Chain saws?

[wayacoyote]

Looks like I need to get a chainsaw and I'm open for recommendations. After watching some of my lesser grade tools fall apart in my hands, I'm determined to only purchase the better quality items with long-running dependability (ie craftsman tools). Any recommendations on brands for chainsaws?

Thanks, Waya

[iddee]

I bought my Jonsered 16 IN. in 1986. It still runs like a new one. Starting to lose a bit of it's power, but still does a fine job.

[TVH]

I like my Stihl 310.

B

[Michael Bush]

I've had a few. Any Stihl is hard to beat. It has been my most reliable chainsaw.

[wayacoyote]

Thanks for the quick replies.
Both mine and my girl's fathers like stihl's too. Boy are they pricy. But I AM looking for that one-time purchase.

What about bar size, CC's and horse power? Any other bells or whistles to look for? I've borrowed saws at rare times, but never shopped for one.

Waya

[Mike Gillmore]

I have a Stihl 028 that I bought used and have had it for 16 years, it's still running well. Mine has an 18 or 20 inch bar.. can't remember, but it has been perfect for my purposes. If you just need a chain saw for firewood or cutting down your occasional tree, a model like this one will work fine.
New Stihl saws are pricey but if you are planning to just use it only occasionally then I would recommend buying an old used Stihl... they are real workhorses... and a used one you could find at a resonable price.

[Little John_NC]

I've worked in sawmills for 26+ years seen the mill go through a bunch of saws. It seems one Brand we alway use is husqvarna chainsaw. We got the small ones with 16 inch bar up to the big boys with 3/8 chain with 48 inch bar I think there 32 hp engines...The only other one Id use is the Stihl o38 I think called a farm boss....

[tecumseh]

little john sezs:
It seems one Brand we alway use is husqvarna chainsaw.

tecumseh replies:
yep that's the way I would go. my experience is that the husqvarna and jonesred are about equivalent saws. like most tool makers there is significant difference between the hobby saw line and their professional models. lowe's sell a line of husqvarna that is 'hobby', but the upper end of this line get you very close to a professional saw. there is mail order type outfit out of oregon called bailey's that always has excellent prices on saws, bars and chains and miscellanous wood harvesting items. I acquired my last husqvarna from them. the bars are typically sized to the engine. it is good to have a small bar for limb trimming and a larger bar for the bigger stuff. my current saw came with a 20 inch bar.

[David Stewart]

I don't have any experience with husky's but I can say they are the most common professional saw you see in the timber industry locally. I have always had a soft spot for a Stihl as a perfect all around saw. I have had several and am particularly fond of the 028 as a lighweight and dependable saw. The Farm Boss series is a great saw but very heavy IMHO and wears me out to fast. For fenceline clearing, a couple of ricks of woods a year and the occasional dead snag- I'll go for my 028 everytime. The only other positive I would like to mention that has ALWAYS impressed me is that if you use one for a while and store it in the garage for months....three pulls and it's running. EVERY other small engine I have must be run occasionally or drained or the engine fuel system will gum up but I've never seen a Stihl fail to start when I needed it.

David

[Hook]

Well, I am not a professional at all. I merely cut firewood to heat my house. I bought an Echo. I found that the Stihl equivalent was just a bit out of my price range. The echo was not that much cheaper though. I like it alot.

[Fusion_power]

I just spent 2 weeks investigating chainsaws and digging into the details for the best one for me. I need a good quality reliable saw that can cut 5 or 6 truckloads of firewood per year and that can be used to trim my 50 acres of walnut trees. I also wanted a commercial saw, I'm fed up with "homeowner" grade machines.

1. I need a 20 inch bar because many of the trees I cut are that big or more.
2. Relatively light weight is a must for the tree trimming. A 12 pound saw is heavy enough.
3. I want at least 4 horsepower because I've used underpowered saws before and hate them.

After doing due diligence, I settled on a Husqvarna 357XP. I then started searching Ebay for a good one either used or new. It didn't take long to figure out that a used saw sold for 2/3 the price of a new one. That made it easy for me to buy one brand new.

I called a local dealer and asked how much for a Husqvarna 357XP. He quickly told me he did not stock that particular saw but he did stock the 359 which is a bigger saw. This is where my DD paid off. I knew right away that the 359 was a homeowner saw and was 1/2 horsepower less than the 357XP in a heavier package. His price for the 359 was $550 or he would be glad to order me a 357XP for $700.

Last weekend, I bid on an Ebay auction for 6 - 357XP's and was one of the winners at $432.77. Here is the auction if you want to look at it. 180051952182

If you are interested in a 357XP, here are a couple of auctions to watch. I would suggest bidding no more than $450 for a new saw and about $280 for a used one. You are much more at risk on a used saw because you are relying on the seller to accurately describe the machine.

This auction is for a used 357XP that looks pretty good 260055266747. It should sell for about $220.

and this auction is for a new 357XP 140054687533

One thing to watch out for is the power head only saws. You have to add a bar and chain before you can use them.

If you want to search for Husqvarna saws on Ebay, try putting this string in the search bar:

(hus*) +(chainsaw,"chain saw")

You can search for Stihl saws by replacing the hus* with stihl.

The minimum bar lenght I would use is probably 16 inches. The maximum is 24 inches and that is too long for ordinary work. An 18 or 20 inch bar is arguably best for all around use. I emphasize that this is for a chainsaw that will be used regularly. This is not a machine that should sit in the garage 364 days a year. If you are only going to use your saw 1 or 2 days a year, go to Walmart and buy a cheap one. I expect to use my saw heavily 10 to 20 days a year and it should last at least 20 years with routine maintenance.

Fusion

[danno1800]

Thanks for the DD on this. I appreciate it. Good job finding the bargain on ebay.

[Sundance]

Bought a Jonsered 70E in the mid 70's.
Still runs like a top and cuts like a
demon!!

I also have a couple Sachs and have owned
a Stihl, and Olyimpic. All good saws.

Just stay away from the cheapos. Like
Crapsman, Poulen, etc

[Sundance]

Huskies and Jonsered are really the same
saws. Both made by Electrolux from my
understanding. Good stuff

[wayacoyote]

Thanks, again guys. I'm glad my girl has been monitoring this as well, or I would have grabbed that Hus. 359 off the shelf this evening. I'm glad I waited.

Waya

[Panhandle Bee man]

I hate my stihl. It has a finger adjustment for the bar tensioner, and it is always coming loose. Not a real good safety feature. Otherwise it works fine.

[Fusion_power]

Luck on getting a saw Waya. The only problem I have had with my new saw is that the assembly instructions are a bit cryptic. I used my new saw today on a 20 inch diameter hickory log. Cut time was easily 1/3 less than with my old McCullouch 3.2 Eager Beaver.

Here is another auction for a new 357xp if you are interested. Its from the same seller I bought from. I can vouch for their quick turnaround and shipment of the exact item I purchased.

180054568312

Fusion

[tecumseh]

sundance sezs:
Just stay away from the cheapos. Like
Crapsman, Poulen, etc

tecumseh suggest:
or buy two, so that when one clunks out mid way thru the job you will have your handy backup ready to go....

[woodchopper]

I have a Stihl 044 that has never failed me. The dealer I bought if from also sold Husky and Jonsered saws which have mostly interchangeable engine parts. I went into the dealer to buy a Husky but came out with a Stihl. After all the wood I've cut with it I've never regretted my decision. I'm so glad I spent the extra couple of hundred bucks to buy something bigger than the homeowner model. With the bigger engine I end up working less and cutting more wood per day. The guy I buy my log length wood off used Husky brand saws for 25 years until he got sick of them breaking down so much. All he uses now is Stihl. He said the new ones have plastic flywheels which although I'm sure work fine I'd be wondering about everytime I used the saw. Let us know what you decide on and good luck with it.

[power napper]

Homelite, Craftsman, Mccullough, are all definately no nos. Husky and Jonsereds are my favorites.