Help! I NEED a nice chainsaw but I know very, very little about them.

Dealers aren't always knowledgeable about the product that they are selling and it's a rare one that does. IMHO

Saws are dangerous and also what you are cutting and not cutting can and will fall and hurt you or worse. Start small and cut small at first, learn all that you can on line and in the field. And once you feel confident with the equipment and what you're felling, step back and think again, getting cocky is when accidents happen. Expect the unexpected.

Check out the Arboristsite & The Forestry Forum while you're at it.
 
Don't forget to look into Gloves, Steel toe boots or better yet steel toes with kevlar boots, good claps from Labonville and head protection.
 
W.M.B. said:
I got me a husqvarna 455 (i think that was the model. im not sure, and its too cold out there for me to make a trip to the garage just to check, so, um, yeah, its the 455). I typically use mine to cut my years fire wood, about 4 or 5 cord. it is fantastic, easy to start, and it is not as fatiguing as my old home lite was to use. other than sharpening and adjusting the chain, there have been no maintenance or repair issues.
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My Husky 55 is the earlier model to the 455 and has been a good saw. Husky has a new 460 Rancher out that also looks like a good 4hp medium saw.
 
I have spent MANY hours and thousands of dollars with chainsaws. Stick with Stihl or Husqvarna- they each make saws in three categories starting at homeowner/landowner then pro. Unless you are making money with them or burning wood for main source of heat- homeowner grade saws are fine. Be SURE to have dealer tune and learn to tune yourself. Best three things you can do to extend life of the saw is - Proper Tune- Good fuel/mix- Sharp chain.

Saftey gear is paramount as well as learning about kickback. Knock on wood, I have never drawn blood but I have relatives and friends who have- it is nasty business and happens VERY fast. I have had a dead limb break out of a tree I was falling and knocked me to my knees- thank God for the hardhat. I gear up every time.- Heavy boots, chaps, gloves, hardhat and faceshield.

Read about springbacks and pinching bars. Get someone experienced to help with felling. When it goes wrong it goes anywhere from a tree not where to want it to someone getting killed.

My choice of what I kept during my sell out is a Husqvarna 435 with 16" bar and 562XP with 20 and 24" bars. Stihl makes saws that are just as good a choice. The 435 class saws are nice as they are available under 200.00 if you shop right, lightweight and good power for small stuff. Just keep them tuned and sharp & they deliver good performance for the $$.

You are doing right in getting advice and thinking it through. Be safe :)
Even with all the warnings on danger- I LOVE to run a saw!

Bill
 
A good friend of mine still has his legs intact thanks to saw chaps. He was cutting brush and got distracted for only a second or two, lowered the saw while it was still running! Learn how to use one before going out and buying one... Bad things happen when inexperience and potentially lethal machinery are combined. Best of luck!
 
I´ve owned several chainsaws during the time. But I ended up on Stihl. I´ve tried Sachs-Dolmar and a Johnsered. But my trusty Stihl MS 028 is about 30 years old and has a aluminium corpus. Wonderful tool!! I just tried the fuel driven chainsaws and not the electric ones. I need mine in the woods for making about 10 m³ firewood each year.

I highly recommend Stihl in general - great german craftmanship and heavily durable.

Good hunt, Sir!
 
I used to work as the standby medic for a seismic crew. I can still remember the safety briefings every morning to the chainsaw operators.
take breaks, keep two escape routes clear, communication between the spotter and the faller, watch for hang-ups and kick-outs, watch for trees under tension.
They must have listened because I never had to work, but on the next crew over, a guy got clipped by a branch that got knocked off by the falling tree. he was okay (good hardhat) but I think he had to get his hardhat liner replaced, and he had a sore neck and shoulder for a few days.
 
Would the Husky 440 be a good starter saw? The local pawn shop has one. The chain has been sharpened quite a bit and will probably need changed. Other than that, what should I check on when buying a used saw?

EDIT: Sorry for taking so long to reply. My computer has started refusing to see the wireless connection in my house. I have had to borrow my brother's Ipad.
 
Squashfan,
Buying a used saw from a source you do not personally know can be VERY risky.... saws are two cycle engines and if the mix is not good or saw is run out of tune, permamnent dmage to the piston and cylinder happens very quickly. Add to that the issues ethanol has brought to fuel lines and the gumming of fuel left in carbs between uses.... if you want to try your hand at learning to work on small engines and can get one dirt cheap, go for it. But if you will need that saw to work and do not want ot learn to work on them, better to buy new and have an experienced hand tune it or teach you to tune it.

Fuel mix and tune are the life or death of a 2 cycle engine.

Bill
 
I have a Husqvarna. LOVE IT !!! Sits for years at a time & restarts with no issues. (i drain the tank & run it till it quits).

Can't go wrong with either a Husqvarna or a Stihl.
 
lmalterna said:
Squashfan,
Buying a used saw from a source you do not personally know can be VERY risky.... saws are two cycle engines and if the mix is not good or saw is run out of tune, permamnent dmage to the piston and cylinder happens very quickly. Add to that the issues ethanol has brought to fuel lines and the gumming of fuel left in carbs between uses.... if you want to try your hand at learning to work on small engines and can get one dirt cheap, go for it. But if you will need that saw to work and do not want ot learn to work on them, better to buy new and have an experienced hand tune it or teach you to tune it.


Fuel mix and tune are the life or death of a 2 cycle engine.

Bill
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If you don't mind me asking, what does saw tune mean?
The shop has 239 on the saw but I could probably get it for 200. I won't pay that much for this saw even if it runs. But let us assume the saw doesn't run and I want to learn to make it run. What do you guys think a fair price would be?

Also, I think my first saw should be a cheaper husky or stihl. That way if I blow it up with a bad mix or tune I won't be out a ton of money. Just a thought.
 
Squashfan said:
If you don't mind me asking, what does saw tune mean?
The shop has 239 on the saw but I could probably get it for 200. I won't pay that much for this saw even if it runs. But let us assume the saw doesn't run and I want to learn to make it run. What do you guys think a fair price would be?

Also, I think my first saw should be a cheaper husky or stihl. That way if I blow it up with a bad mix or tune I won't be out a ton of money. Just a thought.
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A saw that does not run or that has a broken oiler is one of the most frustrating things. Might be a very bad experience. If I were you, I would save a little longer and get a good saw with proper gear.
 
gmoneyluv said:
Some of the most useful chainsaw advice I ever got was from a fella that used to compete in those lumberjack contests. He told me to run shorter bars on my saw so that the chain speed would remain high which would keep the saw from bogging down in the cut. I have a modified MS260 and run a 16" bar. There are a variety of techniques that allow me and this saw to cut trees up to 32" in diameter.
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And don't forget to grease the tip sprocket of the saw's blade every time you refill the fuel tank. That will help keep the saw running fast and happy.
 
Squashfan said:
Would the Husky 440 be a good starter saw? The local pawn shop has one. The chain has been sharpened quite a bit and will probably need changed. Other than that, what should I check on when buying a used saw?

EDIT: Sorry for taking so long to reply. My computer has started refusing to see the wireless connection in my house. I have had to borrow my brother's Ipad.
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This is a saw that is not big enough for felling anything bigger than saplings.

http://www.chainsawsdirect.com/Husqvarna-440E-Chain-Saw/p2536.html

How much for the 440? What year was it made (check serial number)

Check the compression, it should be over 120 psi at minimum. The best way to test is with a compression tester (about $30) but if you don't have one another way to test is that you should get lots of resistance pulling the starter cord (don't push the compression valve in, and disconnect the spark plug wire first). Good resistance means the saw is tight and has decent compression. Of course if you have never done this before you won't know what it feels like but it should take some effort to pull the starter cord. Check the Chain specs printed or engraved on the chain bar and make sure it is recommended for your saw. Bars and chains come in different sizes. Get a new "low kickback" chain for about $20, worth the cost. Download the saws instructions and parts list on-line at the Huskqvarna website. I would put in a new properly gapped spark plug (they wear out fast on chain saws), a new fuel filter, a new air filter, dump out any old bar oil and gas, get some good brand bar oil and 2-stroke oil. Get some 93 octane gas to mix it in and some Stabil fuel stabilzer if the gas will be sitting the gas can in the garage for over a month. My saws like high octane fuel and good 2-cycle oil mixed. Make sure controls work, choke, on-off switch, throttle, chain brake works, pull off the clutch cover and make sure everything looks decent, no dings, crooked, etc. Always give the saw a good cleaning before and after using it. Spray carburator cleaner works good for cleaning off the gunky stuff.

Did I mention to get the instructions and parts list on-line?
 
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Squashfan,
The tune is the ratio of air/fuel mixture. Lacking valves, this is how the RPM range of the saw is regulated. Since there is no lubricating oil, the oil in the fuel mix provides lubrication for the cyclinder ring/piston walls. --- Too much air VS fuel is called running "lean" and the failure of the saw "lean seizure". Tune needs to be adjusted for variations in temperature, altitude and even from fuel mix to fuel mix. There are many videos on youtube that allow you to hear the tone of a saw in or out of tune. Another way to do it is use a digital tachometer- I lack the ear to keep one in proper tune so I bought a two cycle tach sold as an add on for personal water craft and zip tied it to my handle bar. Later I bought a 562XP with has its own electonic tuning.

For a new saw- I would go with the HUsky 435 and get it tuned/learn to tune it. It is not a saw for felling large trees but gives great value for $$ spent and is a good saw to learn on. It is light so it is slow to build arm fatigue. You will have other expense in sfatey equipment in the beginning, after you gain experience with the 435 and feel comfortable, you can look to upgrade or upsize and sell your well cared for saw or just keep it. I have quite a few hours on mine and love it.

IF you prefer Stihl- My first two saws were Stihls over 20 years ago and are probably still running today if their owners cared for them.
You might find a cared for Stihl 028 for little outlay. They are not high performance and a touch heavy for cc but are as relaible as the day is long.

Personally, I never shelled out more than 100.00 for an unknown saw- meaning I did not know who ran it or how it was cared for. You might try some reading at www.arboristsite.com . I learned alot from those folks.

Bill
 
I swear by EFCO, Jonserd, Tanaka, or Redmax.. I worked at a full line stihl Dealer a few years back and after talking to the stihl certified mechanic i wouldn't Buy a new one. The bigger Stihls are still very good(660 etc) Smaller saws are assembled in VA beach, with most of the parts cast in china. Find a good dealer and stick with them.
 
I heat both my house and my shop with wood and we cut several cords a year. I personally prefer Husqvarnas, but Stihls are OK too. Be sure to heed the safety advice given by previous posters - proper chaps, ear and eye protection and a hardhat can make all the difference.

However, you can very easily get killed felling a tree even if you do know what you're doing. Not knowing what you are doing raises the odds against you substantially. The guys who cut timber for a living here all use the winch on a 'dozer to snug up on a large tree before they even begin to notch it because large trees can be extremely unpredictable once they start moving..

If this is a one time clearing job, you might want to consider having a pro do it. Often times, you can find someone who will do the work and pay you for the timber. Then you just need a small lightweight saw for bucking the branches into firewood, which is waaay safer than dropping trees.....
 
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