looking for a quality chainsaw

[Chip Lindley]

Stihl MS390 is THE SAW! ( unless you are a professional lumberjack) I cut my own firewood every winter and finally wore out my first-ever Sears/Poulan 3800 after almost 20 years. The Stihl 390 is about 2/3 the weight, and has done everything I have asked of it for the past six years. 20" bar is plenty! I have bucked 36" trunks with it. Buy the Stihl and it will be the last saw you will have to purchase!!

[Greg Hines, MD]

I have used Stihls, Poulans, Huskys, and the Stihl is the best of them. I currently don't have one, but when the cheap one that my wife got me years ago dies, its replacement will be a Stihl.

Doc

[Kevin Godshall]

For 10 years I've been running a Jonsered 2054 Turbo. Big price tag up front, but with a sharp loop, I haven't found anything I haven't been able to tackle, even with only having a 16" bar (meant learning plunge cutting and other techniques for felling large diameter trees).

Biggest thing by far........ if you're not accustomed to running a saw, "on the job training" is a quick trip to the hospital. Especially if falling trees!!! It is not a weekend warrior task. There are way too many dangers to even begin to write about in a post, and the more powerful the saw, the better the chance to expotentially increase the dangers.

As in the workshop, your greatest weapon vs injury is fear (fear, as in respect). Better learned than taught.

[David G Baker]

Stihl is my favorite. I have the Farm Boss model. It has worked well for me. Parts are readily available and there are many repair facilities scattered through out the country if needed. Stihl is one of the work horses of the lumber industry.
If you are not in good physical shape, it will make a man out of you if you use it much.

[Bob Genovesi]

Stihl MS390 is THE SAW! ( unless you are a professional lumberjack) I cut my own firewood every winter and finally wore out my first-ever Sears/Poulan 3800 after almost 20 years. The Stihl 390 is about 2/3 the weight, and has done everything I have asked of it for the past six years. 20" bar is plenty! I have bucked 36" trunks with it. Buy the Stihl and it will be the last saw you will have to purchase!!

Chip,

I have a Sears / Poulan that I bought back in 1975. This saw has cut more wood than God planted on this earth and I can't kill it! It's been through hell and back, sat under water twice for at least 2 weeks. Both times I tore is all apart, dried it out, and started it....

My Kids bought me a new Husqvarna last year because I wanted a new one. I've got a 345 with an 18" bar. The saw is 3hp and man does it cut but without the vibration I became fond of with my Sears saw....

[Kevin Arceneaux]

To reduce hand fatigue, get a pair of anti-vibration gloves. I got a pair and used them when I was cutting some trees down. It made a huge difference. My hands were not sore.

http://www.labsafety.com/store/Safet...Impact_Gloves/

[Eric Porter]

I'm with Randy when it comes to the Dolmar, the 5100s is the best 50cc saw going in my opinion and many others. Will run about $400 new.

Eric

[Sonny Edmonds]

Well, I've had a couple of Husky's over they years and never had to worry about parts...
They never needed them!
Now that sez a lot about a chainsaw.
My first Husky came stock with a 36" bar. It was a pro series saw, no brake, just a lot of guts. Around 5 Cu In. as I recall.
I always refered to it as my wood laser.
My current one (for the last 12 years now) is a 300th anniversery edition, modle 340 I belive it is. Great mid sized saw.

[Dave Lewis]

We've been pleased with Stihl - Farm Boss, Mini-Boss and weedwhipper.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have a 30 year old Sthil 036 that I've dropped from trees got stuck in trees that fell wrong and generally beat the living daylights out of it. The tank leaks from dropping it from 40 some odd feet so I want a new one but, there's this one problem:

I can't kill it.

[Chris Brault]

It's hard to beat a Stihl or a Husqy. There are small differences between the two, but not really worth mentioning. Most of the loggers I've worked with out here run Stihl. I've ran both often, and don't really have a preference. Can't go wrong with either!

[Mike Heidrick]

(Stihl) The odd number model numbers are commercial grade, spend the extra $$$ on commercial grade, it will last you longer.

I own a Stihl MS 260 Pro. One awesome firewood/home/ranch saw IMO. I LOVE the decompression valve. If I ever need bigger - MS460 Magnum!!

[Jim W. White]

I have a Stihl I bought used off *bay. It is a model 026 which predated the 260, and it runs like a raped ape.

Check out the literature available from the Stihl website concerning chainsaw usage and safety. Very well written regardless of which direction you go on the purchase side.

Jim in Idaho

[Gene Michael]

Bought an Echo at one of the borgs. NO power. Bogged down on 8 and 10" trees. Returned it. Got a very good deal on a husqvarna at Sears. They were on sale for much less than anywhere else. It's a strong saw and much lighter than my friend's stihl. My wife uses an old homelite 150, which isn't a bad saw, but it doesn't have near the power of the husqvarna.

[Bob Slater]

Thanks for all the replies and endorsements. I guess I will start looking on CL in the near term to see if something used pops up. One thing I hadn't considered is getting the thing down there.(On a commercial flight) I suppose if I drain all the combustibles they might let it on board. There are no repair facilities for anything on this island, so some proven model with parts support via mail is the only way to go. All the trees I am going to chop up are already horizontal and littering the beach. The trunks are mostly about 30 inches wide.