Hey, I've got an idea. Everybody list the chainsaw(s) they own and tell what you think of them. Maybe a consensus will emerge. I have, from largest to smallest: Husqvarna 371XP (fantastic saw and all you need unless you have really big timber, light weight); Stihl 029 (o.k., reliable, can cut mid-size timber); Stihl MS260 Pro (Lightweight, good limbing and firewood saw); Echo CS-3400 (good, reliable, very lightweight trimming saw).
My brother bought a 345 husky and returned it to Lowes three times. Same problem with 3 brand new saws so he went to an echo dealer and bought their best top handle . It was a great saw until he drove over it with his 110 hp tractor. I've had the 435 for two years and no problems. It must run in the family cause I backed over my 50$ yard sale Poland wild thing and it survived with welding on a new handle for six months until the carb went bad and you can' find a replacement.... Throw-away- saw if there ever was one.
I have a Poulan P3314 on this side of the state. I've not had any problems with it starting; it has been dependable, but sometimes dies out while at idle.
It doesn't have the power it needs, even for a 14" bar. I hate the anti-kickback chain.
On the other side of the state, I have another Poulan. I can't specifically remember the model, but I believe it is a Poulan Pro 3816 AV. It's not green, like my little one.
I like that one better, which is why I keep it on the tree farm. It has adequate power for the 16" bar, but wouldn't do well if I tried a larger bar. It's a little harder to start sometimes, but not too much trouble.
I have an old Husqvarna 2100 (100 cc) that I use with a 60" bar for slabbing. I also Husqvarna 365 that I mostly use with a Lewis winch, but occasionally use as a back-up saw. When I need to trim big logs, I put a 36" bar on it, and it does fine, as long as I take it easy. My go-to saw is a Husqvarna 455 with an 18" bar, but it does OK with a 24" bar. Biggest issue is a sharp chain and not lugging the saw down. Oh, yeh, I also have an old Pioneer saw that belonged to my grandfather. I've never used it.
Yeah, I thought that anything I needed to do, 50 CCs would be adequate; if not, I needed to re-think the job.
I almost went with the Husky, but the service guy at the farm supply store gave me enough info to convince me. Although this one has a rev limiter, and is a real pain to adjust for altitude, it is set at 1500' by default, and should run OK at both low alt (where I live) and at 6000' (where the tree farm lives).
RG, I was watching one of those timber shows and they had a large part on ECHO saws. I might check them out. They are really trying to break into the pro market, and have some really good looking offers as well as a 5 year consumer warrantee and a 3 year professional use warrantee. Might be something you want to look into outside the big 3.
As Bill said, they had left the professional market for a number of years. But even their Box Store stuff worked well. Since their focus migrated to the big boxes the local saw shops felt a knife in the back and one by one local shops dropped Echo. Shame but Echo brought it on themselves. Now they're back with a professional lineup and I hope it does well for them. As I said earlier I generally by Dealer not brand. My preferred dealer is one of the ones that dropped Echo and is now a Stihl dealer.
Guys when I was sawing I started felling with a 450 Homelite and then went to the 056 Stihl which I smushed when a big cedar squatted on it when I was fighting fire in Idaho 1970 or 71 cant remember which year and replaced it with another 056 which I wore out. I then picked up an 064 stihl which I still have today. It has been a fantastic saw but it is heavy and at 64 years young I aint what I used to be. I also have a Ms290 Stihl which I use for limbing and it has been a good runner for the light stuff . I got a chance to run a 562XP husky the other day and it was quite the little animal. It is fairly light at about 12.5 pounds but let me tell you it thinks it is a big saw and I have been thinking of picking one up for a better all round saw and leave my 064 for the Grandberg mill.. It is all computerized so you cant adjust the carb but at 4500 feet altitude here it ran great, idled good and had real good throttle response so my opinion is the same as Post Oakies and spend the little extra if you can and get the pro model of whatever you pick up. Happy sawing and stay safe.
I mostly use a Stihl 025 or 250, same saw, different years, I currently have 2 of them. 18" bars/chains
Don't know why manufacturers' can't just keep the same model numbers.
Also have a Stihl 390.
What does it do that you like?
power/weight ratio
reliability
price
dealer location(s) close to me.
What do you want it to do, but it doesn't?
Um, fix me coffee? Pretty broad question.
Bottom line to me is the 025/250 Stihls.....I've owned them (one of them literally) for at least 25 years. These are not the "professional" models, but if they last this long and have this much horse power vs. weight, why pay the extra money for a "professional" model?
I was doing a comparison spreadsheet of various chainsaws and manufacturers the other day. My nosy coworker asked me why the Stihl 250 was all green across the board in all categories. I told him that this saw was the one I was comparing all the others to....hence it was green. The smart aleck reminded me that if this saw met all my needs, why was I wasting time doing a spreadsheet?
I cut a bunch of fire wood, and cut many logs to cut on my mill every year. lots of Ash, White/Red Oak and Black Locust and Hickory. These saws have done just fine. All you have to do is keep the chains sharp, the chain drive sprockets replaced, the bars filed and oil in the gas, they'll last a long time......just remember the last one about putting oil in the gas........!!
Hey all, I just picked up a Stihl 025 last week through Craigslist that was nearly in like new condition with new 18" bar and chain. The air filter also looked new and it fired up right away and ran pretty good. It came with a case also, so I thought $199.00 was reasonable. After I got it home and ran it a bit, the carb needed some adjustment, but all is well now. I have been waiting to buy a smaller Stihl limbing saw for over a year, but didn't want to shell out $350. for the newer version, so waited . I am very happy with this saw to go with my Stihl MS 362. I have sawed about 5 cord with it now and it is a joy to run a lighter saw with 45 cc and only 10.1 lbs. Good things come to those who wait!
I run a redmax 5300 with a 16" bar. I think it is pretty much the husky 455 rancher but quite a bit cheaper and redmax is owned by husky. Good working saw and I've fallen trees over 30" at the butt with the 16"bar and I'm no professional logger. For me it was the best bang for my buck. Oh and I run a dodge
No, you gotta be kidding, Nove Scotia? No one actually lives there do they? Just Kidding.
I have looked at Red Max and they look nice. I'm glad you're happy with it. Are you running standard chain? Are parts and service available locally? What is your primary focus in milling?
I have a few neighbors around here in Nova Scotia, so a few people actually live here. Lol. I run oregon bar with 21lpx064 chain. Dealer is only a few miles from me and there is a husky dealer across the road from my house which most of the parts in a redmax is huskvarna. As for my primary milling it will be mostly spruce, pine and hemlock. I will also be cutting select peices of hakmatack,birch, maple and beech that i will save when I do my firewood as I use all of these in my carpentry work.
Hey, I've got an idea. Everybody list the chainsaw(s) they own and tell what you think of them. Maybe a consensus will emerge. I have, from largest to smallest: Husqvarna 371XP (fantastic saw and all you need unless you have really big timber, light weight); Stihl 029 (o.k., reliable, can cut mid-size timber); Stihl MS260 Pro (Lightweight, good limbing and firewood saw); Echo CS-3400 (good, reliable, very lightweight trimming saw).
If enough folks contribute we could put that in a spreadsheet and update it annually.
My brother bought a 345 husky and returned it to Lowes three times. Same problem with 3 brand new saws so he went to an echo dealer and bought their best top handle . It was a great saw until he drove over it with his 110 hp tractor. I've had the 435 for two years and no problems. It must run in the family cause I backed over my 50$ yard sale Poland wild thing and it survived with welding on a new handle for six months until the carb went bad and you can' find a replacement.... Throw-away- saw if there ever was one.
I have a Poulan P3314 on this side of the state. I've not had any problems with it starting; it has been dependable, but sometimes dies out while at idle.
It doesn't have the power it needs, even for a 14" bar. I hate the anti-kickback chain.
On the other side of the state, I have another Poulan. I can't specifically remember the model, but I believe it is a Poulan Pro 3816 AV. It's not green, like my little one.
I like that one better, which is why I keep it on the tree farm. It has adequate power for the 16" bar, but wouldn't do well if I tried a larger bar. It's a little harder to start sometimes, but not too much trouble.
I have an old Husqvarna 2100 (100 cc) that I use with a 60" bar for slabbing. I also Husqvarna 365 that I mostly use with a Lewis winch, but occasionally use as a back-up saw. When I need to trim big logs, I put a 36" bar on it, and it does fine, as long as I take it easy. My go-to saw is a Husqvarna 455 with an 18" bar, but it does OK with a 24" bar. Biggest issue is a sharp chain and not lugging the saw down. Oh, yeh, I also have an old Pioneer saw that belonged to my grandfather. I've never used it.
Wow Postie, pioneer. I used to love them. Blast from the past. Is Alpina still in business?
Well, I now have another chainsaw. I bought a Stihl MS 271 with a 20" bar today.
That is the farm boss , it's been around for twenty years and very reliable. I've got the ms 310 which is a couple cc's bigger, you''ll love it.
Yeah, I thought that anything I needed to do, 50 CCs would be adequate; if not, I needed to re-think the job.
I almost went with the Husky, but the service guy at the farm supply store gave me enough info to convince me. Although this one has a rev limiter, and is a real pain to adjust for altitude, it is set at 1500' by default, and should run OK at both low alt (where I live) and at 6000' (where the tree farm lives).
RG, I was watching one of those timber shows and they had a large part on ECHO saws. I might check them out. They are really trying to break into the pro market, and have some really good looking offers as well as a 5 year consumer warrantee and a 3 year professional use warrantee. Might be something you want to look into outside the big 3.
Wow, a 5 year/3 year warranty. They must believe in their saws.
I ended up with a Stihl, but if I need another one, I'll consider Echo.
As Bill said, they had left the professional market for a number of years. But even their Box Store stuff worked well. Since their focus migrated to the big boxes the local saw shops felt a knife in the back and one by one local shops dropped Echo. Shame but Echo brought it on themselves. Now they're back with a professional lineup and I hope it does well for them. As I said earlier I generally by Dealer not brand. My preferred dealer is one of the ones that dropped Echo and is now a Stihl dealer.
Guys when I was sawing I started felling with a 450 Homelite and then went to the 056 Stihl which I smushed when a big cedar squatted on it when I was fighting fire in Idaho 1970 or 71 cant remember which year and replaced it with another 056 which I wore out. I then picked up an 064 stihl which I still have today. It has been a fantastic saw but it is heavy and at 64 years young I aint what I used to be. I also have a Ms290 Stihl which I use for limbing and it has been a good runner for the light stuff . I got a chance to run a 562XP husky the other day and it was quite the little animal. It is fairly light at about 12.5 pounds but let me tell you it thinks it is a big saw and I have been thinking of picking one up for a better all round saw and leave my 064 for the Grandberg mill.. It is all computerized so you cant adjust the carb but at 4500 feet altitude here it ran great, idled good and had real good throttle response so my opinion is the same as Post Oakies and spend the little extra if you can and get the pro model of whatever you pick up. Happy sawing and stay safe.
Thanks for that; I will be using it at dual altitudes: near sea level in winter, and at 6000' in summer.
I like the idea of going with the dealer rather than brand, so the Stihl I bought was one I frequent.
Dealers and Parts should rule the purchase.
What saw do you use?
What does it do that you like?
What do you want it to do, but it doesn't?
Bottom line to me is the 025/250 Stihls.....I've owned them (one of them literally) for at least 25 years. These are not the "professional" models, but if they last this long and have this much horse power vs. weight, why pay the extra money for a "professional" model?
I was doing a comparison spreadsheet of various chainsaws and manufacturers the other day. My nosy coworker asked me why the Stihl 250 was all green across the board in all categories. I told him that this saw was the one I was comparing all the others to....hence it was green. The smart aleck reminded me that if this saw met all my needs, why was I wasting time doing a spreadsheet?
I cut a bunch of fire wood, and cut many logs to cut on my mill every year. lots of Ash, White/Red Oak and Black Locust and Hickory. These saws have done just fine. All you have to do is keep the chains sharp, the chain drive sprockets replaced, the bars filed and oil in the gas, they'll last a long time......just remember the last one about putting oil in the gas........!!
Hey all, I just picked up a Stihl 025 last week through Craigslist that was nearly in like new condition with new 18" bar and chain. The air filter also looked new and it fired up right away and ran pretty good. It came with a case also, so I thought $199.00 was reasonable. After I got it home and ran it a bit, the carb needed some adjustment, but all is well now. I have been waiting to buy a smaller Stihl limbing saw for over a year, but didn't want to shell out $350. for the newer version, so waited . I am very happy with this saw to go with my Stihl MS 362. I have sawed about 5 cord with it now and it is a joy to run a lighter saw with 45 cc and only 10.1 lbs. Good things come to those who wait!
BC,
Congrats on the great find.
Went to lunch at a local restaurant last week and forgot that my 171 was on the back of the truck........gone!
It was 9 yrs old and I loved it for use on the mill.
May the fleas of a thousand camels infest the SOB that took your saw.
Ouch! thanks for the thought.
Oh, man! I feel your pain.
Yeah, can you imagine all those camels?
This is the second time in 35 years that I lost a favorite saw. Ouch.
One more thing. It was dull. I had just rocked it. The theif got no bargain.
I hate to hear about the loss of your saw. Have you checked the local pawn shops?
Never thought about that. Will do.
I run a redmax 5300 with a 16" bar. I think it is pretty much the husky 455 rancher but quite a bit cheaper and redmax is owned by husky. Good working saw and I've fallen trees over 30" at the butt with the 16"bar and I'm no professional logger. For me it was the best bang for my buck. Oh and I run a dodge
No, you gotta be kidding, Nove Scotia? No one actually lives there do they? Just Kidding.
I have looked at Red Max and they look nice. I'm glad you're happy with it. Are you running standard chain? Are parts and service available locally? What is your primary focus in milling?
Best!
I have a few neighbors around here in Nova Scotia, so a few people actually live here. Lol. I run oregon bar with 21lpx064 chain. Dealer is only a few miles from me and there is a husky dealer across the road from my house which most of the parts in a redmax is huskvarna. As for my primary milling it will be mostly spruce, pine and hemlock. I will also be cutting select peices of hakmatack,birch, maple and beech that i will save when I do my firewood as I use all of these in my carpentry work.
CC, What do you use the beech for?
We've made some flooring and interior trim with it before.
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