Buyin' my first chain saw - let 'er rip (info, please)

T

Trout Tamer

Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
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Howdy, y'all :) I'm looking to buy my first, very own chain saw. Problem is, I've got about $200 to spend, perhaps a bit more if the deal is right. While I'd love a Stihl Rancher or a Husqvarna, I simply can't afford a $400+ chain saw, right now. With that in mind, what do you recommend this low-roller get?

Thus far, I've looked at Sears and Lowe's; the Craftsman brand has saws with 16"-20" bars powered by 36cc-42cc engines. The plentiful Poulan brand has models with 14"-18" bars and 36cc-46cc engines. A friend of mine has a Poulan "Wild Thing" with 18" bar and 40ish cc engine. After 2 years, he's had no problems whatsoever with it. I've not finished searching local stores.

I want a 16" or 18" bar, given the power of engines in my price range. 14" will not cut it :rolleyes: (bad pun) and 20" I suspect would make the saw too weak. I live in central New Mexico where most of the wood I'll be cutting is pine/pitch pine, aspen and cottonwood; mostly softwoods, in other words. The saw will be used to harvest firewood for the winter, probably needed to cut a 3 cords' worth each season.

Given my intended use and price range, what do y'all recommend for brand, engine size, bar length, and purchasing locale? I can go up to $250, if there's a good deal in that price range. Thanks in advance for your insight and info :thumbup:
 
Trout Tamer,
I have run Stihls for 25 years of homeowner/farming use. I have a Poulan 2.0 14" that I bought as a disposo saw for a job and it has outlasted anything I could have ever expected. Last spring I bought a Husqvarna 257 for 200.00 used and it will likely last me years. I bought a Husky 359 to replace my Stihl 044. I did inot have luck with the box store line of Huskys.

Stihl 028 and 031's are still out there running strong- great saws if you can find one that has been cared for.
Look for a deal on a quality used saw, Stihl or Husky from a homeowner that has used it little. Visit the webpage of each manufacturer and get a list of the models in the commercial line and start looking for deals. There are a few saw dealers that sell used saws on Ebay and some steals can be had. Many folks run to a saw shop and buy the upper line saws and then either get hurt, know someone who gets hurt or just decides the work is more than they wanted and unload the saw.
Something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Husqvarna-350-C...ryZ20538QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Specs:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Engine
Cylinder displacement 3.1 cu.inch / 52 cm³
Power 3.2 hp / 2.3 kW
Fuel tank volume 1.06 US pint / 0.50l
Oil tank volume 0.55 US pint / 0.25l
Oil pump type Adjustable flow
Cutting equipment
Chain pitch .325"
Recommended bar length 13-20" / 33-50 cm
Ergonomics
Sound level 100 dB(A)
Noise emissions, LWA 113 dB(A)
Vibrations, front/rear handle 2.5 m/s² / 2.6 m/s²
Overall dimensions
Weight excl. cutting equipment 10.6 lbs / 4.8 kg





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Art no. Remark
967 01 88-50 350 20" PRE-PACK
967 01 88-48 350 18" PRE-PACK 50GA NASCAR
967 01 88-99 350/18" FULLY-ASSEMBLED NASCAR


Try to keep power head weight around 10 lbs to prevent fatigue. Longer bar means less bending over to cut logs near the ground. DO NOT skip the safety gear. Get some chaps, good leather gloves, hardhat with solid or my prefs screened visor and heavy or steel toe boots. A chainsaw will not cut you "just a little" it removes a strip of meat when it cuts. :)

Search interent for guidelines on felling and blocking trees- no need ot get hurt while you are learning.

2Door
 
For something between $200-$400 I can highly recommend the Stihl MS 210 C-BE. I got one this Spring, and over a couple of weeks cut up 18 Ash trees that we lost last year. It always fired right up and hardly bogged at all even cutting through stuff larger than the 16" bar.

Jeff
 
Thanks for all the info, guys! I've been cutting and hauling wood for 4 years now so I have a little bit of experience, but I can stand to learn more.

E-bay has some decent-looking Huskies, but since I'm a newbie to saw ownership, I don't know how to gauge used chainsaws. Given that, I may just go with a Poulan and save money for a nicer unit later on.

I definitely want a good pair of saw chaps and a helmet. In the past, I've worn gloves, boots, ear muffs and safety goggles - better than nothing, but not all that I need. Where can I find some saw chaps and a screened helmet at?
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/GB-Professional...VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

My helmets are like the one above. One I bought one complete in a pawn shop and the other I put together from a yard sale helmet and a visor from the bargain bin at Harbor Freight :) I had a widow maker break out of an adjacent tree as my tree began to fall and knocked me to my knees- thank God for the helmet as I failed to check carefully enough to spot the limb(leaves were on). I am 41 and bought my first saw(Stihl 028) at age 15- I love and respect them.

Chaps I just bought this year, no bargain on that pair but I appreciate every penny I put into them- sonner or later I WILL hit my leg(Murphy follows me around).

2door
 
Save your $$ and get a good saw. There is no comparison. Poulan is poulan and Sears is a Poulan with a different cover. I am a Husk guy but for $299 you can get a Stihl 290 which will last you a lifetime of hard use.
 
Some Saws are good some are boat anchors.

Maybe you should ask yourself, who is the best Dealer in your area? Are they busy, maybe they are good?, are parts resonnalbe? sooner or later you will need something, things happen.

but as far as saws goI have run Husky and Jonsered since I was in 9th grade in 1980, but Stihl are good also. And I had a friend the had an Echo that ran like a dream.

It's August, right now it is to hot to cut firewood, maybe if you could wait another month you could save up some more jack and find a dandy saw.

Power is good I would say atleast a 50+cc saw, 20 inch bar, 3/8 pitch chain, prefferablly without the saftey drags, and if you haven't ran a saw much try to stay away from a bar with a roller tip, they smash really good er bad when you get pinched learning to cut.

Used saw make me kinda lerry unless you know the person rather well, yoiu never know if they ran the right fuel/oil mix and if the hocked it because it was near death, burning a sleeve or piston

good luck and now you get something else to figure out how to keep sharp, rock are the enemy. BE SAFE. Pat
 
I have been running Stihl and Husqvarna chainsaws for around 35-years. Today, I use them on my own heavily wooded ranch to manage the timber, and bring in the winters firewood. I have several of these saws and would not entertain owning anything else. Reliability and durability is paramount with me and I have seen too many problems with other saw brands in the woods to bother with less of a saw. The logging companies (becoming fewer in number here in Oregon) in my area use primarily the Stihl and Husqvarna brand saws, too -- for good reason. Time is money with them and they have better things to do than chase around saw parts and chainsaw mechanics.

If the saw is going to be used only occasionally, I'm sure the "occasional use" (most chainsaws are rated for only "occasional or home use") saw will serve you just dandy. A friend of mine swears by his Echo chainsaw and he does seem to do alright with it around his small ranch. If you can, save your money for one of the better saws. The Stihl and Husqvarna brands hold their value much better too if you ever decide to sell it.

As you can see, one of the occasional use chainsaws would never address one of my 120-foot + ponderosa trees. Just the bark on this tree (close to the house) is 7" thick. We lose a couple of these proud giants once in a while. :)
danponderosa1iq7.jpg
 
I have owned several Chainsaw thru the years and still I keep going back to my Homelite,dang near bullet proof,parts easily located...I have had poulan,Stihl & Craftsman,homelite is one brand I will always go back to just because of the luck I have had with mine.
 
texastonydobbs said:
I have owned several Chainsaw thru the years and still I keep going back to my Homelite,dang near bullet proof,parts easily located...I have had poulan,Stihl & Craftsman,homelite is one brand I will always go back to just because of the luck I have had with mine.
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Yep! Homelite is the way to go if ya cant ford a stihl! :thumbup: ,,,VWB.
 
vwb563 said:
Yep! Homelite is the way to go if ya cant ford a stihl! :thumbup: ,,,VWB.
Click to expand...

The OLD Homelites were great saws. If you can find an old homelite your lucky. New ones however are garbage.
 
Trout Tamer said:
Howdy, y'all :) I'm looking to buy my first, very own chain saw. Problem is, I've got about $200 to spend, perhaps a bit more if the deal is right. While I'd love a Stihl Rancher or a Husqvarna, I simply can't afford a $400+ chain saw, right now. With that in mind, what do you recommend this low-roller get?

Thus far, I've looked at Sears and Lowe's; the Craftsman brand has saws with 16"-20" bars powered by 36cc-42cc engines. The plentiful Poulan brand has models with 14"-18" bars and 36cc-46cc engines. A friend of mine has a Poulan "Wild Thing" with 18" bar and 40ish cc engine. After 2 years, he's had no problems whatsoever with it. I've not finished searching local stores.

I want a 16" or 18" bar, given the power of engines in my price range. 14" will not cut it :rolleyes: (bad pun) and 20" I suspect would make the saw too weak. I live in central New Mexico where most of the wood I'll be cutting is pine/pitch pine, aspen and cottonwood; mostly softwoods, in other words. The saw will be used to harvest firewood for the winter, probably needed to cut a 3 cords' worth each season.

Given my intended use and price range, what do y'all recommend for brand, engine size, bar length, and purchasing locale? I can go up to $250, if there's a good deal in that price range. Thanks in advance for your insight and info :thumbup:
Click to expand...


both saws you mentioned are just fine for a newbie. pick one up.

HOWEVER...as a professional chainsaw operator/treeclimber/lumberjack guy, i am going to mention the following:

buy a set of chainsaw pants or chaps, a helmet with earmuffs and eye screen and a good pair of steel toe boots. Get a Pro chainsaw guy/gal to show you how to properly use the saw, how to avoid kickback etc etc .

I have dealt with other peoples chainsaw injuries in the woods, most due to a lack oif training, and a lack of safety gear. A chainsaw chain spins between 13,000 to 16,000 RPM. It can and WILL cut you badly and you can bleed out rapidly from such injuries.

Keep two ISRAELI Bandages on your person when cutting. They come in handy. I used over 10 on a guy that had multiple 3" - 6" deep gashes on his legs, waist, chest arms and NECK when he slipped and FELL onto his chainsaw (he gripped the throttle trigger as he fell.) He did'nt make it, died several hours later in ER.

so heed the safety advice and GET THE SAFETY GEAR, and WEAR IT ALL THE TIME.

the chainsaw is really secondary .......
thank you.
 
I would have to agree that you are better off going with a Stihl or Husky but just because it says Stihl or husky on it doesnt make it a great saw. The 029 or 290 or what ever they are calling it is a total dog so was the 034. With a 20 inch bar, which is what I would recommend min., the Stihl 026 or 260 is IMO the best saw by quite a bit. I just dont like that they make you pay extra for the compresion release. Husky might still make the 350/351 which are good saws. The 350 used to be about $300 the 351 was an upgraded version with features you probably wont miss. If you want somethig bigger the husky 365 was awesome. I think it was replaced by the 357. Now husky also makes a 359 which is less of a saw. Basically both stihl and husky make home owner/ light commercial saws and they make true commercial grade saws. To me if you are going to spend the money on a name brand saw spend a little extra and get the true commercial grade saw. The others are a waste of money IMO. The weight to power ratio will make a huge difference at the end of a long day.

Now if you dont want to spend the money for a com. saw then get a poulan At three cords a year most saws will last you a good long while they just take you longer to do you same work. I had a reconditioned poulan that I bought for $88 that I abused hard for about a year before it blew up. The work I got out of it was more that worth the price.

IMG_2297.jpg


IMG_1921.jpg


Matt
 
I too am looking for my first(er second) chainsaw.. My first purchase was a refurbished(yeah right) poulan 14" saw that worked the day i got it but 2 days later couldn't get it to start if my life depended on it..

I'm now looking at a husqvarna 445, and an echo cs-440(both with 18" bars)... There is about 1 cc of difference between the two(the husky being 46, and the echo being 45).. In my case I'm leaning towards echo for a few reasons.. I live in Pa., and I may have to cut some wood in the wintertime(which sux for me as I hate the cold and my arthritis is not too happy with it, and it can get pretty danged cold up in the mountains where i get my wood).. I for one would hate to have to take off my gloves to pop those clips on the husky(I'm looking at a worse case scenario here ) in case the air filter got clogged for some other reason or say I needed to change out my chain.. That's the only reason for my leaning towards the echo..

I have friends who have both and they love them, 2 of which own logging businesses, and they have no complaints with either as well as they like jonesred as another suggestion but they are a might pricey..

Just my 2 cents worth .. Best of luck on your purchase..:thumbup:

Tux
 
Tuxdad said:
I too am looking for my first(er second) chainsaw.. My first purchase was a refurbished(yeah right) poulan 14" saw that worked the day i got it but 2 days later couldn't get it to start if my life depended on it..

I'm now looking at a husqvarna 445, and an echo cs-440(both with 18" bars)... There is about 1 cc of difference between the two(the husky being 46, and the echo being 45).. In my case I'm leaning towards echo for a few reasons.. I live in Pa., and I may have to cut some wood in the wintertime(which sux for me as I hate the cold and my arthritis is not too happy with it, and it can get pretty danged cold up in the mountains where i get my wood).. I for one would hate to have to take off my gloves to pop those clips on the husky(I'm looking at a worse case scenario here ) in case the air filter got clogged for some other reason or say I needed to change out my chain.. That's the only reason for my leaning towards the echo..

I have friends who have both and they love them, 2 of which own logging businesses, and they have no complaints with either as well as they like jonesred as another suggestion but they are a might pricey..

Just my 2 cents worth .. Best of luck on your purchase..:thumbup:

Tux
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Husky's air filtration is second to no other saw made. Don't worry about taking things apart while cutting in the woods. I have 8 Husqvarna saws and have NEVER had to do anything in the field except put a new chain on. Also Husky and Jonesred are the same saw, same company, different color and label. Video proof. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rztm0HM9XzE
 
I didn't have much luck with the Lowes RAncher series and nearly gave up on Husky because of those 455's. I bought a used 257 and liked it so much I bought a new 359(both 24"). I want a 372XP but just cannot justify the $$ with the saws I already have. My HUskys do not clog the air filter anywhere near as soon as my Sihls always have(028, 044 and MS441).

2Door
 
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