Chain Saw

[doc623]

I have an older Homelite 410 chain saw. It will handle a 18" or 26" bar and chain and around 63 cc. It works well and cuts very good. At times I don't need even the 18 " bar. Most of the ime I use it to cut fire wood. Many times I need s saw to trim limbs and smaller stuff. Now for the question. Can I put and use say a 10-12" bar and chain on this saw? Or should I look for a smaller saw?

[Sawmill Jim]

You can put a shorter bar on it yes .But being an old man the weight would do me in if i could afford it i would get a different saw . Longer bar for me is better as i don't have to bend my body as much I even use full skip chain as it is less to file too

[HermitJohn]

Buy a newer saw, start it both cold and hot and actually try it out before buying. Newer saws especially dept store cheapies have been EPA'd to point they are royal pain unless you break the law and un-EPA them. In other words they are tuned to meet emissions but in the process they become useless in the real world. Higher quality small saws (if you can find such a thing anymore) they actually try to meet emissions while still making them usable.

If you can still easily handle the weight of your current saw for what you want to use it for, sure you can put shorter bar and chain on it. However suspect 16 inch is about shortest you can go. Shorter bars than that usually use mini chain and there probably wont be such a bar that fits your saw and you would need a different sprocket for the mini chain which also probably wont be available for your saw. But 16 inch is actually pretty convenient size so if weight of current saw is not a problem then go for it.

[doc623]

I guess that I should go for a neweer smaller saw as the weight is getting to be an issue.
I don't use the saw wnough to get use to the weight.
I like the 410 as it really cuts. But it is getting heavy and even though I put new clutches in it to the tune of $60.00 last fall it is heavy.
What would be a good compromise?
Are the 'chain store' brands any good, i. e., sears/Craftsman?
Who makes the store brands like craftsman any one know?
Thanks for the input so far.

[RosewoodfarmVA]

I like a longer bar for limbing up as I can keep my body balanced and use the bar length to reach what I'm cutting. Short bar means body has to reach closer to the limb. Bad idea for balance and for being able to 'retreat' once limb is cut. Ideally when you're doing anything with a saw your body should be straight and balanced, with the saw doing the reaching. Bending over with a 30lb saw trying to cut something will throw your back out any day. If you have to buy a new saw consider a pole saw with a 6-10' pole, then a small 10 or 12" bar on the end. Does great for limbing standing trees. As far as limbing up felled trees stick with the 16" or 18" bar.

[RosewoodfarmVA]

I use a Stihl for big cutting. In my experience the cheaper Poulan or Homelite saws are OK for low use or general around the house. For lots of use get a Stihl or Husqvarna (sp?). I've had great service out of Stihls and I know people that say the same thing about huskies. Neighbor does logging full time and uses Stihls only. We cut lots of wood for sale as well as general farm cleanup and hired tree cutting and our saw has been going well for 6 years now. Been through probably 200 chains and 4 bars, but nothing wrong with the saw. One thing you'll find is the newer saws are lighter. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not; it's easier on you but may be made out of cheaper stuff! I would bet that a new 18" bar saw would be a lot lighter than your old 18" homelite.

[HermitJohn]

Go someplace you can actually try out the saw before buying it. REmember there is junk with Stihl and Husky names on it anymore. If you see a saw with bar held on with one bolt, run, dont walk away from that saw. Guy I know bought a little Stihl like that and its royal pain to keep chain tight. Housing is very plastic. He bought it on name reputation only and got it at big box store.

The cheapie dept store saws can work fine for light duty occasional use, just dont expect them to be usable out of box. I've tuned two or three Poulans for friends and they were basically unusable out of box but started easily, stayed running, and cut pretty well AFTER tuning.

Shindaiwa is a brand you should look into, think they are still independent and they dont or at least didnt used to sell junk. Very well respected by professional landscapers, maintenence people, etc. I own two older Shindaiwa saws and they just work and stay tuned up. Very competitive with quality of older Stihl and Husky saws. No idea if they also are now churning out dept store type carp like the other brands or not. Being a smaller company marketing to professionals mostly, my guess is their quality is still pretty high. But the lure of easy consumer dollars will corrupt nearly any company to relax their standards for a little more quick profit. Especially conglomerates that buy up independent companies and want to pay off the debt quickly.

[HermitJohn]

Originally Posted by doc623

Who makes the store brands like craftsman any one know?
Thanks for the input so far.

Husqvarna and Poulan are or were both owned by Electrolux along with several other old independent saw brand names. For example they sold under McCulloch name also in Europe, but in USA, McCulloch name is used by some Chinese company. Electrolux sometime in last couple years spun their outdoor equipment division off back under "independent" company name of Husqvarna, but its really still the old power equipment division of Electrolux, not the earlier independent Husqvarna. So now Husqvarna MAKES Poulans. I am not totally sure what company makes Craftsman saws anymore but assume its still rebranded Poulan saws. As you can tell "brand names" are getting to mean very little and impossible for consumer to know who makes what brand. As they said few years back in the tv ads, its not your father's Oldsmobile anymore....

[Sawmill Jim]

Never saw a Sthil sold at a box store or one line not new or a dealer .

[HermitJohn]

Originally Posted by Sawmill Jim

Never saw a Sthil sold at a box store or one line not new or a dealer .

It was cheapest looking Stihl I ever saw, all plastic and one bolt to hold bar on. Didnt look like it had anything over a cheapo Poulan except the name. Said he got deal on close out. Some regional "home improvement center" if I remember, not Lowes or Home Depot. I remember he got it after his old Stihl walked out of his barn on its own. Pretty much know who stole old one but no proof. They oddly left his old Husky that was setting right next to the Stihl and it was the better saw of the two.

Anyway he must have got sidetracked by the discount as this wasnt anywhere near size or power of his old one, this was made for yuppie suburbanites. He just wasnt aware that Stihl and Husqvarna had both started selling a trashy consumer line of saw.

[Jolly]

Some of the small Echo's are pretty good.

Go to a good saw shop and tell them you are looking for a decent quality arborist or limbing saw..they'll have what you need. It may not be as cheap as you wish, but quality costs.

You can make do with a little Poulan, but I've found little weight difference between them and larger, better saws...

[-TWO-]

Husqvarna offers 3 lines of chainsaws. For homeowners, for landowners & for professionals. All priced accordingly. The pro line is designated XP. I own a 385XP (84.7 cc/30" bar) & this spring I bought a 338XP (39cc/16" bar). Both saws were made in Sweden. I buy all my chainsaws & supply's from a local dealer that I've delt with for years & he's always treated me right. I don't deal with box stores. Like I've said on here before. The brand is only as good as the dealer. So what ever brand you settle for, my advice would be to buy from a good, reputable dealer & spend the extra money for a good, quality chainsaw. You won't windup unhappy & frustrated that way.