Chainsaw recommendations?

by the way i run a MS260 with a 20 inch bar , i love the saw , 20 inches is a bit long but i am tall and bend over less with the longer bar

i have thought about an 18 inch bar but i have 2 20" bars and chains

learn to hand sharpen with a file , i think stihl makes the best file holder kit for sharpening

i also use only premium gas , and stihl oil

did i pay a premuim for the saw , i think my saw was about 321 , but i got the case 50 bucks , the spare chain so 420 with tax

i don't think it's a premuim so much as the price point of a non department store saw

a freind of me bought a wild thing pulan we cut less than an hour before over heating it
he took it back , it couldn't take big logs even with the 18 inch bar it ran hot and didn't last , so he upgraded to the pulan pro for another 50 bucks or somthing like that we ran it for a few hours when the oiler stopped working , he took it back , they happened to sell a husky ranch boss he bought that , and ran it without any imediat problem i haven't gut wood with him in several years now.


the stihl 260 runs 40 minutes on a fuel up , i fill the oil every time it runs out of gas depending on what and where i am cutting i touch up the chain with the file every time i fule to every other , and it will keep cutting all day long like that a hole season on a chain or more

I purchased a used, rebuilt husqvarna 51 early this season for under 200 bucks and I'm very happy with it. I have cut lots of wood with it so far, and it runs and cuts like a dream.

I had a swedish made Jonserud for about 10 years before it quit working, and since then have replaced it with an italian made John Deere. So far the Deere is doing the job cutting trees and firewood for the 'stead and running strong for about 5 years now.

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The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.

I still don't get why people run huge saws for firewood. If you cutting 30in + trees it is time for calling a Forester about getting in a crew of loggers.

Light, nimble, pro level, and did I say light--it doesn't wear you out.

I guantee a lighter pro level saw will out cut a monster pro level saw if you cutting firewood at 20 or so inches (at least in a a mixed hardwood forest).

If you taking down monsters trees for lumber or chain saw milling (which I've never done), I can see the need for the monsters.

I converted to Stihl about 3 years ago and wished I would have done it a lot sooner. A tree trimming crew from the electric company came out my way one day and trimmed a few limbs around here. Every saw they had was a Stihl. As I was watching them I realized how much faster and easier they cut. A lot better then the homeline I was using at the time. So as soon as tax refund came around, I went out and bought a Stihl.

The RPMs are so much faster then other brands of chainsaws I've owned. Last winter a cuz I got together and went to a place to cut up a bunch of tree tops for firewood. He had a brand new Husquarna that he was very proud of. I ruinned his day when we started cutting. My Stihl was so much faster then his that I was just about cutting two blocks to his one. His Husquarna did a good job of cutting, it just didn't cut as fast as the Stihl. But you could see the disapointment in his face, even tho he didn't say anything.

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r.h. in oklahoma

Raised a country boy, and will die a country boy.

I got my Stihl second hand some time in the 80's. I think it was made in the 70's. Stihl runs like a top

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Flaming Xtian
I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
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Libertarindependent

Hard to answer the question when everyone has different interests and intentions.

I got a Stihl MS 361 last year. Probably could have used less saw, but I figured if you average the extra cost over 20 years, it isn't much extra per hour of operation, and makes for easier work and less time with more power.

I don't have alot that is nice, but just wanted a nice saw. Just really enjoy watching the chips fly. Spent alot of time in younger days logging and thinning trees for forest service.

I take down a big pine or two each year, and some are 30+ inches at the base. Loggers around here for a few trees either aren't interested, or charge quite a bit. Figure I might as well burn it.

The MS 361 has the most power for the weight, so goes through big stuff well, but also not terribly hard on you when limbing, etc.

I use a 24 inch bar for biggger cutting and a 20 inch bar for smaller stuff. I believe some use up to a 28" bar on the MS 361.

Husky 455 or larger would get my vote. I recently bought one. It has plenty of power but isn't so large that it wears you out. I could use mine all day. As everybody else has said, buy the professional models no matter what brand you go with.

I cut 'firewood' and use a Stihl MS390. I am changing the stock bar and chains out for a milled bar and full skip chains this winter (20"). Most of what I do is not overhead or in brush. If it were, I'd use something lighter. I do use the saw for some 'limbing', though only on what falls on the land. Typically it's used to cut oak from 8' lengths down into splitting size... 10-15 cords a year plus 4-5 cords of deadfall.

I love this saw. A friend and I were cutting together a couple weekends back (he also has a 390) and the chips were FLYING.

R

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When faced with issues in life, where do you look for the problem; out the window, or in the mirror?

Echo is In the chain saw market today with new releases. All the Echos I looked at when looking at saws had automotive air cleaners, real metal gears for the chain oiling system instead of the plastic so they are not as senstive to the warm or cold weather and a need to change the oil weight. They even have a real metal on and off switch. The 600P is getting great reviews also. Dealers in my area are showing a willingness to deal on trade ins too.

Al

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Garden View Apiaries. Where the view is as sweet as the honey.
A member of SEMBA & MBA.

I own a Husky for my big saw. 395XP use it for felling big timber and milling with the mini mill and a M7 Logosol. But for firewood and clearing I have 1 poluan and 2 poluan pros. For the money can not complain. I have the old 405 poluan pro for a biger saw it is around 12 years old now and never had any trouble with it what so ever. A couple of years ago the wife got me a little 42 cc poluan pro from wall mart. I figured it woud be junk but it has been great. In those 2 years it has cut around 40 cords of firwood all the cordwood to build a house and barn. plus cleared around a mile of fence row. Love it for the money. To me a key to a chainsaw regradless of who makes it is a sharp chain and a good bar. Orgon chain is the best to me and woodland pro is not bad either both I get from Baileys through the mail. Also the bar is important. I do not use stock bars ever. I have outfitted the small poluans with orgon bars and the big saws with GB titinum bars. Both of these factors reduces the stress on the motor making it last longer.

My BIL just bought a used Husquvarna from a pawn shop (not sure which one, but it's one of the Pro series) and he's very happy with it...cuts through wood like it was butter.

I have Stihl, Husky, Sachs, Jonsered and a mess of old saws. Got some Huskys that'll top out over 13.5K rpm. Pure speed doesn't do it all. Do the test I did- take two saws of similar size with the same size and type/make chain with same length bars. I can't see any difference between my Stihls, Huskys, Jonsereds, Sachs. They all slow down a bit into their power curve and cut as long as the chain is sharp. You want a real shocker? Got into some 3 foot plus hard maple. The saw that handled it best? An ancient Mac 300 with a 20" bar and 404 chipper chain. It out cut my 20" Husky 2100 running 404 chisel chain. Torque can make the diff.

Now, you want to talk ergonomics? Sachs/Makita/Dolmar has it over any other saw.