaw. Figured I would ask the almighty Garage Journal what everyone thought was the best bang for the buck. I have an 18" poulan wild thing. Good saw but temperamental

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[wyattstihl]

Stihl MS-170. Takes a bar between 12-16 inches and will handle everything you throw at it. I used to have one but I traded it for a bigger saw.

You will probably get better and more active discussion over on Arboristsite.


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[Davefr]

For a small 14" homeowner saw, I'd go with a Stihl MS170/180 or one of the small Echos like a CS-352. The small Dolmars are also good saws but dealer support can be iffy.

The Stihl MS170's actually go on sale for about $150 and you get a much better saw then the typical home center saws.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Cheap homeowner saw - get a Echo 352. I use one with a 14: bar as a limb saw, will take down small trees. And it's somewhat quieter than my "good" saw.

Pro saw - get a Stihl 261. (Or the Husq equivalent - I like Stihl because that's what's sold around here). I have a 362, and it turns a 14" bar into a lightsaber.

Both run as commanded, just use GOOD gas (92+ octane, NO ethanol period) in them, with the correct oil ratio. The minute you use "automotive pump gas" in a saw you're condemning it to a life of "Maybe-run". My Homelite Super 2 had that happen (a saw I had since I was a kid) - and it cost me my old limb saw.

IF you have access to power out there consider an electric. I also have a Craftsman electric, my generator will run it all day, it's silent, and there's no not run unless it's unplugged. It's a PITA to get everything set up, but it's a surprising little workhorse with a 12" bar...

 

[vavet]

I have a Home Depot Echo. I was planning to buy a Stihl from a local dealer, but after getting snubbed at two local places, I went to the big box. My Echo chainsaw has been good to me, but it's only about 2 years old. My Echo string trimmer has been good to me and it's about 11 years old.

 

[RCL]

I too have Echo chainsaw and string trimmer.
They have been really good to me.
The saw has been used hard cutting cedars on ranch and never given any problems.

 

[454ragtop]

If you're not using it to clear land, just clean ups and stuff, consider a cordless. I picked up a Ryobi 40 volt over the winter, love it. I've recommended them to a couple friends and they love theirs too. I can see myself never using my gas saws ever again....

 

[Lelandwelds]

Dad like his Milwaukee cordless sawsall.

Buy a Stihl, Husky, Echo, Shindaiwa and stick a 14" bar on it. + 1 on the avoiding ethanol

 

[mike93lx]

I love my corded homelite. Has dropped several large maples, bucked logs, trimmed branches, etc. Plenty of power and it always runs.

Dropped a large tree on 200' of 12 gauge cord. Not ideal, but it worked.

Cheap too. I think it was $75

 

[Voi]

If you're not using it to clear land, just clean ups and stuff, consider a cordless.

I agree. I bought the Makita 14" brushless and I like it a lot more than I thought I would.

OP, I clicked on your profile & noticed you're active in the Milwaukee thread. Is their new M18 a consideration?

 

[theoldwizard1]

I love my corded homelite. Has dropped several large maples, bucked logs, trimmed branches, etc. Plenty of power and it always runs.

Electric is the way to go for a "homeowner" saw. My Dad would cut 2-4 face cords of wood every year with his Craftsman 14" electric.

 

[ldg397]

I would recommend the stihl ms151 if you can find one without all the tool less chain tightened and start assist. The reason I say this specific machine is it has the best ratio of engine cc’s to weight for a homeowner type saw. Would love to have the professional line just don’t use it enough. All those extras add weight and make it harder to work on yourself. I love this saw.

 

[ldg397]

Sorry I made a mistake I meant to say I have an MS 251 which has great power to weight ratio. I don’t see this one on the website not sure if it got discontinued. I know I still see them on the dealers shelves must not have sold them all yet.

I got lucky and bought mine used on eBay for $200. I took a big chance but it paid off because it was damn near new. Has been a wonderful saw. Would also recommend the stihl premix fuel. That is all I have used.

 

[bulletpruf]

Pro saw - get a Stihl 261. (Or the Husq equivalent - I like Stihl because that's what's sold around here). I have a 362, and it turns a 14" bar into a lightsaber.

Stihl 261 FTW!

 

[trashmanssd]

I would go electric for homeowner only type use, they dont care how long since the last time you used them. I went gas Ryobi 14" throwaway when it gets to be a PIA. I like having a gas to take with me when I am out plowing during northeasters. I also now only use the premium premixed fuels sold in cans at the store, they have storage treatments already in them along with 50:1 or 40:1 oil with non ethanol fuel.

 

[bpjr]

Hard to recommend anything without knowing what you are doing with it. My primary chainsaw is a craftsman 38cc for home use and it has been fine. I've beat it hard for yrs, mostly on oaks, palms and pines without issues. Last week I cut up a large pine trunk that the diameter is 2x of the bar length (left behind after Fl Power & Light cut the tree down and didn't remove everything).

Some of the cman and poulan saws are same except for branding and I imagine your poulan only needs carb adjusting, cleaning, fuel filter and hoses to make it run right. All this stuff goes bad no matter which brand you buy or how much money you spend. My neighbor has a 38cc poulan and it purrs like a kitten after I tweaked the carb mixtures. I bought a set of carb tools on ebay ($10) to adjust all my 2 strokes and it makes a huge difference when they are dialed in. Unfortunately some of the stihls and echos don't have mixture adjustment screws so you are not able to dial them in to your local conditions. I have a stihl blower, echo hedge trimmer and echo string trimmer and neither have low or hi mixture adjustments.

I've used the small stihls with top handle for tree service. They work ok but only 23cc-30cc and power is major lacking in comparison to 38c. So beware of engine size because the small cc engines are meant for small work.

 

[JiminAZ]

Assuming you are going to use it at least a few times a year I'd trot down to my local Stihl dealer and if he passes the sniff test buy whatever makes the most sense for a 14" saw.

I have a Stihl 024 that is over 15 years old. Other than air cleaners and some fuel tubing, all motor/carb/fuel system is original. On my third bar, lost count of the chains I've worn out. I can't kill the thing. When I lived in CA ran it on ethanol gas, etc. It just runs.

Prior to the Stihl I had homeowner grade saws - homelite, Poulan, etc. The Stihl is in another class altogether in terms of design, responsiveness, power, etc.

 

[reader2580]

I like the cordless chainsaw suggestion. I have an Ego 14" cordless chainsaw.

I did a lot of tree trimming last weekend and filled seven 6x10 trailers with the debris. I have two batteries as I have several other Ego cordless tools. One 2.5 amp battery lasted about an hour as the chainsaw was not in continuous use.

 

[ez-duzit]

There must be a reason pro's buy mostly Stihl and Husqvarna professional grade chainsaws. The Stihl homeowner saws have an odd second digit in their model number; the pro saws have an even number (IIRC).

Actually had excellent service from a Poulan Pro 18 electric (110-volt). Would never ever consider a battery powered saw. Just bought a Stihl 201 top handle saw to help take down one big tree.

 

[bwringer]

I agree that an electric chainsaw is shockingly (heh) useful for homeowner use.

Mine's a $40 cheapie that Will. Not. Die.

Two-cycle engines just plain ****. I've banished them from my life and gone to a battery powered string trimmer and blower.

I'm not all that sold on battery powered chainsaws yet -- the needed oomph gets mighty heavy and expensive.

If you do get a gas saw, just use the premix canned fuel, unless you're sawing all day every day.

Non-ethanol fuel is just not reliably available in much of the country.

 

[pelletman]

If you're not using it to clear land, just clean ups and stuff, consider a cordless. I picked up a Ryobi 40 volt over the winter, love it. I've recommended them to a couple friends and they love theirs too. I can see myself never using my gas saws ever again....

I second this

 

[tarmy]

Learned a long time ago...get a pro saw...Stihl 261...

They are pricey...but you will never need to get another one. The pro version has more HP, has a carb that self adjusts...even for elevation changes. I haul mine up in the mountains and that thing blows thru the wood.

The chains are important too. You can get more aggressive links with the additional HP...look into the various chains...lots of choices.

 

[alexb2000]

Of all my chainsaws, if I could only have one, it would be my Stihl 192TC arborist saw. The top handled saws are where it's at IMO for small saws. Being able to saw with one hand and use the other to grab a limb, or push over a tree, or just hold on, is valuable. They are also light weight so if you do some in tree work they are perfect. I have several bigger saws, I just rarely have a need for them.

People some times laugh when I pull that little saw out, but with a razor sharp full chisel chain it will slice up some wood. Plus at the end of the day your back won't hurt.

 

[ez-duzit]

This is that top handle Stihl I picked up.

 

[alexb2000]

this is that top handle stihl i picked up.

nice!

 

[finn]

I have several Stihl and Husqvarna saws, among others, but would recommend a small Echo.

Had one that I gifted to my son. Was a great little cleanup saw.

Always started on the first or second pull, even after sitting all winter.unlike my Stihl saws.

No need for a pro model Stihl, except for bragging rights.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Buy yourself a Stihl Farmboss, you can put a longer or shorter bar on it. Once you get it, it'll run circles around that Poo-lan saw and I doubt you ever use it again.

 

[BK13]

Has anybody compared the Husky 135 and 240 saws? All I can find around PDX are the 240s, but when I went to the coast a week ago I stopped at a dealer who stocked the 135, and he was talking (fairly restrained) trash about the 240. Trying to figure out if he was just trying to sell what he has, or he only has the 135 because it's that much better.

 

[ken w.]

I have an Echo CS-360 top handle saw. It came with a 16" bar that I switched to a 14". You want more balls than bar. You can use it with one hand for cutting limbs if needed. I also have a Craftsman 19.2 cordless saw. It works ok , but its slow and eats batteries fast. The batteries don't work in the cold either. The Echo is my go to saw for just about everything.

 

[ishiboo]

I'll second an electric saw. I have a Stihl MS250 (pain in the ***) and bought a Dewalt 16" cordless this year and I use the cordless 100% of the time. No more gas chainsaws for me. If I cut professionally I'm sure I would feel differently - but for most people electric/cordless is now the way to go.

 

[LawnBoy-5247]

I shy non professionals away from top handle saws as they can be very dangerous for a homeowner because of the temptation to use the saw one handed. I would stick with a ms170 or ms250 a ms261 is a nice saw but for a homeowner is overkill. Non-ethanol fuel is a must though to prevent fuel system problems.

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[346ci]

Top handle saws are for climbing, while they will work on the ground you will have a tendency to use it one handed and that is dangerous.

The Stihl 170/180 are old and have been replaced by the 171/181. For a 14" bar, the ms211 weighs the same as the 171 and 181 but offers more power.

For the occasional use, the 211 would serve you well with a 14" b&c. If you want the light saber as mention, the ms241 is your answer.